Sometimes I find books that just speak to my heart and that is just what happened with Sweet Moon Baby. The book, written by Karen Henry Clark and illustrated by Patrice Barton, is just one of the most beautifully done adoption tales I have seen. I cannot say enough about the illustration and the story!

Amazon Blurb: A lyrical fantasy about a Chinese infant’s magical trip to her adoptive parents. Her birth parents declare her “perfect,” but are unable to provide for her. Thus they place her in a basket and set her adrift: “We must trust the moon. Only good things will happen to our daughter.” Helped by a variety of animals as well as a beneficent-looking moon, the baby girl floats down the “winding river” to her adoptive parents, who have been preparing for her arrival by planting vegetables and trees, building a new bedroom, and buying books. Their hands are shown parting reeds to reveal her smiling up at them from her basket. The vibrant watercolors capture her journey and her delight in her new family and home. Although most youngsters will understand that the journey on the river is a fantasy, adults should be prepared for questions from literal-minded children who may wonder why a baby had to make a solitary voyage and depend on the kindness of wild animals in order to reach her destination.

You can win a signed hardcover copy of this book to be in your hands by Mother’s Day. With just a few Clicks, you are in. Become a fan by Liking both the Sweet Moon Baby and the Kay Bratt Facebook fan pages. Then come back and comment here that you have “liked” both pages. The drawing will be in two weeks, Saturday, April 28.

If you Link to the Sweet Moon Baby Amazon book page or share this post from your facebook wall, tell us in the comments below and your name will go in an additional time!

Thank you and get on with your clicking/sharing!

UPDATE:

That leads me to my GREAT news.

Portrait Artist Marla Michele Must of ~Enchanted Photography~ by Marla Michele and Kay Bratt, child advocate and best selling author of “Silent Tears; A Journey Of Hope In A Chinese Orphanage” are joining forces to create a treasure for adoptive families.

Illuminating real-life stories, our book will be an unforgettable photographic expression of the life changing and inspiring journey adoption has for families all over the world. Adoption is not always a fairy tale story. This compelling project will give you a snapshot of tears, trauma, laughter and joys of the unforgettable gift of building a family.

Open casting calls for the project are in the works. If you are an adoptee from China, Russia, Korea, or elsewhere and would like to be a part of this project, or if you are the parent of an adoptee from China or another country and would like to enter your child in the project and share a small part of her story with the world, please contact Marla at MarlaMichele68@yahoo.com for details.  A portion of all future net proceeds will benefit AOW (An Orphans Wish).

All participating models will have a photo included in the book, and some models will also have aspects of their stories highlighted. Written pieces will be submitted to and edited by Kay Bratt, and will include memories of Forever Family Day and/or other special moments that should be captured in print for others to share. The sharing of the stories, however, is optional and up to the discretion of the family.

One of my online friends sent me a message and said, “I love the idea, but who is this Marla Michele?”  That’s a great point. If I’m going to ask you all to participate in such a project, I should give you a bird’s eye view of the woman leading it, right?

What I know is this. Portrait Artist Marla Michele Must of Enchanted Photography, is the proud mom of three remarkable children ages 12, 10, and 5 and lives in Metro Detroit. She is fluent in Hebrew and Mandarin (and her children speak Mandarin as well!). Her youngest cutie pie was adopted from China. I have to share a photo of her, get ready….

Marla has been a vegetarian since she was 11 years old. (33 years!). She loves photography because along with feeding her passion to find the beauty in everything, it allows her to bring awareness to adoption, parenting emotionally intelligent children, PTSD, and anti-bullying.

 And without further adieu, let me introduce you to Marla Michele in her own words:

 ~Planting Seeds~
Portrait Artist Marla Michele Must’s Story

When I was 13 years old I was given a camera by a family member who was someone I looked up to. She took an interest in showing me how to use the camera and how to properly compose a photograph (without shooting a tree growing out of the top of someone’s head, or a stop sign in the back-round of a portrait). Her encouraging words were very powerful to me at my young impressionable age when I was shy and not very sure of myself.

As I spent time getting to know my new camera, I realized that I had an innate habit of “composing” the world around me with my eyes long before ever picking up the camera. My new camera became my tool to capture all that I composed, all that I found to be truthful, meaningful, unique, precious, sacred, beautiful, enchanting, unusual and momentous in the world- and to capture it on film forever. It was magic!

I still feel that way today, much more so now that I’ve become a mom and have my precious three children to photograph. After years of hearing the question “do you do this professionally?” it occurred to me that the amount of time I was spending shooting, editing on the computer, and obsessing about photography might actually be translated into the practical world and perhaps something I get paid to do… so…. I hung up a shingle and things began to fall into place. The amazing part- all it took was for me to acknowledge and believe in myself enough to follow my passion wholeheartedly. I entered and won a photography contest and started to construct a website. I called a professional photographer in my area to learn more about the field, and now he is one of my mentors. I considered building out a studio space in my home and suddenly an opportunity for the Royal Oak studio came about. All of this leads me to the conclusion that following my intuition led me to my authentic path- and that path is lined with a higher purpose.

Life has a way of offering up opportunities to pay it forward… for example; in photographing children I’ve recently noticed a repetitive theme arising, especially with young girls. During our portrait sessions my young subjects will often confide in me and reveal something they are self-conscious about, or something they’ve been told is unflattering in their appearance. It’s at that moment that I recognize I have been given an opening to “plant a seed” of empowerment- either with a few words of encouragement or a sincere compliment. I strive to replace the negative thought with a positive empowering one instead. The words I offer are very powerful to the recipient, likely because they are perceived as coming from an “expert”, a stranger looking through the lens, someone aside from a friend or family member, someone with no perceivable motive. I can usually see a reaction following our exchange, sometimes its apparent in the softening of their body language, or an expression of relief, the renewed sparkle in their eyes.

The most exciting part of photography for me- it’s given me the ability to apply my passion towards a greater life purpose. I’m happy to be able to use my craft to support and endorse local businesses in Metro Detroit through a combination of my photography, social media, writing, and collaborating. The businesses and projects I am attracted to endorsing are those modeled on authenticity, integrity, driven by passion, and those that encourage giving back to the community. Causes I hold dear to my heart include bringing awareness to parenting emotionally intelligent children, anti-bullying, and parenting empathetic mindful children. I hope to bring awareness to therapeutic adoptive parenting, having just recently adopted my youngest daughter. I’m grateful for the medium of photography and the messages it allows me to send out into the world.

Hope to see you on the other side of the lens!
~Marla~

Web: www.MarlaMichelePhotography.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EnchantedByMarlaMichele
Adoption Blog: www.MustLiveALifeLessOrdinary.com

This giveaway is to thank YOU for that.

If you have reviewed any of my books, please comment below which ones and where you reviewed it to get your name in the pot to win:

Puss in Boots Blu-Ray, Puss in Boots~The Three Diablos~ DVD, And Puss in Boots Beanie Baby

A 2nd winner will win a signed copy of my children’s book, “Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi”, autographed to the child(ren) of choice!

YOU STILL HAVE TIME to do reviews if you haven’t already! Your name goes in for each review, so you have the ability to have your name in 4 seperate times for reviewing each of my 4 books; Silent Tears, Chasing China, The Bridge or the Mei Li book.

The drawing will be in two weeks. That gives anyone currently reading a Kay Bratt book time to finish and review on Amazon.

And again..thank you. I hope my gratitude shows!

In present day China, an old woman’s house sits opposite an ancient bridge. Not just any bridge–but a special one because it has always been known as The Lucky Bridge. In olden days it was said that to walk over it during a marriage ceremony, or at the beginning of the New Year would bring the traveler good luck. Because of its reputation, over the years it has also become a popular place for young mothers to abandon their children. What to some may seem cruel is in reality their final gift to their offspring–one last chance to send them off to their new destinies with luck on their side. Jing, an old woman, is the unofficial and often reluctant guardian of the bridge. When no one else will, Jing steps in to prevent the children from frostbite, abuse and hunger, and then she delivers them safely to the orphanage. This has been her routine for many years, but what does Jing do when the latest child, a blind boy, burrows deep into her heart?

Read ‘The Bridge’ to see how Fei Fei’s life is changed by the love of a lonely old woman. The Bridge is a short story of 17,000 words, approximately 72 pages. Fei Fei’s character is based on a real orphaned boy that Kay Bratt met during her time in China.

Don’t miss these other books by Kay Bratt! Full length books currently available on Kindle “Silent Tears; A Journey of Hope in a Chinese Orphanage” and “Chasing China; A Daughter’s Quest for Truth”.  For children adopted from China, you may be interested in Kay’s book called “Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi.”

What have reviewers had to say about The Bridge so far?

Kay is a wonderfull writer, weaving a tale that is so real you could almost imagine yourself there. I read this book in two hours and couldnt put it down. It’s something that is close to my heart.

By the time I finished the 2nd chapter, I was in tears. Kay Bratt has a way of bringing you into the story not just emotionally but visually as well. I can see the characters come to life and live and work in their daily lives. From a rescuer of abandoned children to a fostermother of one rescued, the story is a careful, redeeming look at a sad time in the life of some of China’s families, those who for whatever reason have had to abandon a child.

What is most impressive about this short story is how it is “steady-good” from beginning to end.  Again Kay has taken an experience from her years of volunteer work in China’s orphanage system and mixed fiction with reality to paint a picture of just one amongst the endless stream of abandon children in China. This work is both sad, in that this young blind child is abandon by a historic bridge in China, and uplifting in that absolute strangers take extras steps to help this innocence child have the best life that can be patched out of a bad situation.

Despite the new e-book craze and low cost of buying (and getting free!)e-books on Amazon, do you still like the feel and smell of a book? Me too. Do you still want your children to have that experience of waiting until you read the last word on the page so that they can turn it? Me too. Do you want them snuggled up next to you as you read them a chapter each night? Me too, but that’s not gonna happen in this house any longer. Oh–one more. Do you want them to grow up wanting to collect their favorites and hold them in their hands later to relive those childhood memories? Me too!! (We are so much alike it’s uncanny..)

So that brings me to the latest Kay Bratt Giveaway.

I love Kate DiCamillo. She doesn’t know it but I do. Just. Love. Me. Some. Kate.

You are going to think this is weird, but last week when I had a particularly rough time, I self-soothed myself by reading her chapter book titled, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. If you haven’t read it, or your child hasn’t I guess we should say, then you are all missing out. I also liked The Magician’s Elephant, though not as much as Edward. But her most famous thus far, according to me, (and I’m all that counts in this instant) is The Tale of Despereaux. Maybe you have the movie? The book is better. I promise. Okay, so I read them for research, but still–they were so good!

I also had a great launch for Chasing China. Impressive free downloads, actual sales and borrows since the release. Now I am blonde but certainly not naive enough to think that I am so famous that I did all that by myself. No way, hosea. YOU did it. You all helped my release shine by sharing on facebook, buying my book, recommending my book, tweeting my book, and especially by reviewing my books! [You know for an author, if we are in the desolate land of no-reviews-on-our-books, we might as well paint a big fat black X on our books. So thank you for everything but especially for the reviews.]

To get in the drawing to win the three books by Kate DiCamillo, ($30 value from Amazon) just comment below if you reviewed any of my books and which ones. (Please let me know the name you used) And because I am still trying to keep Chasing China going and it’s my current pet, if you review it you will get your name in twice. So you could potentially have a chance for reviewing Silent Tears, The Bridge, Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi, and 2 for Chasing China!

A second winner will win a signed copy of Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi. Okay–I’ll admit its not as wonderful as a Kate DiCamillo book but give me a few years…I might get there.  And really you guys, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. A really big thank you.

[and if you are still reading Chasing China or just finished up, you still have time to put a review on Amazon! Get to it--only needs to be a short sentence or two. The drawing will be held on January 31, by random.org]

We all know the insults, racial slurs and mean faces that children can make up and use against others. Or what about the innapropriate questions adopted children are asked over and over again? Is that your real mother? Where are you from? There is a whole list of them I’ve been told about. It is my hope that my little Mei Li book might just bring some awareness to some classrooms of adopted children. I will be donating copies to various schools around the country and some outside the USA. If you’d like your school or classroom to be considered, please comment or send me an email and your recommendation will go in the next pot for drawing.

Next week I’ll be mailing copies of Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi to:

Sharon Elementary, Indiana

Benfer Elementary, Texas

Bain Elementary, NC

Brighton Elementary, CO

Maple Elementary, OH

..and…Auchtertyre Primary School, Scotland!

Has your child been bullied or teased? And how have you handled it? This would be a great place to exchange stories and ideas on how to handle.

I hope this will give you parents a chance to screen the book and decide if it is one you will add to your children’s collection. I also hope (fingers crossed!) if you download it for free, you will take the time to put a short 1 or 2 sentence review on Amazon letting others know your thoughts.

Again, I can’t thank you all enough for believing in me and encouraging me to continue my dream of being an author. You’ll never know how much it means to me. I hope that my ‘giving away’ of thousands of dollars in royalties with this freebie will adequately show my appreciation.

Please be sure to get your free download from Amazon during the free period of 12:00 am (midnight) 1/2/2012 until it ends on 11:59 Pm PST on 1/2/2012. For those of you like me who are still in a holiday fog, the 24 hours starts tonight! (what I consider Sunday night but is really Monday morning)

I will be so anxious to hear what the kids say about Mei Li! Here is a short blurb:

Mei Li has just about had it with Cameron’s teasing, and she daydreams of having a fairy godmother. Instead she is granted with a wise old teacher from China who appears at her bedside! With his magic cane and his gentle ways, Laoshi takes Mei Li on an adventure to China and back to the day she was born to show her how her story began. Together they perch on a shaky pagoda and look at the Great Wall of China, a flowing river, and even pandas as the wise old Laoshi guides her through some hard questions she has been holding in her heart. Laoshi teaches Mei Li that a family is not just about who you were born to, but can also be created through the amazing gift of love.

What can YOU win?

First Prize is a set of beautiful pink Mei Mei pearls. A 10 inch strand of dainty pink freshwater pearls with matching earrings for your little girl. These pearls were grown in the Jiangsu province of China and come in a Suzhou silk drawstring pink pouch. I have sold hundreds of these Mei Mei sets but these are my absolute last ones!

Second Prize is a white pearl drop necklace and matching earrings in a Suzhou silk bag (Coffee colored with dragonflies). The lone white teardrop earring is on a silver chain and will fit a young girl or woman. It is also a freshwater pearl grown in the Jiangsu Province.

Third Prize is a signed copy of my newest release, Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi, autographed to anyone you choose.

How do you get in the drawing for these prizes? Simple!

1. Go to the Amazon link of one of my books and copy/paste it to your facebook page or highlight it on your blog. The links are below for your convenience. Click a link and go there. Copy the url to the book from Amazon and then paste in your fb update or blog.

Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi        The Bridge         Chasing China; A Daughter’s Quest for Truth       

2. Come back here and comment on this post that you did it and which book you linked.

3. As promised, any Amazon reviews given for any Kay Bratt book will earn you extra chances. Be sure to tell me in your comment if you reviewed–which book and what name your review was under so I can verify.

That’s it! You might win one of the prizes above!

Oh, the deadline for the drawing is Monday, December 19 so I can attempt to get you the prizes by Christmas–though there are no guarantees, I promise to mail on Tuesday, December 20!

Another waiting mom ventured forth to make bows for her daughter who would soon join her from China. With the arrival of Sophia and encouragement from other moms who loved the bows, the Sophia Jane Boutique was born and now boasts many beautiful and original creations! Today dresses, bows and tutus are worn by children all over the world.  You have to go to their website and see for yourself! While you are there you’ll also see some amazing photography of gorgeous kids modeling the wide selection of boutique items.

Kimberly at SJB has graciously donated a $50 gift card for a lucky winner! …and I’ll throw in a 2nd place prize of a signed copy of my newest release, the children’s adoption book called Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi. (signed to a special child).

To get in the drawing to be held on Saturday, December 17, just follow the following prompts:

1. Go to the Sophia Jane Boutique fan page and “Like” it, then comment on the thread that I start as to what your favorite SJB item is.

2. Come back here and tell us you did it so we can check, and put your name in the drawing.

3. IF you have left a review for ANY Kay Bratt book, tell me here in the comments which ones and you will get extra chances for each review. (I ‘told’ you if you leave Amazon reviews for my books, you’ll get a jump on these giveaways..and there will be more to come so be sure to do your reviews!)

The deadline to participate by coming back here and commenting you have followed the guidelines is Friday, December 16.

Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi

By Kay Bratt

Illustrated by Monika Vass

Mei Li has just about had it with Cameron’s teasing, and she daydreams of having a fairy godmother. Instead she is granted with a wise old teacher from China who appears at her bedside! With his magic cane and his gentle ways, Laoshi takes Mei Li on an adventure to China and back to the day she was born to show her how her story began. Together they perch on a shaky pagoda and look at the Great Wall of China, a flowing river, and even pandas as the wise old Laoshi guides her through some hard questions she has been holding in her heart. Laoshi teaches Mei Li that a family is not just about who you were born to, but can also be created through the amazing gift of love.

Just in time to wrap and put under the Christmas tree for that special adopted child in your life!

[Buy now at CreateSpace, or Amazon]

..and of course we have to include a giveaway to celebrate what has been one of my most difficult projects yet! So share a link to this blog post on your fb wall and/or website and come back and comment that you did it. Last day to get in the drawing is Friday, Dec 9 @ midnight EST. The winner will be drawn on Saturday, December 10, just in time to get you out the prize of a signed collection of Kay Bratt books. You’ll receive an autographed Silent Tears (with brand ‘spankin new red/white cover), an autographed Chasing China, and of course an autographed Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi with a special note written to the child of your choice.

You will get an extra chance to win for each Amazon review you have written for a Kay Bratt book. Just be sure to alert me in the comment you leave below and tell me which ones you reviewed so I can double check and add your chances!

Thank you for your support of Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi!