Saturday, February 28, 2015

FREE 2/28-3/1 'Jala and the Wolves' by Marti Dumas, plus audiobook release!


Blurb:

Jala is a curious girl with a penchant for canines. In addition to playing pretend and being something of a gourmand, she spends most of her time learning new facts about animals—especially wolves. One day, after being severely scolded in the kitchen, she returns to her room and is only a little surprised to find that a mysterious mirror has appeared. Like Alice’s looking glass, the mirror is only the beginning. It transports her to a new land where she must use all her knowledge and strength to save an ailing pack of wolves.


Read a Sample Chapter on SoundCloud: 



http://amzn.to/1KXplzd
Also now available as an audiobook!

Author Bio: 

Marti Dumas loves ancient oak trees and watching thunderstorms from the shelter of her front porch. Luckily she lives in her native New Orleans where there are oak trees and thunderstorms aplenty. Although she is southern girl at heart, Marti has spent a good deal of time navigating the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, gazing at winter snowscapes in quiet New England towns, and trying to spot dolphins on Florida’s First Coast. However, once her two children entered the mix she and her husband knew that their more than 300 years of Louisiana ancestry would eventually pull them back home. It did.

Marti currently resides in New Orleans with her husband, her son, her daughter, a gray cat named Gris-Gris (get it?), and a guinea pig whose name changes almost daily. The earthly remains of Oscar the fish may still be in the freezer.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

5 Reasons Author Marti Dumas Loves Reading Aloud (And You Should, Too!)



5 Reasons I Love Reading Aloud (And You Should, Too!)

World Read Aloud Day is March 4, 2015. If you didn’t already know that this is an actual thing and not something I made up, check it out at litworld.org.

I needed to clarify because, in truth, the existence of something called World Read Aloud Day is totally something I would have made up. A whole day? Dedicated to reading? Aloud?!?! What’s not to like?

Now, to be fair, I was one of those super annoying [read: awesome] little kids who read every single sign we passed. Every single sign. With perfect diction.

“Woolworth!” “Winn Dixie!” “Tchoupitoulas!” “No Ped X-ing!” “One Hour Martinizer!” “Please Take a Number and Wait to Be Served!”

Nothing was safe. Not even the fine print on cans of air freshener. And my mother, bless her soul, never stopped me. In fact, it wasn’t until the end of kindergarten when I was loudly (and proudly) reading an Amelia Bedelia book during naptime that my teacher, Miss Carmen, gently suggested I try reading in my mind. For a moment I didn’t even understand what she was saying, the concept was so foreign. Would it even work? [Spoiler Alert: It did.]

The wide world of silent reading was open to me from that point on, but that did not take away the luster of read aloud. I love reading aloud—by myself, with my kids, with my class, to perfect strangers—and here are 5 reasons why you should, too!

Have Smarter Kids

You read aloud to them when they were really little, plus they have your genes, so they’re already smart. But why not bump that up to super smart? Genius, even? According to these people and these people, reading aloud to children even after they can read to themselves generally increases their awesomeness both in and out of school. Audiobooks improve performance, too, so no lame excuses like: “But I’m Driving/Cleaning/Cooking/Making Dinner!”

Form a Secret Society

Reading aloud with your kids makes for all sorts of inside jokes that other people won’t get. For example, “Mr. Fuzzypants” has taken on a life of its own in my family. If you can decode that one, you can totally join our club.

Annoy People in Public

To be fair, only people who are already annoyed will be annoyed by your reading. And then only if you’re on a *really* crowded bus. Most people will just be stoked to see you engaging in high-quality parenting. If they’re not, just smile, nod, and read on.

Sound Fancy at Dinner Parties

EH-ROO-DITE? AIR-YOU-DITE? Reading Aloud gives you a chance to say words that are usually only found in books—and be corrected so you sound erudite before things get messy. I promise you that there were a whole lot of BATTA-lions (roar) marching off to war before my mother heard and corrected me. And one of the smartest people I know wondered what the difference was between horse-doo-vrees and hors d'oeuvres for years.

Talk Like Pee-wee On the Regular

Silly voices work for the Big Bad Wolf, but why stop there? Even the most boring news articles can be made palatable with a good Pee-wee Herman impression. Go on. Give it a try.


Marti Dumas is a native New Orleanian with a passion for storytelling. When she is not teaching or parenting, she is reading or writing. She prefers to do some combination of the above within view of ancient oak trees or the banks of the river. Or both.

Her book, Jala and the Wolves, makes a great read aloud. ;-)

Get it on Amazon here.

Friday, February 13, 2015

'Jala and the Wolves' by Marti Dumas now available in paperback!


Blurb:

Jala is a curious girl with a penchant for canines. In addition to playing pretend and being something of a gourmand, she spends most of her time learning new facts about animals—especially wolves. One day, after being severely scolded in the kitchen, she returns to her room and is only a little surprised to find that a mysterious mirror has appeared. Like Alice’s looking glass, the mirror is only the beginning. It transports her to a new land where she must use all her knowledge and strength to save an ailing pack of wolves.


Read a Sample Chapter on SoundCloud: 



http://amzn.to/1KXplzd


Author Bio: 

Marti Dumas loves ancient oak trees and watching thunderstorms from the shelter of her front porch. Luckily she lives in her native New Orleans where there are oak trees and thunderstorms aplenty. Although she is southern girl at heart, Marti has spent a good deal of time navigating the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, gazing at winter snowscapes in quiet New England towns, and trying to spot dolphins on Florida’s First Coast. However, once her two children entered the mix she and her husband knew that their more than 300 years of Louisiana ancestry would eventually pull them back home. It did.

Marti currently resides in New Orleans with her husband, her son, her daughter, a gray cat named Gris-Gris (get it?), and a guinea pig whose name changes almost daily. The earthly remains of Oscar the fish may still be in the freezer.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

'Ghosts of Manitowish Waters' and other titles by G.M. Moore on sale for $0.99!



Blurb:
"Powerful. Clever. A solid ... choice for both girls and boys." --Publishers Weekly

A secret sect, an Indian curse, and a bad boy--it's a mix fifteen-year-old Tess O'Brien can't seem to resist. When poachers threaten an albino fawn, three young adults brave the Wisconsin wilderness searching for the mystical herd to which it belongs. Filled with page-turning action and suspense, Ghosts of Manitowish Waters is a coming of age story about finding your own path and following it. It's a lesson in knowing when to obey your parents and when to have the courage to defy them.

http://amzn.to/1FbkYCh

Get this and G.M. Moore's other titles on sale for $0.99. Visit the website to preview all available books!

Bio:

G. M. Moore is a former newspaper writer, editor and columnist. She currently works as a magazine art director and writes fiction as a hobby. The author grew up battling game fish and exploring the lakes of northern Wisconsin, and uses that state's enchanting wilderness as her muse. During the summer months, you can still find the Chicago-area author "up north" and out on the lake.

"Ghosts of Manitowish Waters" is the author's first young adult book. Moore is also the author of a middle grade action-adventure series. The Up North Adventure series includes, "Muskie Attack" (Book 1), "Ancient Elk Hunt" (Book 2) and "Snakehead Invasion" (Book 3).

Moore was inspired to write her first book, "Muskie Attack", by her then 9-year-old nephew who, in a literary world filled with fantasy, was struggling to find books that appealed to his outdoor interests and adventurous spirit.

When not writing, Moore can be found walking her dog, Piper, or feeding the fish, birds and flying squirrels in her Snow White-like backyard.

Visit Moore on Facebook at www.facebook.com/upnorthadventure, follow her on Twitter @upnorthbooks or visit her Web Site at www.gmmoorebooks.com.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

'Jala and the Wolves' by Marti Dumas


Blurb:

Jala is a curious girl with a penchant for canines. In addition to playing pretend and being something of a gourmand, she spends most of her time learning new facts about animals—especially wolves. One day, after being severely scolded in the kitchen, she returns to her room and is only a little surprised to find that a mysterious mirror has appeared. Like Alice’s looking glass, the mirror is only the beginning. It transports her to a new land where she must use all her knowledge and strength to save an ailing pack of wolves.

Read a Sample Chapter on SoundCloud: 



http://amzn.to/1KXplzd


Author Bio:

Marti Dumas loves ancient oak trees and watching thunderstorms from the shelter of her front porch. Luckily she lives in her native New Orleans where there are oak trees and thunderstorms aplenty. Although she is southern girl at heart, Marti has spent a good deal of time navigating the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, gazing at winter snowscapes in quiet New England towns, and trying to spot dolphins on Florida’s First Coast. However, once her two children entered the mix she and her husband knew that their more than 300 years of Louisiana ancestry would eventually pull them back home. It did.

Marti currently resides in New Orleans with her husband, her son, her daughter, a gray cat named Gris-Gris (get it?), and a guinea pig whose name changes almost daily. The earthly remains of Oscar the fish may still be in the freezer.