Haunted Halloween Holiday WordCrafter Book Blog Tour Day 3 – Guest Post by Robbie Cheadle and Book Review of Haunted Halloween Holiday by Patty L. Fletcher

Haunted Halloween Holiday WordCrafter Book Blog Tour Day 3 – Guest Post by Robbie Cheadle and Book Review of Haunted Halloween Holiday by Patty L. Fletcher

Haunted Halloween Holiday WordCrafter Book Blog Tour

Welcome to day 3 of the Haunted Halloween Holiday WordCrafter Book Blog Tour.

Before we get to Robbie’s guest post and my book review, here’s the schedule for the tour. Make sure you stop by each one to enjoy all the deliciousness this tour has to offer.

Haunted Halloween Holiday – October 3 – 8

Monday – October 3 – Intro. Post w/review – Writing to be Read & Review – Undawnted

Tuesday – October 4 – Guest Post – The Many Showers of Blessings

Wednesday – October 5 – Review & Guest Post – Patty’s World

Thursday – October 6 – Review & Guest Post – Carla Loves to Read

Friday – October 7 – Review & Guest Post – Zigler’s News

Saturday – October 8 – Guest Post – Annette Rochel Aben

And now, today’s post.

TSL Publications presents Haunted Halloween Holiday

by Robbie and Michael Cheadle.

The cover of Haunted Halloween Holiday by Robbie and Michael Cheadle features a dark blue background with a bright yellow full moon on the top right hand corner. There are sillhouettes of black trees at the very bottom and goes up the right side with a crow atop one of the branches, illumated by the light of the moon. In the foreground there are candied caricatures. The one on the left is a gingerbread RV camper with colorful candies creating the door and windows. There is white piping around the border and black candies that create the vines that creep up the left side of the camper and the left side of the front door. There is a black cat on top of the camper. In front of the camper is a Dracula in black shorts and a red cape and red eyes, with pale skin. To the right is a green witch, in a black bikini and wearing a black witch hat. They are sitting on the ground. The next caricature is on the right and in the foremost of the picture. It is a candied pool of water, cracked to look like waves in the water. Surrounding the water is a candied wooden fence. Behind the wooden fence is a windmill. It has a light wooden brown tower and red sails. A black back flies above both caricatures. In the water is a yellow rubber duck life vest. Inside the life vest is a purple snake-like creature.

Cover of Haunted Halloween Holiday by Robbie and Michael Cheadle

What is your favourite food?

Thank you, Patty, for this question. It is a difficult one to answer as both Michael and I love to cook. We especially like to experiment with new recipes.

I like Indian food and I enjoy cooking Cape Malay theme meals as well as Indian recipes. I can never replicate someone else’s recipe, so I always have a look at a few recipes on the internet for a particular dish and then make up my own variation.

I am currently sharing weekly posts in a Recipes from Around the World series on my blog, Robbie’s Inspiration. You can find the recipes I have shared to date here: https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/robbies-inspiration-recipes-from-around-the-world/

Michael’s favourite food is salmon and chips. Michael often helps me cook or bake and he aspires to be a chef in the future.

What keeps you going? What inspires you and keeps you moving forward with your work?

With regards to writing for children, my major motivation is to create a love of reading in children. I believe education is the only pathway to upliftment for less privileged children and reading is the basis of all learning.

I encouraged Michael to write by sitting with him and thinking up the Sir Chocolate series of stories. Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet were his own characters and together we brainstormed the adventures the pair go on in the books.

This process of creation, combined with reading and writing, helped Michael to find the joy in tasks he found difficult because of his learning barrier. It was a way of helping him overcome his challenges and it worked.

We shared our stories and the related early illustrations with the children in my Sunday School class and they loved them. The children wanted to bake and create, and the teachers incorporated these activities into our weekly learning plans. It was a lovely time for me.

A friend of mine from Sunday School suggested I send our stories to TSL Publications and share them with a larger audience. The stories were accepted for publication and Michael and I became published authors. Just like that it happened for us.

Of course, marketing the books and letting people know about them has been a more difficult road and a big learning curve for me, but the idea of instilling a love of reading in children is the light at the end of the publishing and marketing tunnel.

About Haunted Halloween Holiday

A black background with the words "Count Sugular sees a ghost approaching" in black letters typed on the illumated section of a waning moon. The moon is on the left of a gingerbread house with an open front door. The knob on the dorr is a small piece of black licorice. The window box underneath the open window is made of white candied bones. The tiles on the roof is black licorice squares with black licorice borders. Sitting atop the roof of the house is a candy Dracula, wearing black pants, shoes, and a black cape with a crimson interior and a collar that stands behind his head and looms over him. His bowtie and eyes are also crimson. His skin is pale and he has black hair and a pale complexion. Behind Dracula are black licorice stuffed pink and green candies. On the ground to the right of the house is a green candied dragon. He has white teeth and black eyes, nose, and horns.

Count Sugular sees a ghost approaching

Blurb

Count Sugular is delighted when the Sugarpop Bats invite his family to a Halloween party at the Haunted House. He and his wife, Witch Honey, decide to hire a caravan and enjoy a weekend away with their family.

Includes some fun limericks to introduce the various characters.

Review of Haunted Halloween Holiday by Patty L. Fletcher

Adorable and hilariously heart-warming.

Robbie and Michael won my heart with their glorious use of prose and poetry in this deliciously delightful book.

I was immediately drawn into the celebration and before long the spirit of Halloween fun was upon me in a sweet and delectable way.

Count Sugular, his wife Witch Honey and their Baby Howler along with all their wonderfully whacky friends are brilliant and create a Haunted Halloween family reunion like none other I’ve seen.

Fiendishly clever, for the young and young at heart, Haunted Halloween Holiday is a book you don’t want to miss.

I laughed, clapped my hands and smiled as I read this tasty tale.

I also loved the way mental health issues such as depression and anxiety were woven into the book in such a way as to be both entertaining and educational.

In fact, when I sat down to read this book, I was feeling a bit depressed myself, for this time of year, although filled with wonderful treats around almost every corner can at times, hold a scary sadness as well.

However, after only a line or two, the cobwebs of depression were swept aside thus clearing the way for a happier moment in my day.

I’d also like to say, the pictures are quite amazing. Thanks to Two Pentacles Publishing.

I too was able to enjoy them.

Thanks Robbie and Michael Cheadle for a wonderful Sunday morning read.

You can find the book trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fr5OxyUfd4

Purchase links

TSL Publications: https://tslbooks.uk/product/haunted-halloween-holiday-robbie-and-michael-cheadle/

Lulu.com: https://www.lulu.com/shop/michael-cheadle-and-robbie-cheadle/haunted-halloween-holiday/ebook/product-vd5778.html?page=1&pageSize=4

About Robbie Cheadle

Robbie Cheadle is a South African children’s author and poet with eleven children’s books and two poetry books.

The eight Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.

Robbie and Michael have also written Haunted Halloween Holiday, a delightful fantasy story for children aged 5 to 9. Count Sugular and his family hire a caravan to attend a Halloween party at the Haunted House in Ghost Valley. This story is beautifully illustrated with Robbie’s fondant and cake art creations.

Robbie has published two books for older children which incorporate recipes that are relevant to the storylines.

Robbie has two adult novels in the paranormal historical and supernatural fantasy genres published under the name Roberta Eaton Cheadle. She also has short stories, in the horror and paranormal genre, and poems included in several anthologies.

Robbie Cheadle contributes two monthly posts to https://writingtoberead.com, namely, Growing Bookworms, a series providing advice to caregivers on how to encourage children to read and write, and Treasuring Poetry, a series aimed at introducing poetry lovers to new poets and poetry books.

In addition, Roberta Eaton Cheadle contributes one monthly post to https://writingtoberead.com called Dark Origins: African Myths and Legends which shares information about the cultures, myths and legends of the indigenous people of southern Africa.

Robbie has a blog, https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com where she shares book reviews, recipes, author interviews, and poetry.

Find Robbie Cheadle

Robbie Cheadle Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Robbie-Cheadle/e/B01N9J62GQ

Robbie Cheadle Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15584446.Robbie_Cheadle

TSL Publications Robbie Cheadle Author Page: https://tslbooks.uk/product-tag/robbie-cheadle/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bakeandwrite

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SirChocolateBooks

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVyFo_OJLPqFa9ZhHnCfHUA

21 Comments

  1. Thanks to Patty for hosting and setting up this lovely post. It’s wonderful to be able to showcase these delightful authors, Robbie and Michael, and their delectable books. ☺️

  2. Robbie Cheadle Reply
    October 5, 2022

    Hi Patty, thank you for this lovely post, your excellent questions, and your fantastic review. I am so delighted that you enjoyed this book and it gave you a mood lift. That is the best thing a writer could here about their book.

    1. Hi Robbie, I read that on Sunday and it was the very best part of my day.
      I picked up a copy for my younger grand kids. I’m adding it to their box of goodies for the holidays.

      1. I am so pleased you enjoyed the book, Patty.

        1. Hi Robbie, it made me want Halloween candy. LOL.
          I wonder what sort of Candy Blue and his crate would be made of.

  3. Hi Patty and Robbie. I’ve been visiting some of the posts in this book tour and quite enjoying learning more about Robbie and Michael and their shared love of baking and collaborating on books. What a beautiful relationship to have with your child. Hugs <3

    1. Hi, I’m so glad you dropped by.
      Yes, a beautiful relationship indeed.

      1. HI Debby, Patty has shared a lovely post. Thanks for visiting.

      2. My pleasure Patty 🙂

        1. Thanks Robbie, it was only possible via way of your inspiration.

  4. Patty, you asked a couple of great questions and I loved reading Robbie’s responses. Sad to say, being Canadian, I have never read an Enid Blyton book, but I am going to see what my library might have. I have enjoyed many of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s work, but didn’t know about her depression. So, I learned from this post, was entertained and of course loved your review of Robbie’s and Michael’s fun book.

    1. Hi Carla, thanks for dropping by.
      I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
      For me, the best part about doing these tours is the stuff I learn.
      Thanks again and come back to my worlds any time.

      1. Oops, I left the wrong comment for your post, Patty. I was catching up on the tour. I have been following Robbie’s Recipes Around the World and have saved some. I haven’t tried them yet though. I loved learning about how she began her writing career with her son, so inspiring. Definitely a wonderful thing to share. Great Questions.

        1. Hi Carla, thank you for both your lovely comments. I am glad you enjoyed the questions and my answers.

    1. Happy to be part of this.

  5. Thanks again, Patty, I’ve shared this post today together with my Growing Bookworms article. Such a lovely review, we are really delighted.

    1. Happy to share

  6. Great post, Robbie. As you say, education is important for success in life and an ability to read is the basis of that. Finding joy in reading is a bonus, and you do so much to encourage that in children.

    1. Hello, Norah.
      Thank you for dropping into my world to visit the post.
      I’m glad you enjoyed it.

      1. It was my pleasure, Patty. Thank you.

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