Tag Archives: middle grade books

Books, Diane Solomon author, Diane Solomon Editor, Diane Solomon Homeopathy & Nutrition, Mark Carey, Mark Carey Author, Middle grade books, Uncategorized

Fun Author Interview with Sally of Quills and Roses!

Quote February 6, 2017 Diane Solomon Leave a comment

Thanks Sally, for the wonderful author interview you posted on your blog!

Diane and Mark Author Interview excerpt:

“Hey all! Recently I’ve had the good fortune of being given an awesome MG time travel adventure to read (check out my review of The Ravenstone here) and now the talented authors Mark & Diane are doing an interview for me. (Seriously guys, y’all should become book reviewers. The perks are so cool.) In any case, less rambling from me and more from the lovely authors themselves!”

What were you like as a kid?

MARK: When I was in elementary school I was practically invisible. Average height, average weight, average looking and quiet as a mouse… when I was at school, at least. In Junior High I grew so fast people didn’t recognize me in the fall after summer vacation. My newfound size brought with it confidence. By the ninth grade my English teacher told me I had found the power of words but not the wisdom to wield them. Fortunately, she liked me in spite of myself and did her best to give my verbal skills direction. I hope I have lived up to her expectations. Thank you Mrs. Campbell, wherever you are.

https://quillsandroses.wordpress.com/2017/02/04/author-interview-diane-solomon-mark-carey/

Book Reviews, Books, Diane Solomon author, Mark Carey, Mark Carey Author, Middle grade books

Great new review! “This book really gave me goose bumps..An awesome read!”

January 21, 2017 Diane Solomon Leave a comment

Many thanks to Susan Hampson of “Books From Dawn Till Dusk” for her great review!

REVIEW EXCERPT:

“Diane Solomon and Mark Carey have made a formidable team creating a very original story line that links together very well. The use of a mirror and twins is very clever but also do check out the twins names and see if you can find anything unusual about them. It is this attention, the going that extra mile, that makes this book very special. The detail of what life would be like in the past is super, with writing that is very appropriate for middle grade readers. There are times in the book that will give an adrenaline rush but won’t leave the young readers frightened. This book really gave me goose bumps which I have got again just writing about it. An awesome read!”

READ ON!

Book Reviews, Books, Diane Solomon author, Mark Carey, Mark Carey Author, Middle grade books, Uncategorized

Wonderful intelligent book review from Quills and Roses!

December 18, 2016 Diane Solomon Leave a comment

Mark and I received a Christmas present today: a wonderful review from Quills and Roses.

Please forgive me if I toot a horn or two:

“…for the middle-grade category, this novel is up there with the greats.”

“The world is really interesting and well thought-out, and every leaf and branch is there, on the page.”

“The world is described so well that the magic practically jumps off the page and feels real. It’s absolutely wonderful.”

Thank you Sally of Quills and Roses!

Book Review Excerpt

“This novel kind of reminds me of those Magic Tree House books I used to love (anyone remember those? Or am I too old?). Except, with more sophisticated plotting and writing.

“There was a lot of suspense and mystery. The bad guys were terrifyingly bad and the good guys were cute and smart and good. Older readers may find that a bit too simple, but for the middle-grade category, this novel is up there with the greats.

“Conclusion: If you’ve ever wanted to go on a magical time travelling adventure with a pair of smart, inquisitive twins (or are doing some Christmas shopping for young, avid readers) be sure to check The Ravenstone out!”

Read book review here: Quills and Roses Review of The Ravenstone

Book Reviews, Books, Diane Solomon author, Mark Carey, Mark Carey Author, Middle grade books, Uncategorized

Goodreads review: 5 Stars! “Simply magical!”

December 1, 2016 Diane Solomon Leave a comment

Thank you to Dianne Bylo, Top 1% Goodreads reviewer, for this incredible Goodreads review! “Simply magical!”

“Diane Solomon and Mark Carey have created an atmosphere where one’s imagination can run free as two delightful characters are given the opportunity to help make a mark on the history of mankind.”

The Ravenstone: The Secret of Ninham Mountain

Goodreads review from Dianne, Goodreads librarian & Top 1% Reviewer

Nov 02, 2016 4172 ratings (4.56 avg) 3965 reviews

GOODREADS REVIEW:

Was it fate, destiny or their own special senses that put twins Aidan and Nadia on a path that will lead them across time in a quest to save both their father’s visionary scientific work and the very future of mankind? It all started in the attic of the old home they lived in. A mirror, ancient and dusty suddenly comes to life when a wizard and his raven appear to show them a hidden artifact that will lead them on a magical adventure filled with mystery, challenges and the search for one special plant that will open doors for both their scientist father and the world at large.

Follow a tale of two young children who place family and honor before the usual concerns of contemporary tweens more concerned with the latest electronic gadgets and spoon-fed tales filled with violence that leave their imaginations starving for sustenance. High adventure, hidden secrets in the past and experiences that one can only dream about take Aidan and Nadia into the world of the past that will reveal more about their present lives than they ever could have imagined. Are their special gifts a twin thing? What of the other twins in their family? Do they know of the secrets of the mirror? Notice anything about these siblings’ names?

Diane Solomon and mark Carey have created an atmosphere where one’s imagination can run free as two delightful characters are given the opportunity to help make a mark on the history of mankind. The Ravenstone: The Secret of Ninham Mountain is perfect for family reading, reading alone and definite will hold the interest of even the most reluctant of young readers! What more can one ask for? Age appropriate, believable dialogue and a keen sense of adventure into the unknown in an atmosphere free of gore that is simply magical!

I received this copy via Diane Solomon and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Authors: Diane Solomon & Mark Carey

Publisher: Eloquent Rascals Publishing (September 26, 2016)
Publication Date: September 26, 2016
Genre: Middlegrade Fantasy
Print Length: 222 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

http://tometender.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-ravenstone-secret-of-ninham.html

Diane Solomon author, Middle grade books

Creative Ideas: Do They Float in the Air? Diane Solomon on The Writing Greyhound

November 15, 2016 Diane Solomon 2 Comments

Diane Solomon was recently invited to write a guest blog for Lorna of The Writing Greyhound. Having recently read Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear?” it really got her thinking.

Here is an excerpt, and you can read the rest at “The Writing Greyhound.”

“Maybe ideas float around our combined consciousness, as a species, to be received by those with the best antennae! We are radio stations, attuned to pick up the frequencies of ideas. When I was very young, as a singer-songwriter in the UK, I had the chance to work with Tommy Boyce, the songwriter who had some terrific hits with the Monkees in the seventies. He nailed it for me. He said, “In the middle of the night, if I get a song idea or lyric, I better get my butt out of bed and write it down, or it will go back up the chimney and come down Paul McCartney’s chimney.” READ MORE at THE WRITING GREYHOUND

About Diane Solomon
EloquentRascals.com

Book Links for The Ravenstone:

AMAZON: Kindle or paperback
SMASHWORDS eBook
GOODREADS
TWITTER
NETGALLEY
BARNES AND NOBLE Nook & Paperback

About the book: Imagine a raven appearing out of thin air and guiding you to an exquisitely carved icon that glows with ancient light and pulses with shamanic power. This is how the adventure begins for Nadia and Aidan Shaw, 13-year-old twins, who live in idyllic Cold Spring, New York. Armed with the power of the Ravenstone and their own special gifts, they embark on a harrowing quest across centuries, at the bidding of a mysterious old shaman. They must depend on their courage, their faith in their friends, and luck… or is it destiny?

If they succeed, what they bring back could change the course of human existence.

REVIEW:

Many thanks to Dii Bylo, a Top 1% Goodreads Reviewer for her 5-Star review, which you can read here : Goodreads Dianne Bylo

Diane Solomon author, review of The Ravenstone on Goodreads

NETGALLEY REVIEW INVITE

The Ravenstone

Books, Diane Solomon author, Mark Carey, Mark Carey Author, Middle grade books, Uncategorized

Diane Solomon’s Author interview on BookGoodies

October 19, 2016 Diane Solomon Leave a comment

EXCERPT:

What inspires you to write?
The joy of creativity, of being creative, drives me. It always has! As a singer/songwriter, I learned to trust the creative process and dive deeply into it. You have to dare to be criticized, dare to be silly, to be crazy, to be wild. There are moments during writing where you forget yourself entirely. You lose track of time. The writing seems to have taken over. Sometimes you look down and are surprised by what you read, as if you didn’t, in fact, write it! I can only describe this experience as somehow verging on transcendent, in that it feels beyond the limits of experience, or independent of this world. It is exciting, inspiring, and rewarding.

As for ideas for books, they stem from my life (and I have had a very strange but interesting life), and from my imagination. And from the “What if?” game!

READ MORE ON BOOKGOODIES

Book Reviews, Books, Uncategorized

Book Review: “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah

October 15, 2016 Diane Solomon 2 Comments

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Having read quite a few of Kristin Hannah’s books, I looked forward to “The Nightingale.” Although it held my attention, throughout the book I could not quite put my finger on why I wasn’t moved by the distressful events of this World War Two story.

Two sisters struggle to survive in Nazi-occupied France; one maintains her home and resists any idea of resistance. The other sister, impulsive and passionate, launches herself into the resistance movement, and becomes The Nightingale, leading British and American pilots through the mountains to Spain, to return them to their countries to fight another day.

The book delivers a potentially powerful story of suspense, courage, honor, love, and loyalty. My reservations are with regard to the level of exaggeration I felt was in play. And the tendency to cliche. Granted, these devastating events occurred, I just don’t believe they all happened to so few people. It is as if all the horror stories of the war were funneled into this one book, and it seemed a wee bit unrealistic and unbelievable to me.

As bizarre as this sounds, I became somewhat desensitized to the travesties. I am a sentimental, soft soul, and fully expected to be brought to tears by this tale. Especially having loved other books of Kristin Hannah’s. But I have come to the conclusion that this book, in its leaning toward melodrama, turned me off at some level, and I was left with a feeling of disappointment that truly surprised me.

So 3 stars for “The Nightingale,” which I hate to say is not one of Hannah’s best. I feel almost guilty saying this as I love so much of Hannah’s work.

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View all my reviews

Check out Diane’s new middle-grade fantasy novel, written with her husband Mark Carey:
The Ravenstone: The Secret of Ninham Mountain