Friday, December 5, 2014

"John Bloom and the Victory Garden" by Leigh Shearin

EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
John Bloom and the Victory Garden
by Leigh Shearin


John Bloom and the Victory Garden is suitable for children ages 9 and up. This book blast and giveaway is brought to you by Mother Daughter Book Promotion Services. You can also sign up for the book review blast to receive a FREE review copy of this book and be in the running for a $50 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash.


Description
John Bloom and the Victory Garden is the rollicking tale of three boys at the dawn of America’s involvement in WWII. John Bloom, and his best friends Joe and Chewie live, play, and get into adventures in 1940’s era Appleside, New Jersey. Because children are generally joyful and tend to put more importance on the goings-on of their own worlds than those of grown-ups, the events of the war are woven into the boy’s daily lives. Along the way, a bitter and cynical old man is drawn into their hijinks, and contributes his own joy to the lives of these three.
Chapter One invites the reader to join John and his friends in Appleside, NJ on the afternoon of December 6th, 1941. Through newspaper headlines and radio bulletins, the boys learn about the incredible events of the war - beginning with the attack on Hawaii by the Empire of Japan. As the story moves along, John and his friends learn that everyone- not just soldiers- can make a difference. They learn that commitment leads to ultimate success and that taking a seemingly insurmountable task one step at a time will make that task simple. John, Joe and Chewie learn about where their food comes from, and how important good food is to the Allies overseas.
John Bloom and the Victory Garden is not just a story of Homefront USA during WWII. It's about faith, endurance and sturdy values that transcend time and cultural differences. It’s about accepting tough times, struggle and adversity and overcoming them anyway. It’s about seeing the humor in life, and helping others to see the humor too.
But mostly, they just have a gut-busting great time!

Excerpt
[John] burst through the kitchen door and was greeted by a wave of warm, steamy air that was scented with onions and apples, bread, and some kind of meat. His mother stood with her back to him, her left arm down on the work surface, her right elbow up in the air, doing battle with a bowl of something on the counter. There was a bowl of pickled beets and a plate of bread on the kitchen table in the center of the room, waiting to be moved to the dining room. Best of all though, was a round platter piled high with fat, golden brown sausages that glistened with fat still bubbling on the surface. They were resting gloriously on a bed of steaming sauerkraut laced with thinly sliced, caramel-colored onions.

Praise for the Book
"Author Leigh Shearin's John Bloom and the Victory Garden, the first of her John Bloom Series, is a sure-fire win for readers in grades 3-8, history buffs, and foodies. The author stirs these incongruent ingredients into a powerful tale that comes together like a perfect three-course meal, and it leaves the reader eager for more." ~ Cat Michaels, 5-star review, Amazon

From the Author
I am a Writer, Chef, Baker and Farmer.
I earned a B.A. in Studio Art from Maryville College in Maryville, Tennessee, and worked as a Graphic Artist and Photographer before earning my A.A.S in Culinary Art. I’ve worked as a Chef, Baker and Culinary Art Instructor. Most recently, my husband and I have bought rural land and are developing our own small, sustainable farm, Winter’Rest Farm in north Central New York. Through it all, I’ve written stories and poems, some published, some tucked away. The older I get, the more the stories stalk me, so I hope to move into full-time writing in the very near future.

Giveaway
Enter the blast-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash.

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