Today, I have a nonfiction parenting book to share in our book blitz spotlight! Learn about Parentship in Families as Teams by author Steliana Van de Rijt-Economu. 

Nonfiction

Date Published: May 15, 2025

Publisher: Mindstir Media

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www.mothersasleaders.com

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Today, I have a new children's chapter book to share! Learn about Katy in Central Park from the Kitty in the City series by author Ella English, read a quick excerpt from the book & be sure to enter for a chance to win a prize in the book tour giveaway at the end of this post. 

Book 2 in the Kitty in the City Series

 Read an Excerpt

A prickly feeling crept up my neck like icy pinpricks. The hairs on my arm stood up straight.
 

Weasel let out a soft, worried meow.

I whirled around. A chunky calico cat was perched on top of the wall, glaring down at us. The
sun lit him up like a spotlight. He wore a little red vest, and a black bandanna was tied under his
chin.

“Well, looky what we have here,” he said. His eyes narrowed, and his pointy teeth poked out. “If
it isn’t Weasel, my old pal. And look, he even has a little girlfriend with him.”

The cat leaped off the wall and landed with a thud. He strutted up to Weasel, who gulped.

“Who are you?” I asked. My heart skipped a beat. This cat was scary.

“I’m Calico Jack,” said the cat.

A fluffy gray cat with a black eye patch crept along the wall. With a squeak, she somersaulted
and landed next to Weasel. The gray cat rubbed her head on Weasel’s cheek. She purred loudly.

Weasel’s furry face lit up. “Hi, Mary!” Weasel said.

“How’s it going?”

Calico Jack was still glaring at us. His tail swished from side to side.

Mary circled Weasel, bumping him with her head.
“Some friend you are, leaving us high and dry. Just ran away in the middle of the night, didn’t
he, Jack?”

“A traitor is what you are. A no-good bum.”

Calico Jack pushed his face close to Weasel’s good ear.
“Want me to rip this one up too? It would make a nice matching pair, eh, Mary?” Calico Jack
gave a belly laugh, and Mary joined in.

EEEEYYOOWWW!

A sudden shrill cry pierced the air. Something slammed onto Weasel’s back.
Weasel yelped as an orange and white striped cat dug her claws into his back. With a twist, he
shook her off onto the ground.

The new cat’s fur stood straight up, like she’d been zapped with electricity. A jagged scar marked
her pink nose. She wore a tiny white shirt with a belt wrapped around her middle.

“Well, well, look who finally decided to show his face,” the frizzy cat said in a crackly voice.
She licked a paw and smoothed down her spiked neck fur. 

Meet the Author 

Ella English is a British author and illustrator known for her children's books, particularly her Kitty in the City series and the Merblood Saga. She writes and illustrates imaginative stories, often with themes of dreams, adventure, and friendship. After moving from London, Ella English now lives in Baltimore, USA, with her two daughters. 

Native American Literature, Family Saga Fiction, Western, Biographical Fiction, Western

Date Published: 06-01-2025

Told with vivid detail, this is the story of a man caught between loyalty and his past, between a brother’s shadow and the light of his own becoming. A tale of love, betrayal, and the quiet courage it takes to change your fate. 

From a stagecoach town in Tennessee to the first railroad towns of the Indian Territory, we delve into the lives of the charismatic and flawed brothers, Matt and Robert. Their sibling dynamic shapes the lives of the entire Brown family, steering them down a road of familial struggles and cultural clashes. 

Matt always idolized his oldest brother, Robert – a smooth-talking charmer who taught him at a young age to live hard and win big. Following Robert’s footsteps, Matt is drawn into a life of high-stakes games and deception. Then he meets Milla. Sharp-eyed, brave, and unafraid to speak the truth, Milla is a woman rooted in her Choctaw heritage, carrying both strength and sorrow in equal measure. For the first time, Matt imagines a different future. But the past doesn’t let go easily and buried secrets never stay buried for long, clawing their way back to the surface when you least expect it. Now, Matt must choose between what consumes him and the life he wants to build. 

Set against the raw beauty of the Choctaw Nation, this is a powerful story of blood ties and hard choices, of the people we love and the ones we betray. Gritty, tender, and unforgettable—this is where redemption begins.

About the Author

With no close relatives nearby, R.G. Stanford turned to online resources in search of extended family. That search became a twenty-year journey through genealogy websites, Federal Census records, the National Archives, and old newspapers. Along the way, R.G. Stanford uncovered incredible stories about her family and the people who once lived in the Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory. 

Compelled to record the truth of her family in the lore, sprinkled with imagination, R.G. Stanford is a history lover, a research buff, and a passionate genealogy enthusiast. She is also a mother, a grandmother, and a teller of stories, now living near Orlando.

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Enter the Giveaway

A Len Buonfiglio/St. Pierre Caribbean Mystery

In Calypso Blue, Brian Silverman crafts a gripping tale of mystery, revenge, and redemption set against the backdrop of New York and the Caribbean. The novel follows John Saint John, a man torn between his faith, past, and responsibilities as a father, as he grapples with a life-altering decision driven by a desire for justice. As his story unfolds in the shadow of a significant historical event, another narrative emerges—one centered on Leonard Buonfiglio, an American expatriate running a bar on the island of St. Pierre. When a legendary calypso singer, Lord Ram, dies under suspicious circumstances, Leonard is reluctantly pulled into an investigation at the behest of the island’s police superintendent.

Blending elements of crime, culture, and personal reckoning, Calypso Blue explores themes of loss, second chances, and the ghosts of the past that refuse to be forgotten. With vivid storytelling and rich atmospheric detail, Silverman transports readers into a world where music, memory, and mystery intertwine.

Expect Another Engaging Mystery. This book continues the Len Buonfiglio/Caribbean mystery series. While readers can read this novel as a stand-alone mystery, I think I enjoyed this book more because I could learn a little more about Len and his past as we meet some new characters and explore new relationships and plot lines. This novel blends New York City with the Caribbean in a well-organized, well-written style that is easy to read and entertaining. Readers learn more about Len, and the elements of faith, redemption, and second chances help create an interesting novel that is difficult to leave at the end.  

Calypso Blue Combines Mystery and Life Very Well. As with the first book in the series, the author does a great job keeping his characters real and even relatable. I enjoyed the mystery elements of the novel--but the characters and their side stories that combine to create the storyline make the novel believable and much more than a crime drama. Secrets and piecing together (and facing) pieces of the past create a very full story for readers. 

Would I Recommend Calypso Blue by Brian Silverman? I have enjoyed both books from this series and would definitely follow more of Len's adventures. I enjoyed the author's writing style, realistic characters, vivid settings and the well-written mystery plot. If you enjoy strong characters who jump in to find the truth--expect to love Len. Mysteries are my favorite genre--but I also love watching relationships unfold, and secrets reveal themselves. While you could read this novel as a stand-alone story--I would begin the series at the beginning. I think I enjoyed this novel even more than the first because I am building a better understanding of Len and the dynamics surrounding his story. 

Meet the Author

Brian Silverman’s writing career has spanned over 30 years. He has written about travel, food, and sports for publications including the New York Times, Saveur, Caribbean Travel and Life, Islands, the New Yorker, New York, and others. From 2004 through 2013, he was the author of the annual Frommer’s New York City guidebook series. He co-authored the acclaimed Twentieth Century Treasury of Sports with his father, Al Silverman.

His short fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including Mystery Tribune, Down and Out Magazine, and Mystery Weekly. His stories have been selected to appear in The Best American Mystery Stories in 2018 and 2019, and The Best American Mystery and Suspense Stories 2021. His other short fiction has appeared in publications such as Down and Out Magazine, Mystery Magazine, Dark Waters, and Vautrin. Freedom Drop is his first published novel. He lives in Harlem, New York, with his wife, Heather, and his sons, Louis and Russell.

Connect with the Author

www.BrianSilvermanWrites.com
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X - @BSsilverman

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