Dennis has moved to a new home and is scared to sleep alone in his room. Mommy tells him that there is a friendly and dependable lion in his heart, always there to protect him. But Dennis is confused and curious:
Where is the lion, if he can’t see it? Will the lion be with him all the time and everywhere he goes? Does Mommy have a lion in her heart?
Dennis learns that there will always be times when we are frightened or nervous: at school or when we try something for the first time…or when we are orbiting to space! But the brave lion is inside all of our hearts, giving us the courage to conquer our fears.
“The Lion in Your Heart” book makes a thoughtful gift for ages 3,4,5,6,7 and up. Great for bedtime, read-aloud, confidence building, classroom discussions and improving children’s reading skills.
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique)
Story: The world can be a scary place. Kids will experience fear inside and outside of their homes at some point. Whether they are scared of strange noises, the dark, or something else, R.C. Chizhov shows young readers how to defeat their fear. R.C. Chizhov tells them they all have a lion inside them who’s strong and brave. If they embrace their inner lion, the child will become brave and strong too. I can practically hear many young children roaring each time the lion is shown.
Illustrations: I wasn’t too keen on the people’s faces; they came across as long and flat. However, I don’t think children will care or notice. Overall, Anil Yap did a marvelous job bringing life into the story. As a parent with a child who loves space, I can already guess which adventure will be her favorite to read. 🙂
I would recommend this book for anyone with young children.
Heart Rating System: 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) Score:❤❤❤❤❤
Children’s book author R.C. Chizhov grew up in India, moved to New York in 2005, and spent sixteen years in the financial services industry, before pursuing her childhood dream of publishing a book: her new picture book release, The Lion in Your Heart.
R.C. thinks a good story is one that remains with the reader long after the book has closed and stays with them throughout their life. She hopes her young readers come away from her book understanding that everyone has fears, even adults, but that we are stronger than our fears and our hearts have enough courage to overcome them.
Inspired to write her story by her five-year-old son and his difficulty in sleeping in his bedroom alone, R.C. wanted to pen a tale that would show children that their bravery is always deep within them.
R.C. lives with her husband and son and when she isn’t writing heartwarming and poignant stories for children, she enjoys reading, traveling, dancing, solving jigsaw puzzles, and spending lots of time with family and friends. R.C. also loves anything math and numbers related. The Lion in Your Heart is her debut children’s book.
Everyday life has never been more challenging and it’s easy to lose sight of who we are and who we want to be. In Spirituality, Healing and Me, Ilana Estelle draws on her experiences of emotional, mental and physical disability to show how tuning into our spiritual side can improve well-being, heal our minds and set us firmly back on track.
Ilana shows how focusing on values such as understanding, empathy, compassion, tolerance, kindness, creativity and acceptance can help us find our inner calm.
Packed with inspiring messages and real-life vignettes, Ilana’s book shows how spirituality can help us navigate even the roughest waters.
•Improve emotional balance and wellness
•Boost confidence and self-esteem
•Stay self-aware, grounded and patient
•Appreciate life and each other
•Accept changing circumstances
•Enhance positive emotions and personal healing
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
Ilana Estelle wrote a very straightforward book that dealt with many topics such as mental health, global warming, covid, achieving inner peace, and much more. Even though Ilana gave her opinion on various these subjects, in no way did Spirituality, Healing and Me come off as preachy. In fact, she made it abundantly clear spirituality and religion are not the same. You’ll have to read Spirituality, Healing and Me to read her explanation on each and how to become more spiritual.
Many points were made in Spirituality, Healing and Me that I 100% agree with, and I’d like to share a few of those with you so you, the potential reader, can get a feel for the book and its content.
You don’t have to be religious to be spiritual.
Fearing death can cause a person to stop living life to the fullest.
Perform random acts of kindness without expecting anything in return.
Listen more. Be respectful.
We must value nature and help it to survive. Our existence depends on it.
Covid and the pandemic are real, and so is global warming.
I also agree with Ilana Estelle’s “Natural Stress Remedies.” (read the book to view them)
I appreciate every passage that dealt with mental health. Our society needs to talk openly and embrace the mental struggles people face. As a person battling inner demons, I love how the world is no longer shying away from mental health issues.
I encourage everyone to read Spirituality, Healing and Me byIlana Estelle and start their journey to a more spiritual life.
Heart Rating System: 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) Score: ❤❤❤❤❤
Ilana was born with a disability she didn’t know she had until the age of 46, when through her medical notes she discovered she had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of 2.
That discovery turned out to be a unique and life-changing experience that has forced Ilana to stand back and look at her life experiences differently. On her late diagnosis, Ilana set up her website The CP Diary and uses her experiences to explore her emotional and physical health, with an inspiring message advocating resilience and change.
Ilana likes to spend her days writing and blogging about anything that contributes to her health and well being. She is an animal advocate and is passionate about environmental issues. When she is not writing to tending to her blog, Ilana enjoys days out exploring the Yorkshire countryside. Ilana lives with her husband and their much-loved cat, in Yorkshire. Her grown up son and daughter both live in London.
Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess is a heartwarming story about family, role models, dreams, and discovering a determination for growth.
The first in a five-part series, this diverse picture book shines the spotlight on a little brown girl who loves musical theater and never lets anything get in the way of her dreams. Everyone else has an idea of who she should be, but in the end, she discovers that she is the one who gets to decide.
The story also reveals the special family dynamic that Kayla shares with her mom; a hard-working woman who struggles with the guilt of not being as available for her young daughter as she would like. But as the story progresses, Kayla and her mom realize the impact of valuing the time they have together as well as the importance of seeing each other acknowledge (and pursue) their individual dreams.
“Daughters often learn their place in the world by watching their mothers claim theirs.” ~Author Deedee Cummings
I received a complimentary copy of this book from iRead Book Tours. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess by Deedee Cummings delivered a powerful message to any child reading or listening to the story. Be proud of who you are!
As the author stated, people can be mean sometimes, but it’s important not to pay attention to them. While that feat is difficult, it’s essential to teach children to value themselves over other people’s opinions of them.
As with any other children’s book I read, I always ask my daughter’s impression. Her opinion is important since she is the viewing audience. She’s a bit older than the target audience (3-7), but I still value her input. 🙂
Here’s what she had to say.
“I love the teddy bear on the cover since I love teddy bears. The highlight around the words makes it easier to read because the background is so careful. It makes the words pop on the pages. I love the background colors too. The pages look mystical or magical. Oh, and the fox is really cute.”
When I asked her what she’d score from 1-5, she said (without hesitation) a 5. I agree.
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤
As a therapist, attorney, CEO of Make A Way Media, and author of fifteen children’s books, Deedee Cummings has a passion for ensuring equality, inclusion, and social justice for the next generation. Since her first book published in 2014, Cummings has been on a mission to help young dreamers and doers “see themselves” in the pages of the books they read.
Cummings has spent more than two decades working within the family therapy and support field, and much of her writing shares her experiences of working with kids in therapeutic foster care.
By the end of 2021, this #OWNVOICES author will have fifteen diverse children’s books to her credit, including the Rapid Release of her Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess five-book series. All fifteen of Cummings’ diverse picture, poetry, and workbooks for kids reflect her professional knowledge and love of life.
Cummings is also the founder and creator of the Louisville Book Festival, a literacy-based celebration in Louisville, KY, celebrated on October 22nd and 23rd, 2021.
“He jests at scars that never felt a wound.” ― William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
A new job, new city, and new friends seem like the perfect solutions for healing Zack’s broken heart. A fiery red-head, with passion for all of his favorite activities couldn’t hurt either. She seems perfect for him, and he’s immediately drawn in. The romance blossoms, but Zack is side-swiped when he learns she’s hiding things. Is the relationship worth salvaging or do her scars run too deep? Don’t miss Zack’s story in this Being Me series stand-alone companion novel!
“So, we didn’t get to catch up today. How was your Fourth?” Mitchell asks as I slide my backpack over my shoulders.
“I was working.” We walk out of the physical therapy room, dodging incoming patients.
“Did you even get to see fireworks?”
“No, we had a couple injuries, so I was there till late.” I find my keys and sunglasses in a side pocket of my bag.
“You’ve got to get a better job, so you can have a social life.” Mitchell shakes his head.
“Are you kidding? I’m living the dream. Fame and fortune.”
“Right, well”—he offers his palm out to me—“I’ll catch you next time.”
“Yep.” I shake his hand and slide my sunglasses on. Stepping through the sliding doors the sun sears my skin, and I wonder if I’ll ever get used to it. Heat rises off the pavement, and hot wind engulfs me as I cross the parking lot. A volleyball rolls out from between two cars. I dip and scoop it up with one palm. Scanning the rows, I spot an open trunk and jog to it. I stop a couple feet from a girl rummaging in the back of a small SUV. “You lose this?” I hold the ball at arm’s length.
She glances at me and then back to her open car. “I’d lose my head right now if it weren’t attached.” Her accent is melodic, almost twangy, and I note her New Jersey license plate. Running her hand through her thick red hair, she turns to face me. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Ball extended, I take a step closer to her. “You play?”
Her eyes land on mine and then cut to my chest where my ID card hangs. Grabbing the sphere with both hands, she tosses it into her SUV. “Yeah.” Shaking her head, she fishes in the closest bag.
“Me too. There’s a league at the JCC if you’re interested. That’s the—”
“I know what the JCC is.” She spins to face me.
I take a step back. “Okay, I wasn’t… I just thought—”
“What? Since I have out-of-state plates, I’m fresh meat? A new chick to take out once and never call again?”
“Whoa.” I raise my palms. “I was just returning the ball.” Shaking my head, I turn and walk away. I should have known. She’s the redhead I saw with Lydia and Rose in the cafeteria. They hate me. Why? I have no clue. I accepted an invite to hang out with them my first week on the job. We’d spent three hours at a bar, them spouting off all the hospital gossip. Drama isn’t my thing. I’d been nice about it, nodding and agreeing where appropriate. The next time they asked me to join them, I had volleyball, fortunately for me, as I am horrible at lying. The third and fourth times, I had a string of twelve-hour shifts and declined them again. They have been shooting daggers and giving me the cold shoulder ever since. I’m not sure what to do about their hostility. Mitchell said to ignore them, but now they’re bad-mouthing me? I’m barely at the hospital two days a week, and they think they know me?
“Hey.” I hear her call out and turn around. “I’m sorry about that. Thanks for saving my ball. This is my first day at work, I moved here two days ago, and everything is out of control. Lydia and Rose said that you…” Shedding her sunglasses, her eyes cut to the pavement and back to my face.
I shake my head and shrug. “That I did what exactly? Did they mention how long they’d known me? I moved here a month ago and only hung out with them once.”
“Oh.” She looks to a passing truck and then back up at me. “They were trying to help, I think.”
The sun has my skin flaming. “We good?”
“Yeah, thanks again.”
“No problem.” I resume my path, hoping my reply wasn’t too rude. She lashed out at me first though. Plus, with the twelve-hour shift and heat, I was done.
***
“Zack, my man!” Rabbi John greets me by gripping my hand and bumping his shoulder to mine the next night at the JCC gym. “Wasn’t sure you were going to make it.”
“Traffic was bad. How’s the count?” I ask as I secure my laces.
“Good, Kara from team two is sick, but Liz showed up, so we’re good to go.”
“Liz?”
“Redhead, said you invited her?” His eyes grow large as if to urge me to remember.
“Long red hair?”
“Yeah, red, it’s back, so maybe? You want to switch to be on her team?”
I shake my head.
“Okay, well I won’t ask about that then.” He looks back to his clipboard.
“Yeah, you don’t want to know.” I pat him on the back and, eyes focused on the floor, make my way to our court.
Jeff approaches. “Who’s the chick?”
“What chick?”
“Redhead. John said you invited her.”
“Don’t know her.” I throw my bag on the stands and retrieve my ball. “Let’s warm up.”
Copyright 2018 Tricia Copeland All Rights Reserved
Tricia Copeland grew up in Georgia and now lives in sunny Colorado with her family. Her novels include the award nominated contemporary romance series, Being Me, Best Book Award finalist urban fantasy series, The Kingdom Journals, Lovelock Ones, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, and Drops of Sunshine, a YA paranormal novella. Find Tricia and her books at www.triciacopeland.com or on your favorite social media.
Join bestselling authors of contemporary and paranormal YA fiction and more at the Holiday Inn Tanglewood in Roanoke, Virginia on April 7, 2018 from 10am-4pm. This is a FREE event for readers!
Enjoy an afternoon of books, giveaways, and more as you get the latest releases from your favorite authors and discover new voices!
Want to know more about our venue in beautiful Roanoke, VA? Visit their website to map your route or book a room.
Welcome,Daphine Priscilla Brown-Jack. For those who might not be familiar with you, would you be a dear and tell the readers a little about yourself?
(Daphine) I have been married for almost 27 years, I have 4 amazing children 2 boys 2 girls. I love life, and love to keep it simple. I don’t stress the negativity in life.
(Kameron)How did you get your start in the writing business?
(Daphine) Early years I would write poems without the thought of writing a book. As an adult and my life was changed and I was intrigue to write a book and let the world know that whatever you go through you can out!
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, please share how you handle it.
(Daphine) I just stop and reflect take a few days away from my writing and then start back up again.
Contrary to what some people envision about a romance writer’s life, it’s not all glitz and glam. Well not for the majority of us. With that bubble sadly busted, when you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
(Daphine) I spend my time with family promoting my daughter’s music as well as my book. I also like to travel, just got back from Los Angeles and had the pleasure of meeting with Stevie Wonder at the bookstore while leaving a copy of my book. My assistance and I had almost an half of hour conversation with him. He is an amazing and extraordinary man from God. Also he invited back to his radio show to talk about my book.
I know many writers, such as myself, keep their pastime/career a secret. Do those close to you know you write? If so, what are their thoughts?
(Daphine) Most close did not know that I write LOL and I didn’t either. But their thoughts are will you write another, or will you start writing as a career!
Will you share with us your all-time favorite authors? If you’re like me, it’s a long list so give us your top ten.
(Daphine) My all time favorite authors are: Joel Osteen, Bryan Stevenson, & John Grisham
If you could choose one book to go to the big screen, yours or otherwise, which book would you choose and whom would you love to see cast in the parts?
(Daphine) I would choose my book to go to the big screen and would love to see casted is Blair Underwood, Michael Ealey, Loretta Devine.
On August 26, 2009, Daphine Priscilla Brown-Jack thought everything was fine. While driving home from work, she began to reflect on her day, grateful for all her blessings. But just as her gut instinct told her something was wrong, her phone rang. As her daughter relayed news of an allegation against her husband–the man who was always serving and loving God and his family–Daphine’s life plunged into turmoil. Suddenly, nothing was fine.
In the coming months as the situation in her home grew unbearable, Daphine knew she could no longer depend on anyone and turned to her only remaining hope and strength: God. As she relives the emotional experience of watching her life fall apart before her eyes, Daphine provides a compelling glimpse inside her personal journey as she separated fact from fiction, navigated through the criminal justice system, and learned to trust in God’s purpose and plan for her life.
The Other Side of the Story is the inspirational true story of one woman’s struggles within herself, her family, her faith, and the justice system after her husband is wrongfully accused of a crime.
Would you care to tell us what you’re working on now? That is if it’s not top-secret information. If so, just whisper it in my ear. I swear it’ll go no further.
(Daphine) New book title “Learning How to Keep Life Simple”
Where can we find your stories, and is there a particular reading order?
(Daphine) Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads
Would you please share how your present and future fans can contact you?
Before we conclude this enlightening interview, do you have anything else you’d like to share? The stage is all yours.
(Daphine) When you read my book look beyond trying to find the detail of the story but learn from the story. Learn how to not give up when going through a struggle. Learn how to be persistence when going through a struggle. Learn that your struggle will end. As one critic say “This was a very thoughtful, compassionate and compelling story of struggle and faith”. Another reader states: “First and foremost, Daphine’s writing style is incredibly engaging. The Other Side of the Story is a certified page-turner. I just couldn’t put it down! This is made all the more impressive by the fact that the author never reveals what the accusations against her husband are. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if she’d be able to hold my attention as reader, without going into detail on the charges. I’m no author myself, but if I was, I might have taken the easy route and attempted to hook the reader with the “tell-all” strategy. Instead, it was Daphine’s skillful storytelling abilities that kept me riveted to my seat (and gripping the armrest).”
Daphine, I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy day and sharing a bit of yourself with me and whomever graciously reads this interview. I’m sure when they finish this and The Other Side of the Story, readers will be in awe of your strength and your profound faith. You and your family could’ve stopped fighting but you didn’t. That shows great character and penning down your story also takes courage which I, like many others, applaud you for. I congratulate you and wish you the very best in life.
