Darlene Foster

#ShareAReviewDay – #AmandaInAlberta by #DarleneFoster

/ Marcia / 26 Comments

Today, please help me welcome back one of our regulars, Darlene Foster, whose Amanda series of children’s books always garners wonderful reviews. Today, she is sharing one for Amanda in Alberta. I know you’ll enjoy this one, and will be happy to pass it along on your favorite social media sites. Thanks so much!

REVIEW:
By Jacquie Biggar

Amanda is excited to show her friend, Leah (visiting from England), the sites in southern Alberta.

While at the Calgary Stampede Parade, a clown drops a stone with strange markings. Amanda rescues the stone from the road and tries to get the clown’s attention, but he’s gone. She decides to hang onto the rock to see if her Great-Aunt Mary, a famous paleontologist, might know what the markings mean.

Strange and frightening encounters occur while the girls are sightseeing the Stampede, a working cattle ranch, Drumheller with its world-famous dinosaur museum, and Writing on Stone Park- a Unesco World Heritage site. Someone wants the stone back and they aren’t above hurting the girls to get it!

Amanda in Alberta is a fun, page-turning mystery with interesting tidbits of indigenous history along with Alberta landmarks thrown in.

While geared toward the pre-teen age group, this book has something for every reader to enjoy.

I give Amanda in Alberta four lovely kisses- Traveling with Amanda is an adventure!

BLURB:

Amanda is delighted to show Leah around Alberta during her visit from England. They take in the Calgary Stampede, go on a cattle drive, visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, spend time with the dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum and explore the crazy Hoodoos. When Amanda finds a stone with a unique mark on it, she doesn’t think it’s important until everyone seems to want it – including a very ornery cowboy. Is this stone worth ruining Leah’s holiday and placing them both in danger? Spend time with Amanda as she explores her own country while attempting to decipher the mysterious writing on the stone and keep it from those determined to take it from her.

Buy Amanda in Alberta HERE


Author Darlene Foster

Darlene Foster grew up on a ranch outside of Alberta. She dreamt of writing, travelling the world and meeting interesting people. She also believes everyone is capable of making their dreams come true. It’s no surprise that she’s now the award-winning author of a children’s adventure series about a travelling twelve-year-old-girl. A world-traveler herself, Darlene spends her time in Vancouver, Canada and Costa Blanca in Spain with her husband and amusing dog, Dot.

You can reach Darlene here:

Amazon Author Page

Website  |  Goodreads | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – Amanda in Alberta by Darlene Foster

/ Marcia / 23 Comments

This afternoon, I’d like to welcome Darlene Foster back to The Write Stuff. This time, Darlene is sharing a review of her book Amanda in Alberta. I know you’ll enjoy it, and Darlene and I would both be grateful if you’d share it, as well. Thanks!

REVIEW:
More exciting adventures with Amanda and Leah, this time in Alberta, Canada
By Christa Polkinhorn

Amanda is overjoyed. Leah, her best friend from England, is coming for a visit. Amanda and her parents have a whole sightseeing tour ready for her. They take her horseback riding, on a cattle drive, they visit a dinosaur museum, and Leah gets to meet Armanda’s extended family. Everything seems perfect until Amanda finds a stone one the cowboys lost. She soon realizes that quite a few unsavory characters are very interested in this stone and she wants to know why. Leave it up to spunky, feisty Armanda to get herself and her friend into a lot of trouble. This is another fun read for the young and the young-at-heart, full of quirky characters and fascinating adventures. And you learn some very interesting facts about that part of Canada.

BLURB:

Amanda is delighted to show Leah around Alberta during her visit from England. They take in the Calgary Stampede, go on a cattle drive, visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, spend time with the dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum and explore the crazy Hoodoos. When Amanda finds a stone with a unique mark on it, she doesn’t think it’s important until everyone seems to want it – including a very ornery cowboy. Is this stone worth ruining Leah’s holiday and placing them both in danger? Spend time with Amanda as she explores her own country while attempting to decipher the mysterious writing on the stone and keep it from those determined to take it from her.

Buy Amanda in Alberta HERE


Author Darlene Foster

Brought up in southern Alberta, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing stories, travelling the world and meeting interesting people. It’s no surprise that after a number of interesting jobs, she’s now an award-winning author of the exciting Amanda Travels series featuring spunky 12-year-old Amanda Ross who loves to travel to unique places. Readers of all ages enjoy travelling with Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another. When she isn’t travelling herself, Darlene divides her time between the west coast of Canada and the Costa Blanca, Spain with her husband and entertaining dog, Dot. She believes everyone is capable of making their dreams come true if they´re willing to step out of their comfort zone. 

You can reach Darlene on Social Media here:

Website  
Goodreads
Blog 
Twitter 
Facebook

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action by Darlene Foster

/ Marcia / 28 Comments

Good Morning, Everyone! Today, we are welcoming Darlene Foster back with a review of another of her wonderful Amanda books. Amanda in Holland is available on pre-order now for September delivery, and I’ll bet after you read this review, you’ll be eager to go do just that. Enjoy this one, and pass it along if you would, thanks!

REVIEW:

Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action
by Darlene Foster (Goodreads Author)

Jacqui‘s review 
May 27, 2019

It was amazing.

Darlene Foster’s Amanda in Holland: Missing in Action (2019) follows the heroine, Amanda Ross, as she makes a trip to Holland to visit friends and try to unravel what happened to an Uncle who never returned from WWII–declared missing in action. If you follow the Amanda series, you know that Amanda cannot travel without getting into trouble, causing mischief, or solving mysteries despite her young age. In this story, Amanda rescues a thrown-away puppy named Joey, tracks down a missing gardener, and helps to solve the theft of rare tulip bulbs. She does all this while exploring the culture and excitement that is found nowhere but Holland. Besides the Anne Frank house and the famous Holland canals, Amanda enjoys:

“…banket, a puff pastry filled with an almond paste.”
“…Hotchpotch Stamppot, a traditional Dutch dish of mashed potatoes mixed with carrots and onions,”
“…Bloemenmarkt. It is the world’s only floating flower market.”

The story is told in a conversational voice that will draw all readers in and deftly mixes the cultural details with how Amanda engages in and solves the mystery.

This book is available for pre-sale now for delivery in September 2019. This would be a great gift for a child to celebrate the end of summer or a favorite teacher to add to their classroom library (or the school librarian, of course). It’s an uncommon book in that it takes children through the clever bits and pieces of Holland not found in any other nation without feeling like a travelogue.

The series includes:
Amanda in Arabia
Amanda on the Danube
Amanda in Spain
Amanda in New Mexico

…and more. This book and the entire series is highly recommended for elementary age and Middle School children and parents. Continue reading →

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – “Amanda on the Danube” by Darlene Foster

/ Marcia / 21 Comments

It’s Tuesday once more and time for #ShareAReviewDay here on The Write Stuff. Please help me welcome Darlene Foster this morning, who will be sharing a review of her book Amanda on the Danube. (Have you noticed what a well-traveled little girl Amanda is? Lucky her!) Hope you enjoy this one and will pass it along far and wide. Thanks!

REVIEW:

Robbie Cheadle
5.0 out of 5 stars A great adventure in a very interesting setting
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Michael and I read this book together and we both enjoyed it immensely. It is my favourite of the three Amanda books we have read to date and we will definitely be reading more.

Amanda and her good friend, Leah, are on a boat cruise along the Danube and very much enjoying the good food and fascinating villages and towns that they stop at when they become embroiled in a new mystery. A young boy who plays the violin most beautifully asks Amanda to please take his violin on the boat with her and meet him in Vienna. Amanda agrees to the request and quickly comes to realise that the talented boy is not the only one who wants the violin. There are a few people, both on the cruise and elsewhere, that are determined to lay their hands on this instrument.

I really like Darlene Foster’s books as they have an interesting and face paced story but they also include a huge amount of fascinating information about the specific country in which each specific novel is set. We both learned a lot about the towns and villages in Germany, Austria and Hungary and the traditional foods, entertainment and some famous places of interest. There is a lot of research that goes into each of these books.

We rated this book five out of five stars.

Continue reading →

#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday – Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind by Darlene Foster

/ Marcia / 32 Comments

This afternoon, please help me welcome Darlene Foster to The Write Stuff. Darlene is sharing a review of Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind, and I know you’ll enjoy reading this one. Don’t forget to pass it along to all and sundry to help more people learn about this wonderful series. Thanks!

REVIEW:
Bette A. Stevens
5.0 out of 5 stars History & Mystery with plenty of life lessons along the way!

January 15, 2019

Amanda and her sixth-grade class are on an educational field trip from their hometown of Calgary, Canada to visit, explore and document their experiences in New Mexico, USA. As the class tours Taos, New Mexico and the surrounding area, their trip is interrupted by ghosts present and past. In “Amanda in New Mexico—Ghosts in the Wind,” Foster has written a contemporary fiction story through which middle-grade students will not only learn about the region’s geography, architecture, and artifacts—they’ll learn invaluable life lessons along the way. Students and teachers are sure to want to follow Amanda through further adventures in this well-written series.

~Bette A. Stevens, author of award-winning children’s picture book” AMAZING MATILDA, A Monarch’s Tale” and other books for children and adults. Continue reading →

#ShareAReviewDay – Amanda in Spain: The Girl in the Painting by Darlene Foster

/ Marcia / 28 Comments

Lovely to have Darlene back again this afternoon, this time to share a very special review she received directly from a very young reader, who had no adult help with the writing. I know you’ll enjoy this one and will be happy to pass it along to all your contacts! Thanks!

REVIEW:
By Catrin (8 Years Old)

I really enjoyed this book. I like books which have a mystery plot to them, and this book really caught my attention – I read it all in one go! The story kept me guessing until the end. In some parts, the reader is held in suspense while in other times you can almost guess what’s going to happen so I had to read on to find out if I’d got it right or not. My favourite character was Dona because she is a Spanish performer and I like performing as well. I like books in which I can relate to characters that are around my age. I enjoy books that are set in different countries, as I like geography and finding out about places. I especially liked the detail of the settings. This book was so fantastic, I was really engaged. Thank you, From Catrin (eight years old)

BLURB:

Amanda Jane Ross is certainly becoming a world traveller; she’s now in sunny Spain on vacation with her friend Leah. While there, she encounters a mysterious young girl who looks eerily like the girl in a famous painting she saw in a Madrid museum. Even weirder, the girl keeps showing up wherever Amanda finds herself – Madrid, the remote mountains of rural Spain, the beaches on the Mediterranean Sea, a lively fiesta and the busy streets of Barcelona. Amanda wants to help this sweet, young girl and her beloved pony escape the clutches of a mean horse-dealer. Come with Amanda on her next adventure as she attempts to unravel the mystery behind the Girl in the Painting while she treks across Spain – always one step ahead of danger!


Author Darlene Foster

Brought up on a ranch in southern Alberta, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing, travelling the world and meeting interesting people. She also believes everyone is capable of making their dreams come true. It’s no surprise that she’s now an award-winning author of children’s adventure books who divides her time between the west coast of Canada and Orihuela Costa, in Spain.

Buy Amanda in Spain: The Girl in the Painting HERE

Reach Darlene on Social Media Below:

Website: Darlene Foster
Facebook
Amazon author page
WordPress Blog 
Goodreads
Twitter

#ShareAReviewDay with Darlene Foster – Amanda In New Mexico

/ Marcia / 29 Comments

Today, our first guest is Darlene Foster, who is sharing a lovely review of her book, Amanda in New Mexico. I know you’ll enjoy this review, and will share it on all your social media. Thanks!

Review by Patricia Tilton of Children’s Books Heal

Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind
Suitable for Ages: 9-12
Themes: Adventure, School trip, New Mexico, Haunted hotel, Ancient pueblo, Ghosts

Synopsis
Amanda Ross is on a school trip to Taos, New Mexico with several of her fellow creative students. She shares a room with Cleo, an anxious classmate who insists she see ghosts. Although Amanda is determined to prove there is no such things, she can’t seem to shake the feeling that something or someone is watching her.

Join Amanda, Cleo and their funny friend, Caleb, as they visit a rugged and beautiful landscape where a traditional hacienda, an ancient pueblo, and a haunted and spooky hotel all hold secrets to a wild and violent past.

Does Cleo really see ghosts? Can Amanda escape the eerie wind that follows her everywhere? Perhaps The Day of the Dead will reveal the mysteries of Taos in this latest and adventure of Amanda’s travels series.

Why I like this book:

Darlene Foster has written another lively adventure story for young readers who enjoy traveling, exploring and solving a good mystery. Fans of the Amanda Travels series won’t be disappointed with this fast-paced book which will keep them on edge with a spooky plot and unexplained events.

The story is character driven. Amanda is a fun, upbeat, curious, caring and memorable character that readers will want as a friend — especially since she has keen radar and is always ready to solve a good mystery.  And, Amanda can’t resist a good mystery — even if it involves ghosts, cold breezes brushing her shoulders and unexpected incidents. Her friend Cleo is more sensitive to the presences around and finds it safer to sketch the sites they visit instead of explore. Caleb is more pragmatic, the group photographer and a good balance for Amanda.

Readers will learn about history, geography, architecture, artifacts and shiver at the presence of ghosts that are rumored to be haunting many of the places they visit in Taos — the Mable Dodge Luhan house, the Governor Bent Museum, the Taos Pueblo, the Rio Grande Gorge and bridge, Ojo Caliente hot springs, the Palisade Sills, the St. James Hotel, and the Enchanted Circle Pottery. They will have an opportunity to attend the Day of the Dead celebration.

Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind is the sixth book in the Amanda Travels series: Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask; Amanda in Spain: The Girl in the Painting; Amanda in England: The Missing Novel; Amanda in Alberta: The Writing on the Stone; and Amanda on the Danube: The Sounds of Music.  I recommend you start with the first book, but  Foster has written the books in such a manner that they can be read in any order.

By Amanda in New Mexico HERE


Author Darlene Foster

As a young girl, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing, travelling the world, and meeting interesting people. She also believed in making her dreams come true. It’s no surprise she’s now the award-winning author of Amanda Travels, a children’s adventure series about a spunky twelve-year-old who loves to travel to unique places.  Readers from seven to seventy enjoy travelling with Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another. A world traveller herself, Darlene spends her time on the west coast of Canada and the Costa Blanca, in Spain.

Visit Darlene at her website HERE

 

 

#ExcerptWeek – Amanda in New Mexico-Ghosts in the Wind by Darlene Foster

/ Darlene / 24 Comments

Here is an excerpt from the sixth book in the Amanda Travels series, Amanda in New Mexico – Ghosts in the Wind soon to be released.

9781771681209

Amanda stood in front of a door the map showed as the Santos Display Room.

“What’s in here?”

Along with Caleb and a couple of other students, she entered the dimly lit room containing glass cabinets filled with pictures and statues of various saints. A sign explained how the families in Spanish America always kept a shrine to a saint in their homes. The shrine often held Milagros, tiny silver shapes attached to statues of the saints. There were legs for people who couldn’t walk, eyes for those who had bad eyesight and animal figures to wish a farmer a productive year with his flock. Amanda was fascinated as she peered carefully through the glass at the small objects stuck on the figures.

She looked up and gasped. At the end of the narrow room stood a life-sized skeleton of a woman riding in a wooden cart. Amanda, heart beating, crept closer to the scary figure wearing a scraggly white wig and a long dark robe. She carried a scythe in one hand and a globe in the other. On the wall beside the figure, a plaque told of Doña Sebastiana, the female saint of death, or Santa Muerte. During the Holy Week procession at Easter time, this female Grim Reaper was rolled out in her death cart and transported through the town. Parents would point her out and tell the children if they did not behave, Doña Sebastiana would come for them.

Amanda gulped and peered more closely at the horrible figure. She couldn’t understand why parents would want to scare their children like that. Imagine the nightmares!

Just then, everything went black. Something brushed Amanda’s shoulder. She froze.

“Caleb,” she whispered. “Is that you?”

There was no answer.

A cold breeze passed over her.

***

To watch the trailer for Amanda in New Mexico -Ghosts in the Wind click here

Amanda Ross is on a school trip to Taos, New Mexico with several fellow creative students. She shares a room with Cleo, an anxious classmate who insists she sees ghosts. Determined to prove there is no such thing, Amanda can’t seem to shake the feeling that something or someone is watching her.

Join Amanda, Cleo and their funny friend, Caleb, as they visit a rugged and beautiful landscape where a traditional hacienda, an ancient pueblo, and a haunted and spooky hotel all hold secrets to a wild and violent past.

Does Cleo really see ghosts? Can Amanda escape the eerie wind that follows her everywhere she goes?

_MG_0158-Edit-sm

Brought up on a ranch in southern Alberta, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing, travelling the world and meeting interesting people. She also believes everyone is capable of making their dreams come true. It’s no surprise that she’s now an award-winning author of children’s adventure books. She divides her time between the west coast of Canada and the Costa Blanca, in Spain with her husband and entertaining dog, Dot.

Reach Darlene on Social Media Here:
Website
Blog  
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

 

#ExcerptWeek – Darlene Foster @supermegawoman

/ Marcia / 30 Comments

danubesmaller

Finally! #ExcerptWeek resumes with our last three contributors. Today’s guest is children’s author, Darlene Foster, and I know you’ll enjoy her charming excerpt. Please remember to share, thanks! Darlene, welcome to The Write Stuff.

~~~

Excerpt From Amanda On The Danube
 The Sounds of Music

The girls continued to look around the market, stopping to pull the strings on jumping jacks and stroking teddy bears dressed in lederhosen, just like the dancers wore the night before.

“Psst!”

            Amanda looked around but couldn’t see anyone.

“Psst!”

Amanda swung around and saw a finger motioning to her from between two stalls. Leah was busy looking at jewellery. Amanda slipped into the tiny space. There crouched in the corner, sat the young boy who played his violin by the Gingerbread House earlier.

“Please, Miss. I need your help.”

Amanda noticed blood seeping out of the dirty bandage on his thumb. “What happened to your thumb?”

“Oh, that. It is nothing.” The young man reached for his violin case. “You are on the boat, yes? The Sound of Music boat?”

“Yes, I am. Why?” She looked at the bloody finger. “You should have that cleaned up. You could get an infection.”

“Please, could you take this with you on the boat?” His large blue eyes pleaded with her as he held out the case.

“Why can’t you take it to the boat?” asked Amanda.

“I do not have a ticket. But my violin must get on the boat. It is of much importance.”

“Well -” Amanda took a deep breath. “I guess I could take it, but then what will I do with it once I’m on the boat.”

“Perhaps you could keep it in your room until you get to Vienna. I will meet you there.”

“H – How…”

“Amanda! Where have you gone?” She could hear Leah shouting.

“OK. I have to go.” Amanda snatched the violin case.

“Danke, fraulein. Don’t tell anyone you saw me, bitte. I mean, please.”

~~~

profile-photo
Author Darlene Foster

Brought up on a ranch in southern Alberta, Canada, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing, travelling the world and meeting interesting people. Following her dreams, she’s now an award-winning author of the exciting Amanda Travels series featuring spunky 12-year-old Amanda Ross who has adventures in unique places. Her books include Amanda in Arabia – The Perfume Flask, Amanda in Spain – The Girl in The Painting, Amanda in England – The Missing Novel and Amanda in Alberta – The Writing on the Stone. Readers of all ages enjoy travelling with Amanda as she unravels one mystery after another. She is also the author of a bi-lingual book, Pig on Trial/Cerdito a juicio. Darlene divides her time between the west coast of Canada and the Costa Blanca, in Spain. She believes everyone is capable of making their dreams come true.

511npgq2vl  51osi7zhiel 

51ed-apjn6l    51spwxnpjl 

Buy Darlene’s Book Here:
Amanda on the Danube: The  Sounds of Music

Reach Darlene on Social Media Here:
Website
Blog 
Facebook
Twitter
My Amazon Author Page