Friday, April 29, 2016

One Month Old Today! What has my book been doing?

Today is the one month anniversary of my release, and it has been an exciting month!

What has happened so far? We had a party to celebrate, we went on a virtual tour, and we've had some awesome reviews. Here are some of the highlights:

1. The Party:

Loving The Book Launch did a phenomenal job to welcome my new book. Everyone that "attended" the online party said it was a blast and a half. This meant the world to me--seeing faces and names of people from all over the country, people I've known forever, people who have been mentors to me, and people I've never met--I couldn't have been more happy with it all. I really felt connected, and I especially felt a lot of love and acceptance, both from the writing and reading communities. Thank you all so much!

2. The Tour:

What another great idea--going on tour without leaving your house! Loving the Book handled this virtual tour, setting up blog posts with about fourteen different bloggers. I also received five reviews from five different bloggers connected with the tour, each one favorable and informative. To date, I have 33 reviews on Amazon, one is a 4-star, the rest are 5-star.

3. The Opportunities:

I set up a Facebook page called Friends of A Doorway Back to Forever: Believe, and received many requests to join. This will be a launching pad for the rest of the series and supplemental material for home schooling, Family Home Evening Lessons, and teaching values and faith to children. Now that April's Camp NaNo is wrapped up, I can concentrate on giving you, the reader, just what you were hoping for--more news about what's beyond the Doorway!

4. The Response:

I'm so thrilled now that many of you are reading the book! Here are some of the things that verified readers have been saying:

From Bill Paliwoda: Excellent book for kids with important life lessons most kids can identify with. The author draws the reader into the story and develops the characters fully. Unlike many books where the characters kind of all blend together until you're not certain who is who, the author's construction of the characters ensures the reader can readily identify who is who. Handles the multiple simultaneously occurring events in a clear manner that will allow kids to follow the story line without confusion.

From Nansi Krauss: What an enchanting read! From the very start, Nanette's writing style drew me in. We get to know the main characters very easily. The setting comes alive with the author's ability to set the scene - great descriptive narrative! The book is aimed at a junior high audience, but that should be no barrier for any adult. The book speaks to things we all relate to - believing in something bigger than yourself, standing up to bullies, finding true blue friends, the regular conflicts of family life, and summoning the courage to do what you know is right, even if it's difficult. These themes may be in the forefront of a teen's life, but they remain with us throughout our lives. This book will reconnect adults with those important themes. Most importantly, it's written so well that it takes the reader on a wonderful journey. I could hardly wait to see what happened next!! My only regret is I finished it so quickly and now I have to wait for the next chapter to be published! I highly recommend this book to all that appreciate a well written story with beautiful scenes that transport you to a world where courage, friendship, loyalty and faith in what's right and just matter more than anything else!

From Karen McKown-Arano: Great read, very enchanting.
I received a copy of this book for the purpose of review.

This book is aimed at 10-13 year olds, but is not childish in anyway. I am far from Middle School and enjoyed it. Robyn and Kit are two 12 year old girls who have both had strange senses awaken in them. Robyn sees visions and Kit hears voices having conversations. When Kit's family moves to town to escape frightening disappearances and arrests of family friends, Mr. Fischer, an elderly neighbor, introduces her to Robyn. Both girls are excited to have a best friend but are afraid to discuss their magical sense because it is a criminal offense to even talk about magic.

Telling any more of the story line would include spoilers, but there are magic doors, police actions that are reminiscent of the Nazis, demon-like creatures, a king and prince who have C. S. Lewis type connotations, and lots of lessons for the girls (and the reader) including how to treat others, standing up against prejudice, learning about your own weaknesses and strengths, and dealing with envy and anger.

From Donna K. Weaver: From the very beginning I found these two girls engaging, and I really felt for them. That time of life--twelve and thirteen--can be such a formative one as we're starting to step away from our parents and trying to find ourselves and our own view of the world. And then to find that there's more to that world than you'd had any reason to dream of?

Awesome! And scary.

This tale is very much a story of good versus evil--and trying to decide which is which. It's full of action and creative worldbuilding and standing for something, of taking risks for what you believe. Even facing your fears.

And there's nothing like having to save the world while you're at it.

The main characters are on the younger side of YA, but the story doesn't read like a kid's book. There're plenty of endearing characters, touching scenes, and breathtaking action. I'm looking forward to the next book!

(Thanks to all the thirty-three reviewers! You can read the rest by clicking here.

Now, the last thing I want to do is give spoilers, so if you wish to purchase your own copy, do so HERE!  And do it soon, so you'll be on board with future posts! Happy Reading!!