Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 2nd – 8th August 2020 – Music, Octopus and Oysters, Dog Stories, Waterford, Book Reviews, Children’s books and funnies.

Welcome to the round up of posts that you might have missed this week on Smorgasbord.

It is finally a lovely sunny day and I intend to take full advantage and be out in the garden most of the day.

I have finally given myself a very good talking to and put into action a long overdue plan this week. It involves books and reviews and my unsuccessful efforts to whittle my TBR list down effectively. I was only reading at night and it was five pages and then lights out so to speak. Something needed to be done.

I now have a mandatory reading hour in the afternoon either in the garden or in our sitting room if the weather is not warm enough. I have finished two books this week instead of the usual one, and I feel far less guilty about the books sitting their so patiently waiting for my attention.

I am delighted that the new Children’s Cafe and Bookstore is going well with 5 new authors joining and you will meet them in promotions over the next week. One of the problems for children’s authors, especially with picture books for younger children, is getting reviews.  In part because many children’s books are given as gifts and parents may feel that there is no where for them to share a review if they have not bought from Amazon or other book sellers online.

This is why it is important to have a Goodreads author page as a Children’s author so that reviews can be posted worldwide and without having been bought.

Having said that, if the parents or grandparents don’t know that they can put a review on Goodreads, it is not as useful as it might be.

If you are an author of children’s books could I suggest that at the back of your books you put a short note asking for reviews and providing the link to https://www.goodreads.com/ and explaining that it is also a wonderful resource for other children’s books, often at special prices.

In the coming weeks I am going to be putting together some specific children’s book promotions to encourage reviews and it would be great if you help spread the word.  This includes a children’s review watering hole…where even if the books are not in the Children’s Cafe and Bookstore, reviews can be shared and I will add the blurb and the links to the books. The promotion post for this new series is scheduled for Tuesday at 18.00 UK time.

I cannot imagine my life without books and my love of reading began at age four. It is such an important skill to have in life and children’s authors deserve all the support we can give them.

And on the subject of reviews...I was delighted this afternoon to receive a wonderful 5* review from Marjorie Mallon for Life’s Rich Tapestry..If you have time I would be so pleased if you would head over and read in full..thanks Sally.

Marjorie Mallon Review Life’s Rich Tapestry

Here are the posts from the week and as always a huge thank you to the guest writers for their amazing contributions.. this week William Price King and Carol Taylor. And to you for dropping in, liking, commenting and sharing the posts, the support is very much appreciated.

William Price King – Josh Groban Part Four

– A – Z of Food – ‘O’ for Oats, Offal, Octopus, Oranges and Oysters.

Sam, A Shaggy Dog Story – Chapter One – In the Beginning

#Ireland #History – The Colour of Life – The Dance Scene 1950

Some photos and a haiku from Lanzarote

Letters from America 1985-1987 – August 1985 – Hawaiian Luau and Trash Can Punch

Children’s – A Beechworth Bakery Bears (The Beechworth Bakery Bears 1) by Frank Prem

Past book reviews Book Reviews – #FamilySaga Judith Barrow, #Historical Tony Riches

#HaikuSequence – Rain by Sally Cronin

Herbal Medicine – Stinging Nettle and Scorpion Stings

Drystan the Dragon and Friends: Delbert Finds Himself by Janice Spina

Author Reviews – #YAAdventure Darlene Foster, #Children’s #Kindness Dawn Doig – #Horses Deanie Humphrys-Dunne

#ShortStories – #Ireland – We All Die in the End: Scenes from a Small Town by Elizabeth Merry

#Fiction #Community Phyllis Staton Campbell

#Shortstories – A String of Stories: From the Heart to the Future by Ann Chiappetta

#Anthology M.J. Mallon, #Fantasy D. Wallace Peach, #Memoir #Teaching Pete Springer

#Crime Jacquie Biggar, #FlashFiction Sarah Brentyn, #Contemporary #Humour Lizzie Chantree

#Finance – Should You Take an Early-Out Package? by Sharon Marchisello

#Personal – Twelve Questions From A Guy Called Bloke by Stevie Turner…

#Birth – On the Eve of Beltane by Sue Vincent

National Bunion Day by Mary Smith

Guns of Perdition: Interview and Review by D. Wallace Peach

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines –August 4th 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines –August 6th 2020 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines Extra – August 7th 2020 – Funnies and Bad Dad Jokes Host Sally Cronin

Thank you very much for dropping in today and all the support during the week.. it is much appreciated.. Sally.