Tag: Book review

We All Die What Are Our Lives

The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. This is another one of those. I am reviewing and promoting a great collection of short horror and spooky stories called And the Grave Awaits by Roberta Eaton Cheadle. I bought the kindle version.

  • Paperback –  Published July 5, 2024, ASIN : B0D8BJRCFC, ISBN-13: ISBN-13 : 979-8328600293, 194 pages, Item Weight : 12.5 ounces, Dimensions : 6 x 0.44 x 9 inches, it cost  $10.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle –  Published July 5, 2024, ASIN : B0D7745TZB, 204 pages, it costs $5.99 on US Amazon, it is free with Kindle unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover features red roses in a black vase in front what looks like a gravestone.
Front cover of And the Grave Awaitsby Robbie Eaton Cheadle. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback.

Amazon’s description of the book

A collection of short paranormal and dark stories.

Includes the award-winning short story, The Bite.

A group of boys participate in a reality television challenge; to the death.

What does it mean to be a Canary Girl? One young woman is about to find out.

Where is the bride? A beautiful young woman goes missing during a game of hide and seek on her wedding day.

Some stories will make you cry, some will make you gasp, and some will leave you believing in vigilante justice. All will end with a grave.

Below is my review of And the Grave Awaits by Robbie Cheadle Click Here To See My Review On Amazon

16 Fun and hair-raising spooky stories

This is a collection of 16 spooky and creepy stories. Some of them are horror stories, some of them are paranormal stories and some of them are historical fiction depicting dark events in the past. All of them are spellbinding and interesting. There are spider dances, ghosts, séances, human sacrifice, sirens, murders, mass murderers, deadly diseases, icy magical mountains, enraged gods, volcanoes, 500-year-old history, war and poisoning, baby farming, gruesome death, chimney sweep children, and much more. Many of the stories end in death but some of them have happy endings.

The stories are fiction and quite imaginative, but they all have a background in reality whether it is a historical event or some gruesome tradition or myth from the past. At the end of each story the author has an “About” section explaining the background to the story. This ends up being quite educational. At least I learned a lot from reading the About sections, and sometimes I also googled the information to learn more.

I think my favorite story was Glass Mountain. This was a science fiction-like story taking place in the future. A group of young men participate in a reality TV game show. If they succeed in their quest, they will be rich. They are supposed to climb a mysterious and icy mountain called Glass Mountain. The problem is that no one comes back from the climb, and the young men eventually found out why. Another fascinating story was the siren who was raised as a human vegetarian, which is like trying to make your cat a vegetarian. Her father also did not allow her to sing. As you may guess, she grew up.

Above all these 16 stories are very entertaining. I love spooky stories and these stories were thrilling, unique, creative and very well written. I highly recommend this book.

About the Author

Photo of Robbie Cheadle author of And the Grave Awaits.

Award-winning bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s books and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/

Click here to visit is her Goodreads page

Click here to visit her TSL Publications Page

Click here to visit is her Twitter account

Click here to visit is her Facebook account

These are her published books on Amazon

Wonderful Review of My Leonberger Book

I was overjoyed to see this very supportive and beautifully written review of my book “The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle.” It is detailed and filled with helpful information. Please take a look at this blog post.

The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: A Book Review

Sarah The Adventures of A Young Woman in the Wild West

The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I loved, and I want to promote. This time I would like to promote Sarah (Women in the West Adventure Series) by Kaye Lynne Booth – May 7, 2024. This is a captivating wild west book with a female main character. I did not buy the book. I won the book in a book raffle organized by the author. I was lucky. It is a great book.

  • Paperback –  Publisher : Wordcrafter Press (May 7, 2024), ASIN : B0D32GQD8M, ISBN-13 : 979-8223446460, 314 pages, Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.1 ounces, dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches, it currently cost $20.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle – Publisher : Wordcrafter Press (May 7, 2024), ASIN : B0CWZHG1W8, 318 pages. It is currently $6.99 on Amazon.com. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front features a young woman with red hair.
Front cover of Sarah by Kaye Lynne Booth. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the book.

Amazon’s description of the book

Sarah survived being abducted at fourteen and sold to the Utes.

She works hard to learn and be accepted as the squaw of the chief’s brother, Three Hawks, and she now looks forward to raising a family among the Ute tribe. But when a mysterious stranger, a lone Sioux warrior, she is thrown into a game of survival in the mountains of Colorado.

Hope and a streak of stubbornness take this optimistic heroine up against the adversities of the western frontier as she blossoms into a young woman and tries to make a place for herself in the world.

If you like strong female protagonists, you’ll love Sarah.

This is my five-star review of the book Sarah. Click here to see my review on Amazon.

A Young Woman’s Dangerous Adventures in the Wild West

I won this book in a raffle, so I did not buy the book from Amazon. Recently I’ve been reading a few Westerns featuring female main characters that was written by female authors. I’ve been awestruck by their intensity and compelling story telling, including this one. I think this might be a genre with a lot of hidden gems. Both women and men can certainly enjoy the captivating and fast-paced story about Sarah, or Hair-of-Fire, which was her Shoshone name.

Sarah was kidnapped by two men and sold to the Shoshone / Ute tribe. She became part of the Ute tribe and integrated into the Shoshone culture. She learned to speak Shoshone, but she retained her ability to speak English. Then one day she was abducted by a Sioux warrior that had been exiled from his tribe, and so began her complicated and tumultuous journey back to “white civilization”. She encountered a lot of life-threatening situations, dangerous animals, evil men, accidents and treacherous acquaintances as well as kindhearted men and women. Sarah is brave, cunning, and strong. She is a survivor with a good heart. That this book is fast-paced and intense is an understatement.

I also really enjoyed the depiction of animals in the book, including her loyal and brave dog Blue and her smart and strong horse Natsam-mayaapeh Beepi or “Beepi” for short. Blue really stole my heart. It seemed to me that the author had done her research well. It appeared that she was well informed about the frontier societies in the old West, she understood native American cultures, is familiar with the landscape in the area and she is a dog lover and horse lover. I highly recommend this book.

About the Author

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is her passion. It is a very strange time indeed when Kaye Lynne does not have at least three WIPs, in addition to her other writings, teaching and other life activities. Kaye Lynne lives, works and plays in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.

Click here to visit is her blog

Lunar Gazing Poetry

The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. This time I would like to promote Lunar Gazing Haiku by Dawn Pisturino. This is a wonderful short book featuring beautiful poetry. I bought it from Amazon for 99 cents. The publisher is Horse Mesa Press (June 8, 2024), print length is 32 pages, ASIN : B0D6LWR5GL.

The front cover is in gold cover featuring a window with a night sky in background. There are stars and a moon in the night sky.
Front cover of Lunar Gazing Haiku by Dawn Pisturino. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the book.

Amazon’s description of the book

In Japan, tsukimi (moon gazing) is an annual Harvest Moon Festival celebrated in September. Dating back centuries, when the noble classes composed music and poetry while viewing the full moon, the festival now includes everybody and marks the celebration of the autumn season. Looking for the “rabbit in the moon” while picnicking under the stars, appreciating the moon’s sacred splendor, giving thanks for bounties received, and looking forward to a prosperous future make this a special event. The 62 haiku in this digital chapbook celebrate all seasons and all aspects of life, with the last chapter dedicated to moon gazing. Enjoy the fun.

Click here to see my review on Amazon

Lunar Gazing Haiku is a delightful short book featuring 62 Haikus about the seasons, holidays, nature, love, spirituality, animals and the moon. The book also has an interesting introduction explaining what a Haiku is and the history of Haiku. The Haikus in the book are fun, ponderous, beautiful, often soothing and sometimes they evoked beautiful imagery and memories. Snow Moon brought me back to my childhood and the dark winters in northern Sweden. My favorites were Your Name, Old Age, Dogs, The Beach, Mercury, Words, and Snow Moon. I highly recommend this beautiful little book of poetry.

About the Author

Dawn Pisturino is a retired nurse in Arizona whose international publishing credits include poems, short stories, and articles. Her poetry has appeared in several anthologies, most recently in Hidden in Childhood: A Poetry Anthology, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women, and the 2023 Arizona Literary Magazine. She is a Mystery Writers of America, Arizona Authors Association, and PEN America member.

Her first poetry book, Ariel’s Song: Published Poems, 1987 – 2023, debuted to positive reviews. Click here to visit is her blog.

A Teachers Memoir Featuring Great Stories and Information

This is a Leonberger blog, and every now and then I post reviews for Leonberger books. Some Leonberger books I love and some I don’t think are as good. Sometimes I also post reviews for other kinds of books but when I do it is books that I love and that I want others to read. Today I am posting a review for a book that I loved and that I think you should read, “They Call Me Mom: Making a Difference as an Elementary School Teacher” – by Pete Springer. This is a teacher’s memoir featuring a lot of great stories but also important insights and information valuable to both teachers as well as parents.

  • Paperback –  Publisher : Outskirts Press (July 16, 2018), ISBN-10 : 1977200052, ISBN-13 : 978-1977200051, 178 pages, Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.6 ounces, dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.38 x 9 inches, it cost $12.42 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle – Publisher : Outskirts Press, Inc. (September 23, 2019), ASIN : B07YBL8DPY, 169 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Picture of happy children sitting at their desks and raising their hands.
Front cover of They Call Me Mom. Click here or the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the paperback version of the book.

Amazon’s description of the book

Who Will You Inspire Today? Teachers face this challenge and responsibility each day, but in the process, the author discovers that his students can also have a profound influence on him. Pete Springer takes you on his memorable thirty-one-year journey in education as an elementary school teacher and offers the many valuable life and teaching lessons he learned along the way. Get ready to laugh out loud at some of the humorous and memorable experiences that all teachers face, feel inspired by the inherent goodness of children, and appreciate the importance of developing a sense of teamwork among the staff. Learn valuable tips for working with children, parents, fellow staff members, and administrators.

This book is ideal for young teachers, but also a reminder to all educators of the importance and responsibility of being a role model. This book is a must-read for all new teachers and those teachers that need a reminder they are human! Mr. Springer educates others in his easy-to-read, story-like, first-hand manuscript. You will laugh, cry, and get motivated to be the best educator you can. After reading this, I have a better outlook on relationships with my colleagues and am reminded to savor every moment. -Tami Beall (Principal, Pine Hill School).

This is my Amazon review of They Call Me Mom by Pete Springer

The Beauty and Challenges of an Underappreciated Profession

There is a joke. There are three reasons to become a teacher, June, July, and August. I used to think that was funny until my wife became a teacher. She was a teacher for about 5-6 years. During this time I learned that teachers don’t have the entire summer off, that they work long hours, often 60hrs a week, and that they have to handle a lot of very difficult situations and circumstances, all while getting a salary that is significantly less than other professionals with a similar level of education. I also learned from her experiences as a teacher as well as a parent of three children that teachers are invaluable and very appreciated by the children as well as by many parents but unfortunately underappreciated by some people and perhaps by society.

In this book the author describes his journey to become a teacher and his journey as a teacher. He recounts issues with setting up the classroom, working with students, some coming from very difficult home environments, helpful and unhelpful parents, colleagues and administrators, and handling discipline. Therefore, I believe this book is invaluable to new teachers as a practical problem-solving guide. However, I believe the book is also very valuable to parents. A lot of parents don’t understand that they need to be involved in their children’s education as helpful partners to the school and as positive role models. This book offers insights into why and how.

Teachers sometimes encounter some quite tricky situations. For example, two boys get into an altercation because one boy tells the second boy that he is going to hell because his family is not going to church. My instinct would be to tell the first boy that is an absurd belief and a terrible thing to say. However, that would be contradicting the belief system of the parents of that boy. So, you have to deal with it differently. An enraged parent makes a scene at the school because her kid told her that you said something at school that she disagrees with, but you never said this. How do you handle it? What about a father handing over divorce papers to his wife during a parent-teacher conference? What about parents getting arrested by the police in front of their kid? The author handles these tricky situations brilliantly and professionally. He dealt with challenges and provocations with wisdom and restraint. I don’t think I would have been able to handle these situations as well. I believe the solutions he had for the various examples he gives might be very helpful to other teachers.

Pete Springer was clearly a very competent and thoughtful teacher who loved his job despite all the difficulties, and I think we can all learn from what he has written in this book. He recounts a lot of anecdotes, which he narrates with humor and intelligence. The book is interesting and very well written. It is a real page turner. It also has an important message for all of us. The education of our children is essential for the future of our nation. Unfortunately, it is often held hostage by political fads and bureaucrats with little understanding of the realities facing the educators. Teachers typically stay 7 years in their profession and fewer young people are becoming teachers because they see that the teaching profession is underappreciated and underpaid. We need to listen to the teachers more. In summary, this is a delightful, interesting as well as important read that I highly recommend to both new teachers and parents of school children.

Back cover of They Call Me Mom. Click here or the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the kindle version of the book.

About the Author

I’m a retired elementary teacher (31 years) who will always be a strong advocate for children, education, and teachers. My favorite thing to do as a teacher was to read to my students, and now I’m following my heart and writing children’s books for middle grades.

An Epic Western Featuring a Female Gunslinger

This is a Leonberger blog but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that are books that I want to promote. This is another one of those. I recently read “The Broken And The Foolish” Paperback – by Sara Kjeldsen. It was a book that I loved and therefore want to promote. Naturally I rated it five stars. I should mention that in my review below I am referencing the movie “Once upon a Time in the West”. That is because I saw some similarities between the stories. They are both suspenseful revenge stories and the main characters are both traumatized gunslingers and both stories are epic. However, they are completely different stories otherwise. This story is from a feminine perspective.

Picture of a young woman with a forest in the background.
Front cover of  The Broken And The Foolish. Click here or the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the paperback version of the book.

Amazon’s description of the book

Some outlaws kill for the rush.

Mary just wants to survive.

Fed up with the saloon life and her abusive boss, Mary flees in the middle of the night to travel the open road, nearly losing her life several times as she encounters bullies, seasoned outlaws, and natural predators. She also meets a few people – and animals – who make their mark on her heart in ways she never imagined.

There were many female outlaws who existed in America’s Old West. This is Mary’s story.

This is my Amazon review of The Broken And The Foolish by Sara Kjeldsen

Once Upon a Time in the West Life Was Cruel To One Woman and She Fought Back Hard

To help her family avoid the cruel fate of starvation Mary takes a job as a so-called saloon girl and so begins her journey into hell. Her boss Max is an evil and cruel man but one day she escapes, and she kills a man in the process. As an outlaw she encounters several evil bullies who try to take advantage of her, and she must kill again. Her life is not only misery. She enjoys the beautiful nature in the Ozarks. Then she discovers that Max has killed her sister and mother just to get back at her and so begins her quest for revenge. The story may seem simple enough so far, but life throws her a few curve balls that I did not expect. There’s romance, betrayal, shoot-outs, and more cruel bullies. It seems like she is not getting any breaks, but she is a survivor and a great gunslinger who knows how to take care of herself.

One section of the book, related to a medicine woman, or so-called witch, might be uncomfortable to some readers, but I thought the implicit commentary on society, religion, philosophy was brilliant and powerful, and it forced me to think about the issue(s) in a way I have not done before. Mary is no angel, but she is not a bad person either. Life was cruel to her, and she did not always make the best decisions trying to survive. She is a killer, and she seeks revenge, but all the men she kills are bad guys, and she makes sense as a desperate and traumatized female outlaw. My thoughts went to Harmonica in “Once Upon a Time in the West”. He was an outlaw and a sad, traumatized, perhaps even pitiful soul whose purpose in life was revenge, and yet he is probably the most iconic character in the history of Wild West movies. I saw a number of parallels between Harmonica and Mary. Max would then correspond to Frank. Don’t get me wrong, it is a totally different story.

This book is suspenseful, dramatic, romantic, emotional, cruel, sad, beautiful, and action packed. It has everything you want in a western, but the main character is a woman. I think you can say it is a feminist perspective. Everyone may not be ready for that, but I thought it was a great book. This book certainly made an impression on me. I highly recommend it.

Photo of Sara Flower Kjeldsen and the text of the Amazon description of the book.
Back cover of  The Broken And The Foolish. Click here or the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the kindle version of the book.

I am also adding another review of a short story by Sara Kjeldsen that I recently read. It was an intense and fun quick read called Eve and Adam. I rated it five stars. I should mention that I got the story on kindle as part of free one day promotion that she had. I wrote a review, but Amazon is taking its jolly time to post it, so I am not including a link to my review right now. I will update later.

  • Paperback –  September 16, 2015, ISBN-10 : 1517362385, ISBN-13 : 978-1517362386, 72 pages, Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.84 ounces, dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.15 x 9.02 inches, it cost $9.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle – September 17, 2015, ASIN : B015IN12TG, 37 pages. It is currently $3.99 on Amazon.com. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Title, author name and a bunch of balloons on a blue background.
Front cover of  Eve & Adam. Click here or the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the paperback version of the book.

Amazon’s description of the book

Adam meets Eve, a girl who lives in a cult village, on the afternoon he plans to kill himself. Her whimsical charm pulls him away from his suicidal ideations, but he soon learns that she holds a world of darkness that rivals his own. They long to escape their suppressive backgrounds, but there are people in Adam’s town who already have other plans for him.

Eve & Adam is the story of two young free thinkers and the harmful outcomes of prejudice and hate.

This is my Amazon review of Eve & Adam by Sara Kjeldsen

Two Outcasts from Two Oppressive Worlds

Eve lives in a cult village that she is trying to escape. She is unhappy with the backwards religious beliefs and an arranged marriage she is being forced into. She meets Adam a suicidal young man who finds the intolerance of the people in the town he lives in insufferable. Other than their oppression they don’t seem to have a lot in common. Together they try to escape their respective situations, but this turns out to be quite difficult and dangerous.

I read the kindle version. It was a quick one (or two) hour intense read that made my evening. The dialogue was captivating and enlightening. The story was suspenseful and unpredictable and there was something interesting and unexpected happening on essentially every page. Despite being tragic the story was very enjoyable and entertaining, and when I was done it left me pondering on life and the role of belief systems in our various cultures. I highly recommend this short story.

About the Author

Sara is a Canadian multi-genre author who loves tea and adventures. This is a list of her published books https://saraflower.ca/my-published-books/

Timeless Poems Rooted in Life Experience

The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. Here is another book I would like to promote, Ariel’s Song : Published Poems, 1987 – 2023 by Dawn Pisturino. This is a wonderful book featuring beautiful poetry growing out of personal experiences and written over a time span of more than 3 decades. I bought the paperback version from an online bookstore called Lulu.com but I wrote a review for it on Amazon. The information below is for Amazon.

  • Paperback – Publisher : Horse Mesa Press (March 12, 2024), ASIN : B0CZT68B2J, ISBN-13: ISBN-13 : 979-8218387860, 132 pages, Item Weight : 6.6 ounces, Dimensions : 6 x 0.28 x 9 inches, it cost  $13.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle –  Publisher : Horse Mesa Press; 1st edition (March 5, 2024), ASIN : B0CWP2MLPZ, it costs $8.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover features a small country road going through a forest with colorful autumn trees. In addition, the book title and the authors name are shown on a yellow background.
Front cover of Ariel’s Song : Published Poems, 1987 – 2023 by Dawn Pisturino. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback.

Amazon’s description of the book

Ariel’s Song is a collection of intensely personal poems written between 1987 and 2023 that features various styles and themes, from twisted limericks that make you laugh to traditional sonnets that make you think and feel the world around you. There is something for everyone to enjoy: dark poems, love poems, nature poems, funny poems, poems about death and grief, poems about abuse and heartache, children’s poems, and experimental poems.

Click here to see my review on Amazon

Beautiful Poems from the Heart

I bought the paperback version of this recently published book from a different store. It is a collection of selected poems written over three decades. Most of the poems have been published on poetry websites or literary magazines. There are limericks, poems with rhymes, poems without rhymes, short poems, long poems, dark poems, love poems, nature poems, funny poems, and poems that make you think, etc. But all of them are beautiful and deeply personal. They are often emotional. There are 65 poems and a few that really spoke to me were Ariel’s Song, Legacy, The Sleeping Beauty, Psychology, First Snow, and Baudelaire.

Some of my favorite poems were beautiful, rhythmic, dreamy, moving, and delightful. Other poems were dark but poignant, soulful, and touching. The poems expressed different sides of life, happiness, and sadness, which makes for a multifaceted beautiful reading experience. Reading this book was a wonderful experience and you will reread the poems several times because of their beauty. I highly recommend this book of poems.

The back cover features a photo of Dawn Pisturino, imprint logo, and a brief description of the book.
Back cover of Ariel’s Song : Published Poems, 1987 – 2023 by Dawn Pisturino. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the Kindle version.

About the Author

Dawn Pisturino is a retired nurse in Arizona whose international publishing credits include poems, short stories, and articles. Her poetry has appeared in several anthologies, most recently in Hidden in Childhood: A Poetry Anthology, Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women, and the 2023 Arizona Literary Magazine.

She is a Mystery Writers of America, Arizona Authors Association, and PEN America member. Her first poetry book, Ariel’s Song: Published Poems, 1987 – 2023, debuted to positive reviews.

Poems and Art on Independent Artist Day

The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. This is another one of those. April 3rd is independent artist day, so today is a perfect day to present Square Peg in a Round Hole: Poetry, Art & Creativity by Robbie Cheadle and Michael Cheadle. This is a wonderful book featuring poetry, paintings, photography, fond art, and more. It exists in two formats on Amazon. I bought the paperback version.

  • Paperback –  Published March 22, 2024, ASIN : B0CXMDKV8H, ISBN-13: ISBN-13 : 979-8883610799, 173 pages, Item Weight : 11.7 ounces, Dimensions : 6 x 0.41 x 9 inches, it cost  $30.61on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle –  Published March 22, 2024, ASIN : B0CW1H3SQV, 157 pages, it costs $4.99 on US Amazon, it is free with Kindle unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover feature paintings of a hippo, a lion and a Jaguar. There is also cake art featuring an electric guitar and animals sitting around a table. A photo of Robbie Cheadle is shown on green background.
Front cover of Square Peg in a Round Hole: Poetry, Art & Creativity by Robbie Cheadle & Michael Cheadle. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback.

Amazon’s description of the book

How to stay positive in a negative world!

Square Peg in a Round Hole is a collection of poetry, art, and photography. The section, Life, demonstrates the author’s perceptions of life in a fast-moving world filled with work, ill-health, and other demands. The other sections illustrate how the poet makes use of writing poetry, creating art, and photography to keep smiling.

Below is my Amazon review of Square Peg in a Round Hole. Click here to visit the Amazon review.

Poetry, Art, Photos and Stories about Nature and Life

Square Peg in a Round Hole is a collection of poems, short stories, paintings, nature photographs, artistic photographs, and links to YouTube videos and web sites. The photographs were taken by Robbie Cheadle and the photographer Wayne Barnes. The poems, short stories and illustrations in the first 90% of the book were created by Robbie Cheadle and the poems and short stories in the last 10% of the book were authored by her son Michael Cheadle, a young man with an immense talent. The poems are in the form of haiku, shadorma, tanka, 99-syllable-double-ennead, and freestyle.

The book is divided into sections. The first section, Fauna, feature poems, paintings and photographs of rhinos, lions, hippos, birds and other animals. Next comes Flora, then the Ocean, then Life, featuring darker but poignant poems and images about the anguish and the hardships of life. After that comes War, Death, Power, Sun & Fire, followed by stories and poems about nature, especially birds, and finally Michael’s poetry and short stories.

Robbie is a naturalist with a great insight into African wildlife and nature. In her poems and her art, she showcases her understanding and love for the natural world. This makes her poetry especially beautiful and engaging. I learned a lot about the African wildlife and natural history by reading the poems and by looking at the photos and the art. I think my favorite nature poems were “The story of the desperate salesman” and “Nest Selection”, which beautifully depicted nest building and a male bird’s attempt to attract a mate. I could easily imagine the feelings of the animals depicted in the poems. I think my favorite poetic short story was “The Edge” about a little girl’s dangerous quest for a beautiful flower. And finally, Michael’s dark but poignant poetry is both thought provoking and emotional.

This book has a lot to offer. There’s poetry, photos, art, videos, short stories, information, and facts, and there’s a lot of beauty and wisdom in this book. Reading it was a pleasure. I highly recommend this book.

The back cover feature pink flowers and Amazon’s description.
Square Peg in a Round Hole: Poetry, Art & Creativity by Robbie Cheadle & Michael Cheadle.

About the Author

Photo of Robbie Cheadle one of the authors of Square Peg in a Round Hole.

Award-winning bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s books and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/

Click here to visit is her Goodreads page.

Click here to visit her TSL Publications Page.

Click here to visit is her Twitter account.

Click here to visit is her Facebook account.

These are her published books on Amazon.

Prehistoric Refugees

The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. This is another one of those. I read Survival of the Fittest (Book 1 of Crossroads trilogy) the Paperback version – March 2, 2019, by Jacqui Murray. It is another of Jacqui Murray’s wonderful prehistoric novels and I loved it. It exists in three formats on Amazon.

  • Paperback –  Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (March 2, 2019), ISBN-10: 194210135X, ISBN-13: 978-1942101352, 311 pages, Item Weight : 1.01 pounds, Dimensions : 6 x 0.78 x 9 inches, it cost $14.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Hardback –  Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (February 28, 2021), ISBN-10: 1942101708, ISBN-13: 978-1942101703, 328 pages, Item Weight : 1.24 pounds, dimensions : 6 x 0.93 x 9 inches, it cost $24.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle –  Publisher : Structured Learning LLC (March 6, 2019), ASIN: B07NKM58GB, it costs $3.99 on US Amazon, it is free with Kindle unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover feature title and author name and a picture of a wolf and a tall prehistoric girl holding a spear.
Front cover of  Survival of the Fittest. Click here or on the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the book. Picture is scanned from the book.

Amazon’s description of the book

Five tribes. One leader. A treacherous journey across three continents in search of a new home. Written in the spirit of Jean Auel, Survival of the Fittest is an unforgettable saga of hardship and determination, conflict and passion. Chased by a ruthless enemy, Xhosa leads her People on a grueling journey through unknown and dangerous lands following a path laid out decades before by her father, to be followed only as a last resort. She is joined by other fleeing tribes from Indonesia, China, South Africa, East Africa, and the Levant, all similarly forced by timeless events to find new lives. As they struggle to overcome treachery, lies, tragedy, secrets, and Nature itself, Xhosa is forced to face the reality that her enemy doesn’t want to ruin her People. It wants to ruin her. The story is set 850,000 years ago, a time in prehistory when man populated most of Eurasia, where ‘survival of the fittest’ was not a slogan. It was a destiny. Xhosa’s People were from a violent species, one fully capable of addressing the many hardships that threatened their lives except for one: future man, a smarter version of themselves, one destined to obliterate all those who came before.

This is my Amazon review of Survival of the Fittest by Jacqui Murray

The Survival Story of Prehistoric Refugees

What does survival of the fittest mean? The most fit are not necessarily the strongest or the fastest but the ones who are the most adaptable to change. The survival of prehistoric man was helped by so many aspects of skills, health, intelligence, making tools, the ability to cooperate and the willingness to change, as well as empathy. In this book we follow a few tribes of Homo Erectus who are forced to relocate due to the encroachment and attacks of the so called “Big Heads”.

Xhosa is a Homo Erectus woman who becomes the leader of her people as well as other tribes who join them on their trip through north Africa and into the Middle East. She is a powerful, resourceful, and ruthless warrior and hunter but at the same time she is kindhearted, intelligent, and open minded. Other important characters are Nightshade, Rainbow, Zvi, Seeker, Pan-Do, Lyta and the Hawk People. These tribes are pre-historic refugees if you will. This is the first book in a series of three about her and her tribe(s).

When I was young, I read the novels written by Jean M. Auel, and I was fascinated by the suspenseful stories and the topic of prehistoric man. I’ve read so many science fiction novels set in the future as well as novels set in the past but during historic times. However, there is not much out there that takes place during pre-historic times, perhaps because we don’t know much about it. Jean M. Auel changed literature history with her novels taking place during prehistoric times.

More recently Jacqui Murray changed literature history once again by continuing this path and by writing suspenseful epic sagas taking place at different time periods. This book and the next two in the series take place 850,000 years ago. Now we know a lot more about prehistoric man and Jacqui Murray has certainly done her research. I can add that the three first books I read by Jacqui Murray was about a homo habilis woman who lived 1.8 million years ago. Her name was Lucy and there are some references to Lucy in this book through Xhosa’s dreams.

It seems like Jacqui loves to incorporate dogs or friendly wolves in her books. There was Lucy with her big dog Ump in the Dawn of Humanity series (Homo Habilis) and in this book we have a tame blue-eyed wolf, Pup later called Spirit and his rescuer and handler Zvi. I love this aspect of these books. The front cover of the paperback (what I read) shows a prehistoric woman and a wolf. The wolf is obviously Spirit, but I am not sure if the woman is Zvi or Xhosa.

The adventures recounted in this book are intense and gritty and feature a lot of violence, suffering, and cruelty but that was the reality back then. There are cannibals, crocodiles eating people, various beasts attacking people, and attacks by other tribes. Prehistoric times were cruel and violent. You had to learn how to survive. This book is filled with action-packed adventures and interesting subplots. You never know what is going to happen next and you just must find out. It is a real page turner. Without giving anything else away I can say that the book ends on a happy note after a long arduous and dangerous journey. In summary, I loved this book. It is enjoyable, fun, and action packed. The stories are creative and fascinating, and the book is very well written. I highly recommend this book.

The back cover feature a photo of Jacqui Murray, an author description and the description of the book. The text is white and the background is black.
Back cover of  Survival of the Fittest (scanned from book).

About the Author

Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, and a contributor to NEA Today.

You can find her resources at Structured Learning. Read Jacqui’s tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days here on Amazon Kindle. Also, read her new series, Man vs. Nature, starting with Born in a Treacherous Time–also on Kindle.

Finally, links to the Dawn of Humanity series. Book on Amazon on the left, and my review on the right.

Neema the Misfit Giraffe by Robbie Cheadle

This is a Leonberger blog but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I love and want to promote. This is another one of those. I bought this book for the children (3 and 5 years old) of friends of ours but first I read it myself to make sure it was right for them, which it was. The book is Neema the Misfit Giraffe (Southern African Safari Adventures) Paperback. I bought the paperback version but there is a kindle version as well.

  • Paperback –  Publisher : South African National Library (November 15, 2023), ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0796121966, ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0796121967, Reading age 2 – 9 years, 41 pages, Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.21 ounces, dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.1 x 9 inches, it cost $ 10.50 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
  • Kindle – Publisher : Robbie and Michael Cheadle (November 15, 2023), ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CMCZ7G93, Reading age 2 – 9 years, 41 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover of the book "Neema the Misfit Giraffe by Robbie Cheadle" feature a big and small giraffe standing by a river in the twilight.
Front cover of the Neema the Misfit Giraffe by Robbie Cheadle. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback.

Amazon’s description of the book

Neema is different from her fellow giraffes. Their lack of understanding make her feel unwelcome. Neema sets off on a journey to find a new friends.

Includes illustrations, photographs, and links to video footage of giraffes, as well as fun giraffe facts.

My Amazon Review of Neema the Misfit Giraffe. Click here to visit the actual Amazon review.

A Giraffe Searching for Happiness

Neema is a giraffe with a dark-colored hide, and she is different from the other giraffes. She can’t find a mate and the other giraffes are being mean to her. Therefore, she leaves her home in search of a place where she can find a sense of belonging, somewhere where she can find love and acceptance. Her mother was the only one who would grieve for her leaving.

This book features a beautiful story that tugs on your heartstrings, and it has an important message about not giving up, and about having the courage to move on from what is a hopeless situation. Some giraffes are kind and accepting while others are not. The book is also a great way to teach kids the importance of accepting those that are different.

The story was beautifully written in verse and with rhymes. The book was filled with beautiful photos of giraffes as well as art. There are also six short fun YouTube videos of giraffes in which you can hear the authors talking. For the paperback version you naturally have to type in the path. Towards the end of the book there are a few pages of giraffe facts. I did not know there were four distinct species of giraffe in Africa. I also did not know that they only sleep five to 30 minutes per day.

I bought this book for the children of friends of ours, but I read it first to make sure it was right for them, which it was. I can highly recommend this fun and informative book for all children below the age of 10. Reading this book to your children is also a fun way for adults to learn about giraffes.

If you would like to watch some of the videos, click on the links below.

video1, video2, video3, video4, video5, video6

About the Author

Photo of Robbie Cheadle the author of Neema the Misfit Giraffe

Left: Robbie Cheadle the author of Neema the Misfit Giraffe

Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s books and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.

Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

The ten Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews.

Click here to visit is her website

Click here to visit is her Goodreads page

Click here to visit her TSL Publications Page

Click here to visit is her Twitter account

Click here to visit is her Facebook account

These are her published books on Amazon