Sunday, July 21, 2013

LURE Your KIDS into READING


If your child turns up their nose at READING,
DON'T DESPAIR!

It's all a matter of finding books with plots that FIT their interests.
Plus a little writing "Magic" to keep them turning the page.


Budding ballerinas will LOVE
The Ballerina and the Moon

 Written and Illustrated - by Irene Zevgolis

(A Sequel to The Dreamer and the The Moon)

Tara is over the moon at being accepted into the children’s ballet theater. Yet when Miss Monique, the ballet teacher chooses Tara as the Fairy Princess in the fall recital, Anna and the other dancers stop being her friend.

I acted as manuscript adviser.

Available through AMAZON



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Does your reluctant reader need a MAGICIAN  to
HOOK her interest?


Magical Mea
brings the perfect magical mix!



 Author: Penelope Anne Cole
Illustrator Kevin Collier



 Mea's tricks are sometimes unkind, and she must learn that her  magical
talents need to be used wisely, and with a kindness in mind.


Available through AMAZON
Guardian Angel Publishing  



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Does your BOY prefer computer games to reading?

Time to SNEAK in the BIG GUNS!


Max Elliot Anderson grew up as a struggling, reluctant reader.
After surveying the market, he sensed the need for action-adventures
and mysteries for readers 8 and up, especially boys.



Plus NINE other rip-roaring tales just as exciting!

By boy and tomboy author,  Max Anderson
Available at AMAZON


And the Reviews are awesome!




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FINALLY!

NO WAY could your young teen not "GET" a ghost that was
channeled into the story by the author - NAME and ALL!

Her MOTHER no less!



Okay!  Okay! It was MY mother, and it took a few chapters before I realized what was happening.  But by then I was on a roll, and something told me (guess what?) that my dear mum was quite tickled by the whole idea of being features in one of my books. . .                  So I kept writing, and channeling, until I had it just the way Mom wanted it to end.

The Revenge of Thelma Hill


Author Margot Finke
Cover Art Art:  "Awesome" Agy Wilson 

When Frannie and her twin brother move to Oregon with their dad, Frannie has no thought of ghosts, creepy basements, or giant arachnid "familiars." Trapping a killer was definitely not on her summer vacation to-do list. As the sibling rivalry between her and Jeff grew more intense each day, Frannie dreamed about her missing mom, and worried about making new friends. But the ghost of Thelma Hill changed everything when she begged Frannie to trap her killer. Could she and her nerdy twin trap him? Or would they both end up sharing their basement with Thelma Hill - forever? 

 Available at
AMAZON (Kindle) - Smashwords - NOOK




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Books For Kids - Manuscript Critiques
Author Visits to Schools  -  SKYPE Makes it Happen!

http://www.margotfinke.com 


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Sunday, July 7, 2013

KANGAROO CLUES Hops Into Children's Hearts!



The BIG HOPPER Has Arrived!
with all his Aussie bush mates!

Kangaroo Clues

Part of my Wild and Wonderful Series
of books about animals from the US and Australia


     KANGAROO CLUES 
is the first book I ever had published.
 
All 7 books were originally eBooks, at a time when eBooks had little following among readers or kids.  Guardian Angel Publishing agreed to republish all of them in SOFT COVER as well as ebooks.  Kangaroo Clues and Mama Grizzly Bear are the first two to make the transition to soft cover books - YEA!   Available through Guardian Angel and Amazon etc.

Old Man Roo is tall and muscular - 6-7 feet of tall!
Stone the crows! If he had to shop for shoes, he would never find a pair big enough for his enormous feet.  Old Man Roo is smart, too.  When the feared wild dingo pack decides he's on their lunch menu,  he doesn't need shoes -  just giant hops,  plus a  fancy trick that will give a nasty surprise to the whole dog  pack.


SYNOPSIS 
The story tells how Crafty Old Man Roo escapes the dingoes that are chasing him. The aborigines say this rhyming "Dreamtime" tale is a true story.  It features unique Aussie critters - kangaroos, emu, echidna, kookaburra and marsupial mice, etc. A fun tale that is also educational. 

Heading for the red hills they call home

Racing to escape the wild dingoes.

 Glorious illustrations by Turkish artist/illustrator
Mustafa Delioglu.


Thereby hangs a tale. . .
When I asked online list friends if they knew of an illustrator, I received many replies.  One Turkish author said her illustrator would do wonderful illustrations for Kangaroo Clues. He had done many of her books (she is famous in the region for her picture books), and she sent me samples.  I was wowed. They were awesome!  All by hand, and with many delightfully surprising details. I said YES -  loud and clear.

But wait. . . there was a hitch.  Mustafa had no computer and spoke no English!  But my dear friend said, "Don't worry, Margot, I will translate for both of you (her written English was almost perfect) and send his art work from my computer.  And so she did!  A couple of years later I had these fabulous illustrations for Kangaroo Clues. I will always be indebted to Aytul for her huge act of kindness toward me, a new author, and an online writing friend.  Mustafa's art hangs in European Galleries, so I consider myself lucky to have his work gracing my picture book.

Bush critters don't want to be a dingo's dinner!

Sample Verse


Aboriginal spirits made all things,
Like kangaroos and birds with wings.
But I've a tale that's just for you.
It tells the secret of Old Man Roo.


Telling the tale of Old Man Roo

Verse Sample.


Who sewed the pouch on the Kangaroo
And placed her Joey in there too?
Was it a Dreamtime spirit-man
Who made up creatures from a plan?


Read REVIEW

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 REAL "Clues" about Kangaroos!

Everyone loves Kangaroos - right?
Kangaroos all have babies called Joey.  When old enough,  the Joeys pop in and out of  their Mom's pouches whenever they feel like it - like Mexican jumping beans!  YES, they ride around in Mom's padded pouch in comfort every day!
Did you know that when born, a Joey is
about the size of a grown-ups thumb?

They are hairless, blind and deaf.  But this doesn't stop them from crawling from where they popped out of Mom's birth canal, to W-A-Y up inside of her pouch.  Once safely inside, they latches onto one of her teats, and suck milk non stop, until they have grown big enough to begin hopping in and out of the pouch.

For more fun details about KANGAROOS
and the other Aussie critters in this book,


visit my DOWN UNDER FUN page.


ALL - Soft Cover Picture Books

REVIEWS


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Books for Kids - Manuscript Critiques
http://www.margotfinke.com

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