Christine is an award-winning author, reader, editor, book designer and publisher. She loves writing and helping others publish the book of their dreams through her publishing company: CKBooks Publishing. Christine also teaches workshops at local libraries for both youth and adults and at a youth writing and publishing summer school class. You can find all of her books at christinekelenybooks.com. That is also where you can sign up for her Readers’ Group.
This is a family series similar to Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys. It is a mystery adventure series set in 1961. Agnes is taken on a trip to Turkey, Norway, and Russia with her Grandmother, looking for answers about the death of Agnes' father. Fun for the whole family.
These 4 books follows the life of a young Wisconsin farm girl who run away from home, gets a job on a Mississippi river boat and eventually becomes a nurse in WWII. When she comes home from the war, she tries to deal with what she's seen in the service and how she's treated back home.
Has Grandma Agee gone off the deep end? Is CIA Officer Miller or Mr. Borge of EI4 (the Norwegian Intelligence Service) going to catch up to them and force them home?
Book III in the Agnes Kelly Mystery Adventure Series is full of even more surprises, takes you on another exciting ride (through Russia), and Reveals All - including some things you would never expect!
The laughs, thrills, and hijinks continue for young and old alike in Book II of the Agnes Kelly Mystery Adventure Series, the much-anticipated follow-up to the Award-Winning Intrigue in Istanbul. But there is more! Grandma and Agnes get in over their heads and end up putting their very lives at risk.
Book II of the Rose Series: Today women have a glass ceiling. In the 1930s that ceiling was made of wood, so following your dream only took you so far—especially if you went against societal norms and what your friends and family told you you should or should not do. This is the story told in A Burnished Rose, the much-anticipated sequel to the award-winning Rosebloom.
Rose never knew it would be so difficult. Maybe everyone was right; maybe she shouldn’t have joined the Army Nurse Corps. Rose wanted to do her bit for the war effort, help the boys who were risking their lives fighting the Germans and the Japanese, and maybe see a little of the world along the way. But there was no way she could have predicted the horrors she would encounter and the difficult
Book One of the Agnes Kelly Mystery Adventure Series will make you laugh, set you on the edge of your seat and leaving you wanting more - both the older and younger reader alike.
** Midwest Book Award Finalist ** Historical fiction about the creators and creation of Nancy Drew and the controversy that still surrounds the plucky, intelligent, resourceful, and famous girl sleuth we affectionately call Nancy .
The Red Velvet Box is a Christmas story for all ages. Set in 1954 it tells of a young girls discovery that all is not how it appears to be, even your 84 year old Grandmother, and even she has a story to tell.
Book III in the Rose Series.
Shell shock, battle fatigue, post traumatic stress disorder―it all means the same thing to veterans who have served their country by putting themselves in harm’s way. But for women veterans of WWII like Rose Krantz, it meant they were expected to step back into kitchen and forget all they had gone through, something Rose cannot easily do.
Rosebloom - An Award Winning historical fiction novel and coming of age novel set in the late 1930s. Step into Rose's world, where a young Wisconsin farm girl who runs away from home. Rose is looking for adventure, what she finds is much more.
Midwest Book Review calls Rosebloom: "... an excellent blend and deftly written look at 1930s America..."
Library Journal Review gave it a "Recommended"
My Indian Queen
on June 02, 2012
My Indian Queen, at 114 pages, is a nice, quick summer read.
The story is written from the point of view of a young man (Ryan), who in the beginning is pining back to the days of his last summer before going off to college for the first time. This summer includes a job at a local circus (though I really don't think circuses stay in one place that long - if they ever did), a first love with a young woman by the name of Cassie, who is half American and half Indian (as in India, hence the picture on the cover) and who is her own person, and true friendship with Cassie and a misfit by the name of Paul.
The end takes you back to the present day and what Ryan decides to do about his hum-drum life as a police detective. I won' t give it away, but the I liked the ending - slightly implausible but not so much so to ruin the story. I would recommend it (and it is appropriate for young audiences as well).
The Weeping Empress
on July 12, 2012
Genre: YA fiction fantasy
Synopsis: (from Goodreads) Chiyo Alglaeca was happy in her life. That is, until it was all taken away. Forced into notoriety, stalked by a mysterious cult, hunted by the emperor, and facing betrayal at every turn she clings to the only safety she can find: two enigmatic men and the sharp bringer of death, Salvation. The Weeping Empress explores the devastating effects of loss, the hunt for redemption, and the price of destiny. It questions the true meaning of evil and asks what monster is not also an innocent?
Things I liked: I like how the author made up a whole new religion. I assume it's a new religion. I've never heard of it and as odd as this religion is, I think I would have. I also like that the religion has no rules - as unlikely as that might be, and that the head of this religion is a woman. That the main character, Chiyo, is a strong woman. I like the epilogue too, but I won't say why because that will give something away for people who want to read the book.
Things I didn't like: Chiyo falls into this past time and easily develops a blood lust. Later on in the story the author explains more about this, but I think it would have worked better - been more believable if she would have put that explanation earlier in the story. It just seems out of place for a modern day wife, mother, and presumed employed female of the 20th century to fall back in time and not bat an eye at opening people up with a sword. I can understand her first battle - it was a matter of survival, but it should have really taken Chiyo a while to "enjoy" all the killing she does or at least have a reasonable explanation for it, but that doesn't come until later. I also would like to have seen why the bad guy - the Emperor - was such a bad guy. You just have to take it on faith that he is but it's hard to root for Chiyo and her killing cohorts -Senka and Muhlah - when you know nothing about why he is bad. I also don't get the logic of Kali, the Goddess that is the head of this religion, and why she is asking he followers to do what they do related to Chiyo - which is why Chiyo ends up as she does. Maybe I'm dense, but I don't get it. And lastly, the use of foreign words is make reading it difficult because most of the time Forsythe does not give you any context to figure out what the words means or a translation within the story. She does it on occasion so I'm not sure why she didn't do it throughout.
As you can see, I have more things that I don't like about it than I do, but overall, it wasn't a bad story, it just needs some polishing.
Rated: 3/5
Thank you Sadie for a free e-copy of this book.
Stairway To Heavenly Sleep: Your Step-By-Step Guide To Teaching Your Baby To Sleep Through The Night
on July 24, 2015
You can tell Christine knows how to put her kids to sleep. She's had the practice with four of her own, including one who was a reluctant sleeper.
Her books gives very clear instructions and good Q and A at the end of the book, plus she even lets parents contact her if they have further questions. I'm not sure I'd start as early as she did with her kids, but I think he steps would work with an infant at most any age.
I would recommend this for any parent who has sleep issues with their infant.