Tag Archives: new book release

Stanley & Katrina’s Book Blasty Tour

I’m thrilled to be the first stop in Stanley & Katrina’s Book Blasty Tour for the new book “The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals” written by Felicia Maziarz, which has already received a 5 Star rating from Reader’s Favorite.

My Reviewish Thoughts

Stanley the dog and Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge are the main characters and sort of authors of “The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals.”

Obstreperous means “resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly” or “noisy and disruptive.” I’ve been an English teacher and I had to look it up! What a great word. I wonder if that has been one of Stanley & Katrina’s Words of the Week yet. Anyhow…

The book is more a series of sassy and silly anecdotes about Stanley & Katrina’s lives and adventures instead of a full story. I found myself wondering how many of those stories had a little basis in fact, like the ones in my books. Some chapters are from the perspective of one of the characters, and some from an all-knowing narrator (who is occasionally corrected by Katrina von Cat). I loved it and can see why it is getting such great ratings. I will be posting one myself on amazon.com today. 5 stars from me as well!

Kimba wanted me to be sure to mention that she felt that Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge was horribly maligned and mistreated throughout the book, and clearly Stanley and the owners do not understand that Katrina is not only a famous ice skating cat from Europe but she is also an alien — like all cats — and deserves more respect. She hopes Katrina will be the only star of any future books. Felicia can take that all with a grain of salt, as I’m sure she does with all advice coming from cats.

I should also offer huge congratulations to Felicia because on October 1 she won the Silver Award from the 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards in the “Best Book by Youth Author (Under 18) for her first book (she was 9 when she wrote it), The Perpetual Papers of the Pack of Pets. Go Felicia!!

Celebrating

Stanley and Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge are celebrating the release of their second book, The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals, by hosting their very own “Book Blasty Tour”. Thank you for taking the time to visit this special stop along their tour and be sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book

Title: The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals

Authors: Stanley & Katrina, Pet Authors

Year published: 2014

Number of pages: 106

Recommended ages: 10+ Independent Readers; 5+ Read-Aloud

Summary (Amazon): Cat and dog. It is a love/hate relationship. Stanley and Katrina are back to share more humorous glimpses into their exciting lives in their second book via short stories. Yes, the pets are at it again but this time compete in a slam poetry contest, visit a pet psychic, and much more.This cat and dog writing team makes you stop and wonder what happens at your house when you’re not there.

Book Preview Video

Click Here For The Video Preview!!

Amazon U.S. * Amazon U.K. * Amazon Canada

Barnes & Noble

The Buzz

“All the animal snippets are very funny. If you like animals and a good laugh, this is the book for you.” ~Carly K., Age 10

“Hilarious! Instantly became my favorite book!” ~Stephen E., Age 12

“You did it again! I loved reading about your crazy adventures!” ~Rachael S., Age 13

“Another one? How do they do this?” ~Stanley & Katrina’s owners

About the Authors: Stanley & Katrina

Stanley and Katrina are the pet authors of The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals.

Stanley is a three-year-old black Labrador/Rottweiler mix who does his best to ignore Katrina. Stanley enjoys snow, attention and turkey.

Katrina von Cat the Master of Wisdom and Knowledge is an eight-year-old grey tabby cat who loves her toy mouse.She enjoys treats, naps and bossing the dog around.

Neighbor Girl (Felicia) is the human who knows us (Stanley& Katrina) the best and helps us with everything. She loves writing, reading, acting, singing, reading gymnastics, doodling, reading, ice skating, painting, reading, doing computer stuff, oh… did we mention reading? She is the co-creator and co-host of “The Write Chat.”

You may visit the entire gang online at www.StanleyAndKatrina.com.

Twitter * Facebook * Google+

Pinterest * Goodreads * YouTube

* Free Printables For This Book! *

Kid Lit Printables has created fun and FREE printables for The Observations of the Obstreperous Animals and will be adding more in the future. Click here to view all available printables now.

Get the First Book in the Series Free

10/6 & 10/7/2014

The pets are offering their first book for free, via Amazon Kindle, the first two days of the Blog Tour. Click here to download Book 1 in the Stanley & Katrina series now.

Stanley & Katrina’s

Book Blasty Tour Stops(2014)

*Denotes Book Review Stops

October 6

Meg Dendler’s Site*

Mother Daughter Book Reviews*

Michigan Saving and More

October 7

The Book Lovers’ Lounge*

October 8

BeachBoundBooks*

Writer Side UP!

October 9

Amanda’s Books and More*

October 10

Spark and Pook*

October 11

The Squishable Baby*

October 12

Bookaholic Chicks

October 13

Education is Special*

Kid Lit Reviews*

October 14

Adalinc To Life*

October 15

Stitch Says*

We are the DinoFamily*

October 17

Talking Animal Addicts*

October 18

Jemima Pett, Author*

October 19

The Sassy Schnauzer*

October 20

Lobo’s Follies*

October 21

Hey, Miss Adventures!*

October 22

Bookworm for Kids

October 24

My Devotional Thoughts*

* $25 Book Blasty Tour Giveaway *

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest runs:October 6 to October 31, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter by clicking here.

Terms and Conditions: A randomly drawn winner will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest or any other entity unless otherwise specified. If you have any additional questions, feel free to send us an email at stanleyandkatrina (at) gmail (dot) com.

* This giveaway is sponsored by the authors, Stanley & Katrina.*

Book Birthday For “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge!!”

Today is officially the publication day and Book Birthday for “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge!” If you follow my blog, this book is not big news for you, and if you follow me on other social media you are more than aware that this is the big day. Book releases and Book Birthdays are not subtle events!

Click on the cover to get your copy from amazon.com now!

Personalized and autographed paperback are also available here at my website, so just look for the shopping cart on the right hand column or go to the Purchase Books page.

Today is also Samantha’s (aka Miss Fatty Cat) 9th birthday. She is not sure what all the fuss is about as far as the book goes, but she’s hoping for some extra food and love today. I’m sure “Leia” will take care of that. You can celebrate with special prices on “Why Kimba Saved The World” (FREE) and “Vacation Hiro” (99 cents) too.

Kimba is not too sure about this nonsense about a book that doesn’t have her image on the cover, but I have assured her that it is still all about her and the adventures that she has at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. Convincing her that I should spend time on “Max’s Wild Night” where she will only be a side note is a different challenge altogether. Maybe we can distract her with Disney plush toys. Buzz Lightyear was waiting for me this morning on the floor outside my office, so he must have gone for a wild ride. To infinity and beyond, indeed!

I’m really grateful to the bloggers who have supported today’s book launch. I didn’t reach out to as many this time, but most that I contacted answered the call at one time or another in the process. Some have already posted reviews, and I’ve shared them. Today Chris at The Story Reading Ape share a nice interview with me and information about all three books, and Johanna Rae shared a separate interview at her blog. There are a couple of others scheduled that have not been published, so I’ll just have to share them when they come out.

Summer is busy with our guest house business, but fall is when the book tours and fun really get going. There is something nearly every weekend, and I’m so excited to get back out and share the Cats in the Mirror series face to face with new readers and talk with fans. On Sept. 20th & 21st, “Leia” and I will be in Joplin for the Cat Fancier’s show, and September 27th we will be at the Springdale Library for their annual author event. I’m sure I’ll be blogging about that cat show! I’m also participating in two blog tours for other authors this month. Stay tuned!

Much Ado About Kimba & Hiro

Paperback formatting is complete for Book 3 in the Cats in the Mirror series: “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge.” The cover reveal will be coming shortly before I set up some giveaways at Goodreads, and we are spot-on schedule for the September release. The full book cover work is being done now (thank you, Lesley), and I’m ready to begin formatting on the kindle version. That should be interesting!

I’ve also been busy with some author events. May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th I was at the War Eagle Spring Craft Fair with Kimba & Hiro’s stuffed touring reps and books to share with visitors.

Kimba & Hiro took a tour of the grounds. Guest thought they were adorable.

War Eagle Mill & Bridge are fantastic tourist sights.

We were there and ready to share our stories!

Scott made his first official Pringles duck lips for the season. He doesn’t sit still well.

Tracy Adams was next to us with her pottery. What talent! Of course, I went home with a new pot–but sadly not this one. Someone beat me to it when I wasn’t looking. We traded merchandise and everyone went home happy, but I owe Tracy a copy of “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge.”

Spring at War Eagle is only about 30% as busy as the fall festival, but we earned our stripes and were able to get booth space for the Fall Craft Festival in October. I’ve attended it before, and it is PACKED! All three books will be ready by then, so we will be there and ready to roll. I hope we get to be next to Tracy again. Nearly everyone stopped at her booth. You can find her in Branson, MO, at Peter Engler’s Design at the Grand Village Shops.

Kimba and Hiro tagged along with me for my Ozark Writer’s League (OWL) meeting on May 17th in Branson. Several members went home with copies of the books, and two have already posted 5 star reviews at amazon.com–because every writer knows how important those reviews are. So grateful!

Kimba & Hiro meet Jan Morrill

I reviewed Jan Morril’s book “The Red Kimono” a few months ago, and it was fun to get to share her with Kimba and Hiro during a quiet moment at the OWL meeting. They learned a little bit about what life was like for Japanese-Americans who were banished to internment camps during WWII. Jan also has a new book of Haiku poems available called “Life: Haiku By Haiku.” You can find out more about her great books at her web site.

Kimba and Hiro (and me too actually) got to officially meet Pamela Foster. I think I blogged about her hysterical book “Clueless Gringos In Paradise” a while back. Our book tables were next to each other, so the cats were able to get in a special reading of her new book “Ridgeline.” It doesn’t even have an amazon.com link yet, it’s so new!

Pamela Foster treating Kimba & Hiro to a reading of her new book. Bigfoot was tired and needed to take a nap, I guess.

The May meeting is also when the OWL fundraising event is held, and I was able to get my hands on the one item that really caught my eye. I love this painting, and it now hangs on the wall next to my bed and greets me each morning.

Artist Sue McCaniel with my new painting.

I took advantage of a pitch session with an agent who came to the meeting and was blessed to hear those magical words: “Send it to me.” Three Cheers!! The manuscript she’s interested in is my adult spiritual/paranormal book that has been in process for about two years now: “At The Corner of Magnetic and Main.” The only catch is that she wants it to be MUCH longer. I guess I know what I’ll be up to this summer. I’m not a fan of padding a story just to reach some publisher’s required length, but I will spend some time looking at where I can naturally expand the story.

Taking part in the Kid Lit Blog Hop last week was a blast. I actually won two books and am looking forward to reading (and reviewing) them. If you are ever interested in what I’m currently reading, you can send me a friend request at Goodreads. I never say no to friend requests on public forums!

That should get things caught up for now. Today begins a bit of a diversion for me. In order to transfer my teaching certification to Arkansas, I have to take a class in Arkansas history. I would love to be qualified to teach some adult ed or community college courses, so that will be accomplished before mid-July by taking one online through Northwest Arkansas Community College. It is a shortened summer schedule class and may require a good deal of time. That will probably mean less blogging, but I’m sure I’ll keep some updates coming with Book 3’s release so soon. With that class, our hopping guest house business, Book 3 creation to finish, and edits on “Magnetic and Main,” I will have plenty to do. Needless to say, summer is not a vacation time for me. I’ll catch my breath in January.

Hope your summer is filled with warm memories–and a big glass of grape juice.

Two New Book Reviews For “Vacation Hiro”

The official book launch is only a few hours away!! As part of the blog tour, two new book reviews for “Vacation Hiro” posted today.

The first review is from Found Between The Covers, and I’m thrilled that Sherrey enjoyed Book 2 even more than Book 1. Click here to see the whole review at her blog, but here’s my favorite part:

“When I finished reading and reviewing Why Kimba Saved the World, I couldn’t imagine Meg Dendler surpassing that story or the personification of the animals in her first book in the Cats in the Mirror Series. I. Was. Wrong!”

Thanks, Sherrey!

The second review is from The Styling Librarian, who also thoroughly enjoyed it and recommends the series to her readers. Yay! Thanks, Debbie! Click here to see the whole review all the way from Hong Kong.

Be sure to visit both of their sites and follow them on twitter and Facebook. I’ve loved following them myself.

“Vacation Hiro” hits the world Friday morning!! Watch out world!

Book 2 in the Cats in the Mirror Series

First Book Review for “Vacation Hiro” From Arkansas Book Reviewer

What a great beginning for an exciting week!! The very first book review for “Vacation Hiro” was posted today by the Arkansas Book Reviewer, and she gave it 5 stars. That’s a great way to get things going! Please click here to read the whole review at her site, and be sure to click on the social media share links at the bottom and leave a comment for her. I loved the way she ended it: “Best of all, Vacation Hiro ends with a cliffhanger that’ll have you clawing for the next book!” Love it! Nothing like a 5 star review to start of a book launch week with a bang!

Official launch day is Friday, November 15. Getting all of my ducks and links in a row and ready to share with you.

Book 2 in the Cats in the Mirror Series

Next Blog Tour Book Review of “Why Kimba Saved The World”

Today’s blog tour stop is with the Heart of a Philanthropist web site for a book review and giveaway for “Why Kimba Saved The World.” Click here to visit her site and read the full review. Also take a moment to look through her information about the Village of Hope orphanage in the Philippines that is struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake in the region. I’m joining Kim in her letter writing campaign to offer support and prayers as they work to rebuild. Good work is going on around the world! Thanks, Kim, for taking time to review and share my book.

Cover 2 Cover Book Review of “Kimba” Today

Just a quick shout-out to blog tour host Cover 2 Cover today for her great book review of “Why Kimba Saved The World.” She is also running a free copy giveaway, so be sure to share her link with your friends so they can enter for a free copy. Thanks, Stephanie!! Click here for the full feature and review, but here’s my favorite part:

“As I was reading this book, I was laughing and thinking about my cat, and how he too is a found stray and how many of his first places and movements were similar to Kimba and Hiro’s. I think Cooper (my cat) may too be communicating with and accomplishing his missions with the strange things he does and things he gets into…”

Yes, Stephanie, watch out if Cooper pays too much attention to YOUR computer. You never know!

There’s another blog tour stop tomorrow, so stay tuned!

“Vacation Hiro” Book Cover Reveal!!

I suddenly realized that it’s going to happen today. When part one of my interview with the Arkansas Authors web site goes live this morning, it will include the book cover reveal for “Vacation Hiro,” so I guess I should officially reveal it here as well! The ebook and paperback are in the final stages of production, and we have set a date of November 15th for the official book launch. I’m so excited to share more of Hiro and Kimba’s adventures with you. So…here’s what the front cover looks like!

Book 2 in the Cats in the Mirror Series

Book Review–Big Honey Dog Mysteries: Curse of the Scarab

Holy Liver Snaps, this is a cute book! Doing a formal book review is a rare for me, but I wanted to do more than make a quick note about this one. The Big Honey Dog Mysteries: Curse of the Scarab is just adorable.

H.Y. Hanna and I bumped into each other on Goodreads and agreed to a read & review book swap. It was logical since our topics and genre looked to be very similar. I must admit, after I agreed to this I got a bit spooked. What if her book is terrible? But there was no need for any worry. The moment my husband opened it up on his kindle (no, I don’t have my own) he said, “This looks cute. It sounds like your writing style.” I’ll take that as a compliment because Hanna’s writing is delightful.

This first book in the Big Honey Dog Mysteries follows Great Dane Honey as she tries to find a lost puppy friend who has been stolen, along with dozens of other puppies in town. With the help of her canine friends, Honey discovers a very creepy mystery that involves nasty scarab bugs and Egyptian curses. I should probably give a warning that young readers who are very sensitive may not be ready for some of the drama that unfolds. There is life-threatening peril along the way for everyone involved. Of course, if you like exciting drama, this book is right up your alley.

I’m very big on stories for young readers that have a moral or point of some kind, and Curse of the Scarab didn’t let me down. There are deep-seated prejudices to be overcome. The traditional hatred between cats and dogs comes into play. Cats, who are referred to early in the book as a “bunch o’ sneaky, sardine-breathed sand poopers,” are going to have to become allies if the puppies are to be saved. And the stereotype of pit bulls as dangerous, killer dogs is faced head-on. Again, without the help of Max, a rescued fighting dog, their mission won’t succeed.

Despite the overwhelming charms of Honey, I felt most in touch with the Beagle, Biscuit. I have had two Beagles in my life, and they both ate everything they could, just like Biscuit (though I kept a better eye on them than Biscuit’s owner). Heidi, my childhood Beagle, once ate an entire batch of oatmeal cookies that had been laid out on the table to cool. Three cups of oatmeal were in there. She was an unhappy dog. Eevee, my adult-age Beagle, once ate a two-pound box of chocolate creams that was a Christmas gift. Given fifteen unsupervised minutes, she went upstairs (where she NEVER went), found the box hidden behind a bookcase, unwrapped it, pulled off the plastic, and ate every chocolate (and probably some of the wrappers). We were grateful it was mostly cream and gel inside! She had an unhappy night, but the next day I caught her pulling the wrappers from the garbage. Too strong a nose is a dangerous thing. Every time Biscuit got caught eating something in the story, it just made me smile. I bet dog-lovers will find the same kind of attachment to one of Honey’s friends in the story.

Big Honey Dog Mysteries: Curse of the Scarab, is a wonderful book. The writing is light and funny, as well as serious and heart-wrenching. I highly recommend this for middle grade readers–and frankly for dog lovers of any age.

A sequel to this book is already underway, and I’m excited to see what H.Y. Hanna has planned for Honey and her friends at the dog show.

You can find out more about the real Honey Dog and upcoming books at H.Y.’s fantastic web page www.bighoneydogmysteries.com.

HY and Honey discuss manuscript for Book 2

“Vacation Hiro” Soon!

Summer has been crazy around here! Not only do we run a tourist-focused guest house that has been hopping all season, but I’ve been enjoying going to local fairs and being in touch with book review bloggers all over the world. I’ve lost track of how many reviews and interviews are coming up between September and October, but there will be a lot of them — and I’ll do blog posts to share them all as they come up.

I’m beyond excited that the edited manuscript of “Vacation Hiro,” Book 2 in the Cats in the Mirror Series, is on the way back to me, and my fantastic book guide is ready to start putting it all together right after Labor Day! There are a lot of variables on how long it will take to get through the production and ebook process, but we are all hoping to have copies ready to go out by early November. So excited! I must admit that I’m mostly aflutter about seeing what cover art Lesley will come up with this time. She blew me away with the cover for “Why Kimba Saved The World,” and it should be even easier this time since we already have a format to follow.

I’m still trying to get some actual writing done. There are entries ready for a few of the contests offered by the Ozark Creative Writer’s Conference I’m attending in October, and there’s two packets I need to turn in for manuscript evaluations through the SCBWI Missouri conference in November. Then, of course, there’s always “At The Corner of Magnetic and Main” (YA paranormal-lite) for me to spend some time with and hopefully publish in the spring. And “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge” (Book 3 of the Cats in the Mirror Series) is beginning to take form in my head and require my attention as well. Being a writer is definitely a full-time job!

For those of you who tweet, you can also find me now @megwelchdendler. Kimba has been tweeting for quite a while @kimbababy. There is also a new Facebook page just for “Why Kimba Saved The World” that you can follow for funny photos and stories. Our crazy cats provide those on a daily basis.

My editor’s cat guiding her through the process. www.askjanis.com.