Showing posts with label kidlit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kidlit. Show all posts

Wednesday, 26 December 2018

Some of my books are free in the Smashwords sale

First of all, I hope you've had a very merry Christmas and are now totally chilling on Boxing Day.

With 2019, just around the corner, here's wishing you a forthcoming year full of health, happiness, fun, frolics, friends, love and all the good stuff. And a lot of grooviness.


Smashwords.com currently has a sale on, so I have a few kindle books for free on it if u fancy one.

These are:

Kiwi's Christmas Tail (book 6 in my magical cat series, but it can be read as a standalone book);

3 Heads & a Tail (comedy romance with dog - not for kids);

The Sea Inside (teen fantasy with magical creatures);

Day of the Living Pizza (comedy zombie book);

Life's Rhythms (poetry);

Mind-spinning Rainbows (poetry); and

Travelling Light (poetry).


This is the link for Kiwi's Christmas Tail (scroll down to the other covers and click on them) -

Only Travelling Light is free on Amazon.

I can't make all of these books free on Amazon, but they're about 99c/99p on there (just search for Vickie Johnstone).

Also available in other places such as WH Smith, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones.

Cheers! And happy reading!


Saturday, 8 November 2014

Kiwi in Cat City: on sale for #99c / 75p

Happy Saturday!! The weekend didn't come soon enough :)

One of my ebooks, Kiwi in Cat City, is on sale at the moment for 
#99c or 75p... purrs...



Kiwi in Cat City is the tale of a magical cat and her friends. This 6-book series is full of furry fun for ages 9-99. It has 38 4/5-star reviews and book 4 was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Book Awards 2013. 

"I love this book. I bought it this morning and just finished it. I couldn't put it down! I recommend this book to all readers who love a good crime/mystery, and if they love cats." (Katharine Robey/Amazon)


Amazon US: http://ow.ly/kSQYy
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/15Nxfsv
Book trailer: http://youtu.be/CLjmVgNJcLM
Zazzle gift shop: http://www.zazzle.co.uk/kiwiincatcity

Sunday, 10 August 2014

#99c / 75p #kindle sale!

Hi, four of my books are going cheap at the moment and two are forever free. Here are the links. :) Cheers.

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vickie-Johnstone/e/B004SZ9TGE
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Vickie-Johnstone/e/B004SZ9TGE


Tuesday, 4 March 2014

5 of my books are free or half-price this week! #free #99c

Hi, Smashwords.com has a sale on this week, so I put in some of my books. Here are the ones that are either free or half price. Over on Amazon, I Dream of Zombies, my horror novel, is on sale at 99c/75p. Below you can see all of my books and further down are the ones on sale. Enjoy! Thanks. :)


Promotions on Smashwords.com until March 8

Free! Kiwi in Cat City – 36 4-5 star reviews on Amazon - the first in a 6-book series about a magical investigative cat from Cat City. Use code RW100 at the checkout - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/55227

50% off! 3 Heads & a Tail – a quirky romcom starring a talking dog who swears a little, and it isn't for kids. Use code REW50 at the checkout - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/254310

Free! Life’s Rhythms – poetry - 316 haiku. Use code RW100 at checkout - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/289224

50% off! The Sea Inside - a YA clean fantasy adventure starring a heroine who is paralysed after an accident. Use code REW50 at checkout - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/316914

Promotion on Amazon

99c/75p! I Dream of Zombies – it started with a dream and then London went to hell! Starring a strong female heroine.
US - http://www.amazon.com/I-Dream-Zombies-Vickie-Johnstone-ebook/dp/B00FVA9YRO
UK -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/I-Dream-Zombies-Vickie-Johnstone-ebook/dp/B00FVA9YRO


Always free on Smashwords & Amazon US

Free! Day of the Living Pizza - zombie comedy for teens & Travelling Light - poetry – always free on both sites – no coupon needed.

Cheers! Happy reading! :) 

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

#WW WOW Wednesday: Greta Burroughs

Hi guys and girls! Welcome to WOW Wednesday. My 17th guest is my friend and fellow writer, 
Greta Burroughsauthor of the Gerald and the Wee People series and some fantastic books for kids. 
What are they all about, I hear you ask? Well, read on to find out more... and if you head to the Reviews section of my blog you'll see my thoughts on her books. I love them!




















About Greta's YA books:

In Gerald and the Wee People, Gerald and his best friend, Vernon discover a mysterious spot in the woods where Gerald visualizes a miniature village complete with wee inhabitants. He enjoys going back to that spot and watching the day to day activities until trouble starts in the village and he tries to convince Vernon that the 'visions' are real and the wee people need help.

While trying to prove that the whole thing is just Gerald's wild imagination, the boys literally fall into the new world and get caught up in a war. The boys come up with ways to keep the invading force from entering the village but another solution has to be found in order to put an end to the conflict.

Along with a few companions from the village, Gerald and Vernon embark on a quest to face down the deranged forest god who instigated the mayhem. The dangerous path is laid out by an ancient prophecy, but not everything goes as planned. 

The adventure continues in the second book in the Wee People series, House on Bo-Kay LaneGerald and Vernon believe their time with the wee people came to an end after they returned to their home world but begin to wonder when strange things started to happen at an abandoned house in their neighborhood. Ghostly images of familiar faces from the wee people village are seen in the windows, echoes of voices from the past haunt the boys’ dreams and an undeniable curiosity draws Gerald and Vernon to investigate the mysterious haunted house. What they find takes them back to the world of the wee people and a new adventure begins.

A mirror is found in a forgotten room in the far-seers’ training centre. Sheela, a far-seer master and Alyson, an apprentice firestarter are unwillingly drawn into the depths of the mirror and wind up in the abandoned house on Bo-Kay Lane. Sheela uses her telepathic skills to enlist the aid of Gerald, Vernon and Gerald’s father, Andrew to help find the way back to the world of the wee people.

That problem resolved, they try to unravel the secrets of the mirror and find that it is a portal between their two worlds, as well as to a time in the future and possibly even to a parallel universe. They also discover that someone is trapped inside the mirror and the decision has to be made as to whether or not to help the trapped soul escape the confines of the portal.

Meanwhile, the wee people discover the origins of their world. That knowledge is not well accepted and leads to discord between them and the outworlders, Gerald, Andrew and Vernon. An uneasy truce paves the way to an understanding and acceptance of the unwelcome facts and eventually to a solution of how to deal with the man in the mirror. http://viewbook.at/bokaylane

Book three in the series will be out later on this year. 


All about Greta

Greta Burroughs loves to read. No matter where she is, there is always a book close at hand. Her love of reading began at an early age and blossomed over time to include many different genres, her favorite now being fantasy.

As a preschool and elementary school teacher, Greta tried to instill the joy of reading in the children she worked with. Books were an important part of her classroom and story time was the highlight of the day.

It has been a while since Greta was in a classroom but she had lots of experience in reading to children of various ages and remembers what they enjoyed listening to. She tries to incorporate that knowledge into her work as an author and believes it makes her a better writer of children's and young adult books.

She now resides in SC with her husband, Robert and three dogs. Greta has six books published at the present time; three children’s books in the Patchwork Dog and Calico Cat series, two MG/YA fantasy entitled Gerald and the Wee People and House on Bo-Kay Lane, and a non-fiction account of her experiences with an autoimmune blood disorder called ITP - Heartaches and Miracles.

Links:


Thanks for reading - look out for another WOW writer next Wednesday!
Happy reading & writing! :) 




Friday, 20 December 2013

#99c / 75p today! Kiwi in Cat City purrs forth!

Kiwi in Cat City, the first book in my cool-for-cats series, is just #99c / 75p today (ebook format, although paperback is available for more). It's being featured on http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/2013/12/20/free-discounted-kindle-book-offers-73/. My book has received an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars, based on 33 customer reviews. Furry fun for ages 9-99.


Here is the book’s description:

Have you ever wished your cat could talk or wondered where he/she goes when you are not around? Kiwi in Cat City opens on one star-filled night. Amy cannot sleep and she looks out of the window into the garden to see her cat, Kiwi, transfixed by the moon, which is glowing brightly like a cat’s claw. Waking her brother, James, Amy suggests they follow Kiwi to see where she goes… whether it involves a hunt for mice or something else. Little do they know that with a flick of her tail, Kiwi is going to magically change the children into kittens and lead them on the adventure of their lives to a land they never knew existed in their wildest dreams. In the blue-lit world of Cat City, the budding detectives help Inspector Furrball to investigate the mysterious catnapping of Mr Katz and find out what happened to Madame Purrfect.

The books contain fabulous illustrations by Nikki McBroom.

If you'd like to win a copy, please leave your name and email or FB link below :)

Monday, 5 August 2013

Kiwi in Cat City: wonderful new review

A huge furry thank you to 'Animal Blogging with Dill' for this wonderful review of Kiwi in Cat City. It brought a big smile to my face :)

http://animalbloggingwithdillthecat.blogspot.com/p/dills-libraryunder-construction.html

Kiwi in Cat City (Kiwi series) by Vickie Johnstone is a fantasy/mystery about a family’s black magical cat named Kiwi who turns the kids into her kittens and off they go to a place called Cat City to help solve a kidnapping. Nikki McBroom, the illustrator, did a wonderful job lacing her art with Vickie Johnstone’s words and between the two Kiwi in Cat City has a collection of supporting characters that could have their own books.  

Kiwi in Cat City is an imaginative, active story with charming-funny dialogue. I really enjoyed the storyteller voice of Vickie Johnstone’s writing that made Kiwi in Cat City an easy read and a book worth reading more than once. But what I liked the most was its ageless which translate into a timeless appeal. 

I don’t know if Vickie Johnstone deliberately set out to write Kiwi in Cat City for children and/or adults, but I do believe it takes a wordsmith to find harmony in such a balance. The outcome can be described in a word one. Enchanting. Kiwi in Cat City by Vickie Johnstone is.



Friday, 12 July 2013

Greta Burroughs' 99c Tour: My Most Embarrassing Moment!

It's my pleasure to welcome friend and author, Greta Burroughs, to my blog today. Yay! 
Greta has written 6 books. Two are for young adults, three for children 
and one is a more serious book about her battle with ITP. 
Right now fantasy adventure Gerald and the Wee People is on sale for 99c and it has some great reviews on Amazon! Greta is also on a mission to inspire the new generation 
to read, which you can find out more about on her blog:
Take it away, Greta!!


Greta, we all want to know, what is the most embarrassing moment of your life?

My most embarrassing moment happened when I was around six years old. The pastor at our church promised to take me on a picnic. I was absolutely thrilled and started making plans. Of course my plans were known only to me. I tied a box of Chicken ‘n a Biscuit crackers to the back of my bicycle, and took off early one morning to pedal my way to Mr. and Mrs. Crenshaw’s house. At that age I really didn’t consider the 15-mile ride through city traffic it was going to take to reach my destination.

It was a beautiful warm day and I was enjoying my trip until I saw a bright red light behind me. (At that time, police cars had a big, red, round flashing light on top of the car.) I pulled over to the side of the road just like any good motorist and waited for the policeman to get out of his car.

As he approached the look on his face told me I was in trouble. I tried to explain to him that I was going on a picnic, but he did not believe me, for some strange reason. He also did not understand why my parents did not know about my adventure. I tried to explain that it would not be a surprise if I had told my mother where I was going.

The policeman took my bike, put it in the trunk of his car and sat me down in the front seat beside him. I was very unhappy. My picnic plans were ruined, and he crushed the box of crackers that I had carefully and loving tied to my bicycle.  

This is where the embarrassing part came in…. He stopped at the newspaper office and unloaded my bike, and told me to sit on it. A man took my picture and wrote an article, which was published in the newspaper the following day. By that time my father had arrived to pick me up, and he told the reporter that I was going to be grounded and my bicycle was going to be put way for a long time.

Now I had a LOT of relatives who saw that picture/article and I was laughed at by every one of them. Everybody at church laughed at me too. The laughing continued for years afterward. Everywhere I went someone mentioned my bicycle trip, and I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Even today, fifty years later, the topic still comes up occasionally. That is one event that will live forever, no matter how hard I try to forget it.

Okay, I have to admit that in the history of embarrassing moments that one is up there! :)

More about Greta...

Greta Burroughs loves to read. No matter where she is, there is always a book close at hand. Her love of reading began at an early age and blossomed over time to include many different genres, her favorite now being fantasy. As a preschool and elementary school teacher, Greta tried to instill the joy of reading in the children she worked with. Books were an important part of her classroom and story time was the highlight of the day.

It has been a while since Greta was in a classroom but she had lots of experience in reading to children of various ages and remembers what they enjoyed listening to. She tries to incorporate that knowledge into her work as an author and believes it makes her a better writer of children's and young adult books. 
She now resides in SC with her husband, Robert and three dogs. 

All of Greta's books...


Where to find Greta & her books (just click them!):


Heartaches and Miracles

“But I don't feel sick. Why do I have to stay here in the hospital?” I stubbornly asked the emergency room doctor, and he replied in an exasperated voice, “Because you are one sick chick. Your platelets are down to 2000. You are going upstairs to PCU and you are going to stay there until I say you can go home.”
I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura) in April 2005. At that time, I knew very little about platelets, CBCs, corticosteroids and other factors that would play a significant role in my well-being for the rest of my life. Heartaches and Miracles was written as a form of chicken soup for the ITP soul to give encouragement and strength to those affected by this blood disorder. Reading how others have coped, hopefully will give those newly diagnosed a glimpse of what to expect and give everyone with ITP a new hope for tomorrow.

Gerald and the Wee People

Gerald and his best friend, Vernon literally fall into a new world when responding to a plea for help. A few years prior to that, the boys had discovered an unusual clearing in the woods where only Gerald had the ability to watch the daily activities that took place in a miniature village. When creatures started attacking the village, Gerald became more and more concerned about the little inhabitants that he had become attached to. Vernon humoured his friend but became concerned when Gerald mentioned one of the villagers coming to him and asking for help. To prove him wrong, Vernon agreed to venture out to the clearing late one night and show Gerald it was all in his imagination. Instead, Vernon was drawn into the enchanted vision and both boys charged off to the rescue. While in the wee people village, Gerald and Vernon try to fulfil a prophecy overcoming many dangers and obstacles. The boys help the villagers in their fight against the misshapen ones while also trying to defeat a powerful being intent on destroying all life.

The House at Bo-Kay Lane

A mirror is found in a forgotten room in the far-seers’ training centre. Sheela, a far-seer master and Alyson, an apprentice firestarter are unwillingly drawn into the depths of the mirror and wind up in the abandoned house on Bo-Kay Lane. Sheela uses her telepathic skills to enlist the aid of Gerald, Vernon and Gerald’s father, Andrew to help find the way back to the world of the wee people. That problem resolved, they try to unravel the secrets of the mirror and find that it is a portal between their two worlds, as well as to a time in the future and possibly even to a parallel universe. They also discover that someone is trapped inside the mirror and the decision has to be made as to whether or not to help the trapped soul escape the confines of the portal.

Patchy and Calico series

Patchwork Dog has a knack for getting into trouble and his best friend, Calico Cat usually winds up right in the middle of the mess with him. Calico would rather spend her days sleeping in her nice comfortable bed, staying safe and worry free. She knows better than to follow Patchy when he is out looking for a new adventure, but she tags along anyway just in case… On the other hand, Patchy is very curious and is always investigating new sights, sounds and smells. He follows his nose wherever it goes. Sometimes that leads to trouble but other times it gives Calico a chance to play a trick on her not so smart friend. The tales will entertain children of all ages with the antics of the title characters and hopefully teach youngsters some valuable lessons on sharing and working together.


Thanks for reading :)

Thursday, 11 July 2013

I'm talking about writing for kids & giving away prizes!

Hi, I'm the writer in the hot seat today at the 'Inspiring Children... One Book at a Time' event, organised by Greta Burroughs. 

It's taking place at 11am US / 4pm UK. 

We're talking about books for young readers up to 16. Come along and ask me anything :) I'll try to answer, unless it is to do with maths, physics or football and I'm out!! 

I'll also be giving some of my children's books away and your pet can be in a book... I'd give cakes, but I'm a bad cake maker :) 

The  link - https://www.facebook.com/events/479784575431174/

These are the prizes:

--- Set of all 8 of my ebooks for middle-grade readers 

--- Paperback copy of Kiwi in Cat City

--- If you have a cat or any other pet, I will write them into the next Kiwi book. Bear in mind I haven’t started book 7 yet!!

--- Paperback copy of The Sea Inside

Thanks!!