Best Book Club Family-Friendly discussion

The first thing I noticed upon joining this group is that it's lacking a thread where new members can introduce themselves here. So let me be the first.
I'm
Retired.
Married.
No children.
Two cats.
And my debut YA Paranormal/Time Travel/First Kiss romance novel, "I Kissed a Ghost" got released on December 20, 2012. The full reviewed it received on Amazon stated it would especially appeal to pre-teens.

I Kissed a Ghost

Hi everyone

I'm Liz (Elizabeth Jasper). I'm married with 3 grown-up daughters and two grandsons and I'm a writer. I've written two books suitable for children 9 - 12. My first, 'Meggie Blackthorn', is the story of a girl growing up in the NE of England in the 1960s. Anyone looking for a big nostalgia kick will enjoy this one. My latest, released in January 2013, is a fantasy adventure called 'The Golden Cuckoo' dedicated to my eldest grandson, Jacob. Now I'm told I have to write another story for his little brother, Joe. Both books are available on Kindle and Smashwords and 'The Golden Cuckoo' will be released as a paperback in a couple of weeks.

Hi all :). First of all let me say thank you to A.L. Davroe, for the invite to the group.

I'm Jackie Jones and I'm a Barbadian fiction writer of mainly fantasy and science fiction. I originally only wrote for adults, so it's kind of ironic to me that my first release will be a YA paranormal/fantasy - 'Secrets of the Tenari'.

I'm a regular Lois Lane as it relates to my day job, no Superman or little super babies yet though lol. I enjoy all kinds of activities including gaming, the great outdoors (minus the bug life) and chilling with friends.

It's great to meet you all ^_^.

Hi. I'm Jenna, one of the founders of BFF Bookclub. Nice to meet you all. We just started the group over the weekend, so please forgive us for not posting an Intro discussion in a timely manner.

In case you missed it, the first BFF BookClub discussion will be on Wednesday, 2/20, at 10 PM. We'll be chatting about PJ LaRue's The Mystic Princesses and the Whirlpool. It's wonderful - I gave it 5 stars.

The group meets on Facebook for membership issues and discussion. You can find us by searching BFFBC, and we'll approve you asap.

So, welcome, and thanks for getting the Intro thread going! See you Wednesday.

I live in CA with my husband and dog. I run our home business, work as production manager at Month9Books and write! My debut novel, a YA historical, Call Me Butterfy, will be released Dec 15,2013 by Pugalicious Press.
Looking forward to discussing books with you all!

If you're interested, here is short synopsis of my book:
It’s 1775 in Mexico, New Spain, and 15-year-old Fernanda Marquina, half Spanish and half Pima Indian, can’t seem to live up to her mother’s expectations or fit into the limited female roles of her culture. A tragic accident sets her on a course for the adventure she longed for but at a greater cost than she could ever have imagined. With her family, Fernanda joins Juan Bautista de Anza’s historic colonization expedition to California. On the arduous four month journey, Fernanda will find not only romance, but she’ll discover truths that will change the way she sees her ancestry, her family, and herself.

Hi Jenna: Thanks for forming this group!

Is that discussion time 10pm PST or ET?

Is this a chat format, where you have to be present at that time, or can you comment at other times?

Thanks!

Linda wrote: "I live in CA with my husband and dog. I run our home business, work as production manager at Month9Books and write! My debut novel, a YA historical, Call Me Butterfy, will be released Dec 15,2013 b..."

I think I love this pitch, Linda. Best wishes for your launch. Maybe BFF can help when you release...?

Linda wrote: "Hi Jenna: Thanks for forming this group!

Is that discussion time 10pm PST or ET?

Is this a chat format, where you have to be present at that time, or can you comment at other times?

Thanks!"

It's 10 PM Eastern, and will be done in the "freestyle" form of bookclubs. We'll chat back and forth on the thread that's been created for PJ LaRue's book - but of course, comments will be open there even after the event. The bonus of being there for the actual bookclub discussion is that the author is available for the entire hour.

D.R. wrote: "Hey all,
I am on active duty in the military and write in my free time. My primary focus is fantasy novels with a G to PG rating and paranormal novels for a more mature audience.

I have authored t..."

Hi, D.R.! Feel free to edit your post and hit the "add book/author" to it. There are no issues with promoting like that.

Hi, All:
I'm Connie Bowen, author of the joyful children's affirmation ebook: "I Create My World; The Power of Thought to Shape Our lives" Whimsical characters add to the charm of this lovely little nugget of happiness!



Available through Amazon, iTunes, Barnes&Noble and Kobo.

http://www.facebook.com/I.Create.My.W...

I'm also the author of "I Believe In Me"



named by the Huffington Post as one of the top "50 Inspiring Children's Books with a Positive Message."

http://www.facebook.com/I.Believe.In....

Connie, I didn't know HP tagged you - that's wonderful! I have no idea how to snag endorsements like that. (Clue me in.) ;)

Jenna, it happened all on its own. I was searching for the title of my new book on Google to see where it would show up and "Wham!" - there was the article and the list of the 50 books in alphabetical order! If I hadn't been searching, I never would've known. My publisher didn't even know about it, when I told them.

I think it's just a matter of putting lovely energy out there and having it come back in unexpected ways.
;-)

That is so cool.

I guess I can't complain - I had a pretty good week last week. But wow, you must have been thrilled.

I was absolutely in shock! I had no idea the list was being compiled or anything about it. Congratulations on all your success, Jenna!

Well, I'm working toward it. ;) Thanks.

Hi Everyone, Thanks for the invite! I am a parent, grandparent and retired teacher/administrator. I write historical articles for a local news magazine here in upstate New York. My first children's book, Little Miss History Travels to Mount Rushmore was published a couple of months ago. I intend to release the next in the nonfiction series this year. If you are interested you can see my work online at amazon or my website www.littlemisshistory.com. I am looking forward to chatting with everyone.

Welcome to the group, Barbara! ;-)

Thank you Connie!

Hi Everyone! My name is Mary Meddlemore and I'm pleased to meet you all. Looking forward to getting to know you a little bit. All three my books (busy with the fourth one) are very suitable for YA readers. "The Seventh Sheep and Other True Tales" (a send-up of our society)will definitely make them laugh and perhaps open their eyes to the "Masters of the Universe" who seem to lurk everywhere! "Forever After - A Dimensional Love Story" gives directions how to enter the Story Dimension ... It is a quirky and playful book that will definitely set fire to their imaginations and point out possibilities of happiness. "In the Reign of the Ilev" tells the scary story of how easy it is to lose compassion with others - when winning becomes the ultimate! More about my passion for stories on my blog: Stories are Forever http://marymeddlemore1.wordpress.com/

Glad to have you in the group, Mary ~ ;-)

Hi Mary, Glad to meet you and welcome! Your books sound intriguing.

Hi! This is a great group, thank you for inviting me. I write for Guideposts magazine and Chicken Soup for the Soul. I love dogs, I write/blog about dogs and I share my home with a golden retriever and a cocker spaniel mix. My WIP is a children's book (out on submission now!)The True Story of Hoover the Talking Seal. My books are a memoir, Dieting with my Dog; and a story about the healing power of animals, Heart to Heart, Hand in Paw.
http://www.amazon.com/Dieting-My-Dog-...
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Hand-Paw-...

Just popping in to welcome the newcomers. It's going on 1 AM here, and I'm worn out - so, off to bed, and I hope to see you all tomorrow for the BFF Bookclub Discussion with author PJ LaRue. 'Nite!

Connie wrote: "Jenna, it happened all on its own. I was searching for the title of my new book on Google to see where it would show up and "Wham!" - there was the article and the list of the 50 books in alphabeti..."

How awesome is that!!!! :) I am so happy for you!

Hello to all! I am Christin Berger and I will be writing a newsletter for our group. The debut issue will be after our first review of The Mystic Princesses and the Whirlpool. It will include a synopsis of the discussion as well as information on the next few upcoming discussions. I will also do book reviews and posting them here and on Amazon for the books we are reading. I am really looking forward to getting to know all of you!

I have written two children's picture books so far: Jacqueline the Great, the Pirate Captain and Jacqueline the Great Runs for President and the third is with my illustrator. My books focus on imaginative play and empowering girls.

Please click here to subscribe to the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/vBVdD

Connie wrote: "Glad to have you in the group, Mary ~ ;-)"
Thanks!

Barbara wrote: "Hi Mary, Glad to meet you and welcome! Your books sound intriguing."

Thanks!

Hi, everyone. Thank you for joining. I look forward to talking with everyone tonight.

Hi all, I recently joined the group and am getting ready to publish my first children's book. An adventure story for 9-13 year olds.

Hi, I'm glad I found this group. I'm a mother of three girls (18, 11, 10), wife and dog-caretaker. I write full time and I'm a full time mom in my spare moments. ;-)
I self-published 2 YA historical novels and three fantasy stories for the upper MG or younger YA age group. I write in English and German (German being ma main language), but my editor keep telling me that no one can notice this from my writing. Well, that's a relief.
Here are the covers of my books. Feel free to check them out.

Katharina wrote: "Hi, I'm glad I found this group. I'm a mother of three girls (18, 11, 10), wife and dog-caretaker. I write full time and I'm a full time mom in my spare moments. ;-)
I self-published 2 YA historica..."

Hi Katharina, welcome to the group. Please check out the books listed in this thread and the group's reading list. Right now we are discussing The Mystic Princesses and the Whirlpool.

Hello,
Thank you to all who have joined the book club. I have left the discussion group for The Mystic Princesses and the Whirlpool open. Having it set at one specific time didn't work as well as having an open thread similar to this. If you have read The MP, or you are interested in reading it, please stop by the discussion thread and check out the interview. Additional comments are welcome. I'll answer them either before or after work. But if you check the email box, you'll get notifications when the thread has been updated. Thank you for your interest in our family-friendly reading group. Please feel free to invite your friends.

I've always been a friend of MG and YA lit, so I'll most definitely browse around. How do you chose the books to put on the groups list? Will you open a thread for recommendations? I've read (and reviewed) so many, I could surely provide you with a list.

Katharina wrote: "I've always been a friend of MG and YA lit, so I'll most definitely browse around. How do you chose the books to put on the groups list? Will you open a thread for recommendations? I've read (and r..."

We are looking for family-friendly books that would use a movie rating of G, PG or PG-13. We want them to be appropriate reading for children. And when we choose an adult book for our own enjoyment, we are asking for the same criteria. If your own books meet this, please add them to our shelves. This is our first discussion, so we haven't picked the next book yet. But I'm thinking of assigning a number to each book and then using a random number generator to select the books, unless someone else comes up with a better idea.

Can I list books of other authors I think are appropriate too? What about authors that never got published in English but in other languages? I'm not trying to be obnoxious but to look for the boundaries you put on this group. ;-)

Hello Everyone! My book "Fireflies" doesn't come out until April 3rd but it most definitely is family friendly and I'd give 95% of it a PG rating with a small 5% of PG-13.
I'm a married Mom of three and I still have a 17 year old at home. I have a beautiful granddaughter who will turn three years old on the day my book comes out. I'm a full time office manager and I'm lucky if I have a full hour a day just to myself. I'll do my best to keep up in the group but please be patient with me. :) Thank you very much for the invite!

Welcome to all the new members! We are excited to see the BFFBC grow. An extra big thank you to PJ, Jenna and Christin for starting the group and managing all the details. ;-)

As a reader this is a marvellous way to find out about new and great books straight from the horses mouth so to speak :D

Katharina wrote: "Can I list books of other authors I think are appropriate too? What about authors that never got published in English but in other languages? I'm not trying to be obnoxious but to look for the boun..."

Hi Katharina, those are very good questions. We welcome all family friendly books. Perhaps a new thread could be set up for those that are not in English. If you aren't able to do it, please tell me what to write and I'll start a thread and make you the moderator of it.

Peggy wrote: "Hello Everyone! My book "Fireflies" doesn't come out until April 3rd but it most definitely is family friendly and I'd give 95% of it a PG rating with a small 5% of PG-13.
I'm a married Mom of thr..."

Hi Peggy, welcome to the group. Fireflies sounds like it will fit well with us.

Antoinette wrote: "As a reader this is a marvellous way to find out about new and great books straight from the horses mouth so to speak :D"

Hi Antoinette, thanks for following me over here from twitter. In case you don't know the rules of Goodreads, authors can introduce themselves on a thread like this one, and you can ask them questions if you like. But they cannot spam you with requests to read their books. You can also join discussion groups that relate to a specific book, if you are interested in that group. I've restricted this group to be family friendly for all ages and the books must be G, PG or PG-13 rated, if one were using the movie ratings.

Well I read just about every genre so Im good to go on most topics..except Opera not that one unless its rock opera ... :)

Antoinette wrote: "Well I read just about every genre so Im good to go on most topics..except Opera not that one unless its rock opera ... :)"

If there is a certain type of book that you want to read, you can ask for recommendations. Just describe the genre and maybe give examples of similar books that you liked and people will reply with suggestions. Have fun!

Hello! I'm new to the group. In my younger days I was set on writing a novel with my newly acquired BA in English...but I traded that dream in to be a mama. ;) I'm a stay at home mom to a 6-year-old little girl and a 4-year-old little boy. I also have a teeny, tiny side business selling heirloom veggies in the summer.

I joined this group because my daughter is an ever-growing bookworm, just like her mama. :) She is almost done with her first year of kindergarten and reading beginner books, her favorites being Curious George. She is also really into chapter books, so I'd like to find some family friendly ones that I can read to/with her over the summer while school is out.

There are some great children's authors ,on Indie sites ..looking for my grandchildren as well..I have to keep them entertained with books to keep the chain of books going in the family..so far bookworms winning!Unfortunatly not many both sexes enjoy..I hate this boy,girl, separation ...sigh

@Sarah: try books by Astrid Lindgren. Her books are timeless and so much fun to read to a kid.

Antoinette wrote: "There are some great children's authors ,on Indie sites ..looking for my grandchildren as well..I have to keep them entertained with books to keep the chain of books going in the family..so far bo..."

Hi Antoinette,

For young children, try Christin Berger's Jacqueline the Great picture books. And the book we just reviewed, Culloo by Murielle Cyr is a chapter book about a sister and a brother. They are good for both boys and girls.

Rick Riordan has several series that are great for both boys and girls. I loved reading them. They are mythology based and action oriented. Both the male and female characters are smart and strong role models. They aren't by an indie author, but they are what you are looking for.

Hello All,

Happy to be part of this group. This seems like a great place to explore and find wonderful books for kids. Will try to keep up with the group.
Thanks so much for the invite, P.J.

I am a mother of two, both under 10 years.
Currently I am also a part time author of books for children. And this is how I started...

I would make up stories based on folklore or otherwise for their bedtime. Then began to write down some of these made up stories on request from my son... Started to read aloud especially 'The Crooked Crow' , the story my daughter enjoys. I was thrilled to see my son add my books to his personal reading library and take a liking to my story 'Nutcat the Wise'.
Inspired by their enthusiastic responses and reviews, I took it a step further and published them on Amazon some months back.
And...that is how the 'Pachaihara Forest' series took shape. :-)
Have published three books so far, all part of this series. All of them chapter books.

If interested, you can get more details about them at http://www.goodreads.com/author/list/...

And at my author blog site
http://arsarasite.wordpress.com/


A.R. Sara

Katharina wrote: "@Sarah: try books by Astrid Lindgren. Her books are timeless and so much fun to read to a kid."

Thank you! :)

Hello everyone! My name is Mirta, I'm a mother of three grown kids (25, 22, 21) and going on 29 years of marriage. I've written a memoir and while seeking appropriate venues for promotion, I came upon this great group. Here is the blurb I used for my latest Giveaway:

With Love, the Argentina Family~ Memories of Tango and Kugel; Mate with Knishes speaks to the impetus of a family’s exodus to America; namely a Peronista government, a stagnant economy and an anti-Semitic culture. The family transform into jet-setters relentlessly traveling back and forth across the continents thanks to a mother that never stops crying about "The Argentina Family" and a father who works for Pan American Airlines.

The story unfolds sharing the insecurities and confusion of a young, immigrant girl faced with identity issues. As one brash classmate stated, "She is too white to be Latina, and too Latina to be Jewish."

Wearing out five passports before her twentieth birthday, she learns to deal with never-ending jet lag; dividing her life in between her adopted country and her native land. Almost inevitably, a long distance, whirlwind romance begins in the aftermath of Argentina’s “Dirty War.” Complications abound, including a frightening interrogation with the Argentine Police and an astonishing encounter at the American Consulate.

Follow the sometimes poignant, sometimes comical trials and tribulations of a young girl coming to terms with her Jewish heritage, her Argentine traditions, and her fierce American patriotism.

I hope you take a moment to look my book over. Family friendly, inspirational, thought provoking; a unique story! I'd rate my book PG, appropriate for older teens, YA and adults looking for a clean, easy read.

Thank you!

Mirta

www.facebook.com/withlovetheargentina...

With Love, The Argentina Family: Memories of Tango and Kugel; Mate with Knishes