Review: Make in a Day: Paper Flowers by Amanda Evanston Freund

Goodreads Blurb

“If you’re interested in dabbling in paper flower crafting or trying to make a homemade gift for Mother’s Day or perhaps Valentine’s, I much recommend giving this book a shot.” — The Rhialist
These colorful blooms will brighten any room — and best of all, you can make them in a day! You’ll find that it’s a cinch to add a spring-like air to any room with a bouquet of daffodils, a cluster of hyacinths, or a vivid bunch of favorite blossoms, and no previous experience is necessary.
Each book in Dover’s Make in a Day series presents 15 projects with illustrated step-by-step instructions. The beginner-friendly projects are ideal for anyone wishing to whip up something simple but special. Creating paper flowers adds a personal touch and a dash of handmade charm. Supplies are easy to obtain and readily available at major craft stores. Other titles in the series include Make in a Day: Modern Wreaths and Make in a Day: Pompom Crafts.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This is just a brilliant idea. I loved that Amanda decided to write this book to share such beautiful flower ideas. I truly can’t wait to start making my own flowers. This is a great way to decorate any room plus weddings or birthdays. Thanks so much for making this book and sharing information about each flower and step by step flowers in the making. I highly recommend it, especially for children.

Review: A Christmas Carol and Other Stories by Charles Dickens

Goodreads Blurb

An immediate bestseller when it was first published in December 1843, A Christmas Carol has endured ever since as a perennial Yuletide favorite. Charles Dickens’s beloved tale about the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, who comes to know the meaning of kindness, charity, and goodwill through a haunting Christmas Eve encounter with four ghosts, is a heartwarming celebration of the spirit of Christmas.

This Modern Library Paperback Classics edition also includes two other popular Christmas stories by Dickens: The Chimes,in which a man, persuaded by hypocritical cant that the poor deserve their misery, is shown what his pessimistic resignation might lead to in a vision conjured by the pealing of bells, and The Haunted Man, Dickens’s last Christmas tale, which features one of his great comic families, the Tetterbys.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

A Christmas Carol is a classical story that brings greed to another level. I enjoy the story of Scrooge and how he disliked Christmas and people so much. It was great to read this story after watching so many remakes of the movie. It really made the story come to life. I wasn’t so pleased with the two short stories in this book. I think they were dragging and confusing. What each three stories did have were ghosts in different forms. It was entertaining, especially for a story that was created so many years ago. Each story taught the reader to not be greedy, love your family, and be merry because life is too short, and you might regret helping or doing something for someone.

Goodreads Author Biography

Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was a writer and social critic who created some of the world’s best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.

Review: Two Dairy Goats’ Journey by K.P. Kollenborn

Goodreads Blurb

Sam and Cindy are on a wondrous journey to have some big questions answered in the small world they live in. They meet some interesting animals on the farm; some who are helpful and others who don’t have a care in the world. Mysterious stories about life on the farm may not provide the answers the dairy goats seek, but their endurance makes their quest worthy and inspiring. It is a philosophical journey that captures an awareness of our surroundings.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Won this book on GoodReads. I really enjoyed this adorable book with amazing illustrations. Very vivid colors, and the story was just lovely. What I got from the story is that we are here to live, and at times, there will be storms that you can not control that will destroy material things. We will survive and live life to the fullest while learning that tomorrow isn’t promised. Life isn’t easy, but as long as you have fun and appreciate the environment and all that live in it, life can be unforgettable. Great book for children.

Goodreads Author Biography

First and foremost, I am a GenXer who has experienced old technology moving into the new millennium while being a parent of two GenZers. Secondly, I am fortunate to have been trained by one the top ten writing teachers in the U.S., respectably from the Great Generation, the late Leonard Bishop, and author of ‘Dare to be a Great Writer.’ I owe my love of writing to him.

Although I’ve been writing since childhood, I have a BA in history. I love studying history as much as wanting to evoke stories. I like to believe that after decades worth of introspection we have learned to value our lessons, and the best way to recite our lessons are through storytelling. Aside from being a writer, I have a graphics art degree and a sub teaching license. My husband and I once owned a music store, a pizaa delivery business, and several internet businesses. I also have dabbled with real estate and am grateful I got the heck out right before the crash. Sadly, history tends to repeat itself in important ways. In addition, I make mini-documentaries on YouTube, typically historical, but not always. Currently my family continues to live outside of Kansas City and will always have roots tied to Kansas.

Review: Cinderella’s Secret Slipper by Alinka Rutkowska

Goodreads Blurb

“Comical and neat, with unusual twists and turns, this tale will immediately grab children’s attention.”
Mrs. D., Award-winning Children’s Author

Cinderella’s Secret Slipper is a story of our favorite princess who more than anything else wants to wear her famous glass slippers to her son’s birthday party. But she can’t because her four-year-old smashed one of them in an attempt at killing a mosquito on the wall. Where is she going to get a glass slipper now?

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Received this book from the author for review. I totally love this updated Cinderella story. She is married to Prince Charming and has a baby boy. My heart broke when she couldn’t find her other glass slipper. To find it shattered really breaks any girls heart, especially shoe lovers like me. I was so in distress that Cinderella couldn’t find a solution to fixing her glass shoe. It’s such a huge part of Cinderella and her happiness. Thanks to her fairy godmother, who provided the shoes so many years back, she was able to get it all fixed. What made me the story happier is that the prince knew that his son broke the shoes he wanted her to wear that he gifted her a new pair. Awwww, true love. Totally loved the quiz at the end of the book. Great for children and the actual Cinderella story cut. Ohh one last thing. I loved the cover with Cinderella all fashionable, and it has great illustrations throughout the book.

Goodreads Author Biography

Hi, I’m Alinka Rutkowska and I’m an award-winning and best-selling author and coach.

I’ve been featured on Fox Business Network, Examiner, She Knows, She Writes, Blog Talk Radio, The Writer’s Life and many more.

Review: Bawb’s Raven Feathers Volume V by Robert Chomany

Goodreads Blurb

BawB’s Raven Feathers is pure and simple. It kickstarts moments of self-reflection and inner peace, drawing on nostalgia while pushing the reader to live in the present and dream of tomorrow. Alternating brief chapters of prose with perfectly rhythmic, adult rhymes, this book holds appeal for the masses.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The first few pages of this book were definitely talking to me. I tend to lose my temper and get mad about little things. I need to take the time and see how fortunate I am, and that little things always have a way of being fixed. Letting go of what upsets me or gets me depressed will lead me to a more positive life and can make others happy instead of depressed. Robert wrote about dreams and how we all dream, whether it is of our future and where we want to be in the next few years. I remember all my dreams, and I try to break them down and see what my dream might be telling me. Unfortunately, I have many bad dreams that I am always being attacked, and I am constantly running away from people who I see them as harmful. I always hold my thoughts and feelings when someone says something to me that might offend me, or I might not be in agreement. I need to stand up from what I believe and put my foot down to the people who try to manipulate me. I really want to thank Robert for writing these magnificent novels that bring a smile to anyone face when reading them. We all can learn many things from all these novels.

Goodreads Author Biography

Robert (BawB) Chomany was born in Calgary with a clear view of the mountains to the west that drew him in and eventually introduced him to his spiritual side. BawB still resides in Calgary and seeks to maintain an inner balance and find happiness by simply living with a smile. BawB is the author of the BawB’s Raven Feathers series.

Review: The Dream of Your Heart by Ricarda Peter

Goodreads Blurb

Our dreams are the passions of our hearts.
And Ricarda Peter takes these passions very seriously in her enchanting book “The Dream of Your Heart”!
It is a book that encourages you, gives you wings to fly while putting a smile on your face. It is a book that kisses your soul and gives you the gift of happiness. Read it and let it inspire you to live your own dreams, the dreams of your heart. Discover your passions and live life to the fullest, the same way the writer of this beautiful and poetic book has done and will keep on doing. Read it and let it inspire you to free yourself from the chains of what you »should do« and what you »can’t do« for these chains are not your own and were never meant to keep you down. Read it and let it inspire you to fly on the wings of your dreams for they are the love in your heart for yourself – and for others. For only if you truly love yourself and respect the dreams of your heart – your true self – can you truly love and respect others. That includes loving humans and animals, nature and our planet. For they all need love. And they all need the dreams of your heart, that passion which inspires the love of all life. The Dream of Your Heart will change your life if you just let it. True magic!

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Won this book from GoodReads. It was a small book but powerful. As you read, your mind is filled with true love. Love that is everlasting, love that has no boundaries and brings you back to life, while you might have been in the dark. It explains all the negativity someone gives off after they feel that there life has ended and has no purpose while the other half shows how love has been there waiting to enlighten you and bring you back to the light. Love doesn’t quit. It persists until you are ready to accept it. Truly an inspirational book that can bring someone who is doubtful to see that love is there for them even when they can’t see it.

Goodreads Author Biography

Ricarda Peter is a writer of travel literature with a huge sense of humour and spiritual books.
She loves to travel and to have the whole world as a venue, to write about.

Cover Reveal: Open to Death by Sophie Mattis

BOOK DETAILS:

Open to Death

by Sophie Mattis

(A DI Rena Hunt Mystery, #1)

Publication date: September 16, 2025

Genres: Adult, Mystery, Romance

Synopsis:

In the picturesque town of Rucklesby, peace is shattered when a young woman is found brutally murdered in her home. Detective Inspector Serena “Rena” Hunt is called to the scene, still haunted by her last case and questioning her instincts. 

The victim, Sicily Avery—a wife and mother—has been stabbed through the heart with chilling precision. When another woman is killed in the same way, Rena realises a calculated murderer is on the loose, leaving cryptic notes on the victims as part of a twisted agenda. 

With the body count rising, Rena and her team race to stop the killer before they strike again. Tensions mount with the arrival of new forensic pathologist Dr. Lucas Mann—bringing both friction and unexpected chemistry—as they work together to outwit a murderer who always seems one step ahead. 

Open to Death intricately combines themes of murder, betrayal, and the unyielding quest for justice, all while subtly developing a slow-burn romance. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/240657320-open-to-death

Pre-order: https://amzn.to/48evI6m

AUTHOR BIO:

Sophie Mattis is a British mystery author known for her suspenseful, character-driven stories that keep readers turning pages. Born and raised in the UK, she writes contemporary mysteries featuring complex investigators, layered intrigue, touches of romance, and flashes of humour. When she’s not plotting her next twist, Sophie enjoys travelling, cycling, and curling up with a good crime drama.

Follow her on her socials at: @sophiemattisbooks

Author links:

https://sophiemattisbooks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/sophiemattisbooks

https://www.instagram.com/sophiemattisbooks/

@sophiemattisbooks

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/54971010.Sophie_Mattis

Review: The Wine Club by Edge Steele

Goodreads Blurb

For the first time in his angry and spiteful life Edge is no match for the seductive Captain Athena, outsmarted, outmaneuvered and completely overwhelmed, his life is in her hands.

A momentary lapse in judgement will bring Edge’s guarded and structured world to its knees as he is forced to submit to the whims of relentless and powerful woman.

A stranger just mere moments before she now rules his world with an uncompromising iron fist. Toying with his life, tormenting and shaming him into ever more degrading and humbling situations until he is completely her property

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

This was a powerful book. That leaves the reader wanting more. Edge is a man who has felt that life had no more surprises held until he met Athena. He had to please her in all her everyday needs and sexual pleasures. Athena is a powerful woman who is smart and athoritative. She was not ashamed of showing her body to anyone or doing sexual acts in front of others. She was turned on and proud when others were around. Edge did everything Athena asked of him. She owned him. He was very happy with being in authority of Athena. His life changed completely. He was in a relationship in which he knew he was owned and what was needed of him. He did his duties perfectly with pride. This book was intense and seductive. Edge didn’t know anything about wine at the beginning of the book. As the book progressed, he was able to pair the meals with a wine that fit like yin and yang. Athena and Edge both needed each other. They gave each other satisfaction and enjoyment.

Review: Maya & Filippo Show Aloha by Alinka Rutkowska

Goodreads Blurb

Take Your Children on an Adventure!”An engaging book to entertain and educate young readers about the Hawaiian lifestyle and culture.” – 5 stars from Readers’ FavoriteThis entertaining and educational picture book features two little travelers – Maya and Filippo – who love to explore the world.

˃˃˃ Would you like your children to learn about different countries and cultures in a fun way?Then the “Maya & Filippo Adventure and Education for Kids” Series will be perfect for you and your early readers.

˃˃˃ Would you like your children to understand the meaning of “aloha”, “hula”, “lei” and “ukulele”? Then let Maya & Filippo show them around Hawaii and tell them about the islands’ culture and geography.

˃˃˃ Would you like to check if your beginner readers are paying attention? Then use the quiz at the end of the book!

Scroll up and grab your copy now!

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Another amazing book that teaches kids about Hawaiian culture. It was a perfect read to read after this horrible winter wishing I was at Hawaii on the beach. I love the illustrations and always like the quiz questions at the end of the book. Keeps children attentive and mindful of what was read n what the images portrayed. I loved how it started with questions so that I could figure out where Maya and Philippo were going. Highly recommend this book for children.

Goodreads Author Biography

Hi, I’m Alinka Rutkowska and I’m an award-winning and best-selling author and coach.



I’ve been featured on Fox Business Network, Examiner, She Knows, She Writes, Blog Talk Radio, The Writer’s Life and many more.

I’m giving away presents!

READERS: Go to http://alinkarutkowska.com and get one of my children’s books for free!

AUTHORS: Go to http://alinkarutkowska.com/authors-home/ and get my ebook “200 Book Marketing Tips” for free!