Together, they all share a wonderful Christmas filled with presents, laughter and fun.  The little alien gets up to all her usual hijinx with the children - this time involving Christmas lights, carrots, tinsel and snowballs.  This will be a Christmas that the children will never forget as they share the festivities and teach Xalien about this magical time of year.  This is the author’s description of her book.

I read this book to two seven year old kids, a boy and a girl; and a two year old girl that was thoroughly entranced.  They loved the story and the illustrations.  The story took about 10 minutes to read aloud and was enjoyed by the kids and adults.  This is an excellent book to add as a holiday tradition for all families.

The illustrations by Charlotte are wonderful as usual, she has a marvelous talent for conveying the message of the written text.  I think the Christmas themed decorations on the pages of prose were quite delightful. 

I rate this book 4.9 of 5 stars. I found two words missing from the text. 

This book is available on 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Xalien-Purple-Alien-Xmas-Special/dp/1910607428/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448653412&sr=8-1&keywords=Xalien+the+purple+alien%3A+xmas+special

You can follow Michelle 
on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mimilovesu
on her website: http://michellepath.com.au
on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Michelle-Path-Childrens-book-writer-551595064936515/
on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9876235.Michelle_Path

You can follow Charlotte 
on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CharlotteRobe11
on her website: http://charlierobertsillustration.weebly.com/
​Copyright © 2015 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction 

A half-Zythian bard named Vanx is in chains for bedding the Duchess of Highlake. The Duke wants him dead, but his wife secretly sent their daughter to buy his freedom from the slave markets. This is bad news, for bad things can happen to an ill guarded caravan in the mountains. When the duke's mercenaries attack to kill the adulterous prisoner all hell breaks loose. Now, the only way Vanx and the Princess of Highlake can escape the duke and his men is if they can somehow make it through the Wildwood, a place that no one has ever returned from before.....
 
This is how the author describes his book. I will say that this does not do justice to the wild ride this group of people go through, because many do not come out of the Wildwood! This story is a lot of fun and there are so many elements expertly woven together; we have a hero who loves to serenade others and drink a few ales, there is a princess in disguise, a queen that cuckolds her husband with the bard, a devious commander setting up the murder of the bard and others. Giant cats and dogs provide transportation, wizards that are not always awake, ogres, trolls and walking trees! Something for everyone!
 
If you love fantasy, you have several hours of pleasure waiting for you in this book. I rate this book 4.7 stars of 5. Mr. Mathias has constructed a comfortable and believable world. The only drawback is the head hopping, we spend a little too much time in the heads of different characters. More dialog and action would push a great story to the top!
 
The book is available on Amazon: Through the Wildwood (The Legend of Vance Malic Book 1)
 
Follow him on twitter: @dahgmahn
 
His website: http://www.wardstone.info/
​​Copyright © 2015 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction 

     This is a story intended to be read by adults to children. It is a splendid story about an alien named Xalien that meets three children on earth when the spaceship becomes disabled and crash lands in their neighborhood.
     This story is centered on the humorous experiences of Xalien, Sarah, Adam and Jessica. On the surface, the three children immediately accept Xalien despite obvious differences. They help Xalien blend in with other people on earth and have fun at the same time. They discover there are more differences than the obvious also. They guide Xalien in manners, how to greet one another and how to eat, for example. 
    The four of them go to a fair and have many experiences new to Xalien: rides, treats, and a petting zoo. I was worried that Xalien might think the animals were food, I am glad I had nothing to worry about. They had great fun. 
     Upon returning home the lessons continued, spaghetti was an interesting challenge. Xalien learned that children do not sleep hanging upside down in a closet or wardrobe. 
     In the middle of the night, the rescue party arrived and Xalien tried to leave the house without disturbing the sleeping children. That plan failed because the children were able to wave goodbye when Xalien left earth for home.  
     This is a wonderful story accompanied by delightful illustrations. I think the collaboration of Michelle and Charlotte is brilliant.  The pictures are large and easy to grasp, yet rich in detail to engage all ages. 
     I asked my seven year old granddaughter to read the story to me, I knew some of the words might challenge her, she sounded many of them out and I explained some of them to her.  She said she liked the story a lot. 
     I think children of all ages will enjoy this story when read to them, it is a marvelous exercise in accepting differences in others. I am glad there are several books in the series. 

    I rate this 4.5/5 stars! 

    The book is available on Amazon, and is published by Rowanvale Books.




https://twitter.com/mimilovesu

http://michellepath.com.au

https://www.facebook.com/Michelle-Path-Childrens-book-writer-551595064936515/


https://twitter.com/CharlotteRobe11

http://charlierobertsillustration.weebly.com  
​Copyright © 2015 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction 
​