Internet Book Fair Blogfest - Little Shepherd

I am participating in today's Internet Book Fair Blogfest. Let me tell you something about my first children's book, Little Shepherd.

This is the story of five-year-old Obed, who is in the fields watching his first flock. When the angel appears to announce the Savior's birth, all the shepherds are very afraid. After the angels disappear, Obed is relieved to feel the comfort of father's arm around him. That is until father suggests leaving their sheep behind to visit the newborn King. Obed is conflicted. Surely his father wouldn't suggest leaving the sheep unattended, especially with hungry wolves howling in the distance.

Little Shepherd retells the story of the first Christmas from a child's point of view. Obed, like our modern-day kids, must take a risk and step out in faith. And like us, when we step out in faith, Obed is greatly rewarded.

I hope you'll consider Little Shepherd for your young reader this year. The book is geared toward readers ages 4 - 8. You can purchase the book online at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Guardian Angel Publishing

Indiebound.org

Autographed copies may be ordered directly through the Books page on my website.

Here is a list of others who are participating in the Internet Book Fair Blogfest. I hope you'll pay them a visit.

1.	M.A. Leslie	2.	Le Vanity Victorienne
3.	www.lachesispublishing.com	4.	Dianne Hartsock
5.	Susan Kaye Quinn	6.	Kai Strand (The Weaver)
7.	Kate Avery Ellison	8.	Nancy Stewart Books Blog
9.	AdoraPet Children's Books to Nourish a Happy Mind	10.	William & Pamela Deen
11.	My Sister Is My Best Friend	12.	REMEMBERING NINE ELEVEN
13.	MARIE AND THE SEA TURTLE	14.	Nancy Lynn Jarvis
15.	Donna J. Shepherd	16.	1 Zany Zoo
17.	Shelley Buck Author SIte	18.	http://tinyurl.com/5rby7oc
19.	fiddleeebod	20.	Urban Mythos
21.	The Underwear Dare	22.	Ashfall
23.	A Day in Doha	24.	The Golden Pathway
25.	CLOCKWISE by Elle Strauss	26.	Jessica Bell @ The Alliterative Allomorph
27.	Signs of Trouble	28.	The Doll by J.C. Martin
29.	J.L. Campbell @ The Character Depot	30.	Once Upon a December Nightmare by Cherie Reich
31.	Nicole Zoltack	32.	Lyon's Legacy by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan
33.	The Night Watchman Express by Alison DeLuca	34.	THE LEGEND OF VICTOR STANDISH
35.	Indies are GO!	36.	The Legacy of Kilkenny
37.	Silent No More	38.	Angela Fristoe @ Turning the Pages
39.	The Once and Future Wizard by Tom Averna	40.	200 SHORTS
41.	Screwing Up Time by C.M. Keller	42.	Connection of the Minds
43.	Double the Trouble	44.	A Second Chance
45.	Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island by C.K. Volnek	46.	Stranger on the Shore
47.	May I Have this Dance	48.	If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor
49.	Erotic Deception (Romantic Suspense) by Karen Cote'	50.	Shadows Steal The Light
51.	Reluctant Companions by Christine London	52.	Hog Wild by Christine London
53.	Sunshine Boulevard	54.	The Turn of the Karmic Wheel, Monica Brinkman
55.	Spirit Stealer	56.	Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend
57.	Under the Hat	58.	Screwing Up Time by C.M. Keller (blog)
59.	The Chronicles of Caleath	60.	Larion Wills/Larriane Wills
61.	Nathan's Angel by Melissa Bradley	62.	Culloden Spirit by Anita Davison
63.	Trencarrow Secret by Anita Davison	64.	Killer Valentine Ball Chris Verstraete
65.	Stephen Tremp Breakthrough Blogs	66.	The Powers by S. Durham
67.	Madeline Sharples @Choices	68.	Hostage Heart by Chelle Cordero
69.	Rachel's Children: Surviving the Second World War	70.	Hostage Heart by Chelle Cordero
71.	Hyphema by Chelle Cordero	72.	Impeccable
73.	45 Minutes by Kristen Young	74.	Final Sin by Chelle Cordero
75.	To Be Continued by Charmaine Gordon	76.	Now What? by Charmaine Gordon
77.	One Pelican at a Time	78.	http://goo.gl/EWgYg
79.	Love's Long Shadow	80.	Patricia Lynne's Journey Through the Pages
81.	Anne Gallagher - Regency Romance Writer	82.	"I Believe"
83.	Johanna Garth, urban fantasy, Losing Beauty	84.	OnWords Blog
85.	Getaway by DD Symms	86.	Jennifer M. Hartsock

Internet Book Fair Blogfest Coming October 25th!

An author friend referred me to this link at M.A. Leslie's blog. On October 25th we'll be participating in an Internet Book Fair Blogfest. This is right up my alley, as it combines two of my favorite things: book fairs and online book promotion. 

Come back here on October 25th for a special post. I'll be giving away a PDF copy of Little Shepherd to celebrate the event.

Here are other authors who are participating:

1.	M.A. Leslie	2.	Le Vanity Victorienne
3.	www.lachesispublishing.com	4.	Dianne Hartsock
5.	Susan Kaye Quinn	6.	Kai Strand (The Weaver)
7.	Kate Avery Ellison	8.	Nancy Stewart Books Blog
9.	AdoraPet Children's Books to Nourish a Happy Mind	10.	William & Pamela Deen
11.	My Sister Is My Best Friend	12.	REMEMBERING NINE ELEVEN
13.	MARIE AND THE SEA TURTLE	14.	Nancy Lynn Jarvis
15.	Donna J. Shepherd	16.	1 Zany Zoo
17.	Shelley Buck Author SIte	18.	http://tinyurl.com/5rby7oc
19.	fiddleeebod	20.	Urban Mythos

I hope you'll consider visiting them too!

Please Like My Facebook Fan Page

I'm trying to get better about branding and segregating my business information from my author information. To that end, I started a Fan Page. I would appreciate it if you would consider liking my new page at  https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Cheryl-C-Malandrinos/170542359697682

Thanks!

Why I Love My Library!

There's a lot of talk these days about budget cuts having negative impacts on libraries. As an avid reader since childhood, the public library has been a part of my life since I turned six and applied for my first library card.

My husband and I find ourselves on opposing sides when it comes to libraries. He feels that computers and e-Reading devices have made libraries obsolete. My writing, however, has depended upon libraries in some ways. When I first began exploring writing as a career, I visited the library to browse through magazines I might want to write for. I've borrowed books to supplement online research or for times when I couldn't find the right information online.

Today, I snuck into the library for help with three of my current writing projects. Next month, I'll be pitching a couple of manuscripts at two different conferences. I searched the agencies online and wrote down some of their titles to read. Then I spent time browsing the Internet to find books that might compare to the ones I'll be pitching. I found most of the titles I was looking for, but had to request some assistance from our children's librarian, Elaine.

Not only did she help me find the books I didn't see on the shelf; she went down to the basement to find seasonal titles that were in storage, and when I shared my book ideas with her, she came up with other books that might be comparable. I left the library with a dozen books to browse through that will help me shape my pitches.

And that's why this writer loves her library!

Book Review: Not Fat Because I Wanna Be by LaNiyah Bailey

A book that shares a powerful message is what you’ll find in Not Fat Because I Wanna Be by LaNiyah Bailey.

Six-year-old LaNiyah is tired of being picked on by her classmates just because she’s different. Even though she eats a healthy diet, she’s still a big girl. She doesn’t know why until her new doctor runs some tests. With the love and support of her family, LaNiyah is able to share her story with her classmates, so they understand the “inside her.”

I’m not sure what amazes me more about this book: that a child of this age is selfless enough to want to be an advocate for others or that she has the courage to write her story and share it with the world. Not Fat Because I Wanna Be is a truly inspiring story that captures the importance of family love and support in tackling the issue of bullying and helping bullied kids to feel good about themselves. As someone who was teased through her school years, I’m very sensitive to this issue. Now, it seems even more dangerous than it was back then. In our local communities we have had two young people in the past three years commit suicide after being subjected to extensive bullying and cyber-bullying.

Six-year-old Bailey tells her story in the first person, which helps the reader connect with her and feel the emotions she feels as the book moves along. Your heart aches when you read the names she is called; just as much as it leaps for joy when her new doctor helps her understand what is going on with her body.  You cheer for her when she courageously answers a mean classmate who asks why she is so fat. And you can’t help but smile when the same girl becomes her best friend.

The artwork is provided by Laura Perez Ricaud. She did a superb job in telling LaNiyah’s story in a visual way. From the cover to the very last page, her illustrations will captivate young readers and encourage questions and discussion points.

Not Fat Because I Wanna Be by LaNiyah Bailey needs to be in all our elementary schools and shared often.  This book can help parents and educators open the door for discussions on tolerance and diversity. I highly recommend Not Fat Because I Wanna Be by LaNiyah Bailey!

Paperback: 42 pages

Publisher: CreateSpace (March 2, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1461006767

ISBN-13: 978-1461006763

SRP:  $13.99 paperback (also available in eformats)

Guest Blogging Today at Cafe of Dreams

My friend, April over at Cafe of Dreams is running a special Summer Memories feature this month. You can find my post at http://www.cafeofdreamsbookreviews.com/2011/08/cheryl-malandrinos-summer-memories.html where I talk about a special vacation my family took when I was only 8. I hope you like it.

Cheryl

Being Interviewed at One Writer's Journey on August 5th!

I'm being interviewed at Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz's blog tomorrow, where I'll be talking about my children's picture book, Little Shepherd.

Obed is in the hills outside Bethlehem when the angels appear to announce the Savior’s birth. Can he trust that the miracle of the first Christmas will keep his flock safe while he visits the newborn King?

Here is what early reviews had to say about Little Shepherd:

“Your first reaction may be, oh goodness another story on the birth of Christ. Toss those thoughts away and immerse yourself and your children into the magical arrival of Christ the Lord. Children’s author, Cheryl C. Malandrinos has re-explored and created a beautiful re-enactment of Christ the Lord’s birth in a unique and awe inspiring rendition which surely will become classical reading in Christian religious school studies and home libraries.


The old time illustrations expertly created by illustrator, Eugene Ruble will leave you feeling that you journeyed through the countryside with Obed and his fellow shepherds.”

--Donna McDine, award-winning author of The Golden Pathway

“Little Shepherd by Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a fresh rendition of the familiar story of the angels appearing to the shepherds in the field and announcing the birth of the Savior. The unique slant to this particular retelling of the scriptural story is that the reader sees the event through the eyes of a little shepherd boy, tending his first-ever flock of sheep. As a grandmother, I would be delighted to read this story to my grandchildren. As such, I recommend it to parents/grandparents/teachers everywhere who wish to bring this passage of scripture to life for impressionable young hearts to understand”.

–Kathi Macias, radio host and award-winning author of more than 30 books, including the Extreme Devotion series and Valeria’s Cross


Little Shepherd is available for purchase from:

Amazon


Barnes and Noble

Guardian Angel Publishing

Indiebound.org

Autographed copies may be ordered directly through the Books page on my website.
 
I hope to see you at Penny's blog tomorrow at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/
 
Thanks!
 
Cheryl