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My Review
Bentley and the Magic Sticks is a super cute children's book with a heartwarming ending.
Bentley the dog is a bit different. He's very large, and the other dogs don't want to play with him. This makes Bentley sad. He's lonely and just wants a friend.
With the help of his Fairy Dogmother, Bentley might just get his wish.
I found this to be an adorable read. It's sweet and engaging, and the illustrations are delightful. Young readers will absolutely love Bentley and want to be his friend too.
A must-read children's book for dog lovers.
5 stars!
Author Interview
First, congratulations on your recent Mom’s Choice Award! How did that make you feel?
Oh my Gosh. That was a really good Day! There are so many
reasons for writing and publishing, and I’d never really thought much of the
award aspect, but it’s so wonderful to be recognized for something you have
worked hard for. The Mom’s Choice Award was like icing on the cake, because we
had already received several five-star reviews from Readers Choice that week,
and also been notified that we are a Certified Good Read from Reading with Your
Kids, so we were very happy already!
I know you’ve done a couple of podcasts. How was it being
interviewed?
It was really fun! I am used to doing public speaking, so I
wasn’t nervous, just curious as to how it was going to go. I did a one-hour
interview with Library Laura, and we had a great time chatting about Bentley
and The Magic Sticks, and also about other books that we recommended, and
authors we follow. I was worried we wouldn’t be able to fill a while hour, but
it went by fast! Then I did a half-hour podcast with Jed from Reading with Your
Kids which hasn’t aired yet. But I feel good about it. He really put me at ease
and had a lot of wonderful things to say about my book!
Other than writing, what are some of the challenges
you’ve faced becoming an author?
Good question! Because there have been quite a few. I knew
that I wanted to make a career out of this, so it was important to me to create
a team of people I like working with and stick with them. I had to find a
publisher, illustrators, editors, and a marketing team because I knew I
wouldn’t have the time or contacts to do everything myself. I feel that I have
connected with some really amazing people and organizations during my search,
such as Lori and Alysson of Foreword Publicity. Without them, I wouldn’t have
known how to push my book sales out past family and friends. They have become
an invaluable part of my team.
Speaking of finding the perfect team, where did you find
your illustrator for Bentley and the Magic Sticks? Her illustrations are
fabulous!
Yes, they are!!! With children’s books especially it is
often the illustrations that sell the book first, so it was important to me to
have someone who could bring my characters to live using vibrant colors and
wonderfully expressive drawings. Anne did all that and more! Luckily, she was a
friend already, but I hadn’t realized how talented she was in this area. I knew
her as a fabulous artist and a very creative person but had no idea that she
and I would be such a great team when it came to children’s books. We are so
excited to be working with each other in this new capacity!
So, what is next for you? Any new projects you can share
with us?
Absolutely! I’d be happy to! First, there will be a new book
coming out about Bentley called Bentley’s Best Birthday Ever! Since Bentley has
only just found friends, he has never had a birthday to share with anyone, so
this is a special event for him. I also introduce a new character, Bella, who
is a chocolate Labrador. Also, this year I have a chapter book coming out that
is part of a new series for middle graders and young adults. It’s called
Gallant: The Call of the Trail. It’s a coming-of-age story set against the
background of endurance riding which is long distance horseback riding. I’m
really excited about both books for different reasons! Gallant allowed me to
expand my reading audience and challenge my writing abilities, while Bentley
was like having a new adventure with an old friend. I feel incredibly blessed!
Bentley and the Magic Sticks Book Tour Giveaway
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! I have many more adventures in store for Bentley! It's wonderful to see the response from kids all over the world!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! :)
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