BLOG TOUR: Greenbeard the Pirate Pig by Andrea Torrey Balsara + CONTEST!

Hi there...or should I say, ARRRGG!

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A hearty pirate welcome to all you landlubbers and sea-legged fiends who find comfort in the written word as well as the rolling seas from yours truly here at Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers. 

Today, we are playing host to a blog tour via Blue Slip Media (Hi Barbara...hi Sarah!) featuring a Children's Storybook that's not only BEYOND adorable but the perfect read to get you and yours ready for tomorrow.  What's tomorrow?  Why it's TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY!  That's right!  So grab your captain's hat, you know the one with the plume, lash on your steely weapon of choice (remember, blunt objects only....we don't want someone putting an eye out after all!), and get ready to sail the high seas to adventure with today's book of choice...

Greenbeard the Pirate Pig

by

Andrea Torrey Balsara

Oh how to sum up this lovely little read without spoiling the finer parts....that is the question indeed!  It really truly was a fun-tastic read from start to finish.  From the moment you lay eyes on the pig that shall be named Guinea, or rather Greenbeard, you are invested in this short but sweet Children's Storybook.  You'll follow the dashing pig from his homey garden out into the world as he proves that there is nothing able to stop determination, a little luck and a great attitude.  You'll smile at his antics in perfecting the best pirate outfit money can't buy.  You'll sing along with the jaunty pirate song Greenbeard rattles off throughout the book.  You'll even forget that the target audience is indeed not YOUR age range but much younger, but revel in the fact that you can enjoy such an innocent spell of fun just the same.   Will Greenbeard find the adventure he seeks?  Did the old mouse sell him the proverbial "pig in a poke"  where the only sea legs he'll be earning are in his imagination or could his future be waiting for him just around the river....I mean, just over the next swell on the jolly old seas?  You'll have to read it to find out, but trust me when I say....ARRGH!  There's no way I'd have the author walk the plank after reading THIS story...

Now if that wasn't enough to convince you of the merit of this fabulous little read, maybe this will help.  Check out the book trailer and just TRY not to fall in love....

There.

Now you're up on your pirate jargon AND have something else to add to your wish list...am I right?

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Review pack complete with my very own Greenbeard courtesy of the fab folks at Blue Slip Media.  (THANKS ladies!)  For more information on this title as well as their future promotions, be sure to stop by their official site, like them on Facebook, or follow along on their Twitter feed.  Now to discover more about the world of Greenbeard the Pirate Pig (and it's sequel THE ISLE OF LOST), there are several ways to play.  First, pay a visit to his official site.  Then, check out Pirate's Corner while you're over there and see all the fun games and activities that await you.

Next, we have an EXTRA special treat today as the author herself graces the site with a GUEST POST telling us about the origins of Greenbeard himself!  Ready?  Set?  Please join me in welcoming author Andrea Torrey Balsara!

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GUEST POST:  Author Andrea Torrey Balsara

Ahoy, Gina (and friends)!

The idea for Greenbeard came about when I had my two guinea pigs, Piggy and Petunia. Piggy was a gentle, sweet pig, whereas Petunia (“Toots”) was a feisty, temperamental gal. Piggy loved her anyway. Even when he became old and bony, he would “purr” as he slowly waved his bottom back and forth in an ancient guinea pig love-dance. When food was brought to the cage, however, even Piggy knew his limits and would jump out of the way to avoid getting steamrolled by Petunia. I have attached a cartoon strip that I drew for fun about 5 years ago, which chronicled the daily ordeal Piggy endured. Piggy never saw the bad side of life, but only its joys.    

Petunia had two passions in life: lettuce and carrots. Lettuce was her favorite, and she would chomp it down like a buzz-saw until lettuce juice dripped down her beard and turned it green. When she ate romaine lettuce (a deep green) she looked very piratey to me, in the tradition of Blackbeard, the infamous pirate from history. 

I began drawing sketches of a plump guinea pig, with pirate boots and hat—and a green beard, like Petunia's. For the character’s personality, I imagined a pig who could see only good, who was blind to the bad things in life, like Piggy. The result was “Greenbeard the Pirate Pig,” a slightly silly, good-natured, adventure-seeking guinea pig pirate.

Anchors Away!

Andrea Torrey Balsara

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Pretty cool, right!

Here's a look at that comic she mentioned....

I thought you might like that.

Now, there is ONE MORE way to get to know this story a bit better, and that way is to read it yourself. Well, I'm here to help you in that area as you now have a chance to....

....ENTER TO WIN YOUR VERY OWN PRIZE PACK!

That's right!

Thanks to Barbara and Sarah over at Blue Slip Media, YOU get the chance to win a book and plush gift set to call your own!  Trust me readers, whether for your little one, ones, or simply "me-myself-and-I" because really, young at heart counts JUST as much, this is a prize you won't want to miss!  The story is enough of a draw, the illustrations amusing, whimsical, and fun, but really...your own little stuffed Greenbeard?  How could you resist!  I mean he has a little pirate's hat on, little pirate boots, his little green beard, a carrot sword....it's too adorable to pass up.

So as I said, OPEN TO ALL AGES....US residents only (no PO Boxes please).  Entries accepted now through Saturday, September 28th, 2013.  To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter form below.  Only one mandatory entry, beyond that....the extra bonus entries are entirely up to you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Until next time....shiver me timbers and prepare to walk the plank....to good reading that is....and GOOD LUCK!

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