Category Archives: Frenchie Series

May3

Dog Friendly Travel Ideas

Posted on by
Dog Friendly Travel Ideas

Summer holidays are fast approaching and we all seek great ideas for traveling with our families (human kids and fur kids, alike). What you may not know is that http://www.themetrip.com/-dog-friendly.html is a site that offers Travel Tips for everyone, including FUR KIDS.  In fact, the site is so popular that Lorraine Hawley has published a book jammed pack with great ideas for the entire family: Product Details

Explore theme-style activities and adventures. “Themetrips,” are activity ideas that you can use to create your own memorable and interactive family fun while at home or on vacation.

Check out her recent Dog Friendly Post, as there is an AWESOME  SURPRISE!  Frenchie’s Best Friend- Follow the Blog is recommended  (BK. #1 of the Frenchie Series)… Read the rest

Apr29

Puppy-Napping

Posted on by
Puppy-Napping

I thought that I was the only person who had ever coined the phrase “Puppy- Napping” in my latest TWEEN novel, Frenchie Diva- Follow the Blog.14549732_Frenchie Diva Cover JPG( 4341595 ) copy

In this 3rd book of the Frenchie Series, Ethan receives threatening emails from someone in his high school, like the one here:

Listen you Frenchie freaking mama’s boy, you better watch those bulldogs of yours ’cause you NEVER know what can happen …

My novels are contemporary fiction and I couldn’t believe that pets in real life actually do get kidnapped! But then Global News followed a Frenchie Puppy-Napping story last week where a woman came into a tattoo parlor in Vancouver and asked the owner if she could cuddle her … Read the rest

Apr18

Authors in Bloom Blog Hop Winners Announced

Posted on by
Authors in Bloom Blog Hop Winners Announced

Books - it is our memory conceptThe annual Authors in Bloom Blog Hop is over for another year! Thanks so much to all of our participants that visited each and every one of our 80 sites.  You are amazing!  Hopefully you gathered some worthwhile recipes and gardening tips along your journey. (It was wonderful to receive some tips in return from our visitors.) Maybe you even encountered some special sites or blogs that you have chosen to follow.

The GRAND PRIZE WINNER visited each and every site and will be receiving a new KINDLE FIRE and a $25.00 Gift Card.  CONGRATULATIONS Savannah Miller!  And this year’s SECOND PRIZE WINNER  of the other    $25. 00 Gift Card goes out to Mary Preston!

iPad 2

The … Read the rest

Apr6

Win a KINDLE FIRE OR NOOK- Join the Blog Hop

Posted on by
Win a KINDLE FIRE OR NOOK- Join the Blog Hop

Books - it is our memory concept

Welcome to my Author Blog Site!  I am so pleased to have you participating in the contest and visiting all 79 of our sites between April 7th at 6:00 am EST through to April 16th at midnight EST. You have 10 days to visit each and every site and leave a comment and email address to qualify for the GRAND PRIZE  (a Kindle Fire and a $25. eBook gift card) or a SECOND PRIZE (a $25. eBook gift card).

HOW the AUTHORS in BLOOM BLOG HOP WORKS:

You have 10 days to visit each of the author blog sites that are listed and linked at the end of each contest blog sites, for your convenience. When you visit … Read the rest

Apr2

Grand Prize: KINDLE FIRE or NOOK

Posted on by
Grand Prize: KINDLE FIRE or NOOK

Books - it is our memory concept

Get ready for some fun, tips, and prizes!  You’re invited to participate in an Author Blog Hop.  The tour begins on April 7th at 6:00 am EST and finishes on the 16th at midnight EST, so mark your calendars!

Readers will have 10 days to enter each author’s individual contest (giveaways) and submit their entry for the GRAND PRIZE (a KINDLE FIRE or NOOK and a 25 dollar gift certificate for eBooks). Visiting 7-8 author sites per day and leaving comments and your email address will enter you in author site give-aways and also provide you with 79 chances to win the Grand Prize and Second Prize (a 25 dollar gift certificate for eBooks). Only those visitors who … Read the rest

Apr1

TEACHER LIBRARIAN ALERT: AUTHOR WORKSHOP

Posted on by
TEACHER LIBRARIAN ALERT: AUTHOR WORKSHOP

Book Mary Laudien for Morning/ Afternoon Author Workshops 

Author Picture DSCN2250a

Mary Laudien is a retired International Baccalaureate World School principal from West Vancouver, B.C. She now divides her time between writing her Middle Grade Frenchie Series and volunteering as an International Baccalaureate Recognition Ambassador. Mary’s life long passion for KidLit makes entertaining readers with her own humorous novels such fun! Missing the day-to-day contact with students, author visits inspiring students to write powerful blog posts is an added treat. Mary believes in making a difference and encourages schools and book stores to fundraise with her novels to support their local SPCA.

All Middle Years Author Visits (appropriate for Grades 5, 6 and 7) include a prompt to provide a personal … Read the rest

Jan29

Creating Blogs People Want to Follow

Posted on by
Creating Blogs People Want to Follow

I don’t know about you, but I follow some blogs that keep me both entertained and informed, so that I want to continue to follow them on a daily basis. It makes me want to analyze why I will spend the time following them and how to translate this to my personal blog. Some of the characteristics that they have in common, include:

  1. something valuable will be learned or gleaned from the post
  2. concise (short paragraphs) and well-written material with a personal, and often humorous voice
  3. entertaining and fun to read
  4. visual-pictures and videos (often crazy funny ones or those aesthetically appealing) are embedded in the post or images created in one’s mind. Video is also engaging on posts.
  5. regular
… Read the rest
Jan28

Free eBooks of Frenchie Series- Bks. 1 & 2

Posted on by
Free eBooks of Frenchie Series- Bks. 1 & 2

Accept the gift of the first two eBooks of the Frenchie Series.  The books are available at

https://www.smashwords.comuntil Feb. 14, 2014 for free.

FRENCHIE’S BEST FRIEND- FOLLOW THE BLOG: Enter the Coupon Code DC85B before completing checkout.

FRENCHIE X2- FOLLOW THE BLOG:Enter the Coupon Code GZ32U before completing checkout.

Frenchie X2 Cover

Who enjoys reading the FRENCHIE SERIES?

·                           tweens (ages 9-12)

·                           librarians

·                          teachers

·                         parents

·                        grandparents

·                        pet lovers

     If you like a family-read that entertains and makes you laugh aloud, then the FRENCHIE SERIES are the   books for you!

Once you have enjoyed Books 1&2, Mary Laudien is hopeful that you will be keen to read her newest release: FRENCHIE DIVA- FOLLOW THE BLOG… Read the rest

Jan9

Cyber Shopping Blog Contest

Posted on by
Cyber Shopping Blog Contest

Did anyone notice during the holiday season this year, just how inundated one’s Inbox was with the push for online sales?  Every day one had to slog their way through excess emails to find one’s personal gems that were only to be found after deleting the ads.  If it wasn’t Black Friday, it was Cyber Monday. If it wasn’t the countdown to Christmas, it was pre-Boxing Day Sales and of course, followed up with post Boxing Day Sales.  With three devices, the amount of time deleting unwanted ads became time consuming, to say nothing of the distraction …

The question is:  Did we all simply delete them and continue to shop conventionally in stores? Evidently, not … Read the rest

Nov27

New Mantra: TNT

Posted on by
New Mantra: TNT

I devote time daily to read Kristen Lamb’s blog (Kristen Lamb@wordpress.com). She is a writer who dedicates her energy teaching others how to improve their craft.  This author’s writing tips grab your attention. One of her recent blogs was about “TNT”.  What is this, you ask?  It’s basic, but oh so succinct- “TODAY, NOT TOMORROW”.  This caught my attention, while awaiting the proof of my third book of the Middle Grade Frenchie Series.  It shook me out of that pleasurable reverie of thinking I was almost finished and deserved a break.  Not so! Authors continue to grow and develop their skills by writing daily. And with a new book, it is time to prepare for its launch-contacting reviewers, … Read the rest