Review: A Bully on the School Bus by Dr. Mildred D. Peyton with Giveaway

Yesterday, Dr. Mildred D. Peyton was kind enough to answer some interview questions. Unfortunately, I had some formatting issues, which I didn't notice until later in the day. So, if you'd like to take a peek at her thoughts, comments and insights (and it is worth a read!), head on over here!

A Bully on the School Bus 

by Dr. Mildred D. Peyton 

and Leah N. Peyton

Illustrated by Andy Hoang

Children's Education / Social Skills / School Life

26 pages

Tour dates: Oct 8 to 26 2018

Content Rating: G

Nicole is the main character in the book "A Bully on the School Bus." Nicole is a young girl who rides the school bus to school every day. It wasn't until Nicole started experiencing problems with another bus-rider named Dylan when she became uncomfortable being on this bus. Her experience with Dylan is a form of bullying, and she was frightened. After several incidences, Nicole made her parent aware and found a way to solve the problem.

To read reviews, please visit Dr. Mildren Peyton's page on iRead Book Tours.

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MY TIDBITS

This book takes a very common situation, shows how it's not fine to accept and offers practical tips on what to do about it.

Nicole enters the school bus and sits down in the same seat she always does, but Dylan wants to sit in the seat that day and demands that she move. Nicole refuses to give in, and Dylan finally sits down behind her but insists that the next day, it's his turn to sit there. Nicole tells her parents about the situation, and their suggestion on how to deal with it might be exactly what she's looking for.

The author tackles a situation which isn't rare. While some people might think to ignore it, she lets it go further to show that it can be a reason for concern and lead to a more obvious form of bullying. It's a situation kids can easily identify with and one that many will recognize from their own lives. 

Nicole is a very happy girl, and the time is taken to show how loving her home life is. Her parents listen to her story with concern and patience. But I was surprised that her mother didn't listen to Nicole's problem after she exited the bus, but rather, made her wait until the dinner table. Also, Nicole's way of speaking didn't always fit the age group. Still, the kindness of her parents was inspiring, and their solution very solid. 

At the end of the book, there are tips for parents, students and teachers on how to handle bullying. There is also a list of references where readers can go for more suggestions or help.

All in all, it's a nice book which address bullying in a solid manner. 

And here she is...

Dr. Mildred Peyton is the President and Founder of Peyton Consulting, LLC. Dr. Peyton established her consulting firm, which was initially geared towards school bullying services, in March 2016. She was inspired to create Peyton Consulting and become a children's author on bullying after completing her doctoral research study entitled, "Exploring the Meaning of School Bullying Among Parents of Victimized Children."

During her undergraduate internship in 2002-2003 at Salisbury Middle School in Wicomico County, Dr. Peyton and her team developed and facilitated a mentoring program, providing one-on-one conflict resolution and mediating skills to students who were identified by the program coordinator with ongoing needs of behavioral issues. One of the key/primary areas Dr. Peyton and the other mentors focused on was educating and addressing bullying issues with bullies and victims. And in her graduate program, Dr. Peyton also facilitated a school bullying focus group in 2005 at Maryvale Elementary School in Montgomery County, to teach participants about bullying behaviors and how to avoid bullying others. She also attended several bullying workshops to learn about the latest studies while working with the students. Her passion on this topic followed her even as she served as a member on the Committee on Hate/Violence at Montgomery County Office of Human Rights, in 2013. There she developed a brochure for students and parents for the annual bullying symposium and, provided rich knowledge and skills on this topic throughout the year.

Today, the company has expanded its services to target workplace bullying as well. With the experiences of others and Dr. Peyton's personal experience with adult bullying in the workplace (which caused her to resign from her employer in 2016), she believes attention, guidance, and solutions are also critical in this area. Dr. Peyton holds a Ph.D. in Human and Social Services with a concentration in Social Policy Analysis & Planning. She has a Bachelor's degree in Social Work and Sociology and a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology. Dr. Peyton is committed to using her knowledge and skills to influence positive change among students and adults.

Connect with Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

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Review with Interview: Sophia Writes to Her Bully by Dr. Mildred D. Peyton and Giveaway!

Sophia Writes to Her Bully

 by Dr. Mildred D. Peyton, 

with Leah N. Peyton and 

Jada L. Peyton

Illustrated by Andy Hoang

Children's Education / Social Skills & School Life

24 pages

Tour dates: Oct 8 to 26 2018

Content Rating: G

Sophia experiences verbal and social (also referred to as relational) bullying from her classmates during recess. Whenever Sophia attempts to play with a group of students from her fourth-grade class, she is rejected; Amber also calls her an inappropriate name. Only when Sophia takes action by confronting her bully with a letter does her victimization finally end. Want to know what Sophia was being called and how her classmates treated her? Read Sophia Writes to Her Bully and find out what her letter is all about!

Social exclusion is a form of bullying experienced by some children. When it occurs, they feel isolated, alone, and humiliated. It is important for parents to be informed and talk with their children about all types of bullying (e.g., verbal, physical, social/relational, and cyberbullying) so they are better equipped to intervene or prevent their child from bullying others or being a victim of bullying.

To read reviews, please visit Dr. Mildren Peyton's page on iRead Book Tours.

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MY TIDBITS

Sophia wants to play with a group of friends at school, but they don't want anything to do with her. Especially Amber actively encourages the others to ignore Sophia, calling her 'Fatty Patty'. After a particularly bad day, Sophia's mom notices something is off with her and tries to help out.

This is a very naturally flowing story which is easy to identify with. The bullying is there but in a more subtle form than sometimes found in literature...a more realistic form. Sophia's desire to play with the kids is constantly shot down, making it hard not to feel for her. And the name calling fits right in for the age group. It was nice to see Sophia's mother noticing the change in her daughter's mood and her calm but thoughtful reaction was inspiring. While the solution didn't reflect reality and could have been pulled out better, the message is still clear.

The illustrations are bright and bring the surroundings to life. They make it easy to slide into Sophia's position, and allow the needed emotions to come through at the right time. There are also helpful tips at the back of the book for parents, students and school personnel in regards to bullying. The suggestion of further references to find more information and assistance concerning bullying is also a nice extra, since bullying can take so many different forms and needs to be handled differently in each situation. To round things off, there's a section of statistics concerning bullying.

All in all, it's a nice book to turn to for younger readers and caretakers to gain a greater understanding of bullying, how it affects others and how it might be dealt with.



Interview with Dr. Mildred D. Peyton!

What made you write a book about bullying?

After completing my doctoral research study, "Exploring the Meaning of School
Bullying Among Parents of Victimized Children," I wanted to create greater
awareness and provide a new perspective on this topic.

Where do you write?

I generally write wherever I'm comfortable. That is usually on my bed, living
room, or in my work area.

Do you ever get writer's block? What helps you overcome it?

Yes, I do get writer's block, like most writers. When this happens, I walk away
and do chores or something else--it helps!

If you could put yourself as a character in your book, who would you be?

I would be the mother/parent; it's only natural.

There are many books out there about childhood or school bullying. What
makes yours different?

My books are unique because I don't just give my readers a story. I leave them
with links to other resources and additional facts on bullying. I equip my readers.

And here she is...

Dr. Mildred Peyton is the President and Founder of Peyton Consulting, LLC. Dr. Peyton established her consulting firm, which was initially geared towards school bullying services, in March 2016. She was inspired to create Peyton Consulting and become a children's author on bullying after completing her doctoral research study entitled, "Exploring the Meaning of School Bullying Among Parents of Victimized Children."

During her undergraduate internship in 2002-2003 at Salisbury Middle School in Wicomico County, Dr. Peyton and her team developed and facilitated a mentoring program, providing one-on-one conflict resolution and mediating skills to students who were identified by the program coordinator with ongoing needs of behavioral issues. One of the key/primary areas Dr. Peyton and the other mentors focused on was educating and addressing bullying issues with bullies and victims. And in her graduate program, Dr. Peyton also facilitated a school bullying focus group in 2005 at Maryvale Elementary School in Montgomery County, to teach participants about bullying behaviors and how to avoid bullying others. She also attended several bullying workshops to learn about the latest studies while working with the students. Her passion on this topic followed her even as she served as a member on the Committee on Hate/Violence at Montgomery County Office of Human Rights, in 2013. There she developed a brochure for students and parents for the annual bullying symposium and, provided rich knowledge and skills on this topic throughout the year.

Today, the company has expanded its services to target workplace bullying as well. With the experiences of others and Dr. Peyton's personal experience with adult bullying in the workplace (which caused her to resign from her employer in 2016), she believes attention, guidance, and solutions are also critical in this area. Dr. Peyton holds a Ph.D. in Human and Social Services with a concentration in Social Policy Analysis & Planning. She has a Bachelor's degree in Social Work and Sociology and a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology. Dr. Peyton is committed to using her knowledge and skills to influence positive change among students and adults.

Connect with Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

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Ends Nov 3, 2018

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Review: Demons Lie by Sherry Ficklin

DEMONS LIE

A Girls Guide to Witchcraft and Demon Hunting

by Sherry Ficklin

Young Adult Paranormal

305 pages

COMING...

OCTOBER 31st!!!

Rule #1 Demons Lie

Orphaned by an unspeakable evil, Aria Dupree is the last of her line. A powerful witch tasked with guarding the boundaries between our world and the world of demons who prey on humankind, Aria has gone rogue. Now she’s out to find and destroy every single gateway into our world and kill every demon that she can find — including the one who murdered her mother.

But, as it turns out, hunting is the easy part; it’s graduating high school that might kill her. Red Prairie Texas isn’t just another stop on her demon hunting world tour and an unlikely alliance might be exactly what she needs to keep from becoming a slave to the very darkness she’s been fighting against.

Because the devil is coming down to Texas — and only Aria can keep all hell from breaking loose. 

MY TIDBITS

Although a teen, this witch is a lone hunter against dark forces, and when high school life hits, it adds an entirely new dimension to her adventure.

Orphaned and with no relatives left, Aria is a powerful witch on a mission to close all the gates to the demons' realm and revenge her mother's death. When she enters the small town, the next one on her list thanks to increased demon activity, she takes on the disguise as a high school student in hopes it will get her closer to the demon. And she finds what she's looking for. Maybe. A couple of her classmates are sending out surprising vibes, and they don't fit in with her usual experience of demon hunting. It's these students who are about to change her life.

The first chapter grabs right away, and the tension doesn't let up until the last page. Aria is a strong fighter with some experience. She is determined, centered and a no-nonsense kind of girl. She has to be. But she's still a teen, and this comes through when she enrolls into school. High school drama slides right in, making it a perfect YA read. At first, Aria is only concerned with her mission, but soon allows herself to be swept into the teenage life...to a certain degree. It's an interesting twist which lures in and makes this a bit more original than some YA reads.

There are demons and fight scenes as well. When these appear, they are dark, full of action and hold suspense. However, the demons don't always hold the center seat as Aria's relationships with her new friend, Maddie and Ben, are, in many ways, more important in the plot. Part of me would have loved to have seen more demon action and intrigue (they weren't always as present as I would have thought), but on the same hand, this book gave the development necessary to base the rest of the series. Maddie and Ben have stories and mysteries of their own, and this first book gets the trio set for the upcoming adventures.

Romance is also found in these pages, a sweet, high school one. Although sparks fly right away, they aren't necessarily the romantic kind immediately. The romance does hit with the usual teen quickness, but there is enough hesitation and other aspects woven in to keep it in line with the rest of the story. In other words, it works nicely.

This is a exciting read for demon fighting fans and a great first book for a series. It will be interesting to see what happens to the trio next, and whether or not this story stays YA since they have now graduated high school and are heading out into the world on their own to get those pesky demons.

Review: An Unexpected Adventure by Kandi J. Wyatt

AN UNEXPECTED ADVENTURE

Myth Coast Adventures, Book One

by Kandi J. Wyatt

Middle Grade Adventure / Fantasy

141 pages

Protect their community or protect their discovery?

For eighth graders Chace, Harley, Will, and Cherise, that’s a life-changing question after they find a dragon’s egg while hunting for thundereggs on the beach. Toss in summer jobs, family struggles, and a National Security Agent, and their summer vacation just became complicated.

Can they find a solution that won’t leave their hearts broken or their community in flames?

 MY TIDBITS

Friendship and loyalty take a lead role in this fun fantasy about one of the most magnificent mythical creatures of all.

Chace, Harely, Will and Cherise get involved with a professor, who is searching for thunder eggs. And he wants to pay them if they find what he's looking for. Their search soon leads them to a gigantic and smooth thunderegg, but unlike the other agates, this one bears similarity to an egg. Not sure what to do, they show it to their science teacher, who confirms their suspicions. But they don't know what type of egg it is, only that it isn't one that any of them have ever seen before. One thing is clear, they can't let the professor have it no matter how determined he is.

This is a fun, quick tale about a group of ordinary friends and a not so ordinary adventure. While some moments come as expected, others hit with surprise. The group of friends has their hands full, but somehow manage to stay pretty on top of things. Their trust to each other and their teacher is inspirational, and it's this which actually helps them get through even sticky situations.

The writing is great for the intended audience, although some phrases can hit a little high especially on the description/comparison end. The scene descriptions are held to a minimum, allowing the dialogue to determine the pacing. It's not a super tense read, but allows the friends time to figure out and discuss their next steps or contemplate how to handle the situations.

Fantasy and reality flow naturally together, and although some there are some holes on the logic end, this does not hurt the story in any way. It's a fun adventure—gentle yet suspenseful enough to hold the reader until the very end.

 And here she is...

Kandi J Wyatt is a wife, mother of five, teacher, artist, and author. In her free time, she enjoys writing fantasy stories and Christmas programs, and drawing with graphite and colored pencils. Portraits are her specialty. Kandi also enjoys photography, thanks to her photographer husband who has let her join his journey as both his model and apprentice, and she occasionally serves as his assistant when he needs a “light stand with feet.” To learn more, visit:

Blog:  http://kandijwyatt.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kandi-Wyatt-author/647179792053374

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/kandijwyatt

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/kandiwyatt3/

Instagram:  https://instagram.com/kandijwyatt/

Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KandiWyatt

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kandi-J.-Wyatt/e/B00ZTC4T10

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13817774.Kandi_J_Wyatt

Happy Book Birthday, If She Were Blind by Laney Wylde with Giveaway!!!

If She Were Blind 

by Laney Wylde 

The After Twelve, #1

 Crimson Tree Publishing

 Contemporary, New Adult, Romance, Thriller

Not everyone can get justice the traditional way—that’s where Estlyn Collins comes in. A young lawyer in Santa Monica, her “legal” service, After Twelve, works outside the courtroom to tip the scales when the justice system has failed.
For a price.
Thanks to her powerful underground network, Estlyn’s success rate is stellar, and her inbox stays filled with inquires from the desperate and vengeful. But when one of those names is a ghost from her past seeking vengeance against her, she’s shaken to her core. Off balance and scared to be alone, she makes an impulsive move for a guy. He’s a complication she doesn’t have time for, but it turns out he may also be an unlikely—if unwitting—asset.
Treading the rapidly thinning line between personal and professional, Estlyn pursues her target while outrunning the one on her own back—only to find she may be running into a lot more than she bargained for.
IF SHE WERE BLIND is the first book in the engaging New Adult series AFTER TWELVE by author Laney Wylde. Perfect for fans of the television shows REVENGE, SCANDAL, and VERONICA MARS, the AFTER TWELVE Series is a gritty social-issue drama that delivers steamy romance, intrigue, and the most bittersweet revenge plots. Estlyn’s determination to right every wrong is sure to quench your thirst for justice, yet leave you wanting more.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

SNEAK PEEK

I glance past Dean’s shoulder as a man close to my dad’s age takes nervous steps closer and closer to Dean. Once he’s in his space, he taps his back. Dean whips around to face him. “Excuse me, are you Dean Martinez?”

His eyes are full of suspicion as he studies the stranger. “Um, why?”
“It’s Dwayne. We’ve been chatting on Match.com and are supposed to meet up here at seven.”
Dean’s shoulders slouch and his expression turns sympathetic. “Sweetie, you’ve been catfished.”
“Been what?”
“I’m Dean, but I’m not on any dating site.”
“Really? Because,” the older gentleman displays Dean’s dating profile on his phone for him, “you’re right here.”
Dean grabs the phone and starts scrolling through the profile. “‘Male seeking male, any race or religion, age fifty-five and older.’ Seriously? ‘I love me a sweaty old gay with that curly salt-and-pepper chest hair. The longer and curlier the better. I want it poking above those top shirt buttons. Oh, yeah, let it blow in the wind while we drive down PCH in your Lincoln sedan with the windows cracked. In search of someone I can raise a family of hypoallergenic, small breed dogs with, someone who doesn’t have all their original joints. I’m so over all these sexy twinks who just want me for my hot bod. Looking for a real man to settle down with, preferably in a gay-friendly, fifty-five and older community.’”
I can’t help but give Dean’s blind date a once over. The poor guy is buttoning the second to top button over his ungroomed, grey chest hair as Dean reads. His upper lip looks like the outside of a cold drink on a summer day. Dean gives him back the phone and drops his forehead into his hand. “Cal, did you let Estlyn go to the library?”
“Um…”
He glares at me then chastises, “Cal?”
“Yes?” How was I supposed to know she’d use a computer to catfish unsuspecting old gays?
He turns to the humiliated older gentleman with confident compassion. “Sorry, hon. My friend set you up. Best of luck to finding a man half your age to raise that family of dogs with.”

And here she is...

 

Laney Wylde is enamored with all things southern California--the traffic, smog, surprise earthquakes, and nonindigenous palm trees. Consequently, it's the landscape her strong and sometimes lovable female leads paint their stories on. Her New Adult novels Never Touched and the After Twelve series are bright with provocative themes, steamy romance, and inappropriately timed humor.
When Laney isn't writing, she's singing Taylor Swift with her little boy or asking her husband not to tell her about his work as a surgical resident while she's eating. She daydreams about using her math degree to get into law school, then realizes that would be too much work and that she should just play pretend court on paper instead. While she loves a good book, nothing beats 30 Rock with a bag of popcorn and M&Ms.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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