VBT# Cyber Writers - Karen Kostlivy

Put your hands up if you want to go on a safari , with Karen Kostlivy's new children's book we can do just that in the comfort of our own home , sit back and take a journey through Africa and while you are at it - learn all about the animals and educational facts.

Genre: Children's Books/Adventure


Publisher: 3L Publishing

ISBN Number: : 0615362265

Bio :

Karen Kostlivy was born and raised in Northern California. She graduated from the University of California Davis with a degree in Rhetoric and Communication. She enjoys spending time with her family and listening to her two sons Camron and Masson play guitar. After a successful career in the private and public sector, Karen decided to return to a former passion, writing and creating stories for readers of all ages. She is currently happily residing in Yuba City California with her husband Davis and son.

Synopsis:

Mason Witt, a skateboarding American teenager, catapults himself into the greatest adventure of his life after reading the plight of a new Cyber Writer from Africa. Lutalo knew he would come so he sent Mason an urgent plea for help. His village has lost its precious Zebra of Life -- and his father has gone missing in the pursuit of the evil men who stole it. Here begins this thrilling adventure of two boys, a smart-talking panther, and an amazing zebra that sustains life.

From the Desk of K.K ......................

Cyber Writers and the Zebra of Life is a book that takes middle grade students on an entertaining journey through Africa where talking animals and magic arrows help the young readers track thieves to try to save the village. At the same time, the kids are learning the value of friendship, teamwork, trust and exercise. They are also learning a lot about Africa.

This book is the first of a series of books that hopefully attract reluctant readers to reading. At the same time they will be learning a lot and having fun doing it. Each book in the series will be set in a different country and involve Cyber Writers having the adventure of their young lives. My website: http://www. cyberwriters.net will be the hub Students and teachers can continue the adventure with web quests, projects and lesson plans . Stay tuned there is more coming.

Is Reading Fantasy Good for Children?
I am so thrilled that James Wallace is hosting my virtual book tour on his wonderful site.

It is so full of whimsy and great illustrations. The Wizard of Oz is a book brimming with imagination, illusion, and fantasy. The Magician of Oz, James's book, takes over from that wonderful book when a young hero, Jamie finds his magical heritage in an old trunk he finds in the basement of his new home. After exploring the world around him, he is magically transported to the Land of Oz. Here he finds fantasy and adventure and makes new friends while conquering his fears.

My book, Cyber Writers and the Zebra of Life, also deals with fantasy and adventure. My skateboarding hero, Mason Witt, is a member of Cyber Writers - an international internet pen pal club- he gets an urgent plea from a fellow cyber writer Lutalo who is from Africa. Mason is magically transported to an African village where he and Lutalo team up for an exciting quest of rescuing the amazing Zebra of Life and Lutalo’s father who has gone missing in search of the evil kidnapers who stole the Zebra. The two boys encounter numerous thrilling adventures along the way and they meet fantastic characters to help them on their journey. The boys learn the value of courage, family, friendship, trust, loyalty, and faith.

Both books are great examples of the value of reading fantasy for children. Fantasy books can serve as a learning tool. If children are allowed to explore the world of fantasy, they can develop new interests. Hopefully children that read, Cyber Writers and the Zebra of Life will develop an interest in the animals, geography, and people of Africa. Children who read, The Magician of Oz could develop a desire to read The Wizard of Oz, or more books about wizards like the legend of King Arthur tales.

Children learn the difference between fact and fiction from fantasy. Reading fantasy books allow children to travel to exciting worlds, get to know fantastic characters, and explore the world around them. They can instill a love of reading that can make the difference in the life of a child as he/she grows to be an adult.

Book can be purchased on Amazon.com and my site http://www.cyberwriters.net/

Reviews

“I give Cyber Writers and The Zebra of Life ***** (5) Stars, Daniel Dietz, children's book reviewer for BK Walker Books.” Read the full review by clicking the link.

Daniel Dietz , B.K. Walker Books

bkwalkerbooks.weebly.com

“The first thing you notice is the careful character name selection that has been put into the names of some of this book's characters. I absolutely loved it.

She mentions a cute family tradition, which of course, would never work in my home -- paying for small favors with hugs and kisses.

This is a very creative and adventurous book, with emails, penpals and a trip to Africa. It's a wonderful exploration of pieces of another culture.There's even a surprise of a little magic involved.

A fun adventure and great unexpected new friends in this must have great read. A real page turner..you can't wait to see what will happen next. Your child's book collection cannot miss this book.”
RATING: ♥♥♥♥♥

Mystee
A Moment With Mystee

“This was a cute young reader/middle grade book! The author created a world intertwined with fantasy and a little magic that kids are sure to enjoy. This is probably a good one for those reluctant boy readers since there is plenty of "action!"
I enjoyed watching these characters come together despite their differences to save a village. It had a great message of working together to overcome obstacles. I think kids will definitely find this one exciting and entertaining!”

Kris, The Cajun Book Lady
thecajunbooklady.com

“Often times, young boys dislike reading. It’s a sad truth. If given Cyber Writers and the Zebra of Life, young boys would likely actually enjoy reading! This is just such a cool story about a young boy who is magically transported to Africa and undertakes a heroic adventure with a friend found through Cyber Writers, an electronic penpal circle. The pair (Mason and Lutalo) take on the African jungle and dangerous kidnappers to save Lutalo’s father and the magical Zebra of Life.
This story is full of imagination and would easily transport a young mind straight into the heart of Africa puts the reader right in the action. I would easily recommend this book to any boy…likely ages 8-13 would enjoy it best…or any young reader for that matter. Parents, if your son is reluctant to read, try handing him this book and watch as he finds out what a book can do for a young mind.”

Lindsay Chung, Lindsay Reviews
lindsayreviews.wordpress.com

Hello, fine friends! Thank you so much for your patience with the Blogger fiasco yesterday. Very glad it's not today as I have a LOVELY guest author I'd like you to meet! Here's something I didn't really grasp until recently... Middle grade fiction... sounds like it means... you know, somewhere between literature and pulp, ne? In actuality, it is literature for the MIDDLE GRADES. Who knew!? These are the bridge between 'kids books' and YA—the 8-12 range, depending on your reader. (and I know SEVERAL of us have kids that age--I've got my own 11...) Karen is my first Middle Grade guest... meaning guest who writes for middle grades... not that she is any less that TOP grade quality... if youknowwhatImean...

Hart Johnson
waterytart23.blogspot.com

Karen's book is the first of a series of children's adventure books geared to children who are in the middle grades. Click the link to read the full interview:
giveawayblogdom.blogspot.com
Interview Questions :


1) Tell us about Cyber Writers and the Zebra of Life.

Cyber Writers and the Zebra of Life is a middle grade fantasy and adventure for ages 8 and up. My skateboarding hero, Mason Witt, is a member of Cyber Writers - an international internet pen pal club- he gets an urgent plea from a fellow cyber writer Lutalo who is from Africa. Mason is magically transported to an African village where he and Lutalo team up for an exciting quest of rescuing the amazing Zebra of Life and Lutalo’s father, who has gone missing in search of the evil kidnapers who stole the Zebra. The two boys encounter numerous thrilling adventures along the way and they meet fantastic characters to help them on their journey. The boys learn about the importance of character and the value of courage, family, friendship, trust, loyalty, and faith.

2) What is one of your all time favorite books?
One of my all time favorite books is The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.

3) What gives you the innovation to write a particular genre?
I believe this genre chose me. I wrote parts of a story I created years ago for an English assignment. The story would not leave me no matter how much I tried to flush it from my mind, it just kept coming back to me. It was like I had no other choice but to write, so I began to write.

4) Has your characters or writing been inspired by friends/family?
It depends upon what I’m writing at the time. I use a combination of people I know or meet when creating characters. If someone strikes me as unique, bad or good, I will utilize certain aspects of their personality when I’m developing my characters. I recently had to work with someone that was purely rude and callous, and I could not do anything about it. I was disappointed that I had to put up with someone like that and from out of nowhere I created a new character from her bad behavior and a plot to a new story I’m working on.

The character Mason Witt is a coalition of my two sons’ personalities when they were younger. My son Camron is a tad more serious, whereas Masson my youngest son has a more carefree spirit. I combined the two boys’ personalities and some of their traits to create Mason Witt. On a side note to make it fair between my two boys I used Masson’s name in the book and I put Camron’s image on the cover, they both love it and think I’m a pretty cool mom.

5) Did you experience writers block? If so, what did you do to get rid of it?
Once in a while I will experience writers block. To remedy it I have learned to leave my writing area and get in my car and run errands. It is amazing…I make sure I have a note book with me and within 30 minutes or less I’m unstuck.

6) What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on books two and three in the Cyber Writers series. Since the series has educational components, I do a lot of research about each country, and I also conduct interviews with kids and adults that have lived or visited the country where the story will take place.

7) What is your favorite scene in the book?
I have so many favorite scenes in the book it is hard to pick one. Here is an excerpt of when Mason is transported to Africa:

Mason stopped reading. "Teeth," he said with a groan. He threw the blankets off of his head and jumped out of bed, landing on something cold and spongy.

"Ugh! What is that?" he cried. Green moss and rocks surrounded him. The walls of his room were beginning to melt away like candle wax. Screeches of monkeys, laughter of hyenas, chirping of insects, and trumpeting of elephants resounded in his ears.

"What the heck?" he shouted and jumped back onto his bed, landing on Jamie's bow and arrows. He shut his eyes as tight as he could. "Wake up, wake up," he frantically whispered; but the sounds persisted. He could feel his bed starting to dissolve away from under him. Clutching the toys, he rolled onto the ground. Slowly opening his eyes, he could see that he was no longer in his bedroom at all. He was griped in fear and thought if he could just stay still, not make a move, he might wake up, and it would be all gone. Just some weird freaky dream … you know because he just read that message from Lutalo.

8) Had you previously written anything?

The only other writing experience I have had was writing components of grants for a former employer.

9) How long does it take you to write a book?
With working it takes about 6-8 months to write a book.



10) Which come first for you – Characters or plots?
That is a tough question. I tend to do both about equally, however, if I had to choose one over the other I would say I create the character first.

11) Did you always want to become a writer?
When I was a kid I wanted to be a singer. The funny thing is I cannot carry a tune what so ever.

12) If stranded on a desert island, what are three material things you couldn’t do without?
If stranded on a desert island I would have to have my Bible, coffee and a computer.

13) What are you reading now?

I’m reading A Feast at the Beach by William Widmaier, which will be released August 6th. My publisher lent me her galley copy to read. A Feast at the Beach is a fantastic read and is about a childhood rivalry full of magic and charm centered on the author's experiences spending his summers in Provence with his French grandparents. It's a sumptuous and an elegant read that includes dozens of Provencal recipes meant to be enjoyed by all. My husband will be trying out a few of the recipes, it’s true, I don’t cook. LOL

14) Which author has inspired you most and why?

I honestly cannot say that one author in particular has inspired me the most. When I read and connect to an author I take away a little from him/her.



15) What advice would give aspiring authors?
Keep writing! If a person is passionate about writing I would recommend that they keep writing and not give up. There are far better writers out there than myself but some won’t complete what they start. Also, have someone review your writing that you trust. Hire someone if you can and be open to their suggestions in regards to polishing your work.

16) To finish off, do you have a quote or poem that has stuck with you over the years and what is the story behind it?
Gladly, I love this quote; it is by one of my favorite actresses.

“Luck? I don’t know anything about luck. I’ve never banked on it and I’m afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: hard work and realizing what opportunity is and what isn’t.” –Lucille Ball

There is really no story behind this quote; however, it is how I like to live. Hard work!