I am presently working on Book three in the Abby & Holly Series. Writing these books is a sheer joy to me. I feel like a kid again! Check out the whole series for your MG/PT/YA girls and boys for great summer reading! I will share the cover when it gets closer to publication.

My husband, John, is my illustrator and cover creator extraordinaire! I am keeping him busy in order to complete my goal of five published books this year. This will be a our third. Two more will be coming later this year.

All Jemsbooks for children, middle-graders, preteens and young adults carry life lessons that parents will love. All my MG/PT/YA books do not have any unsavory language or situations. I deal with, in a kind and caring manner, tough subjects like bullying and disappointments in life. All ages are reading this series and enjoying it! Parents and grandparents are reading them then passing them onto their children and grandchildren. It’s time that there are books out there that even a parents feels comfortable sharing with their children at any age.

Hopefully I would like to publish this book by late summer and then begin book 4 and have it completed before the end of 2019. My husband is currently working on Book 1 of a dragon series which may or may not be completed by the end of this year. It takes a lot longer to illustrate than it does to write. There will be six books in this series for children ages PS and up.

While you are waiting for this new book please check out Books 1 & 2 in Abby & Holly Series – Book 1 School Dance, Book 2 Unfortunate Events. Both books have received Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards!

BLURB:

This is Book 1 of a series of Abby & Holly books. These two girls were first introduced in Book 5 of the Davey & Derek Junior Detectives Series.
The girls are first cousins on their mothers’ side. They moved to the quiet town of Lindon, New Hampshire and live in a grand old Victorian which is haunted. 
The cousins are excited about attending the 6th grade dance. When their friend, Justine, is bullied, Abby and Holly, along with the help of a ghost and Davey & Derek, work together to formalize a plan to put a stop to the bullying.

REVIEWS ON AMAZON:

Michelle Clements James5.0 out of 5 starsLoved the anti-bullying message.July 8, 2018Format: Kindle EditionI have long been a fan of Janice Spina’s young children’s books and her middle-grade Davey and Derek Junior Detectives series. I was excited to read the first book in her Abby and Holly series for middle-grade girls, and I was not disappointed.
Abby and Holly are the cousins we met in The Case of the Sad Mischievous Ghost (Davey & Derek Junior Detectives Series Book 5) who helped Davey and Derek solve a case involving a ghost that was residing in Abby’s house. Now they are back seeking the help of their friends Davey and Derek in solving a case of a girl jealously sabotaging another classmate’s chance to go to the 6th-grade dance and plans to do even worse.
The story flows well, and the characters are developed nicely so anyone who hasn’t read any of the Davey and Derek series will have no trouble jumping in with book one of this series. Girls are going to love this series — a touch of puppy love, fantasy, and a mystery to solve all in one book. The lessons of forgiving and forgetting and being kind are well documented in the story, an important reminder for everyone. This is another 5-star book from Janice Spina.

Mrs.D.5.0 out of 5 starsSay hello to the Abby and Holly series!July 24, 2018Format: Kindle EditionMove over, Davey and Derek? Or maybe not… The duo is back, and the girls and boys are taking the world by the horns with another thrilling adventure! The haunted house! The mysterious ghost! The undying friendship! Good life lessons! And no more bullying!

Abby and Holly are cousins. The girls were first introduced in Book 5 of the Davey and Derek Junior Detectives series.

Janice Spina has beautifully blended two separate series in her new book, which is meant to entertain and educate middle grade readers. This time she sent two girls to solve a mystery that was quite intriguing. While trying to be just normal students, team members are dealing with serious issues so common for sixth graders: jealousy, intolerance, and bullying. The story is fun and adventurous, but the author smartly implants very important seeds that touch on problems so familiar for a middle school audience.

In this new book, Abby and Holly team up with their friends Davey and Derek, two shy but very experienced young detectives. The team needs to find out who is sabotaging one of their classmates, Justine, who plans her sixth grade school dance. Fearing that the girl is being bullied, the team members work closely with each other and their friends.

The story is sweet. It flows smoothly, just like other books from this wonderful author, which manages to surprise the young readers with perfectly developed characters and a wise plot. Even if the readers haven’t had the chance to get familiar with the Davey and Derek series, they won’t feel lost or have a hard time connecting the new story to Davey and Derek. And just like me, I hope the girls and boys will jump into the new adventures with a touch of fantasy, mystery, and some stronger feelings like love, forgiveness, and being kind to each other.

“Abby and Holly: School Dance” is one of those books that will make children feel good about themselves. The lessons of friendship and kindness are nicely incorporated into a fun story, which will put a smile on children’s faces. Trouble. Solution. Sweet first love. Friendship. And kindness. All of these qualities are in one book for young readers to enjoy. Yes, Justine is bullied, but she has a strong group of friends behind her, which helps her to overcome the fear of bullies. And with the help of her friends, the bullies may change their attitude too.

I am delighted that this book carries strong messages about the importance of being compassionate, kind, loving and accepting. It teaches teens to remember how they would feel if their places were reversed. Another entertaining and teaching series for middle schoolers by Janice Spina!

* I received this book as a gift from the author and chose to review it without compensation.

Reviewed by children’s author Mrs.D

Abby & Holly Series, Book 2 Unfortunate Events recently won a Pinnacle Book Achieve Award!

BLURB:

Abby and Holly are cousins who are more like sisters. They enjoy doing everything together. Holly lives with Abby and her family in a haunted Victorian. Holly must deal with some difficult decisions in her family when unexpected and unfortunate events come to pass.

Abby is there to lend support to Holly along with two ghostly apparitions, Felicity and Minerva, who live in Abby’s house. These specters provide some magical and helpful advice along the way as they watch over Holly during this difficult time.

The girls’ friends, twins Davey and Derek Donato, from their own series, pop in to support Holly and bring some fun and comical relief to the story.

REVIEWS ON AMAZON:

Michele Rolfe5.0 out of 5 starsUnfortunate Family EventsOctober 16, 2018Format: PaperbackPoor Holly, Abby’s cousin on their mom’s side, is having to deal with alot of unfortunate events with her family. Thank goodness she has Abby, Davey & Derek the Junior Dectives neighbors, & 2 awesome ghosts, Felicity & Minerva, to help her get through it all! Holly is thrilled her mom (Abby’s mom’s sister) & dad have come home for a visit from their overseas job, but things go downhill when mom gets sick. Great book to read with your youngsters about dealing with family issues. The ending is a nice twist & could lead to the next book!

Trish5.0 out of 5 starsGirl power!October 16, 2018Format: PaperbackAnother fun read from Janice Spina! So nice to see Holly and Abby back again in book two. The girls continue to face new issues, friends, and adventures together. A great read for pre-teens!

Michelle Clements James5.0 out of 5 starsA Stellar Book With Important LessonsOctober 20, 2018Format: Kindle EditionI am so excited about the Abby and Holly Series for girls, but it could be equally enjoyed by boys. In Abby & Holly Series Book 2: Unfortunate Events, Abby’s cousin, Holly, is faced with some difficult issues. While her parents are away on overseas jobs, Holly is living with Abby. Things go downhill when her parents return for a visit and her mother becomes ill. Throughout this trying time, Holly has a tremendous amount of support from Abby, her Aunt Jane and Uncle Bob, and two ghosts who live in Abby’s house, Felicity and Minerva. Of course, their friends Davey and Derek are there to help, too.
As with all of Spina’s children’s books, Unfortunate Events teaches life lessons such as respect, kindness toward others, and the importance of being polite. This book concentrates on handling the unexpected and overcoming life’s disappointments. The unexpected was Holly’s mother’s illness and hospital stay. With the love of her extended family, Holly was able to cope with her worry for her mother. Disappointment was addressed when her father announced that he was flying out to finish his work overseas. He explained to Holly the importance of fulling his obligations to his employer.
I highly recommend Abby & Holly Series Book 2: Unfortunate Events to all middle-graders, both girls and boys. The storyline is one that will keep children interested with its elements of suspense and mystery. Though there are references to a childhood crush, they are not a major component of the story and certainly not enough to deter boys’ interest. And who doesn’t love a friendly little ghost or two! As with all the author’s children’s books, this one is true to her ideals of writing books that encourage children to read while incorporating those all-important life lessons. As a book I think every parent will want their daughters and sons to read, I give Unfortunate Events 5 stars!

Thank you so much for stopping by to read about this series. I love having you visit. Please come back again. Feel free to share your thoughts and reviews of these books and all Jemsbooks. It would be my pleasure to share your reviews here with your permission of course.

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Blessings & Hugs!

Janice