Pages & Paws

Writing, Reading, and Rural Life With a Border Collie

Author Archives: Eowyn


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ATTN AUTHORS: How NOT to Tick Mom Off (I’d Listen Up ‘Fize You!)

Happy Tuesday Authors!

At least it’s a happy Tuesday for some of us. Others who shall remain nameless are sulking (Hi, Mom!). Lemme explain.

Her Crankiness (hi again, Mom) is miff-ified at authors who waste her time by not adhering to and/or ignoring our submission guidelines or following through on their commitments when they request a review.

Case in point.

A Big Stretch

Awhile back Mom got a review request for a “historical fiction” book “because many people turn to independent reviewers for realistic recommendations on what to read. Considering the current social, economic, and political climate, not only are readers looking for something new and different, many are wondering about young America’s beginnings as a nation. A Healing Touch speaks to this interest.”

We enjoy historical fiction. So we decided to dive in. Only to find out that “historical fiction” is a mighty big stretch for this thing.

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‘Citizen K-9’ Offers Mystery, Levity

Citizen K-9

By David Rosenfelt

Publisher: St. Martin’s, 2022

Genre: Fiction/Murder Mystery

Pages: 263

Via: Library

An unsolved double murder. A cold case. A crackerjack team of private investigators specializing in cold cases. Playing cards. Like, the king of clubs. A high school reunion where two friends vanish without a trace. Not a single clue that makes sense. At all. A retired cop, Corey Douglas, and his brilliant German shepherd, Simon Garfunkel. A scene stealer extraordinaire and the smartest member of the team by far, Simon is also recently retired from law enforcement. And Really Bad Dudes.

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Rattlensnakes and Reunions

 

The Smartest Member of the Family. (Don’t tell Kimber I said that, okay? I’ll never hear the end of it.)

Mom and I were nosing through Draft Posts That Never Saw The Light of Day recently. (Well, I was nosing. Her Momness was … um… snoozing.) Anyway, we found this post that we thought deserved a second chance. It’s about being a writer. Kind of.

So here ya go. You’re welcome:

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A Word on Kimber

First off, this is NOT a bookish post. This is a KIMBER-ish post. So if you’re okay with that, keep reading. If not, you know what to do. As long as it doesn’t involve chocolate. Lemme explain. Like this:

How to have a heart attack in 3 easy steps 🐾

  1. Notice something’s wrong with the world’s sweetest furry face.
  2. Find an empty bag of almond bark on her bed. (Left behind by a son who shall remain nameless when he moved out last summer. It was unopened, double-sealed. But apparently not Kimber proof.🐾)
  3. It’s the weekend. The vet’s office is closed. Nearest emergency vet services are over an hour away. With a “6 to 8 hour wait, minimum.”

The Great Almond Bark Disaster occurred one month to the day after a family member’s trip to the E.R. with anaphylaxic shock. (Hi, Lisinopril. Incidentally, 15 hours in the E.R. is a really lousy way to spend the night/next day. In case you’re wondering.)

The little stinker (the furry one) is back to her usual “I love everyone, ain’t life grand?” effervescent self today. Bein’ All Magnificent and everythin’.

Her Crankiness is still recovering.

‘Meanwhile, back at the ranch,’ one of us is So Not Interested in racking up any more emergency frequent flyer miles. Mom’s just funny that way. 🤦‍♀️

Reminder: NEVER give your dog chocolate. It can be deadly. Kimber was lucky. The jury’s still out on Her Crankiness.

Now if we can just get Kimber the Intrepid to the U.N. She’d have world peace figured out in no time. As long as it doesn’t involve almond bark.

What?

The ASPCA Animal Poison Hotline number is:(888) 426-4435.

We will return to our regularly scheduled broadcast next time.


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Kimber Brag and Top 1%!

Isn’t it fun to toot someone else’s horn? I get to do that today! Cuz I’m braggin’ on Mom! (Do you think I’ll get some extra bacon outta this? Hmmm…)

Kimber, chicken bus driver wannabe.

You didn’t think Mom does book reviews just for this blog, did you? Naw! Mom loves books so much, she does reviews all over the place, including this outfit called Book Sirens.

If you hop on to Book Sirens, you’ll find us under PagesAndPaws. Looking all magnificent and everything. (At least one of us, anyway.)

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‘Maya Fairy’ Hits a Bull’s Eye!

Maya Fairy

By Stanislava Buevich

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy (November 2022)

Pages: 280

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Not everything you’ve heard about fairies is true. So when a young girl finds out the truth about her own house fairy, keep an eye out for fairy dust in this delightful magical mystery by Stanislava Buevich.

“Has your child been acting strangely? Tired? Rundown? Listless?” There’s a reason for that. But it’s not what you think as revealed in this charming and winsome fantasy for middle grade readers.

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GUEST POST: Author Carmen Leal on ‘The Lifesaving Power of Dogs’

“I Chose You” author Carmen Leal.

By Carmen Real

Author of I Chose You, Imperfectly Perfect Rescue Dogs and Their Humans.

Winner of our first-ever Pawsome Book Award.

Take it away, Carmen:

***

On June 18, 2015, an inattentive driver in a large SUV slammed into our small Subaru leaving me with a concussion and moderate frontal and temporal traumatic brain injury. As cliched as it is, everything changed in an instant. I went from loving my job as a concierge in Hawaii creating dream vacations for guests to dreading having to deal with people because of the never-ending level ten migraines.

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‘I Chose You’ Wins Prestigious Award

I Chose You

Imperfectly Perfect Rescue Dogs and Their Humans

By Carmen Leal

Publisher: Wag Away Publishing, 2022

Pages: 264 pages

Genre: Non-fiction/Inspirational

Via: Blog Tour

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“I know these dogs!” saith Kimber the Magnificent. “They’re my BFFs!”

Her Momness: “Okay, Kimmi. But everyone’s your BFF.”

Kimber: “So?”

So…. You’ve heard of the Pulitzer Prize? The Newbery Medal? The Nobel Prize? Small potatoes, bub. They’re nothing next to the Official Mom-Tested, Kimber-Approved Pawsome Book Award.

The Pawsome Book Award

“What’s a Pawsome Book Award?” you ask. Good question. It’s like sunshine on a cloudy day. Birthdays. The first day of summer vacation. Christmas morning. BFFs. All rolled into one.

Reserved for the top one percent (that’s 1% for those in the back) of all books read, the Pawsome Award is our highest honor.

I Chose You is the first-ever recipient of this prestigious award. Here’s why:

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‘Search and Find Animals’ a Treasure Hunt for Young’uns

by Shelby Hudson 

Pages: 44

Genre: Children’s Non-Fiction, 2023

Via: Book Sirens

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You know those Where’s Wally puzzle books? They’re a series of detailed, double-page spread illustrations depicting zillions of people doing a variety of amusing things at a given location. Readers are challenged to find a character named Wally hidden in the group. You have to look pretty close.

Well. Shelby Hudson has created a delightful children’s book in the same vein, only featuring animals, the alphabet, and counting. It’s like a treasure hunt for all things furry, feathery, or fishy. 

Young children are encouraged to look for and find animals starting with certain letters hidden in each colorful illustration in this charming book. “Find an animal that begins with G,” for example. The answer is a Giraffe. Other featured animals include the usual dog and cow as well as some more unusual animals such as kangaroo and octopus.

Later, readers are encouraged to count the number of animals they find in each picture. Four dolphins, five chicks, 10 mice, etc.

A brief discussion on how and why puzzle books help children “develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills” is included. Also tips such as encouraging interaction and using descriptive language.

Young readers will enjoy finding and identifying the animals in each scene. Vivid illustrations will keep them engaged. Parents will appreciate how the book helps develop their child’s concentration and cognitive skills.

Entertaining and educational, Search and Find Animals is like a treasure hunt for kids. Delightful! (And you don’t even have to find Wally.)

Our Rating:

4.0


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‘To Dream of Shadows’ Will Leave You Breathless

To Dream Of Shadows : A Gripping Holocaust Novel Inspired by a Heartbreaking True Story

By Steve N. Lee

Publisher: Blue Zoo (April 2023)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Print Length: 466 pages

Via: Author Request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Here we go again!” says I, Kimber the Magnificent. “You’d think one of us would learn. Don’t start a top-notch historical fiction thingy at night. If you do, you’ll be up till the wee hours finishing it. Cuz you can’t put it down! But you know Mom!” (Insert eye roll here.)

Just being all magnificent and everything.

Yeppers, Steve Nee’s To Dream of Shadows is one of them thar barn-burning page turners. Here’s the 4-1-1:

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