What a fantastic morning!!! Great interview with Lisa Marie Frank of the Writer's Dream on LTV-East Hampton.

Well, my little book is taking me on quite an exciting journey. It has won its 13th award - a silver from Readers Favorite Awards (Animals)! . It has also received 5-Star reviews from Readers Favorite!

And it was named a Finalist in two more categories: Humor and General Non-Fiction. However, books that are named a Finalist in multiple categories, can only win in one category - the one in which it scored the highest. Now ... comes the hard part ... getting it out there!!!

Global eBook Awards Winner!!!

Global Ebook Awards Winner Presentation from Dan Poynter

Long Island Wildlife Advocate Maria Daddino Wins IndieReader Discovery Award | PRLog

Long Island Wildlife Advocate Maria Daddino Wins IndieReader Discovery Award | PRLog

My interview for IndieReader Discovery Awards (fast forward to 2:05 minutes). The awards ceremony was held on June 3, 2012, at the Javits Center during Book Expo America (BEA). I was so excited that my little book won in Environment … you all know how much that means to me!!!

IndieReader Discovery Award Winners ~ 2012

On June 3, 2012, at Book Expo America (BEA), a trade show taking place in New York City, Darcie Chan, New York Times bestselling indie author of “The Mill River Recluse” and Amy Edelman, founder of IndieReader, announced the winners of the first annual “IndieReader Discovery Awards”.

The judges on the IRDA panel included top people in all areas of the publishing industry, in concert with IndieReader’s trusty reviewers. Judging was based on the quality of writing and the originality of the story. There was a first, second and third place winner in each of the fiction and non-fiction categories, in addition to winners in various sub-categories, indicating that each book has received at least a 4-5 star review (out of 5 stars).

I was thrilled to be there when Darcie Chan announced the awards and even more thrilled when I learned that Maria's Duck Tales was named the Winner in the Environment cateogy.

My little book has now won seven awards in diverse categories. What an exciting journey it has taken me on! Yea!!!

IndieReader Discovery Awards Winner (Environment 2012);National Indie Excellence Book Awards Winner (Nature 2012);International Book Awards Finalist (Animals/Pets: General 2012);International Book Awards Finalist (E-Book Autobiography/Biography/Memoirs 2012);Green Book Festival Runner-Up (Animals 2012);Los Angeles Book Festival First Honorable Mention (Non-Fiction 2012);Global eBook Awards Nomination (Animals/ Pets 2012);Global eBook Awards Nomination (Best eBook Trailer 2012);

National Indie Excellence Book Award Win!!!

http://www.indieexcellence.com/indie-results-2012.htm

My little book is taking me on quite an exciting journey. It was named a National Indie Excellence Book Award Winner in "Nature" ... and, if you have read my book, you know how important Mother Nature is to me!!!

International Book Awards ~ Finalist in two categories ...

 http://www.internationalbookawards.com/2012awardannouncement.html

My little book has been named a Finalist in two categories of the
International Book Awards ... Animals/Pets General ... and ...
E-Book: Autobiography/Biography/Memoirs!!! Yea!!!

IndieReader 5-Star Review

IndieReader 5-Star Review

Yea!!! A fantastic review for my little book. And, now, it's on to the Javits Center in Manhattan on June 3rd for the IndieReader Discovery Awards!!! What an incredible journey for me!

IndieReader Discovery Awards: Top Titles To-Date

IndieReader Discovery Awards: Top Titles To-Date 

Readers Favorite 5-Star Review

Maria Daddino, author of “Maria’s Duck Tales: Wildlife Stories From My Garden,” shares a collection of short stories with readers. Her tales will bring tears, smiles, happiness and occasionally sadness. Steve Ensign provided the fanciful illustrations for this book. Maria’s garden is a special place filled with delicious vegetables, delightful smelling herbs and flowers with bright colors. Butterflies drink from the blooms, birds sings in the trees and I’m sure at night she hears the song of the crickets. In Maria’s garden you will find rabbits, ducks, turkeys, deer and numerous other critters. Like Maria I have a wildlife garden behind my home. I love watching the deer late in the evenings, the turkeys early in the morning, and the squirrels as they romp and play all day long.

In “Summer’s Gift” she recounts the memory of a pair of ospreys building their home across the creek from her home. The young family built their nest in a crane belonging to the dredging company. She was fascinated watching the majestic male gather dead branches to increase the size of the nest and catch a fish to share with his mate. “A Special Place In My Heart” is the story of raising two orphaned baby squirrels. The little guys outgrew one box after another before she placed a special nest outside for them. Even after release “Fatso” stayed close by for the free peanuts for almost three years.

I have so enjoyed this small book. My favorite story concerned the diva duck, Patches. It reminded me of our pet duck, Howard. Ms. Daddino has a talent for painting a picture with words. I could see Grace, Robert, Jack and all of the other delightful critters in her back yard. Her story telling talents are unsurpassed. I hope she will continue to share her stories from her backyard.

                                                                                   Reviewed by Anne B. for Readers Favorite

Indie Reader Discovery Awards

IndieReader Discovery Awards

Received an email today stating that "... Among the hundreds submitted, your book has made the cut." So my duck tales is a finalist for an award in the "Non-Fiction: Environment" category. It also garnered a 5-Star review which will be posted next week!!! I am psyched!!!!!

Readers Favorite 5-Star Book Review ...

Author Maria Daddino grew up in Brooklyn where there were cement streets and no gardens but somehow she always loved nature. When, as an adult, she moved out onto Long Island, she made the backyard of her home into a wildlife sanctuary and shares with the readers here in "Maria's Duck Tales," her joys and sorrows, her adventures with the ducks and other animals that made her home and yard their home. The author writes of Robert J., Peanut, Patches, Jack, Ducky, the Whineys, her beloved ducks, of Fatso the squirrel, Sara Beth and Diablo the swans, the mother opossum and her babies and the ospreys who insisted upon nesting in a nearby dredging company's cranes. The numerous mellow, colored illustrations that accompany the text add to the joy and love in this story. Maria Daddino tells of attempting to grow vegetables in pots, behind fencing, to protect them from her ducks. Did she succeed? Who actually ate the ripened peppers?

"Maria's Duck Tales" is an enchantingly well-written book with beautiful, colorful pictures accompanying each chapter. The author obviously is a nature expert for her backyard Wildlife Sanctuary was certified by the National Wildlife Federation in 2001. She knows how to make foods and shelters that her fostered babies adapt to quite well with a few amusing asides that she writes of with gentle humor. Author Daddino shares with the readers her knowledge of what to do with the many ducks who have lived in her sanctuary over the years. Her information is accurate, the book itself is well edited and formatted, making it a highly welcome addition to library and bookstore shelves everywhere, as well as in private collections of nature lovers or would-be nature lovers. "Maria's Duck Tales" is a charmer and has earned its place along with other great non-fiction books about animals.                                                                                      
                                                                                       Reviewed by Alice D. for Readers Favorite

Readers Favorite 4-Star Book Review ...

"Maria’s Duck Tales: Wildlife Stories From My Garden," by Maria Daddino, is exactly what the title suggests - a collection of acutely observed accounts of the antics of this author’s favorite birds. But we are not limited to ducks. There are stories about other “wild-friends” including ospreys, Fatso the squirrel, Sara Beth and Diablo the swans, and Misty and Gypsy the collies. There are mentions too of opossums, groundhogs and deer. But the ducks, the Muscovies and the Pekins, are undeniably the stars. One of the most entertaining parts of the book is about gardening with ducks. Or rather trying to! Ducks can be very destructive and it speaks volumes about Daddino’s patience that she can still love her ducks despite their misdeeds in her adored garden. The author’s sense of humor abounds in many of her names for the ducks - Peanut, Big Whitey, Ghostie and Mr. and Mrs. Whiney.
In the “Introduction,” Daddino says that her “musings” are about one woman’s attempts to combine the pleasures of gardening, the joys of wildlife and the rewards of establishing a balanced mini ecosystem. She certainly achieves this and readers are entertained and educated along the way. There is humor and adventure in the tales, but also sadness at times. However, the author seems never overly-sentimental. Instead, she respects and admires the creatures around her that touch her life, and communicates both their charm and her fascination with them in her writing. There are beautiful color illustrations by Steve Ensign. A table of contents and index might have been nice additions, but on the whole, this is a polished and impressive book.

                                                                             Reviewed by Stephanie D. for Readers Favorite

Readers Favorite 4-Star Book Review ...

“Maria's Duck Tales; Wildlife Stories From My Garden” is a wonderful collection of inspiring animal stories written by author Maria Daddino. Maria resides on the happy shores of Penataquit Creek where she has created a beautiful garden. Maria's garden is her sanctuary and her passion in life. It is a place where she can dream and truly be happy. Maria has her own wildlife habitat that includes: ducks, deer, turkeys, pheasants, bunnies, fox, blue herons, ospreys, squirrels, opossums and groundhogs. Her garden magically comes to life with all of her special creatures, combined with the beauty of colorful flowers and herbs. Maria even has names for most of her furry friends including: George the groundhog; Sara Beth and Diablo the swans, Fatso the squirrel, Peanut who is a duck dear to Maria's heart and a Muscovy duck, Patches the diva duck and Ghostie the Pekin duck. Maria helps to rehabilitate her special wildlife animals with the help of her veterinarian and wildlife friends when necessary.

This is Maria's true life story about how her garden inspires her life on a daily basis as she is graced by all of God's beautiful creations that surround her. and how they touch her life deeply with their nurturing skills and unique antics. The artwork is amazingly done and brings the book to life by complimenting the wording perfectly. Each wildlife sketch resembles an artwork worthy of being framed and displayed proudly.and, being a wildlife enthusiast myself, I could sincerely appreciate and relate to each chapter. In fact, I didn't want to put the book down, I wanted to keep reading to find out what Maria's next wildlife adventure would be! Maria delicately reminds us of God's beauty that surrounds us and how we need to help those less fortunate, including precious animals. This is a very well written and beautifully illustrated book by a real wildlife advocate, rehabilitator and hero. Very well done Maria Daddino!
                                                                    Reviewed by Rita V. for Readers Favorite

Readers Favorite 5-Star Book Review ...

Maria's Duck Tales is a lovely little book filled with stories that warm the heart, make you want to laugh and sometimes cry. This is a record of one woman's experiences as she cares for the loveable wildlife in her own back yard. The ducks, geese, squirrels and dogs that called her yard home all had a story to tell. I was easily transported into Maria's world. I could envision angry geese honking trying to protect their nest and anxious little baby ducks pecking at her legs for "duck soup." I think it's remarkable that one person could open up their world to wild life and then share that world with the rest of us. Even the "war" for her vegetable garden warmed my heart and I was happy when she found a suitable solution. Maria's Duck Tales is well written, well balanced, well illustrated and an excellent read. The stories flow nicely and I even found myself recognizing the animals’ names. I cheered them on when they were sick and hoped that she'd find the ones who were lost. This book was quite enjoyable and would make an excellent read for a leisure afternoon. I'm sure many animal lovers would be happy to hear the tales of her furry and feathery friends. I'm happy that this lady found a way to live alongside nature and even help it along. Perhaps this book will inspire others to do the same. I highly recommend this book.                                                                       Reviewed by Joana J.  for Readers Favorite

Readers Favorite 5-Star Book Review ...

"Maria's Duck Tales" is a wonderful glimpse into the lives of the wildlife that ventured into the author's life. Each chapter is a different story about an animal that was fortunate enough to encounter Maria. Each chapter is a quick easy read that is like a breath of fresh air on a rainy day. When I first picked up the book to read I imagined that I would just be reading the observations of the wildlife that the author encountered. Instead she often goes hands-on with her wildlife friends, giving me an up close glimpse of her interactions with them. Her interactions often save the lives of the animals she encounters. While there are stories of ducks, the author also includes stories about squirrels, opossums, swans and even mentions her beloved collie a few times. I enjoyed reading how the animals would become a real part of her family. She always gave them names which made them so relatable. As an avid fan of nature I loved this book. The author gives a true glimpse of the wildlife she encounters, but, more than that, as I read each chapter I also learned a bit about the habits of each animal - from the way they care for their babies to the foods they like to eat. The illustrations, peppered through the pages of this book, really stand out and also allow the reader a glimpse of the animal she is describing. I think any observer of nature will certainly enjoy reading this book, but I would recommend it to those who never have the opportunity to connect with nature because the author has the wonderful ability to make you feel like you are right there with her, watching the antics of the wildlife she encounters. This book is certainly a keeper for me. I plan on rereading the stories often. On a scale of one to five I would easily give this book a six because it's just that good!                                                                    Reviewed by Brenda C. for Readers Favorite

Maria's Duck Tales: Wildlife Stories From My Garden

Happy, sad, and at times a little whimsical, Maria's Duck Tales is a collection of short stories of the sometimes complicated, sometimes heart-breaking but always enriching relationship between a woman and the wildlife who call her garden home.

Sharing her observations and interactions with the wild ducks, swans, opossums, ospreys and squirrels of Penataquit Creek, the stories are interwoven with fascinating facts about wildlife and insights into communicating with and understanding our wild friends. Maria's poignant and heartwarming memoirs, as well as the unique bond that she shares with her garden visitors, are, at times, touching, delightful, comical and heartrending.