Hatch Blog Tour, Author Interview and Giveaway

 

About the Book: Hatch! is a picture book exploring the animals that hatch from eggs. Colorful, captivating pictures paired with singsong rhyming text make this book a perfect fit for curious babies and toddlers. 

About the Author: Cassie Hoyt is a children’s author and perfusionist. She lives in North Carolina with
her husband and two sons. She enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family. Inspiration for her books typically comes from her silly boys or fond memories of her childhood. Learn more about Cassie’s upcoming works here.

About the Illustrator: Amanda Crawford Brown is an artist in the greater Nashville, TN area. She has been creative her whole life but began working on her art career seriously in 2017. She specializes in watercolor and fluid art mediums but has recently been recreating those mediums in digital format. Creating children’s book art has been a dream of Amanda’s since she was very young! Amanda also makes digital artwork and is a marketing director for a Professional Twitch streamer, has shown her work in galleries and has had award-winning booths at art and craft shows all around Tennessee!

Author Interview: 

Life Is What It's Called  - What inspired you to write Hatch!?

Cassie Hoyt - My three-year-old son is full of questions. We saw a bird's nest one day, and after that, he kept asking which animals hatch from eggs. Hatch! started as an easy rhyme to teach him a few animals that hatch from eggs. I couldn’t find a book with all of these animals, so I decided to make my own. 

Life Is What It's Called - What do you hope kids will gain from your book? 

Cassie Hoyt - I hope that Hatch! will spark curiosity and that the kids reading Hatch! will learn in a simple, fun way.)

Life Is What It's Called - Are there more books in your future? 

Cassie Hoyt - Yes! I am always working on new ideas. I'm very excited to announce that my second book, I Miss You Most, will be out this fall! Love knows no distance. I Miss You Most helps children through the heartache of distance by showing them how to hold their loved ones near. Whether exploring the seas as pirates or twirling like ballerinas, imagination can bridge even the greatest distance. Because time with those you love is the most magical thing of all!

Life Is What It's Called - How would you recommend Hatch! be used in a homeschool preschool setting?  

Cassie Hoyt - Hatch! is perfect for a homeschool preschool setting. The simple, repetitive phrase is catchy, and the little ones will quickly have it memorized. I would recommend reading Hatch! with pauses to allow the children to guess which animal is hatching. Show pictures of each animal featured and pair with questions about the animals and their nests. Video footage of animals hatching from eggs can add to the lesson. There are printable coloring pages on my website, www.cassiehoyt.com, as well! 

Life Is What It's Called - Have you ever seen an animal hatch? 

Cassie Hoyt - I have! A friend of ours had baby chicks we saw hatch. Recently, we have been watching videos of animals hatching. What's your favorite animal? My favorite animal is a dog. We have a small dog named Buckeye! He is very energetic, loves to play with his toys, and barks a lot. 

Life Is What It's Called - What's your favorite animal?

Cassie Hoyt - My favorite animal is a dog. We have a small dog named Buckeye! He is very energetic, loves to play with his toys, and barks a lot.

Giveaway: Enter for a chance to win the Hatch! prize pack.

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

• A paperback copy of Hatch, autographed by author Cassie Hoyt,
• A canvas tote printed with artwork from Hatch 
• A $100 Amazon gift card for purchasing books to fill your new tote
  

Two (2) winners receive:

• A paperback copy of Hatch, autographed by author Cassie Hoyt 

Giveaway begins October 5, 2020, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends November 5, 2020, at 11:59 P.M. MT. 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway  

 

 

Disclosure: This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Cassie Hoyt. The giveaway is managed by The Children's Book Review. This post may contain affiliate links.

As Long As You Love Me Review

After fifteen years, straight-laced Brennon Ashworth is finally over his high school crush. Or so he thought.

After his best friend signs him up for speed dating, he inadvertently compares every woman to Molly, the carefree and vivacious girl who broke his heart. Ever since she left, he has done everything he can to make life predictable so he isn’t hurt again, even if that means life gets a little boring. When Molly shows up out of the blue, his carefully controlled life is thrown into chaos, and the masks he’s been wearing no longer seem to fit. She knows him better than anyone, so he can’t hide from Molly like he does the rest of the world. And that terrifies him.

When his pseudo-family, the Davenports, are in trouble, Brennon reluctantly teams up with Molly to find the truth and prays she isn’t lying when she says she won’t hurt him again.

Because he’s as much in love with her as ever, and he’s not sure he can survive another heartbreak.

As Long As You Love Me is a mostly stand-alone clean contemporary romance (but works better with the rest of the Simple Love Stories).

Review - This story is told from the hero's perspective - Brennon. It was interesting to only get his insight and thoughts on other characters and the situation around him. Through Brennon's perspective, it was hard to know if Molly was trustworthy. By seeing everything through one character's eyes, it kept me guessing as a reader. The author, Dana LeCheminant, provides the characters with different personalities that make the story vibrant and compelling. This is a fun contemporary romance that's worth reading! This book is a clean and wholesome romance. To learn more, click here.

Please note that I received a free ebook to review, however, this is my honest opinion. Please note that this post contains affiliate links.

Standout Saints Review and Giveaway

 

From prophets to pioneers, from songwriters to scientists, Standout Saints: Church History Heroes from Around the World presents the fascinating true stories of twenty women and twenty men from Church history. Each one-page biography describes impressive achievements and shares stories of great faith. Readers will encounter well-known and beloved Saints such as Joseph Smith and Eliza R. Snow along with lesser-known heroes from around the world such as Hu Wei-I, who miraculously translated the Book of Mormon into Chinese, and Mere Mete Whaanga, a prominent Maori woman who helped the Church spread into New Zealand. In addition, Standout Saints includes uplifting quotes, a Church history timeline, and resources for further study. The courage and faith of these Saints made them stand out from the world, and this educational and inspiring book helps young readers know that they too can stand out.

 

Author Bio: Sierra Wilson is a children's author/illustrator living in Alberta, Canada. She wrote The Atonement of Jesus Christ is for Me and I Can Be Like Jesus as well as several other books for children soon to be released. Before turning to writing, Sierra worked as a high school English and history teacher. She is the daughter of two modern-day pioneers and loves researching about pioneers and faithful heroes of all kinds. When she's not writing, you can find her adventuring with her husband and four children, cross-country skiing, or eating all the chocolate.

 

Author Social Media Links:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Website

Pinterest

 

Review: This informative book shares the histories of several saints from different cultures, countries and races. Each saint has an amazing history that can inspire and uplift. This book will help inspire kids. The illustrations are eye-catching and attractive. Each history of the saints is short enough to share with kids and keep their attention. The text is easy for kids to understand and read. This is a great book for kids to reference and learn more about others that are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To learn more, click here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Please note that I received a free copy to review, however this is my honest opinion. The giveaway is run by the author. This post contains affiliate links that help maintain this blog. 

A Hopeful Christmas Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

 

Kindle the spirit of the season as four of your favorite storytellers weave tales of love and hope in this charming yuletide collection. .

• LORD BLAKELY’S GIFT - When Miss Ivy Hunt and Lord Curtis Blakely establish a secret acquaintance, neither can deny that their feelings extend beyond friendship. But as the children of bitter rivals, it will take a Christmas miracle for this star-crossed pair to reach their happily ever after.
• A SEASON OF HOPE - Following the death of her father, Amelia knows Christmas will be lean. But when circumstances become dire, it is the unexpected arrival of a childhood friend that renews Amelia’s hope—both for the future and for love.
• CHRISTMAS BY THE SEA - After two years at sea with the Royal Navy, surgeon Will Crenshaw longs for a quiet Christmas with his family. But when unrest at home threatens to ruin the holidays, it takes the kindly intervention of a mysterious house sitter to remind them of the true meaning of the season.
• EXPECTATIONS AT CANTERWOOD - Marina Rowley is a spinster, Richard Stanhope a war-weary military man. A case of mistaken identity throws them together, but the unexpected stirrings of their hearts lead to an unforgettable holiday romance.

Review - This was a fun, relaxing read. I loved how the stories differed and each had an entertaining value. The first two stories were my favorites. I loved how they also both used the same animal to add humor to the story, but in different ways. All of the stories were clean, easy-to-read, easy-to-get-into. It's something that I would reread in the future. The characters were engaging and stood out in the Regency genre. I would recommend reading it. To learn more about A Hopeful Christmas, click here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please note that I received a free copy to review, however, this is my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links that help maintain this blog. 

October Giveaways (low to moderate entry)

I like entering low to moderate entry giveaways and I share each month some of the blog or social media giveaways I've entered, thought someone else might be interested in entering or that have been submitted to me through bloggers. Check back often throughout the month to see if I have posted more giveaways. If you are hosting a family-friendly giveaway on your blog and would like to see it listed here, please contact me (via email). If you have a won a giveaway that I posted, please leave a comment and share that you won.

 

Blues Clues and You (ends October 1, 2020)

Dreamworks 10 Movie Collection on Blu-Ray (ends October 2, 2020)

$150 to Baby Cubby (ends October 3, 2020)

Cozy Fall Mug (ends October 3, 2020)

Visa Gift Card and Entenmann's Coupons (ends October 5, 2020)

The Farmer and the Monkey (ends October 8, 2020) 

The Arabic Quilt (ends October 8, 2020) 

My Life As a Potato (ends October 8, 2020)

Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs (ends October 9, 2020)

Mulan Digital Copy (ends October 11, 2020)

Izzy Newton and the Smart Squad Book (ends October 11, 2020)

Super Rooster Saves the Day (ends October 12, 2020)

$50 GrubHub Gift Card (ends October 12, 2020) 

War with Grandpa Prize Pack (ends October 14, 2020) 

This is a Flying Rat (ends October 15, 2020)

Muffled (ends October 15, 2020)

Praline Lady (ends October 15, 2020) 

A Piece of Your Choice from Gibsonlook (ends October 15, 2020)

$25 Uber Eats Gift Card (ends October 15, 2020)

$50 Uber Eats Gift Card (ends October 15, 2020)

Mulan Digital Copy (ends October 15, 2020)

Back to the Future Trilogy (ends October 15, 2020) 

Entenmann's Coupons and Visa Gift Card (ends October 16, 2020)

Courtney Moore Doll (ends October 19, 2020)