I’m happy to say that finally, after a year of hard work, A Thread Unbroken is now available on Amazon.com. Get it now!

And as a celebration for the release, it’s also time for my annual Christmas giveaway. This year, the first prize winner will receive a Nischi doll, valued at over $100. (If an overseas winner is drawn, they must agree to pay shipping to receive.)

The second prize winner will receive signed print copies of Chasing China and A Thread Unbroken, autographed to the name of your choice so you can use them as Christmas gifts!

The fourth place winner will receive a signed print copy of Mei Li and the Wise Laoshi, autographed to the child of your choice!

And I even have something for last place! The final winner will recive a keychain with the Chinese characters for Daddy!

Now we get to the HOW TO WIN section! These are some great prizes, if I do say so myself. And I’m happy to do it because my readers mean everything to me. It’s with your help that I am able to market to a wider audience. Each time you read my books, write a review, post a link…you are doing me an amazing favor. So this giveaway is my thanks to you.

But I still need you! So here’s the rundown:

Do the following, then comment on this post that you’ve followed each step and to enter you into the drawing!

1. Go to my website home page and join my new release newsletter. I promise not to bombard you with emails or share your email address! The join box is in the top left side bar here. I’ll be sent a message that you joined and when future books are released, I’ll send out a news alert.

2. Since junior high we’ve all wanted to be liked, and facebook has given us an adult version of that cruel taunting. So, please LIKE me at my Kay Bratt page here!

3. Because A Thread Unbroken is brand new and I need all the help I can get, the last task is to post the Amazon link to it on your own wall or blog with some sort of short message like, “Kay Bratt’s new book just came out!” or whatever….as long as it’s friendly and it’s not something like, “Don’t read this because Kay Bratt is making me do this.”  *wink*

That’s it! Then come back and comment below that you’ve done the 3 tasks and want your name entered into the drawing. I’ll use random.org to draw winners on December 14, so I can get the prizes to you in time for Christmas. (Can’t guarantee!)

BONUS!

As promised, if you have written reviews for any of my books on Amazon.com, you will get your name in an extra time for each review. As you may not know, reviews are like gold to authors, and I appreciate the time you take to give your honest opinion on each title. Your words also help me improve! So note in your comment if you get bonus chances for reviews and again, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your world in some small way.

*UPDATE TO ANNOUNCE WINNERS!*

Winner of Nischi Doll is Carly Parks, commented November 30, 2012 at 7:06 pm  

 Winner of (2) signed Kay Bratt novels is Erin Donaldson, Commented December 5, 2012 at 10:38 pm  

Winner of signed Mei Li book is Jennifer Ashford, Commented November 27, 2012 at 3:05 pm  

Winner of Baba Key Chain is Desiree Christopher, Commented December 12, 2012 at 8:29 pm

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you all for participating!

Winners, please contact me via the email link on my home page, left column.

The Bridge is a FREE Kindle E-Book Today! Click HERE to download!

Out of everything I’ve written, The Bridge is still my favorite little story. It is like the little train that could…it just keeps going and going. I’ve tried to analyze why this book has gained such traction, but I think that O’Scarlett Reviews says it best:

It is a story of hope – where none existed or should have existed. Love – and giving of the little you have to make another persons life worth living. It is a picture of China – and the hopelessness for some, and the heart that still beats. O. Scarlett! Reviews

And I also love what an Amazon Reviewer had to say:

If you like chocolate, you’ll know the feeling of tasting an exquisite chocolate that pleases every taste bud in your mouth and has you pining for more once the flavour fades… The Bridge is like that, only with words. It is balanced and well written and is a delight to the senses. There is something beautifully symbolic about it that will give readers different experiences to take away, and they will find themselves reflecting on the meanings and the intent of the author…or maybe it was just a good telling of a story. A good book club contender for readers to enjoy and discuss. Lea Owens, Amazon Reviewer 

The book is featured on this site along with some other good free choices. Be sure to bookmark Free Kindle Books and Tips! And you can find them at Facebook, too!

Happy Reading and if you enjoy The Bridge, I would truly appreciate it if you would take the time to post a review on Amazon or GoodReads. Thank you!

If you would like your name to be in the drawing to win an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) of my latest novel, A Thread Unbroken, before it is even released to the public, please comment below. I’ll draw 10 names on Tuesday, September 18 using Random.org.

If you are chosen, you graciously agree to:

1. Write a review on Amazon for the book

2. After the release date, link to the book on Amazon from your facebook page

ARC’s are usually sent out to magazines, newspapers, authors and blog owners who help promote the book upon it’s release. I’ve put aside 10 copies just for my readers (ie: Facebook friends) as a huge thank you for their support. I wish I had more than 10 but I’ve had to sneak those from my marketing manager..shhhh!

Comment below if you agree to the stipulations and would like to be in the drawing. You can find the book on Amazon at this link to pre-order the Kindle or Print version.

Winners! Okay, after counting backwards and forwards multiple times…I’ve come up with these names as winners: Cassandra Wilson, Amy Aichele, Mia Danielle, Alice Harris, Cherie Jones, Danae Aman Meister, Dennis Wiemer, Sarah Scott, Sandra Dotson Sawwan, Connie Chung. Please email me at Kaybratt70@Hotmail.com so I can match your email address to the one linked to the comment to ensure I have the correct people. In your email, please give me the physical address you would like me to ship the book to. Thanks so much, everyone, for your participation! I wish I had more I could give away!

I know we are a bit early for preparing for Christmas but I just had to alert you to these awesome new Christmas stockings made by Mollie Anderson, an AP who has talently discovered a new way to provide for her adoption fund so she can bring her child home from China. Please take a look at these stockings made from fabric purchased from Xi’an, China. The stockings measure 15 inches long and 9 inches across at the foot. Her stockings are all shown on her Etsy page here and can even be monogrammed!

One lucky reader will win a stocking from Mollie. All you have to do is go to Mollie’s Etsy page and take a look around, then come back and comment on this blog post to tell me which stocking was your favorite. A winner will be pulled from random.org on August 31.

And we all know I love to reward those who support my writing and help me spread the word by posting reviews on Amazon. If you have done at least one review for any Kay Bratt books, add that to a seperate comment to get your name in 1 additional time! (that’s my way of saying THANK YOU for your support!)

AP Valerie has created something so sweet…

Lydia Love–“Things Knot Seen”

Introducing … a new line …

“Things Knot Seen”

this is:

Lydia Love Petals!

She’s a little bit shy, but oh so cuddly! Bound to be one of your best-buddies … From her cotton knot-tied pony-tails to her pigeon toed feet, she’s soft, one-in-a-million sweetness.

Each doll is approximately 14″ tall and has Sunny-Happy-Skies Panda Fabric torsos and a coordinating, removable cotton skirt.

Her eyes are brown and have a glint of Asian in them. Lydia’s hair is styled into cotton knot pony tails decorated with ribbons. Her right leg has her very own heart-circle-stamp. It’s just up high enough to be hidden by her skirt but close enough to remind you how much you are loved in a heart-beat.

  

Lydia Love Petals can be yours! To get your name in the drawing you only have to do 2 things:

Step One: Go to the Lydia Love Petals blog post and comment here.

Step Two:  (of course I have to get in on the fun) Post the link to my newest novel, A Thread Unbroken, on Amazon on your facebook or blog! Here is the link.

To make that more fair, I’ll draw a 2nd place winner to receive an e-book copy of A Thread Unbroken upon it’s release.  You might be the first one to read it!

Then COME BACK and comment here that you did both steps to get your name in the drawing.

Drawing will be June 1. Hurry, not much time left!

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:

So for a week now I’ve been buzzing about a new project. Some of you may not know this but I’ve recently jumped on board with AOW, An Orphans Wish. I’m very excited to work with such a reputable and amazing organization to continue my work supporting and advocating for China’s children.

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

As many of you know, I have a few published books. Huh? What? Oh…you knew that, don’t play around. *wink* And many of you have graciously bought, borrowed or won my books and then graciously taken the time to review them on Amazon.

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!

Today and tomorrow I am letting my novella, The Bridge, be downloaded for free from Amazon. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download it to your smartphone or PC!

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.