Showing posts with label Bullying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bullying. Show all posts

Thursday, 16 May 2013

Billy the Bonsai Bull

  BILLY THE BONSAI BULL.  Giveaway.
Leave a comment for a chance to win this  little chapter e-book .


MuseItUp Cover Designer: Kaytalin Platt

Bonsai Billy needs a miracle or this sad, lonely, little white bull will die.

 Billy the Bonsai Bull is an Australian true story told from the little bull's point of view.
 
  Billy is a stubborn, orphaned calf who is losing the battle to survive. Hope revives in an unexpected way, through the milk bottle he detests, and brings him a sense of belonging.  However, it takes more than a place in the pecking order for this little white bull to thrive. It takes a miracle.





This is the real Billy, the stubborn, adorable little bull with the farmer's wife and the three children in the story.

 


Although I wrote Billy's story to touch adults who understand cows and their behaviour, and for those who have an affinity with animals, the issues of loneliness, bullying and depression could resonate with children.

Excerpt:
The calf padded forward. He looked into his mother’s face and mooed softly. Her glazed, weepy eyes no longer focused on his. He nibbled on her ear. She didn’t stir.

The farmer’s wife sighed and reached forward to pat his head. “Come on, little bull. I’ll get you a nice warm drink. What do you think of that?” His hair bristled. Without his mother’s protection, he didn’t feel comfortable with these people. He darted away to the safety of a gum tree.

“This calf will be harder for you to rear than mothering a newborn,” the farmer warned his wife. “This one’s had the real thing for three weeks.”

“Maybe, but you’ll have to help me get a collar and lead on it. After that, how hard can it be? Besides, I must succeed. I promised Misty.”

The little bull waited till they walked up the hill and out of sight. He ventured out from behind the tree trunk and settled on a patch of dirt inside the hawthorn bush a short distance from where his mother lay. In his cave-like shelter he dozed, until a sudden, terrifying pressure on his ribs woke him.

The farmer’s knee pinned him to the ground. He squirmed and wriggled to his feet, kicking defiantly with his hind legs, but the farmer held him fast. The wife approached with a thin orange strap and secured the collar around his little neck. She picked up a bottle filled with a strange white liquid and pushed its rubber teat into his mouth. The teat smelled like the black boots on her feet. He eased it out with his tongue. She tried again. With her free hand she continually scratched his throat. He had to swallow. Then he gagged and struggled and spat and stamped on the woman’s foot.

She laughed and hugged him. “In spite of your tiny body and cute little face, you’re such a stubborn beast. You behave like a goat. A Billy goat! That’s what I’ll name you.” She stood and tugged on the lead. “Come on Billy, it’s me or nothing.”
 
 
More pictures of the real Billy
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



Lunch time!
 
 
 



 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 EParzefall  
Rating: 5
 
I didn't expect to have so much fun finding myself in the head of a young bull. Seeing the world (and the farmer family) through Bill's eyes, is entertaining and enlightening. He refuses the icky smelling milk bottle, longing for his mother's rough tongue to lick his fur. When he settles for the stroke of the brush of the farmer's wife, an important first step is made. Fun not only for the young.

Dragonmuse  
Rating: 5

Billy's story will captivate young and old alike. This heart warming tale brings to life the struggles of a little calf as he faces the world alone. Wendy Laharnar writes with an authenticity possible only from her experience raising cattle in the Australian bush. Billy's stubborn nature could keep him from learning valuable, life preserving lessons. Readers discover an insight into farm life from Billy's perspective. From the first pages this beautifully crafted story hooks the reader. Billy's plight is poignant and written with passion. Put simply I found this to be a beautiful, rich, and heart warming story.  Congratulations, Wendy Laharnar. Another MUST READ.
 
Francene (London. U.K)
Rating: 5
 This review is from: Billy the Bonsai Bull (Kindle Edition)

This beautifully written story follows the life a new-born bull through the unspeakable loss of his mother. He shuns all attempts made by a woman to feed him, which don't substitute his mother's warmth. With courage and determination, Billy must find a reason to carry on when bigger cattle shun him. Set in the wonderful surroundings of Australia, the young reader discovers the abundant wildlife along with Billy as he learns what makes life worthwhile. The story will bring warmth to any heart.

 
Loraine (America)
Rating: 5
This review is from: Billy the Bonsai Bull (Kindle Edition)

I very much liked the story of Billy. The author made Billy's blight and adventures come to life. Would very much like to read more from Wendy and look forward to future releases.

  ***


I hope you and your children come to love Billy as much as I do.
 
 

Friday, 25 May 2012

Billy the Bonsai Bull doing well on Amazon .de

Billy the Bonsai Bull has German readers. I'm thrilled to be able to share this stubborn little Australian calf's short story with people on the other side of the world even though I wrote it in English at Amazon .de

Nr. 7 in Kindle-Shop > eBooks > Fremdsprachige eBooks > Englische eBooks > Kinderbücher > Tiere

when Rosalie Skinner found this and took the screenshot for me.

I don't know which Kindle category this is, nevertheless it's lovely Billy had even a fleeting moment to shine. :)

Billy the Bonsai Bull is available from MuseItUp

Amazon US; Amazon UK; Smashwords.

Friday, 3 February 2012

BOOK LAUNCH PARTY

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MUSEITUP AUTHORS WHO HAVE BOOKS RELEASED TODAY, FEBRUARY 3rd 2012

 CONGRATULATIONS ELLE DRUSKIN


  
Cover Designer: Delilah Stephans

GOING TO THE DOGS 


A Contemporary Romance Novel



Sam Kendall is a cop with a mission; find the killer who murdered his partner and track down the diamond thieves behind the killing. Chief suspect Jodie McBride is a brilliant dog trainer but a loser with men. Dog-hating Sam is stuck with a junk food addicted poodle as his new partner and stuck on a cute redheaded dog lover that he desperately wants to be innocent. Mix in an assortment of eccentric pooches, their offbeat owners, baseball fans and two very smart canines who know humans can’t be trusted to know a good thing when they see it. Before Sam and Jodie know what's happened, everybody is going to the dogs.


Now available from  Amazon Kindle  and  MuseItUp Bookstore 

Visit Elle at  Elle Druskin's Website 

***

CONGRATULATIONS SHELLIE NEUMEIER




Cover Designer Kaytalin Platt


 
THE WISHING RING


The Adventures of Cory and Ali


A Tween Fantasy  Novella









BLURB:
The King’s castle stands alone atop Grand Ur Mountain, but even that does not match the solitude surrounding Princess Ally. With a carrot-shaped nose, she trudges through her princess duties with the most unfortunate face. With her pet greybar (a creature with the head of a greyhound, body of a polar bear, and wings of an eagle) as her only friend, Ali dreams of becoming a beautiful princess.

When Cory, a ninja-in-training, drops through the royal chimney, he does not intend to enlist the help of anyone, much less a girl, but she holds the key to the Creator’s map. The ancient map marks the secret hiding place of the magic Wishing Ring, a ring grants the wearer one wish.

Cory’s mysterious need for the ring and Ali’s dream of a beauty send the pair to a forgotten land. Only the war ravaged clan of Odana can translate the map’s key. But even if they manage to find a translator, the question remains—can they beat the Ogre who guards the ring?



Available from Amazon and Muse Bookstore

Visit Shellie at  Shellie Neumeier's Website

***

CONGRATULATIONS      DEBI WILDER

GABBY’S SECOND CHANCE, BOOK 2  LACEY’S LAMP



Cover Designer Suzannah Safi


A Short Story

Erotic Fantasy
fantasy, paranormal, love lost, love found, betrayal

BLURB
Gabby Adams did the unthinkable – she put her unborn child in harms way and lost. While Ryan Peterson was fleeing the thugs he owed money to for horse betting, Gabby placed herself physically between the man she loved and the men who wanted to harm him. Gabby feels she’s undeserving to give her love to anyone, physically or emotionally. With ghosts laid to rest and Lacey’s help, will Gabby find love in the arms of another man?


Available from  Amazon Kindle and  MuseItUp Bookstore

 Debi Wilder's Website but you must be 18yrs+ to enter this site.

***


CONGRATULATIONS  KRISTIN BATTESTELLA





RESURRECTION: STEPHANIE AFTER THE LILITHAN
Cover Designer Suzannah Safi

Book Seven in Fate and Fangs
The Vampire Family Series
Dark Fiction Paranormal

A Short Story









BLURB

In Professor James’ final tale, former Lilithan vampire and newly divorced scientist Stephanie just can’t get over how much she misses being a vampire. After a harrowing car accident during a frightful storm, Stephanie meets Mestiphles, the giver and taker of vampire power on both sides of the coven wars.  His charm and seductive powers sweeten the demonic offer he extends, but will Stephanie accept Mestiphles’ dark opportunities?


 Available from   Amazon Kindle and MuseItUp Bookstore

Visit Kristin at Kristin Battestella's blog


***


CONGRATULATIONS TO ME!


          

Cover Designer Kaytalin Platt





BILLY THE BONSAI BULL 


 is a short chapter book for Middle Graders, about an orphan calf's struggle to survive through grief, rejection and bullying.



BLURB

This is an Australian true story told from the little bull's point of view.

Billy is a stubborn, orphaned calf who is losing the battle to survive. Hope revives in an unexpected way, through the milk bottle he detests, and brings him a sense of belonging. However, it takes more than a place in the pecking order for this little white bull to thrive. It takes a miracle.


In frustration, the farmer's wife declares, "The trouble is, he knows he's a cow."
 
Thank you Lea Schizas and MuseItUp Publishing.
Thank you to my editors Annie Duguid and Nancy Bell, and to my cover designer Kaytalin Pratt.

Available from  Amazon Kindle  and  MuseItUp Bookstore



Come and join the boistrous party via the comments- if you are game. Meet the authors and you might win a copy of one of these new books.
The garden gate stands ajar-- WELCOME IN said the spier to the fly hehehehe. Bring your characters to mingle with ours.