Nate Rocks the City Blog Tour with Karen Pokras Toz ~ Excerpt, Review & Giveaway

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Summary:

Hey New York! Are you ready for Nate Rocks?



Fifth grader Nathan Rockledge has been counting down the 

days—and meals—until his class trip to New York City. Now 

that the big event is finally here, he can barely stand the 

excitement. After all, isn’t this what being a fifth grader 

is all about? Oh sure, his Mom is one of the chaperones, his

annoying sister Abby is tagging along, and that know-it-all 

classmate, Lisa, will be there as well. However, none of 

that matters. Not when he’ll be with his best friends, 

Tommy and Sam.

While seeing the sights, his teacher wants his class to take 

notes, but Nathan has other ideas. With paper and pencil in 

hand, Nathan prefers to doodle, transforming himself into 

Nate Rocks, boy hero. Amid ninja pigeons to fend off, aliens 

to attack, and the baseball game of the century to save, 

will Nate Rocks be able to save the day one more time?


 

Bio



Karen Pokras Toz writes middle grade and adult contemporary fiction. 

Her books have won several awards including two Readers’ Favorite Book

Awards, the Grand Prize in the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, as well 

as placing first for two Global E-Book Awards for Pre-Teen Literature. 

Karen is a member of the Society of the Children's Book 

Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI). For children, her books include the 

Nate Rocks series, Millicent Marie is Not My Name, & Pie and Other 

Brilliant Ideas. For adult readers, Karen’s books include Chasing 

Invisible, and her soon to be released, Whispered Wishes series. 

A native of Connecticut, Karen now lives outside of Philadelphia 

with her husband and three children. 





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Nate Rocks the City Excerpt

“Um, what just happened?” Claire nervously asks.

“Nathan broke the elevator, that’s what happened!” Lisa exclaims, hands on her hips.

“I did not,” I say, looking at Lisa. “You’re the one who did it. You pressed all those buttons at the same time.”

“Well, you made me do that. You pushed my hand right into the panel. Wait until I tell my mother … and your mother … and Mrs. Cogin … and—”

As if being stuck in the elevator weren’t enough, as if listening to Lisa cackle weren’t enough, suddenly, all of the lights in the elevator go out, leaving us in the pitch dark.

Kara screams. Really screams—like horror movie type screams, that is, until Lisa slaps her across the face—impressive, too, since she is able to make a direct hit in the dark. I can’t really say I blame Lisa there. Kara is now quietly whimpering, but at least she has stopped screaming.

“The alarm!” I blurt out. “Whenever an elevator gets stuck in a movie, they always press the alarm button. There has to be one somewhere.”

“Great idea, genius,” Lisa says. “Except, we’re standing in pitch black. How are we supposed to find the alarm button?”

“Hello?” Claire yells. “Hello? Can you hear us? We’re stuck inside this elevator! Anybody?”

“Well, why don’t we just press buttons? What’s the worst that could happen? We’re already stuck,” I suggest.

“No thanks to you,” Lisa complains. “Isn’t that what got us here in the first place?”

“Don’t blame me for this!” I yell. “This is all your fault. You’re the one who is so bossy all the time. You’re the one …”

A tiny bit of light comes on in the back corner of the elevator, and we turn around. Anna is holding a small flashlight. She shrugs and points to the key ring that connects the flashlight to her backpack.

 “Smart,” I say.

Anna shines it on the control panel, and I find and press the button labeled lights. Tiny emergency lights come on at each of the top corners of the elevator. Next, I press the bright red alarm button. It’s loud; almost as loud as Kara’s screaming, which has started up once more and is louder because it is right next to my ear. I look at Lisa to see if she is going to slap her again, but she is too busy pounding on the elevator door with Claire.

 “Help us! Help! Get us out!” Claire and Lisa both yell together. “Please!”

Anna just stands there as if frozen, staring weirdly at the control panel.

I slowly back up until I feel the wall hit my heels, and I slide halfway down into a crouching position. Hanging my head, I cover my ears with my hands. Well this is fun. I wonder if the rest of the class has even noticed we’re missing. They’ve probably already left for dinner. They’re probably sinking their teeth into a juicy hamburger right this very minute. They’re probably…

The deafening sound of the alarm finally stops, along with Kara’s screams and Lisa and Claire’s yelling as the doors slide open.

 “My baby! My baby!” Mom rushes into the elevator and tackles me all the way to the ground as she tries to embrace me.

“Cant. Breathe.” Those are the words I attempt to say, but it comes out sounding more like, “Ka. Boom.”

“Awww, was Natie afwaid the elevator would go boom?”

I look up between what little space I do have between myself and Mom’s body to see my sister, Abby, standing over me with her hands on her hips and a smirk on her face. Mom stands up, helping me up as well.

“What are you doing here, Abby?” I ask, brushing my pants off.

REVIEW - 5 Stars

Nate Rocks it out hard as the series comes to an end - action packed, full of adventure, creative imagination, and laugh out load fun!

In the last installment of the Nate Rocks series, Nate's class visits New York City. With Nate's overactive imagination and his trusty sketchpad this won't be like most visits to NYC. With ninja birds, aliens, & more - you're sure to have fun! 

Tour Schedule: 

March 10 

Book Blast 

 March 11 

Living, Learning, and Loving Life  Review 

 March 12

 A.B. Shepherd Author Guest Post


March 13

 Java John Z's Excerpt


March 14 

Lindsay and Jane's Views and Reviews Review & Excerpt


March 15 

Happily Managing a Household of Boys Review & Character Interview


March 16 

Tyrneathem Review & Excerpt


March 17 

Sweet Little Pretties Review & Character Guest Post

Fairday's Blog Riddle


March 18  

Cindy's Love of Books Review & Author Guest Post


March 19 

Kid Lit Reviews Review & Character Interview

Fairday's Blog Review


March 20 

MHZ Book Reviews & Giveaways Review & Excerpt

Happy Green Baby Review & Author Guest Post


March 21 

Must Read Faster Review

Fairday's Blog Author Feature

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Karen Pokras Toz's Nate Rocks the City ~ Book Blast & Giveaway

Join Karen Pokras Toz for one last adventure with Nathan Rockledge and his alter ego Nate Rocks.

About the Book:

Hey New York! Are you ready for Nate Rocks?

Fifth grader Nathan Rockledge has been counting down the days—and meals—until his class trip to New York City. Now that the big event is finally here, he can barely stand the excitement. After all, isn’t this what being a fifth grader is all about? Oh sure, his Mom is one of the chaperones, his annoying sister Abby is tagging along, and that know-it-all classmate, Lisa, will be there as well. However, none of that matters. Not when he’ll be with his best friends, Tommy and Sam.

While seeing the sights, his teacher wants his class to take notes, but Nathan has other ideas. With paper and pencil in hand, Nathan prefers to doodle, transforming himself into Nate Rocks, boy hero. Amid ninja pigeons to fend off, aliens to attack, and the baseball game of the century to save, will Nate Rocks be able to save the day one more time?

Buy the Book:

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

About the Author:

 Karen Pokras Toz writes middle grade and adult contemporary fiction. Her books have won several awards including two Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, the Grand Prize in the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, as well as placing first for two Global E-Book Awards for Pre-Teen Literature. Karen is a member of the Society of the Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI). For children, her books include the Nate Rocks series, Millicent Marie is Not My Name, & Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas. For adult readers, Karen’s books include Chasing Invisible, and her soon to be released, Whispered Wishes series. A native of Connecticut, Karen now lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and three children. For more information, please visit www.karentoz.com.

Follow the Author:

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Follow the Tour:

For reviews, interviews, and more fun, click for the full tour schedule.

Enter the Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A GWR Publicity event paid for by the author. MHZ Book Reviews and Giveaways received no compensation for the post. The giveaway is sponsored by the author who is responsible for the delivery of the prize. 

Leap Into Books Giveaway - Nate Rocks series by Karen Pokras Toz

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Leap Into Books Giveaway

 

Up for grabs, Karen Pokrs Toz, middle grade Nate Rocks series. One winner will win all 4 Nate Rocks e-books (Kindle - ARV $11.96). Must be 13 or older to enter. Winner has 48 hours from to claim their prize before forfeiting.

BLURB:


Ten-year-old Nathan Rockledge cannot catch a break. After all, life as a fourth-grader can be hazardous - what with science projects to deal with and recess football games to avoid. Everyone, including his best friend Tommy, seems to have bad luck when hanging around Nathan. Throw in an older sister who is a royal pain, a dad who is stuck in the past, and a mom who keeps trying to poison him with her awful cooking, and poor Nathan's life as a fourth-grader appears to be completely doomed. Armed only with his sketchpad, his imagination, and his wits, Nathan Rockledge navigates the perils of the fourth grade in style, to emerge heroic, as Nate Rocks, proving that even a ten-year-old can accomplish great things.

*2012 GRAND PRIZE WINNER PURPLE DRAGONFLY BOOK AWARDS

*2012 1ST PLACE CHILDREN'S CHAPTER BOOK PURPLE DRAGONFLY BOOK AWARDS

*2012 GLOBAL EBOOK AWARD WINNER: PRE-TEEN CATEGORY

*2012 UP AUTHOR AWARD RUNNER UP BEST 1ST CHAPTER

*2012 UP AUTHOR AWARD RUNNER UP BEST COVER

 BLURB:

The Adventure Continues... With fourth grade finally winding down, 10-year-old Nathan Rockledge is looking forward to a fun and relaxing summer at home with his friends. That is, until his mom decides he has to go to overnight camp with his annoying older sister. When his best friend Tommy decides to tag along, Nathan thinks maybe his summer won’t actually be so bad. After all, he does get to be away from his mom's awful cooking for an entire six weeks.

Amongst Color War competitions, a flaky counselor, and a bully named "No-Neck,” Nathan turns to his trusty sketchpad, transforming himself into Nate Rocks: 10-year-old extraordinaire. His speedboat ready for action, Nate saves the day time and again from the perils of floods, snakes, ghosts, and even the most wanted criminals.

Join Nathan, Tommy, Abby, and a whole new cast of characters as Nate Rocks once again proves nothing can hold him back.

BLURB:


Nate Rocks Is At It Again . . .

According to Nathan Rockledge, fifth grade has plenty of perks. Oh sure, there’s more work and that know-it-all, Lisa Crane, is still around – but, there’s a lot to look forward to as well: a laser tag birthday party, baseball at recess, and even a cool Halloween dance. Of course, all of that means nothing without the biggest perk of all . . . the class trip to New York City in the spring. If Nathan’s class can raise enough money to go, that is.

Give Nathan paper and a pencil and watch as his imagination turns him into Nate Rocks, hero and fifth grade super star. With adventures abound, Nate saves the day time and again. But will Nate be able to save the fifth grade trip?

Join Nathan, his hilarious family, and his friends, as he rocks the school in another fun Nate Rocks adventure.





BLURB:

Hey New York! Are you ready for Nate Rocks?

Fifth grader Nathan Rockledge has been counting down the days—and meals—until his class trip to New York City. Now that the big event is finally here, he can barely stand the excitement. After all, isn’t this what being a fifth grader is all about? Oh sure, his Mom is one of the chaperones, his annoying sister Abby is tagging along, and that know-it-all classmate, Lisa, will be there as well. However, none of that matters. Not when he’ll be with his best friends, Tommy and Sam.

While seeing the sights, his teacher wants his class to take notes, but Nathan has other ideas. With paper and pencil in hand, Nathan prefers to doodle, transforming himself into Nate Rocks, boy hero. Amid ninja pigeons to fend off, aliens to attack, and the baseball game of the century to save, will Nate Rocks be able to save the day one more time?

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Bloggers Wanted: Nate Rocks the City by Karen Pokras Toz ~ Book Blast & Tour

Bloggers are needed for the Nate Rocks the City Book Blast & Tour. Nate Rocks the City is the last book in Karen Pokras Toz's children's series Nate Rocks. Sign up below for the Book Blast on March 10 and for a tour date, March 11 - 21. You are welcome to sign up for both, but space is limited on the tour.

Hey New York! Are you ready for Nate Rocks?

Fifth grader Nathan Rockledge has been counting down the days—and meals—until his class trip to New York City. Now that the big event is finally here, he can barely stand the excitement. After all, isn’t this what being a fifth grader is all about? Oh sure, his Mom is one of the chaperones, his annoying sister Abby is tagging along, and that know-it-all classmate, Lisa, will be there as well. However, none of that matters. Not when he’ll be with his best friends, Tommy and Sam.

While seeing the sights, his teacher wants his class to take notes, but Nathan has other ideas. With paper and pencil in hand, Nathan prefers to doodle, transforming himself into Nate Rocks, boy hero. Amid ninja pigeons to fend off, aliens to attack, and the baseball game of the century to save, will Nate Rocks be able to save the day one more time?

Head on over to Girl Who Reads Book Reviews & Author Promotion to sign up - 

Book Blast (March 10) Sign Up & Tour (March 11 - 21) Sign Up

Nate Rocks the City Book Blast and Tour is a GWR Publicity promotional event paid for by the author.

Interview with Karen Pokras Toz – Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas

From the Award Winning Author of Millicent Marie is Not My Name

Ballet and baking pies – these are two of twelve year old Georgie Harris’ favorite things. When her parents decide to move closer to her grandmother’s nursing home, Georgie quickly learns the bad news: dance lessons are too expensive in this new town.

Instead, Georgie spends most of her time baking pies to bring to her grandmother at the Willow Lakes Nursing Home. There she meets Eve, who inspires Georgie with stories of having danced with a world famous Russian ballerina many years ago.

As Georgie and Eve’s friendship evolves, their tales intertwine in this feel good story showing dreams really can come true.


 
Bio

Karen Pokras Toz writes middle grade and adult contemporary fiction. Her books have won several awards including two Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, First Place in the Children’s Chapter Books category and the Grand Prize overall in the 2012 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, as well as winning first for two Global E-Book Awards for Pre-Teen Literature, and placing Finalist in the USA Best Book Awards. Her books for children include the Nate Rocks series, Millicent Marie Is Not My Name, and Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas. For adults, she recently published Chasing Invisible. A native of Connecticut, Karen now lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and three children. For more information, please visit www.karentoz.com.




Tell us about Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas.

“Pie” is really two stories in one book. First it is about 12 year old Georgie Harris. Georgie’s family just moved to a new town to be closer to her grandmother, Jane, who recently moved to a nursing home. Because of the move, Georgie’s family can no longer afford to send her to dance lessons. Instead, Georgie spends most of her time baking pies to bring to her visits with her grandmother. The second story in the book is about Eve – Georgie’s grandmother’s roommate, who we quickly learn was a ballerina in Russia “back in the day.” Not only that, Eve studied and danced with a world famous ballerina named Paulina. Georgie loves to visit Eve and hear stories about what it was like to study ballet in a different time and country, and especially what it was like to dance with the great Paulina Strofsky.

What inspired you to write this book?

I grew up dancing and now two of my three children dance. I knew I eventually would write a book about dance – it was just a matter of time. I began writing Pie while waiting for my daughter to go on stage at one of her dance competitions last winter. The book originally was going to be about the competitive dance circuit – but turned out much differently once I got to know my characters (which is usually the case).

Are you working on anything new at the moment?

I’m just finishing up the 4th (and final) Nate Rocks book – Nate Rocks the City, which will be released in February, and I’ve just begun work on an adult contemporary series (The Wishes Series) about three sisters. There are four books in the series, and I hope to have the first two books (Ava’s Wishes and Holly’s Wishes) available this year.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’m a writer? LOL. It still sounds odd for me to call myself that. I don’t know what I am. I’m a mom, and I write. Sometimes if someone asks me what I do, I’ll say I write children’s books (even though now I also write adult books, too). But I have yet to say, “I’m a writer.” I guess after six books almost seven, it’s time, huh?

When and how do you find time to write in your daily life?

All three of my children are in school all day, so I try to squeeze in some writing time then. Of course, I always think I’m going to have hours and hours to myself to write, but after I get done doing the million other things on my “to-do” list, there are some days where it is hard to fit it in. Sometimes I just have to put everything aside, and remind myself that this is my job now. It helps that I love to write.

Any advice to aspiring writers looking to go the indie route?

Be prepared to put in a lot of time and effort – and time – and effort. You need to think of your book as a product, and yourself as a brand. As such, you need to put out the best product possible, and be prepared to compete in a very competitive market. This means – (a) write the best book you can possibly write, (b) put together a test market/group of beta readers, (c) have your book professionally edited, (d) have a professional cover made, (e) have your book professionally formatted, (f) put together a marketing/business plan – and most importantly, keep writing and improving your craft.

What is your greatest challenge as an author?

Time. Writing is only half the battle – and if you really want to break down the time, it’s probably only a quarter of the battle. The other three-quarters is marketing and there is not enough time in the day to market and write. If you are also self-publishing you have the challenge of distribution thrown into the mix and the problem of having upfront costs to deal with – as you can see, there are many challenges – but there are also many rewards.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

Hearing from readers – whether through parents, educators, or the kids themselves. Nothing makes me happier than getting a note (whether it be via email, a tweet, on FB, through my website, through my blog, etc) that says my child usually hates to read, but I can’t get them to put your book down! THAT is what it is all about to me.

What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Two things really: When I first started writing my adult contemporary novel Chasing Invisible (titled “invisible” at the time) it was the first anything I had ever written. I hired a writing coach to read through the first few chapters and give me advice. She told me it was awful. (Don’t worry - I have since re-written that story more times that I can count & I am proud to say it recently won an award!) Anyway – she told me that I had a very young voice, and I should consider writing books for kids. I had never considered this before, but I put invisible to the side, and started working on Nate Rocks the World. That was awesome advice, don’t you think?

The next piece of advice I received was when I proudly handed Nate Rocks the World over to my editor – she said, “I know you are tired and want to take a break – but don’t. Start writing the next book.” I didn’t. But, it was great advice, and it’s something I do follow now as I finish up each book.

Can you see yourself in any of your characters?
I get asked this question a lot. Now that I have several books out, you may notice a trend with my kids’ books. They all have moms who have “issues.” For example... Nate’s mom is a terrible cook and homemaker, Millie’s mom is a little bit of a shop-a-holic, and now Georgie’s mom is a little high strung. Let me say this. They may or may not be based on me. That’s all I’m saying.

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

While I have always loved to read, writing was always my worst subject in school. I was always a math/numbers person. In college I took calculus and differential equations for fun (and they were!) I worked as a tax accountant until just recently and only started writing a few years ago. I have no explanation for why I suddenly felt the urge to start writing, but now that I’ve started, I can’t stop!

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little about me and my books – thanks for having me on your blog!

Karen is giving away this beautiful Pie themed ballet bracelet and an audiobook of Millie. Head on over & enter today!

Click here.

Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas by Karen Pokras Toz ~ Excerpt & Giveaway

From the Award Winning Author of Millicent Marie is Not My Name 

Ballet and baking pies – these are two of twelve year old Georgie Harris’ favorite things. When her parents decide to move closer to her grandmother’s nursing home, Georgie quickly learns the bad news: dance lessons are too expensive in this new town.

Instead, Georgie spends most of her time baking pies to bring to her grandmother at the Willow Lakes Nursing Home. There she meets Eve, who inspires Georgie with stories of having danced with a world famous Russian ballerina many years ago.

As Georgie and Eve’s friendship evolves, their tales intertwine in this feel good story showing dreams really can come true.


BIO

Karen Pokras Toz writes middle grade and adult contemporary fiction. Her books have won several awards including two Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, First Place in the Children’s Chapter Books category and the Grand Prize overall in the 2012 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, as well as winning first for two Global E-Book Awards for Pre-Teen Literature, and placing Finalist in the USA Best Book Awards. Her books for children include the Nate Rocks series, Millicent Marie Is Not My Name, and Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas. For adults, she recently published Chasing Invisible. A native of Connecticut, Karen now lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and three children. For more information, please visit www.karentoz.com.



Excerpt

Jane’s door is closed when I get to her room. I can hear music that reminds me of my old ballet classes coming from inside. That’s odd. I guess Jane is already done with her doctor. It’s even odder that Jane would be listening to music. She’s usually glued to the television, watching game shows. She says that when she was younger, she used to win all kinds of prizes on those shows. She claims that she even won a trip out to Hollywood to have a part in some big movie, but Mom and Dad say that’s not exactly what happened. It was more like she won tickets to see the movie. I don’t know. Every time Jane tells the story, the details change slightly and her part in the movie gets a little bit bigger. Not only that, she always changes the subject when I start to ask her for the name of the movie. Seems to me watching her in the movie would clear it all up, right? But for some reason, nobody has thought of that. Makes me wonder what the real story is.

I open the door. In the bed on the far side of the room is a woman I’ve never seen before.

“Oh! Sorry,” I say, “I must have the wrong room.” I close the door and look at the number on the wall. Three twenty-two. No, this is the right room. I guess they finally gave Jane a roommate. That other bed has been empty for so long, I forgot it was even there. I open the door again a crack and peek my head in. “Me again. Looks like I really do have the right room.”

“Come in, come in,” the woman says, turning off the music. She has a slight accent, but I can’t quite tell where she’s from. “You must be Jane’s granddaughter. She told me you would be stopping by. I’m Eve. Eve Gorshkov Porter.”

Links

Website: www.karentoz.com

Blog: http://kptoz.blogspot.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/karenptoz

Twitter: www.twitter.com/karentoz

Amazon: http://bit.ly/PieKindle

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5009570.Karen_Pokras_Toz

Click the banner above to check out the other stops on the blog tour, and enter to win an audiobook of Millicent Marie Is Not My Name and this gorgeous ballet bracelet.

Blogger Opp - Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas Book Tour

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From the Award Winning Author of Millicent Marie is Not My Name

 
Ballet and baking pies – these are two of twelve year old Georgie Harris’ favorite things. When her parents decide to move closer to her grandmother’s nursing home, Georgie quickly learns the bad news: dance lessons are too expensive in this new town.
Instead, Georgie spends most of her time baking pies to bring to her grandmother at the Willow Lakes Nursing Home. There she meets Eve, who inspires Georgie with stories of having danced with a world famous Russian ballerina many years ago.
As Georgie and Eve’s friendship evolves, their tales intertwine in this feel good story showing dreams really can come true.

 

Buy on Amazon 

About the author:

Karen Pokras Toz writes middle grade and adult contemporary fiction. Her books have won several awards including two Readers’ Favorite Book Awards, First Place in the Children’s Chapter Books category and the Grand Prize overall in the 2012 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, as well as winning first for two Global E-Book Awards for Pre-Teen Literature, and placing Finalist in the USA Best Book Awards. Her books for children include the Nate Rocks series, Millicent Marie Is Not My Name, and Pie and Other Brilliant Ideas. For adults, she recently published Chasing Invisible. A native of Connecticut, Karen now lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and three children. For more information, please visit www.karentoz.com.

Follow Karen:

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Literary Addicts / Goodreads

Karen is giving away the audiobook of Millicent Marie is Not My Name and a gorgeous ballet charm bracelet to one blogger and one reader.

Visit Promotional Book Tours to signup today.