Book Synopsis Georgia burns. Sherman’s Yankees are closing in. Will the women of LaGrange run or fight? Based on the true story of the celebrated Nancy Hart Rifles, The Cotillion Brigade is a sweeping epic of the Civil War’s ravages on family and love, the resilient bonds of sisterhood amid devastation, and the miracle of reconciliation between bitter enemies. “Gone With The Wind meets A League Of Their Own.” 1856. Sixteen-year-old Nannie Colquitt Hill makes her debut in the antebellum society of the Chattahoochee River plantations. A thousand miles to the north, a Wisconsin farm boy, Hugh LaGrange, joins an Abolitionist crusade to ban slavery in Bleeding Kansas. Five years later, secession and total war against the homefronts of Dixie hurl them toward a confrontation unrivaled in American history. Nannie defies the traditions of Southern gentility by forming a women’s militia and drilling it four long years to prepare for battle. With their men dead, wounded, or retreating with the Confederate armies, only Captain Nannie and her Fighting Nancies stand between their beloved homes and the Yankee torches. Hardened into a slashing Union cavalry colonel, Hugh duels Rebel generals Joseph Wheeler and Nathan Bedford Forrest across Tennessee and Alabama. As the war churns to a bloody climax, he is ordered to drive a burning stake deep into the heart of the Confederacy. Yet one Georgia town—which by mocking coincidence bears Hugh’s last name—stands defiant in his path. Read the remarkable story of the Southern women who formed America’s most famous female militia and the Union officer whose life they changed forever. Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks Author Bio A graduate of Indiana University School of Law and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Glen Craney practiced trial law before joining the Washington, D.C. press corps to write about national politics and the Iran-contra trial for Congressional Quarterly magazine. In 1996, the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences awarded him the Nicholl Fellowship prize for best new screenwriting. His debut historical novel, The Fire and the Light, was named Best New Fiction by the National Indie Excellence Awards. He is a three-time Finalist/Honorable Mention winner of Foreword Magazine’s Book-of-the-Year and a Chaucer Award winner for Historical Fiction. His books have taken readers to Occitania during the Albigensian Crusade, the Scotland of Robert Bruce, Portugal during the Age of Discovery, the trenches of France during World War I, the battlefields of the Civil War, and the American Hoovervilles of the Great Depression. He lives in Malibu, California, and has served as president of the Southern California Chapter of the Historical Novel Society. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads Giveaway We have ten eBooks of The Cotillion Brigade by Glen Craney up for grabs! The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on May 14th. You must be 18 or older to enter. The Cotillion Brigade
ABOUT THE BOOK Roar-Choo! Written by Charlotte Cheng Illustrated by Dan Santat Ages 4+ | 40 Pages Publisher: Rocky Pond Books | ISBN-13: 9780593531754 Publisher’s Synopsis: Patient, peaceful Phoenix tries to take care of rambunctious and cold-ridden Dragon, which leads to hilarious and sweet results (with vibrant illustrations by the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of Beekle). Everyone knows that dragons are fierce, capable of taking on the world! But this dragon can’t stop sneezing long enough to get a roar out. Even with friendly Phoenix insisting that Dragon get some rest, this powerful creature refuses to stop for any orange ginger tea or a drop of bone broth soup. It’s only when Dragon realizes Phoenix has caught the same cold that they are both able to take the break they so badly need. This tale of helping your friends and valuing differences is a sure-thing for story time. PURCHASE Roar-Choo TODAY! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Charlotte Cheng’s writing credits include Night Market Rescue, Explore China: A Mulan Discovery Book and BoBo Loves Dumplings, and she has illustrated the picture books Silly McGilly and A Moment in Time. In the field of education, she has written and illustrated K-12 curriculum for a variety of companies such as LeapFrog, Disney, and Wonder Workshop. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. For more information, visit https://charlotte.art/. TWITTER ~ FACEBOOK ~ INSTAGRAM ~ LINKEDIN ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR Dan Santat is the National Book Award-winning, Caldecott Medal–winning and New York Times–bestselling author and illustrator of The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend and the middle grade graphic memoir A First Time for Everything. His artwork is also featured in numerous picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade novels, including Dav Pilkey’s Ricky Ricotta series. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and many, many pets. MY REVIEW Roar-Choo is a beautifully written and illustrated children’s book and it makes the perfect addition to my youngest daughters book collection. She loves Dragons so this is the perfect book for her and she has been reading it over and over again. The illustrations are stunning and they help to bring this wonderful story to life. I love all of the Roar-Choos that the dragon roars out throughout the story and I especially adore his Phoenix friend who is by his side throughout! This is a must-read for all and it is perfect for ages 4 and over so grab your copy today of Roar-Choo by author Charlotte Cheng! NOW TO THE GIVEAWAY! Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a copy of Charlotte Cheng’s captivating book, Night Market Rescue, a $100 visa gift card, and a free 30 minute children’s book writing consultation. Roar-Choo: Book Giveaway This post is sponsored by Charlotte Cheng. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.
Here at Hush City Soundproofing, we are always hunting down new information about acoustics and soundproofing, both for our own research, and to share with you. Along the way we’ve come across some pretty interesting stuff. See our favourites and let us know if there are any sound facts we’ve missed 1. Sound is the term
Women inventors are a fascinating group to learn about. If you or your kids are looking to learn more about them check these books out!
"Guy Stuff: The Body Book for Boys" is a book packed with pretty much every topic a young boy would be curious about.
7 Children's Books on Armenia. Celebrating Armenia and the Armenian Culture through Picture Books and Middle Grade Novels.
This month, my children’s book, Milo and His Magic Skateboard hits the shelves. Based on the real-life travels of Milo and me, the book I wrote and created showcases some of the most iconic places in Europe, and – for those with a keen eye for details—some of my favourite country-specific delicacies delivered through a variety of “Easter eggs”. The subtle nod to food in this book playfully introduces children to different cuisines, and is paramount to the authenticity of Milo’s and my experiences. So, in the spirit of celebrating our appetites for travel and food, I’m sharing 3 reasons food plays a big role in our lives. 1. Food is a story told through flavours Taste the signature dish of a region, and its flavour profile can tell you the personality of its people and culture. Just like words in a book guiding readers into another world whilst evoking a plethora of emotions, food – through thoughtful selection and composition of ingredients – invite diners on a foray through their palettes. Food tells a multi-dimensional story no other medium can achieve quite so fully. Its ingredients tell a tale of origins: seasonal delights that thrive at specific times of the year, such as the coveted Alba white truffle, which tells the story of the symbiotic relationship between land, climate and crop. Ingredients are carefully weaved together by people who shape the personality of a cuisine through their skills, creativity and traditions. The finished dish pays homage to the person who stands behind the stove – the relationship they have to each ingredient based on how they choose to use them and the individual’s personality and flair through their interpretation of the dish. 2. Food as an Expression of Love When someone asked me what my love language was the other day, the first thing that came to my mind was “food.” Not the mere ingesting of food, of course, but the thoughtfulness that goes into creating a meal for me. Cooking for someone, I believe, is one of the most special things one can do for another person. It is an experience marked by openness: opening one’s sacred space to another person; while the other person keeps an open mind as they await the meal they are to be served. It is an act of trust—trust that the guest will handle the host’s vulnerability with kindness, and trust that the host will present something nourishing and delicious. Most of all, it is an experience of love: love for the ingredients, for flavours, and for creation. The act of creating something bears a beautiful weight, and to carefully craft something for another person is a weight that deserves to be carried willingly – pun somewhat intended. 3. Food Brings People Together One of my favourite things to do in Italy is wander through different areas with Milo in tow, and discover restaurants that punctuate the paths we walk. I love observing the energy that emanates from each restaurant, whether it’s a chic Michelin-starred place or a hole in the wall trattoria that has been passed through the hands of one family member to the next. The one thing all these places share in common is the convivial nature evidenced by the cacophony of laughter, clinking of glasses, the inevitable burst of song, and once in a while, a joyful bark from a little dog who has just caught sight (or smell) of prosciutto. I love seeing the way food anchors people’s attention, gently coaxing everyone to pause, be present, and interact with each other. Share a meal with an acquaintance, and you will end the meal as friends. That is the magic of food, and why I never turn down an invitation to dine with people when I am in a new place—especially when Milo is invited. ABOUT THE BOOK Milo and His Magic Skateboard Written by Kristina Tanso Illustrated by Sofie Engstrom Von Alten Ages 4+ | 36 Pages Publisher: Life Unfiltered Books | ISBN-13: 9781738414000 Publisher’s Book Summary: Join Milo – an adorable French Bulldog – as he embarks on his very first adventure! Simply by clapping his little paws together and jumping on his magic skateboard, Milo takes flight and explores Europe! This fun, heart-warming adventure will charm children and adults alike, while exploring different iconic places and cultures! PURCHASE LINKS AMAZON ~ BARNES & NOBLE ~ BOOKSHOP.ORG ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kristina Tanso is an animal lover whose life changed the day she rescued Milo from the streets of Hong Kong in May 2019. Milo and His Magic Skateboard is inspired by the real-life adventures the duo have had since: prompted by Kristina’s affinity for travel, and Milo’s curious personality. Kristina is also the author of the critically acclaimed psychological thriller, Bad Things (2023); and is a producer on Searching/or Chinook, a documentary about the future survival of the last remaining Southern resident orcas, starring Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones). An advocate for mental health and spiritual well-being, Kristina’s articles on the topic are regularly featured on Medium. Outside of writing, Kristina works at the University of Oxford, and serves as a guest professor at a university in Asia. You can learn more about Kristina and her work at www.kristinatanso.com. NOW TO THE GIVEAWAY! Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a signed hardcover copy of Milo and His Magic Skateboard and a customized sketch of Milo! Milo and His Magic Skateboard: Book Giveaway TOUR SCHEDULE This post is sponsored by Kristina Tanso. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.
A book review for Love in Tandem by Becca Kinzer. Contemporary Romance. RomCom. Romantic Comedy. Tyndale House. Christian Fiction. Giveaway.
Human beings are notoriously bad at making decisions. In their new book, Decisive, bestselling authors, Chip Heath and Dan Heath offer a four-step process for making better decisions.
Looking for children's books about Korean culture? Check out this list of 10 picture books celebrating all that Korean culture is.
Please welcome illustrator Wendy Martin today with her Top 10 favorite Spanish bilingual picture books! I’m especially excited about bilingual Spanish picture books as a way to learn Spanish. This works equally well for kids and teens who are taking Spanish at school! I have another bilingual Spanish picture book list as well if you...
Spanish is one of the most prominent languages on the planet. These 10 books are bilingual with Spanish and English writing.
16 Children’s Picture Books on Koreans and Korean Americans! This list is by Aram Kim, author of No Kimchi For Me!
15 Great Middle Grade Books about Chinese Culture. A book list by Dori Jones Yang in celebration of he Forbidden Temptation of Baseball.
Cover Release for AMY WU & THE AMAZING BAO & Giveaway!
WITH HELP FROM THE LATE RUTH STOUT, I’m asking you to do two things this year: Use lots of good-quality mulch, and use no sprays
GENRE: Nonfiction / Inspirational PUBLISHER: Tyndale Momentum RELEASE DATE: August 21, 2018 PAGES: 288 “It just shouldn’t be this hard!” Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a day where everything that could go wrong does go wrong—you lock your keys in the car while it’s running, lose control with your […]
Karyn Sepulveda discusses her inspiration for new dual time line novel The Women's Circle, plus we have an ebook copy to giveaway thanks to Ventura Press.
Sleeper sofa. Sofa bed. Convertible lounger. Yeah...they're all pretty much futons. And thanks to the passage of time, design learning curves, and taste, yo
Mother’s Day imagery is usually pretty saccharine, right? Delicate flowers, china teacups, precious jewelry. So I can’t really explain why, when faced with the task of choosing a cookbook for a Mother’s Day giveaway, I went with simple, pragmatic, and unpretentious. Maybe it’s because my mother was all of those things. Or maybe it’s because […]
Y’all. I’m seriously (and slightly unprofessionally) fangirling today because MARY DAVIS is here! For those of you who have been my blog a while, you’ll recognize Mary as the author of one of my all-time fave romances, Newlywed Games. You know, the book I’ve read so often that I’ve got […]
20 Awesome History Books for Kids. Whether you’re looking for homeschool history books or just plain good ancient history books for your homeschool, I have 20 awesome history books for kids,
