Mayne Island Skeletons – Review by Leanne Dyck

Mayne Island Skeletons is not only a fun read for children 9 to 12 years of age but it also teaches many valuable lessons—such as how to be a good friend.

 

Mary Magdalene Sommers’ mother is attentive and reliable; whereas, Brent Green is the son of a neglectful parent. Despite these differences Magda values Brent’s friendship. She continues to believe in his good character even in the face of negative public opinion. In fact, she works tirelessly to prove his innocence and to secure his safety.

 

Through Magda’s example children are empowered to solve their own mysteries and resolve their own problems.

 

Thank you Amber Harvey for this uplifting read.

Mayne Island Skeletons is not only a fun read for children 9 to 12 years of age but it also teaches many valuable lessons—such as how to be a good friend.

 

Mary Magdalene Sommers’ mother is attentive and reliable; whereas, Brent Green is the son of a neglectful parent. Despite these differences Magda values Brent’s friendship. She continues to believe in his good character even in the face of negative public opinion. In fact, she works tirelessly to prove his innocence and to secure his safety.

 

Through Magda’s example children are empowered to solve their own mysteries and resolve their own problems.

 

Thank you Amber Harvey for this uplifting read.

 

Free “Skeletons” for month of October, until Hallowe’en

Free October Reading:

– Mayne Island Skeletons –

Get a FREE Copy of Mayne Island Skeletons…October  Only.. for your Reader Devices!

Amber Harvey, Author of Magda Mystery Series

Magda and Brent explore a haunted house, solve mysteries and find the mystery of the missing bodies on Mayne Island. This is the third in a series of Stand Alone Books.  Mystery, adventure, excitement!!  See reviews on my blog:http://treewithroots.ca/

Stop by and download a *FREE* copy of Mayne Island Skeletons for your reader devices.  October Only!  Use Code: HY42Y

If you like it, please leave some feedback.   Thank you everyone, and enjoy your free gift!

Grab your book here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93378

Coupon Code: HY42Y
Expires: October 31, 2012

Happy October Reading,

Amber Harvey

Mayne Island Skeletons reviewed: “We can ,,, taste the blackberries”

Magda’s curiosity and loyalty lead her into investigations set on her Mayne Island home.  We can smell the Gulf Island fir-scented mornings and taste the blackberries as she navigates daily life as well as the calls to adventure that stretch her courage.  I have read three Magda books with great pleasure and can’t wait for the next ones.

 – Jane Thom.

Free Summer Reading for the First Week of Summer

Free Summer Reading – Another Mystery from Mayne Island

Posted on July 21, 2012 by treewithroots

Get a FREE Copy of Mayne Island Skeletons One Week  Only for your Reader Devices!

Amber Harvey, Author of Magda Mystery Series

Magda and Brent solve mysteries and sleuth out the guilty on Mayne Island. Third in series of Stand Alone books.  Mystery, adventure, excitement!!  See reviews on my blog:http://treewithroots.ca/

Stop by and download a *FREE* copy of Mayne Island Skeletons for your reader devices.  One Week Only!  Use Code: JL48Z

If you like it, please leave some feedback.   Thank you everyone, and enjoy your free gift!

Grab your book here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93378

Coupon Code: JL48Z
Expires: July 28, 2012

Happy Summer Reading,

Amber Harvey

Free Summer Reading – Another Mystery from Mayne Island

Free Summer Reading – Another Mystery from Mayne Island.

Its Over: I’m a NaNoWriMo Winner

I submitted my 50,001-word novel today.

I started writing on November 1, with a setting and a character.  The setting was Montreal in 1967.  The character was a twenty-two -year-old woman, who becomes a private investigator. I decided two other things about her.  She would be driven by a need for Justice and she would have an overdeveloped sense of smell.

With just this to start with, I dove in and wrote the first chapter.  I decided to write in the third person, but in a few places I would write in the first person.  That was when she was a woman in her sixties, writing in the present time.  I liked her right away.  She had spunk.

I found myself doing research every day.  I needed to check out fashion, music, vehicles, police uniforms, Expo 67, Metro, names, geography, even firearms, and much, much more.  I learned a lot.

My most challenging part was writing the felons.  I had to force myself to make them more violent and unscrupulous than I was comfortable with.

I write books for pre-teens, my Magda of Mayne Island Mystery Series  http://www.treewithroots.ca/ so this novel, written for adults, was challenging for me.

I’ll let some time pass before I go back and rewrite this book, I think.  Idon’t know if I’ll be interested in writing for the adult market in the future.  I’ll have to wait and see.

Why Do I Write?

I was asked this question today.  I always find it hard to answer.  I can imagine that if you asked a baseball player why he play baseball he’s say it was because he enjoyed it.  I can predict that if you asked a doctor why she practices medicine, she might say it was because she wants to help people.  These are just conjectures.  But while I can speculate about others, I don’t find it simple to imagine what answer people expect from me.

I suppose I write because I have to.  Just like a runner needs to run, I feel a strong need to create entire realities that express my values and my imagination.

I also write for other people.   I love to hear from my readers who tell me they enjoyed my books, saw themselves in them, recognized feelings they have had, enjoyed the little world I created.  I like reading to school classes and listening to their ideas and responses afterwards.

I also hope that someday my descendants will know a little more about the real me.  My grandchildren are too young to read my books now, but someday they’ll e able to.  Maybe my son and daughter will be able to see into their mother’s imagination and get to know me a little better, too.

I need to tell my stories.  I guess it’s as simple as that.

 

Kathryn Poulin reviews Mayne Island Skeletons on MysteriesEtc

I don’t normally review children’s books however Mayne Island is very close to where I live so I knew I would find the book very interesting.  The story brings me back to my childhood when I loved reading the Enid Blyton mysteries and the wonderful adventures the children in her stories had.

Harvey’s adventure starring Magda her preteen sleuth is a great book for children to read.  I love the location, Mayne Island, and I love the writing style of the author.  The children in the book are active, they are not glued to electronics.  They are inquisitive and mostly they show great character traits as they show the value of friendship.

Highly recommend this great read for preteens!

Coffee and Manuscript

A fellow writer, Robin Spano, posted this on Facebook this morning, “Loving the luxury of my first morning in a week with coffee and my manuscript. You know things are good when your day job is what you love more than anything.”

Can you relate?  I recently had to go a week without writing because  of commitments I’d made, and I began to feel physically sick.  I got back to my manuscript and wrote all day, then the next.  I felt so much better, and I also finished writing half the first draft pf my fourth Magda of Mayne Island novel.  This is not a writing rhythm I’d recommend.

What works best for me is a day that begins with rewriting the previous day’s work, then writing today’s chapter or two with a cup of coffee.  It proceeds with more writing, with a short break for lunch, if I remember, then reading and writing blogs or letters,  then writing some more and ends with my printing up and reading that day’s work and making changes in pencil.  Every day is different, but that’s what I call a good day.  I can’t complain.  It’s a good life.

Back to work now.

Skeletons on Smashwords

As of today, Mayne Island Skeletons is available on Smashwords.

I would love to have you read this book and then post a review on Smashwords.

Go to  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93378

Thank you.