Hey, lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host D. G.
Priya and her new book, “Merlin Raj and the Love Me Not Race”! For other stops on her Goddess Fish
Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in
this post.
Be sure to make it to the
end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with D. G.
and to increase your chances of winning!
Thanks for stopping
by! Wishing you lots of luck in this
fabulous giveaway!
Merlin Raj and the Love Me
Not Race
by D. G. Priya
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GENRE: Illustrated Early Reader Chapter Book
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BLURB:
Do kids want to read a coding book? Not as much as dog stories.
Read the series called
"...emotionally resonant...enjoyable STEM-centered novelfor young readers..." ~ Kirkus
Reviews
My
name is Merlin Raj. I have a teeny tiny weakness for socks which makes life as
a service dog difficult. Usually, I only have to worry about helping my boy,
Matthew, walk at school. But when my family signs up for their first 5k race,
this super-smart golden retriever who wears glasses will also have to become a
racing trainer.
Yikes!
Will Boolean math help me
uncover the heart of a champion?
Appealing
to readers of all ages, Merlin Raj and the Love Me Not Race is the continuing
installment in this ILLUSTRATED chapter-book series. From artists to
astronauts, the jobs of the future will deal with computers.
With
a Computer Science degree and a passion for preparing kids for the future,
author D. G. Priya blends technology with animal stories to stimulate a desire
to read. Each book in the series introduces a new programming skill. If you or
your child like delightful dog tales that explores universally positive themes,
including empathy, kindness, dedication, and the importance of being true to
one's self, then you'll love D. G. Priya's tail-wagging adventure.
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EXCERPT ONE:
Yes meant go. Yes meant
on.
I
turned on, bounding through the park to the tree. Not too fast because Matthew
still wore the loop of the leash around his wrist. I galloped as Matthew
grabbed the length of the leash and ran behind me.
The
Zombie-bunny ducked into the hedges in a desperate attempt to escape, but I
wasn’t having it. I thrust my face, nose first, into a hedge.
“No,
Merlin,” Matthew yelled.
No meant stop. No
meant off.
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BOOK TRAILER:
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MY BOOK REVIEW:
I absolutely loved this book, it is dear to my heart, and I connected
with it on so many levels!!!
As a
huge animal lover there was no doubt that I wasn’t going to love this book
since the story is told through the ever so adorable Merlin, a service dog. Also, as a former Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy
trainer I knew I was going totally going to hit it off with Merlin and his boy,
Matthew. In addition, when I was
11-years-old I was diagnosed with an “invisible” medical condition called Fibromyalgia. It causes significant muscle pain and
weakness, but no perceivable symptoms like needing a cast or crutches that my
fellow classmates could understand. Like
Matthew, the other kids thought I was making it up for attention or trying to
get out of P.E. or trying to get special treatment, etc. It can be very hard being a child and having
such a complicated and painful illness.
Sometimes you can barely understand it yourself, how can other kids your age
grasp it? Especially like with Matthew when
your symptoms are internal.
I really loved the positivity,
encouragement, and heartwarming vibes this book gave off!!
I
loved the whole Raj family!! They all
had their flaws and quirks, but they were all likable, genuine, and relatable. I think many kids these days seem to look up
to and idolize celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Nick Jonas, LeBron James, Kylie Jenner, and Kim Kardashian. I think kids should have more realistic role-models like industry professionals and that they should start learning speciality skills as soon as they can. It is never too early to learn!
I
loved that this book implemented coding techniques!! Computers are utilized more than ever now and
in even just ten years down the road I’m sure it’ll be at least triple what it is now. Computers are not going away. They are probably one of the few industries
that are becoming recession proof. And
even if you decide you don’t want to work in any I.T. field these skills will still help you personally and even professional in many other fields.
In addition, I enjoyed the Boolean Algebra passages – especially how they relate to code, that it’s the basis of computer science, and that even more than 200 years later it is still applied in life daily. Math was always my favorite and best subject in school until I took calculus lol!!
In addition, I enjoyed the Boolean Algebra passages – especially how they relate to code, that it’s the basis of computer science, and that even more than 200 years later it is still applied in life daily. Math was always my favorite and best subject in school until I took calculus lol!!
I also loved all the glossary terms, the binary
code references featured throughout the book, and the break down of the math
and science information which made learning the materials effortless. I can honestly admit that this book taught me
a few things and I am very thankful to have read it!!
This book is full of
valuable lessons that readers of ALL ages can enjoy, appreciate, and learn
from!
I also really enjoyed the charming illustrations that truly helped put this book over the top!! I remember as a kid when I first started reading chapter books and how grown-up I felt but was thankful there were still a decent number of pictures. Images don’t dumb down books – they provide guidance into what the author was thinking. For me, I can’t stand when a book is made into movie and the characters casted look nothing like how I pictured them to be – even when the book cover with them on it looks nothing like them in the movie lol. So, I have to admit, it was nice following along with these sweet illustrations as they helped the picture accurately play out like a movie in my head.
This book has a creative
story line, structured outline, evenly paced plot points, detailed scenes,
relatable characters, important and useful life lessons, instilled valuable
morals, and keeps you engaged through the last page – regardless of your age!
I really enjoyed reading
this book and wish these books were around when I was a kid. I look forward to being able to share this
book series with my kids that I hope to have one day in the future!!
This book is Book Two of the Merlin Raj Book Series. It can absolutely be read as a standalone. The author announced that Book Three is to be released in the coming months!! I can’t wait to check it out and continue to follow along on Merlin Raj’s adventures!!
All in all, I really
enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it!! I think all middle grade readers and in all
honesty readers of all ages will like this book too – and this book series!! So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading
- you won't be disappointed!!
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AUTHOR BIO:
Priya Ardis also
writes as D. G. Priya for
her new early reader chapter book series, Merlin Raj and the Santa Algorithm, a
computer science fundamentals book for kids. She has a Bacherlor’s degree in
Computer Science from University of Texas at Austin, #8 ranked in computer
science. Her passion for early education in computer science comes from her
experience as a senior engineer, parent, and volunteer. Her love for service
dog stories is inspired her own golden retriever.
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CONNECT WITH D.
G.:
Priya’s Super Cute and Talented Furbaby
PC – IG @priya_ardis
Website:
Blog:
Email:
contact@priyaardis.com
Facebook:
Twitter:
Pinterest:
Instagram:
YouTube:
BookBub Author Page – D. G. Priya:
BookBub Author Page – Priya Ardis:
BookBub Book Page:
Goodreads Author Page – D. G. Priya:
Goodreads Author Page – Priya Ardis:
Goodreads Book Page:
Amazon Author Page – D. G. Priya:
Amazon Author Page – Priya Ardis:
Priya’s Adorable Furbaby Enjoying a Fun Outing
PC – IG @priya_ardis
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon Kindle eBook:
Amazon Paperback:
Amazon Hardcover:
Apple iBook eBook:
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
Barnes and Noble Hardcover:
The Book Depository Paperback:
The Book Depository Hardcover:
BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:
BAM! Books-A-Million Hardcover:
Kobo eBook:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
D. G. will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to
a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a
purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this
blog. This does not cost you anything,
it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**
This contest is sponsored
by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish
Promotions. Prizes are given away by the
sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish
Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeletePriya ~ Good morning! Welcome back! It is so great to have you here again! Congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour! I really enjoyed reading and reviewing your book, thanks for providing the copy! :)
ReplyDeleteIt is always lovely to be back on Fab&Brunette!
DeleteCongrats on this tour and thanks for the opportunity to read about another great book out there to read. It helps out so I can find books I know my family will enjoy reading. Thanks as well for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThank you for supporting Merlin Raj!
DeleteThanks for sharing the great post!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteAlly, It's great to be back on your blog!! I didn't know you had a secret weakness for dogs :) As you can tell, so do I! I've loved writing the stories and the inspiration definitely came from my own furry kiddo. I am very sorry to hear about Fibromyalgia. I know someone else who has it. The invisible disabilities are the hardest ones because it's difficult for people to relate. I did hope to call attention to that with Matthew's condition.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing all the pics and for helping me get the word out about the books! Look for the Halloween one next!
Best,
Priya
congrats Having a successful ebook is a sure shot way to get a publisher. Start with getting 100+ reviews for your book using usbookreviews dot com At this level, your book will grab more eyeballs and get more sales. Then, try to get the attention of a literary agent. Having a proven book makes the process easier.
ReplyDelete