Friday, October 27, 2017

Meet Author, Eugenia Chu!

Meet Author, Eugenia Chu!

Eugenia Chu is a first generation Chinese-American citizen, born in New Jersey and raised primarily outside of Boston, Massachusetts and then St. Petersburg, Florida.  Eugenia has also lived and attended school in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Washington D.C., Taipei and Shanghai (summer study abroad).  She met her husband in law school and they currently live in Miami with their son, Brandon, and fish, Sharky.

Eugenia’s son, Brandon, is the inspiration for her stories.  When Brandon was very little, Eugenia would read a bedtime story (or 2, or 3!) every night to him and then at lights out, she and Brandon would discuss his day and all the events that occurred.  They would take turns adding information and make up little stories based on the happenings of the day before going to sleep.  Eugenia was always searching for children’s storybooks to read to him which touched upon Chinese culture and which included some Chinese (Mandarin) words to teach and/or reinforce his Chinese vocabulary, but had trouble finding them.  Most of the books she found were either straight translation or ABC/123 type books with no storyline.  So, she started writing her own based on events in Brandon’s life and the little stories they told at bedtime.  Brandon Makes Jiǎo Zi (餃子) is the first “Brandon” story. 

Brandon Makes Jiǎo Zi (餃子) is about a little Chinese-American boy named Brandon who gets a surprise visit from his grandma from China, Pó Po (婆婆).  While Brandon and Pó Po (婆婆) are making Chinese dumplings, called jiǎo zi (餃子), Brandon makes a mess and he and Pó Po (婆婆) have a good laugh!  They chat and bond over the experience.  Then Brandon eats and eats and eats and makes a surprise at the end that delights the whole family!  This story includes some conversational Mandarin Chinese (including Pinyin – pronunciation) and is written the way a real Chinese grandmother and her Chinese-American grandson would speak with each other.  It is a fun read for families with children who are learning, or are interested in, Mandarin or Chinese culture.

Website: eugeniachu.com






Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Meet author Rocio Monroy!

Rocio Monroy was born and raised in Mexico, where she graduated as an Industrial Engineer in 2009. She came to the U.S with a Au Pair program and got to travel around the country. After she met her husband, she finally settled in St. Peters, Missouri. Ever since she has been studying English as second language and creative writing. In 2016, Rocio won a scholarship to study at the Children's Book Academy.

 As an Author, she writes stories for tiny readers with big hearts. Her big inspiration is her three children who teach every day how to follow her dreams. She enjoys every moment of her life and likes to write about it. Her favorite thing to write about is bilingual characters that have the ability to make kids laugh. She strongly believes that books have the power of changing the world. This is the reason she spends a lot of time reading, visiting libraries, and writing stories to help make this world a better place.

Rocio's latest book is "Paisley the goat."
Counting from one to ten is not easy for children, although Paisley the goat will make things easier for the little ones. Paisley the goat discovers many different things that can be counted at the beach on a sleepless night.

Paisley the Goat is a colorful children’s illustrated story for kids who are learning their numbers. A goat named Paisley cannot sleep, no matter what she tries. You can probably relate if you have kids and the little ones won’t lie down or unwind.





"Let's Say Hello To Our Neighbors" October 2017 Radio Show

New blog out today, and my show, "Let's Say Hello To Our Neighbors". The producer asked me to do a show on my own books. LOL. Next show is Barbara Ann Mojica of the book series, "Little Miss History". 






Monday, October 23, 2017

Bullying Awareness Week


EBook Released Just in Time for Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week

The Invisible Boy is the second installment of a trilogy about bullying. In The Invisible Boy, Carlo learns what it feels like to be invisible at school. This second eBook deals with social isolation.

Big and Small in the Mirror, the first eBook of the trilogy, was published in 2015 and focuses on physical aggression and verbal abuse.

Both eBooks have discussion questions at the end of the story to help facilitate a deeper understanding of the issue of bullying, and to put the story into perspective. Each eBook is also a stand-alone book. 

Why she writes about bullying:

When people discover that I am interested in writing about the topic of bullying, I am often asked what the big deal is about bullying these days. This comment is usually followed by statements such as this: "It has always existed. There is nothing new about it."

What is new about it is that bullying no longer is seen as a rite of passage into adulthood, or as a normal part of school life, as some might have viewed it in earlier generations.

Today, there is a body of research to help us understand the nature of bullying. And as more and more mental health practitioners study the phenomenon, we are learning its long-term effects. Consequently, educators and parents are faced with addressing the problem.

What she wants people to know:

The third week in November is Bullying Awareness and Prevention Week in Ontario, Canada. Anti-bullying Week in the United Kingdom is the second week in November. In the United States, the month of October is devoted to anti-bullying events. Internationally, both October and November are busy months featuring various anti-bullying campaigns around the world.

In Ontario, school-aged children are taught what is meant by the term bullying, and to differentiate between the different types of bullying that exist: physical aggression, verbal abuse, social isolation, and the newest form, cyberbullying.

Children and adults have to learn to recognize bullying when it occurs. The majority of bullying takes place in a public setting in which other people are around; therefore, empowering the bystanders is a good strategy to stopping bullying. Studies show that the bullying is likely to stop within 10 seconds if a bystander intervenes. * Craig, W. M. & Pepler, D. (1997). Observations of bullying and victimization in the school yard. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 13(2): 41–60.

My stories utilize common school scenarios to help create empathy for victims. The totality of the storytelling and discussion questions bring forth certain truths. It is not the victim's fault. There is nothing wrong with the victim. There is something going on with the bully. Victims need to tell a parent and teacher.

I would love to have your opinion.








Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Jason Henderson, Writer Guy
Flotsam and jetsam from the mind of a Texan in Colorado.


INTERVIEW: Michael Okon, "Monsterland"

Michael Okon is the author of the new book MONSTERLAND from Wordfire Press, about a theme park called "the scariest place on Earth." With real werewolves, vampires and zombies as the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?


Check out this episode!




Monday, October 16, 2017

Bonjour! Let's Learn French by Judy Martialay

Bonjour! Let's Learn French

Bonjour, Everyone! Let’s talk about a gift that you can give your children: an early start learning French. Why is it a gift? Because it’s fun; it adds a global dimension to your child’s life; it is useful; and it has amazing life-long benefits.
Increasingly more parents realize that their children should begin study of a language early. Advantages include: a useful, practical and marketable skill; a way to connect to millions of people; better cognitive skills; a link to other cultures; better understanding of our own culture and language.

But, what can parents do when only 25% of elementary schools, public or private, offer any form of foreign language instruction at the elementary school in the U.S.?

Bonjour! Let’s Learn French has everything you need to give your child, roughly 6-10, maybe younger, depending on the child, a fun and easy introduction to French. It can be used by parents, grandparents, etc. whether or not you know French. 

The audio version is free and downloadable from the website http://www.polyglotkidz.com

Just open the book, turn on the audio, and follow!
Kids love a story. The book begins with an imaginary ride on Pete the Pilot’s magic airplane to France. On board, the children learn some basic French. When they arrive in France, they meet Louis l’escargot, France’s #1 snail. They follow his adventure, meet his friends, absorb the culture, and learn French.

Back “home”, kids practice the French they learned with family and friends with activities including introductions, daily expressions and a skit. In the Culture Corner, they learn more about the unique cultural features that they encountered during their visit, like how to order a croissant in a café. There is a traditional French song. Finally, they learn about impressionist art, and how to make an impressionist picture.

Why study French? France and the francophone countries have a rich history and have been at the forefront of development not only of life-style but of science, philosophy, and the arts since the fall of the Roman Empire. After English, French is the most studied foreign language world-wide.  French is spoken in almost 40 countries and more regions around the world. France and the U.S. have had a special relationship which goes back to the founding of the U.S. There are regions in the U.S. with a strong French influence. Also, France is the most visited country in the world.
Here’s a chance for the family to experience a taste of France and French. And, speaking of taste, visit the website where you’ll find recipes for delicious food for the whole family. You’ll find other resources on the website such as tips for parents on how to use the book, downloadable activity sheets, a video which illustrates the section on making an impressionist picture, and more.
Bonjour! 

Let’s Learn French is available in print softcover on Amazon.com at https://goo.gl/SZT6Me  and on  B&N.com at https://goo.gl/NTDGah


It can also be used and enjoyed by children who are learning French in school.

-- Judy Martialay



"Give your child the world: an early start for world languages."
Visit: http://www.polyglotkidz.com
Bonjour! Let's Learn French: pre-order now on Amazon.com at  https://goo.gl/SZT6Me
pre-order on B&N at  https://goo.gl/NTDGah
¡HOLA! Let's Learn Spanish
NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winner Winter 2017
Readers' Favorite Bronze Award Children's Educational 2017
Honorable Mention Educational Purple Dragonfly Book Award 2017
Available on Amazon.com 
softcover printed:
http://amzn.to/29Hu1hn 
Kindle: http://amzn.to/2ey4yhV
B&N: http://bit.ly/2eNNi6o
Like me on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJudyMartialay/
follow me on Twitter
Judy Martialay@judyruth10
Lead with languages

Friday, October 6, 2017


Check out my son, the author, Michael Okon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E21sOd4mWM&t=657s



MONSTERLAND by Michael Okon, coming out Friday, October 13th on Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, Kobo, iBooks

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Amy J Hamilton introduces…

Amy J Hamilton introduces…

I'm clearly mad. People who know me well, realize that already. I have just started writing a new serial on Radish Fiction. That would be perfectly normal if I hadn't already got one on the go I haven't finished yet. There is, therefore, much writing going on with my novelty syringe pens in my notebooks.

Radish Fiction, for those who missed it, is an app-based, digital, serial fiction platform. Download the app to your device for free. The first three chapters of any book are free. They are currently running an offer on Radish coins. All authors are invited to write for Radish. I don’t think they have particularly low standards, I must, therefore, not be rubbish!

Back to my moment of madness:

I'd like to introduce you to Kanner and Nix who are scouting the primitive planet of Iridessia. If the planet is suitable for human habitation, the construction companies will move in. Iridessia has all the usual things, solid ground, breathable atmosphere, water source, ghosts.

The pair is sent to investigate a cave system where they encounter things even the most scientific minds will fail to explain. Or did they? Kanner and Nix can’t agree on the events that took place in the cave.

My other 'clean' story on Radish has received very high praise.

For those of you who like a murder mystery, look no further than Missing Remnants. Track is investigating the murders and disappearances the Authority refuses to touch. Strange messages are relayed to him via the screens and service robots. He’s been stalked, attacked, kidnapped, his apartment has been broken into and his modular pet robot dog Banyon was dismantled. If he can work out why he might be able to solve the mystery of the Missing Remnants.

Missing Remnants has recently received a five-star rating. I've been told it's quite addictive.


So, come and have a read of my stories on Radish Fiction. They are some of the best stories ever written, said no-one ever...

Amy
xx