Meet MG Author Deema T. Kheiry

Carpinello's Writing Pages tries to include a variety of authors in our interviews. While we focus on children's/MG/YA authors, we do try to find authors from around the world to introduce to our readers. Today we visit with Deema T. Kheiry, a middle grade author from a part of the world unfamiliar to many of us. Please join me in welcoming Deema to Carpinello's Writing Pages.

 

First, here's a bit about Deema:

 

Hello there, I’m Deema! Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved immersing myself in a great book. A wonderful story can take you anywhere in the world, or even out of this world! Now, as a mother of two young girls, I have come to realize that it is more important than ever to create stories that develop a sense of self and encourage kids to love reading and learning new things, all while putting a smile on their faces and a glint in their eyes. When I am not hanging out with my family and friends, there is nothing I like more than to bring these magical stories to life, one word at a time! I have lived in and visited a lot of countries around the world throughout my life, but for the past thirteen years Dubai, UAE has been my home. It is where I spend time with my family, and where I dream up new magical stories to share with all of you…

 

Why did you pick to write books for MG readers?

Middle-Grade books encompass innocence, magic, and bright-eyed wonder. But, at the same time, they are the start of learning about more serious topics that exist in the world. For those who want a little bit of both, Middle-Grade is the best place to be.

What types of books do you like to read, and what do you do when you are not writing?

I love a good mystery myself. And I love to read books that take me into another world. Seeing how far the imagination can wander has always been fascinating to me. When I'm not writing, I enjoy spending time with my husband and two young girls. I also enjoy getting together with friends, seeing nature in all its beauty, and reading great books.

 

Tell us about The Book of Astoriya-The Land of the Blooming Forest and how the story came to be.
 

The Book of Astoriya-The Land of the Blooming Forest is book one of a four-book series. It actually started out as an attempt to write a short story for my daughter, then it just grew, and grew, and grew. And now here we are, a couple years later, with The Book of Astoriya Series!
 

What was important for me when writing the story was to have the main character, Sofie, as relatable to kids her age as possible. While there is plenty of magic and fantasy involved, Sofie, herself, uses her love of science and the things she has learned to get her through some sticky situations. Although it is subtle, I am hoping that this message will help kids to realize that the love of learning is magical in its own right.

Here's a peek at The Book of Astoriya-The Land of the Blooming Forest:

The Lands of Astoriya have been unveiled,
A magical journey shall be revealed…
​
Eleven-year-old Sofie is lost! What started out as an ordinary visit to the Community Library, ended with her thrust into a world that she never thought possible.
 

Armed only with the strange, dust-ridden book that sent her there, Sofie grapples to find her way back home.
 

But not all is as it seems in the Land of the Blooming Forest. Jasmine, Queen of the Fairies, needs help to save the land from a vicious, relentless enemy that seeks to plunge them all into a world of darkness. And Sofie is their only hope.
 

Follow Sofie as she fights to save The Land of the Blooming Forest, makes a few magical friends along the way, and discovers the long-hidden secret of Astoriya, and a secret of her own that she never knew she had…

 

How do you go about researching for your stories?
 

Most of the ideas I get for the stories I write are from glimpses of the experiences around me. I usually start out with an idea in my head, and as I start to write, it develops organically, as though the story wants to write itself.
        

Plenty of what I write is fictional, but when it comes to any facts that are written into the story, it is very important to me that they are accurate and factual. So, I do a lot of research from multiple sources to confirm those facts and then try to tie it all up in an easy-and-fun-to-read little bow.
 

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

The Book of Astoriya-The Land of the Blooming Forest is my first published novel. It has been quite the roller-coaster ride, and there is still plenty more to come!

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

Right now, I’m finalizing book two of The Book of Astoriya Series, The Book of Astoriya-The Land of the Everlasting Sun. Once I’ve completed all four books, I’ll start work on another series I have in mind which will be a mixture of science fiction, mystery, and adventure. It will be set in the not-so-familiar historical places around the world to help bring attention to our deeply vast history.
 

What advice do you have for other authors?

Patience. Definitely, patience. It takes a lot of time and effort to write (and then rewrite) a good book. As tempted as an author is to put a book out there as quickly as possible, it is best to take the time to perfect it. It will all be worth it in the end.

Anything else you want readers to know?

If you are already reading Cheryl’s blog, then you already know just how incredible reading great books can be. So, all I have left to say is to keep doing what you’re doing, and enjoy the journey!

Where can readers find you and your books?

You can find more about me and my books on my website and social media pages, as well as subscribe for updates:

Website 

Facebook
Instagram

Twitter

Goodreads 

The Book of Astoriya-The Land of the Blooming Forest is currently available as an E-book, a full color illustrated paperback and a grayscale paperback. You can find them on Amazon, as well as other marketplaces.

For a full list of marketplaces, you can visit this link here:
Find My Books | Deema Kheiry- Author

Veteran's Day Salute & Meet MG Author A. M. Luzzader

Welcome to Carpinello's Writing Pages.

Today is Veteran's Day.

Before getting to our feature author interview, I want to take time to thank all the veterans and serving military for their service to our country.

In my family, my father and my younger brother both served.

My father in the Navy in WWII.

Donald James Woodward (1925-1975)

 My brother in the Marines during the Gulf War Crisis.

Timothy Louis Woodward (1968-)

Thank you all again.

And now,

Carpinello's Writing Pages

Welcomes MG Author A.M. Luzzader

  

Here's a bit about A.M. Luzzader:

A.M. Luzzader is the author of the middle-grade series A Mermaid in Middle Grade and other books. She is first and foremost a mother to her two energetic and intelligent sons, and from this role she draws much of her writing inspiration. Amanda was awarded the Writer of the Year award for 2019–2020 by the League of Utah Writers. She is a devout cat person.

Why did you pick to write books for MG? 

I’ve written books for an adult readership, and I’m very proud of that work. However, I’ve felt for a long time—maybe not even consciously—that I should direct my writing toward a younger audience. As I said, I’m a mom. Also, I worked for a long time at a nonprofit organization that helps families. So, with this acute interest in and a passion for the well-being of young people, I recently switched writing markets. Now I write stories and characters meant to resonate with the middle-grade age group. It’s been a lot of fun. I can be outlandish and even silly but still make meaningful points and write compelling stories. Every author has to find a genre and form that is challenging, fun, rewarding—for me, that’s middle-grade.

What types of books do you like to read, and what do you do when you are not writing?

I read anything and everything—by design. Non-fiction, literary fiction, science fiction, young-adult fiction. I read inside my comfort zone and areas of interest, but then I purposely wander across those boundaries. Earlier this year I read One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, both very cerebral and dark. Then I read Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman—a little bit less-serious. This year I also read a lot of Roald Dahl and J.K. Rowling and Lucy Maud Montgomery. I love books on self-improvement books—books on how to be more creative, successful, and organized, though I don’t always take their advice.

When I’m not writing or reading, you can probably catch me watching a movie or binge-watching a TV series, especially now, during the pandemic. Just before the pandemic I took up knitting—that seems fortuitous now. I love to travel, and I’m very fond of tea, so wherever I go I’m eager to check out local tea shops and do tea-tastings or ceremonies.

Tell us about A Mermaid in Middle Grade and how the story came to be.

The conception of this book series was somewhat unusual. It started when I saw this really interesting book cover for sale online. It was created by a cover design artist that I like. It was this cute little mermaid against a backdrop of coral and shafts of sunlight filtering down through the blue-green water. And it completely captured my imagination. Nothing like this had really ever happened to me. I looked at this book cover and the story of this mermaid in sixth grade began forming in my head. I thought of scenarios with real-life middle-grade issues and friend politics, but it also had this undersea, mer-magical aspect to it.

So, I bought that book cover, and that made it real—now I had to write at least one book about this sixth-grade mermaid with lavender hair and aquamarine scales. So, the story really began with the imagery on that unsold book cover. A lot of the stories are based on things I struggled with when I was her age—self-confidence, jealousy, working through problems with friends and family. All merfolk in these books have magical abilities, which they use to help the ocean and sea creatures, and Brynn learns about that in her school classes, but it’s a little like calculus class or chemistry—it doesn’t come easy for everyone.

The Mermaid in Middle Grade series is a fantasy adventure and coming of age book series appropriate for preteens and all who enjoy middle grade books.  Educational topics: Ocean and marine life, environmental conservation, honesty, friendship, mindfulness, middle school, and interpersonal skills.

Here's a peek at A Mermaid in Middle School - The Talisman of Lostland:

A young mermaid. A sea witch out for revenge. 

Can Brynn Finley become a sea guardian and help humans in danger when she just barely started the sixth grade? 

Brynn Finley is the only mermaid in class who hasn't been able to learn mer-magic. Without it, she can't be a guardian of the sea with her parents and friends. On her quest for answers, Brynn encounters a loveable sea turtle, a pair of selkie sisters, and Phaedra, the great and terrible sea witch. 

Soon Brynn is over her head in trouble, and she must learn to ask for help if she's going to follow the merfolk oath to be a protector of the ocean and a guardian of the sea.

How do you go about researching for your stories?

When I worked at a nonprofit whose mission was to protect children, I received lots of training about childhood development and childhood trauma, and I put a lot of that to use in my books. For example, the merfolk in the books can do magic, but their abilities work best when they’re feeling calm and mindful. So, they practice mindfulness and certain meditation techniques to make their magic effective. Well, mindfulness is of course something that kids can practice in real life, to help them do well on a test or even manage tricky situations on the playground.

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Before I began writing middle grade books, I was writing books for adults. Those are under the name Amanda Luzzader. I wrote a post-apocalyptic trilogy called Among These Bones, and I had written it long before COVID-19 came along, but, coincidentally, the series is also about a global pandemic. The one in my book wipes out most of the Earth’s human population. A cure is found, but it has to be taken once a year, and unfortunately, it also wipes out your memory. So, you have this population of survivors who are under the control of a medical agency with a cure that leaves you with only one year of memory at a time. The main character is a mother whose teenage son goes missing. If she can’t find him before it’s time to take the treatment again, she’ll forget she has a son.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

I’m in the editing stage Voices of Harmony, the third book in the Mermaid in Middle Grade series, but that should be wrapped up pretty soon. I’m also working on a new story called Hannah Saves the World, which is another middle grade book that should be pretty fun. Then, I’ll be back to finishing the rest of the Mermaid in Middle Grade books.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Being an author can be discouraging sometimes. It can be very challenging to reach readers to even let them know your book exists. My advice would be to not get caught up checking the numbers. Authors can spend the entire day checking what their book ranks are or how many books they’ve sold, but that isn’t productive. Focus instead on the work—do the writing and don’t worry about the numbers. Eventually the numbers will reflect the work you’ve done.

Anything else you want readers to know?

I love interacting with readers!

If readers write to me, I promise to write back! They can send a letter to:

Knowledge Forest Press
P.O. Box 6331
Logan, Utah 84341

They can also email me at: Contact@amandaluzzader.com

Where can readers find you and your books?

Website

Facebook

A Mermaid in Middle Grade

Amazon

My paperback and hardback books are available at most book retailers. If you don’t see it, just ask and it can probably be ordered in.

Meet Jemima Pett & Her Newest MG Fantasy: Princelings Revolution

 Carpinello's Writing Pages is excited to participate in the release of Jemima Pett's newest MG Fantasy  Princelings Revolution. I've know Jemima for many years, and her books are some of the best middle grade fantasy out there. If you haven't read her Princelings of the East series, you will be surprised and delighted to learn about her unique characters. So let's get on to it with some background on Jemima:

Here's a bit about Jemima:

Jemima Pett has been living in a world of her own for many years. Writing stories since she was eight, drawing maps of fantasy islands with train systems and timetables at ten. Unfortunately no-one wanted a fantasy island designer, so she tried a few careers, getting great experiences in business, environmental research and social work. She finally got back to building her own worlds and wrote about them.

Her first series, the Princelings of the East—mystery adventures for advanced readers set in a world of tunnels and castles—is now complete. Jemima has also edited two volumes of Christmas stories for young readers, the BookElves Anthologies, and her father's memoirs White Water Landings about the Imperial Airways flying boat service in Africa. She lives with her guinea pigs in the UK.

Why did you pick to write books for Middle Grade readers?

I think the genre chose me, or at least I wrote the Princelings books with the characters based on my guinea pigs, and that led to them being considered more children’s books. Looking into this, I decided that there really was a gap for complex stories for advanced readers of 8 and up, although I usually say 10 and up in print. I had some ten-year-old beta readers at the time, which helped.

What types of books do you like to read, and what do you do when you are not writing?

I review a book on my blog every week, so sometimes I read things I’m not keen on, but mostly I pick science fiction and middle grade books, usually with a spec fiction aspect, maybe magical-realism. I also read science and environment-based non-fiction. But for a proper break, I read crime novels.

Tell us about Princelings Revolution and how the story came to be.

Princelings Revolution is the tenth and last book of the Princelings of the East series.  I never expected it to be a series. Originally I envisaged a trilogy: there is an epilogue in the first book which became the goal towards which my heroes were working. That theme ran through the rest of the books that followed. My world insisted on growing and showing other aspects to my readers.

In about 2014, I started planning the last book as number eight in the series and knew there would be unrest and changes in the way the castles are run. I started writing it in a file called ‘Topsy-turvy world’ but soon stopped because there was simply too much time that had to pass until the end, set for summer 2021. What developments would occur? It was easier to write other books to make them happen than to invent a roadmap for myself - and my readers. It gave me a target to reach in my writing, as well as one for my heroes Fred and George to attain. So this is the only book I’ve written to a deadline!

Here's a peek at Princelings Revolution:

George seems to have lost a phial of highly dangerous liquid. King Fred is battling politics, relatives and self-seeking dignitaries in his aim to give the people a better way of living. But can Fred keep the promise he made to an engaging chap from another time when he was just a princeling? Or will all their hopes fail?

Short excerpt 

Princess Jasmine, Fred’s daughter, and her cousin Liska, are on a treasure hunt at the edge of the marsh…

Liska stood quietly behind a large tree trunk, peering where Jasmine pointed. “Oh, it’s a small house. A shack, maybe.”

“I wonder if anyone lives there? I’ve not heard about a community over this way.”

“Maybe it’s just one person. What if…?” Both girls wondered if fairy tales of princesses abducted in the woods might actually come true. 

“Let’s just have a look. I think my father would like to know if there’s someone actually living here. It’s probably just a store, or a shelter for a woodman.” Jasmine walked forward, taking each step carefully, treading between twigs that might crack under her feet. Liska followed her, breathing loudly. “Shh!”

“I am shush-ing.” Liska whispered in response.

They crept up to the side of the building, listening for any indication of life. “I can’t smell a fire or anything.” Jasmine whispered. 

There was only one window, and one door, sheltered by a small veranda that ran the width of the shack. Logs were stacked neatly under it, along the front of the building. “Someone’s put those there for use.”

“As long as they aren’t inside.” Jasmine lifted the latch and pulled the door outwards to open it. 

Nobody was inside. 

What Jasmine saw was an apparatus that she was very familiar with, a duplicate of the one in the flyers’ laboratory. It was hissing gently, and a drip plopped from the final tube into a glass bottle at the end.

“What’s that?” Liska asked.

“It’s a still. It’s making something, and it smells like strawberry juice. Liska, we must leave. Now! I have to tell George!”

“All right, let’s go then.”

Liska left the shack, followed by Jasmine, but Jasmine overtook her at a run. Jasmine took the straightest route she could, back to the path that led to the lightning tree.

Suddenly she was falling through the earth. The light through the trees above swirled crazily as she fell backwards. Sharp things scratched at her, and knocked her from side to side, and the light disappeared. Her surprise forced a squeal from her, cut short as she landed hard on some uneven ground and branches. Then she screamed in fear as Liska landed on top of her.

How do you go about researching for your stories?

For the Princelings, it’s mostly world-building skills: making sure the world the people inhabit is consistent and has proper rules for law and order, commerce, education, all the background that we can take for granted in a story based in say, Colorado 2020.  

I once studied design and technology, and used that, and kept an eye out for specific information that would help George devise both a new electricity/power system and new flying machines. Fortunately my career in energy efficiency policy helped with the technical elements, and my father’s background in 1930s flying boats influenced me heavily.

Most of the political thought Fred has is based on theories I gleaned from proof-reading a friend’s thesis for him, and I owe him a huge debt.

This makes it sound like the book is all science and technology, but it isn’t! It’s people living in a castle a long way from anywhere else, in the middle a marsh, near the sea! And that was easy to research, because it’s in Norfolk (UK), where I lived!

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Apart from the ten books in the Princelings series—you can probably jump in at number 7, Willoughby the Narrator, if you insist on not starting at the beginning—I have a trilogy of a science fiction series (for grown-ups), the Viridian System series. The Perihelix sees my two heroes taking three women for a space holiday, only for them to be kidnapped. The women have to learn how to pilot the spacecraft, and the men have to deal with some very nasty aliens who want something found. In the second of the series, the women have become equal partners in the men’s adventures. I suspect in the third book they may end up taking over.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

So that third book in the Viridian Series, titled Zanzibar’s Rings (in a shameless bid to get on people’s A-Z title list), has a partial outline and several developed bits of plot that only hang together by a thread at present. It probably won’t emerge until late 2021 at the earliest.

And there are other ideas I discover when I look in my notes… a collection of short stories, the complete Dylan and Dougall adventures… I also hope to get more short stories accepted for other anthologies.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Write down ideas for other books or stories when you get them.  You won’t remember them later.
Don’t give up. Take a break… but don’t give up.

Anything else you want readers to know?

If you don’t mind, I’d like to beg anyone who thinks they’d like a pet, or a new pet, to go to a rescue or rehoming centre, and not to a store or breeder.  There are so many loving, unwanted animals, some of whom have really traumatic stories, and others who were born in rescue. They all deserve a good loving home, so please give them one for life.  Rescues will also give you help and support if you need it, long after you take the animal home. Thank you.

Where can readers find you and your books?

Author website & blog
Twitter: @jemima_pett
Facebook either ‘princelings’ or ‘viridianseries’

Amazon US/Worldwide
Amazon UK
Apple
B&N
Book Depository
Goodreads
Smashwords
Audible

Writers' Tips and Meet MG Author Ann Searle Horowitz

Welcome to Carpinello's Writing Pages!

We love bringing you new publications from author friends and introducing you to new authors. Authors here write childrens/MG/YA books, unless we are hosting special promos like Great Summer Reads 2020 which just finished.

Before we meet today's author, here are some Writing Tips from authors interviewed in 2019.


Keep persevering, write a little everyday and find people to read your books who will tell you the truth. It’s hard finding people who will point out the faults in your work...Sarah Sanchez, author of the MG fantasy The Portal Keeper.


Read a lot in your genre. Also, keep writing and finish your first draft. Even on the days that you will feel discouraged, just take a deep breath and don't give up...Flavia Labre, author of the MG adventure The Eighth Chamber.

And Now, 

Please welcome MG Fantasy author Ann Searle Horowitz to Carpinello's Writing Pages.

Here's a bit about Ann:

I was a high school All American swimmer. I’m also a mother of multiples. So no surprise when I admit to knowing far too much about goggles and the twin bond, both of which provided inspiration for Trident. When I’m not working on its sequel, I coach YMCA swimming, play team tennis, and hang out with my husband and three kids at our home just outside of New York City. As a young reader I could often be found in my basement fort, bingeing on Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries.

Why did you choose to write for MG?

 
My twin sons, who just turned 21, were huge fans of the fantasy-adventure genre. When they were in elementary school, they were ready for MG stories before they were capable of reading them themselves. I read the Harry Potter series and then Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance cycle (starting with Eragon) to them every night and became addicted to middle grade. I continued reading the genre after my sons were able to read it on their own. Writing it felt like the next logical step.

What types of books do you like to read, and what do you do when you are not writing?

I’m a voracious reader of all genres (usually two books going at once—one stays upstairs, one downstairs), but especially love psychological thrillers and mysteries: current mystery author faves include John Verdon, Camilla Lackberg, and Louise Penny.

When I’m not writing, I enjoy my job coaching a YMCA swim team, as well as playing team tennis in several leagues. I’m also an internet tech start-up advisor for a tennis app that’s about to launch worldwide, and a student of Tai Chi.

Tell us about Trident and how the story came to be.

Like many authors before me, I followed Mark Twain’s advice to “write what you know” with Trident.

Some story ideas came from people and experiences in my own life: Trident is about a competitive swimmer; its protagonists are twins. And Richard’s goal at the beginning of the book is to qualify for the Junior Olympics, which my son competed in during high school.

An important theme in Trident is pulled from my involvement as an athlete and as a coach: Positive affirmations. Athletes use these all the time to achieve out-of-reach goals. In Trident, Richard uses them to save his life.

But the story isn’t all about my experiences—not even close. Richard and his twin, Lucy, are named after characters from 50s TV sitcom I Love Lucy. And I definitely haven’t been attacked by a shapeshifter—yet.

Trident’s main story and setting inspiration came from two subjects that intersect right at my mythology nerd sweet spot: The Greek god, Poseidon, and the Lost City of Atlantis.

Although written for readers age 8-12, Trident is building an unanticipated but welcome adult following.

Here's a peek at Trident:

Twelve-year-old Richard Tomlin has almost given up on finding his dad. Instead, he focuses all of his energy on being the youngest swimmer ever on his team to qualify for Junior Olympics.

But everything changes when his new goggles transport him to the Lost City of Atlantis!

Confronting shapeshifters and dark magical forces, Richard channels his inner science geek and the power of positive thinking to stay alive. As he struggles to tame the magic of his goggles, his strong-willed twin, Lucy, finds a way to join him under the sea, and the siblings are thrust into the War of Generations.

To win the war—and save the planet—Richard must embrace his role in an ancient prophecy. Problem is, the prophecy appears to predict his own death. So what’s a warrior to do?

How do you go about researching for your stories?

For Trident, I re-read the myths of the Lost City of Atlantis and Poseidon that I had devoured as a middle school reader, read Plato’s dialogues that mention Atlantis, and sorted through conflicting theories penned by diverse scholars about the Lost City. I also read every picture book about Atlantis that I could get my hands on.

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Trident is my debut novel. However, other published work includes essays in parenting magazines, and short stories for children.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

I started writing the sequel before Trident was published; the positive momentum carried me from one story to the next. But due to a last-minute change I made to the ending of Trident, I’m now re-writing early parts of the sequel, in which Richard’s sister, Lucy, has her own heroic adventure.

What advice do you have for other authors?

First, write short stories or articles to practice your craft, and submit them to print and online magazines; they have word count requirements that force you to become a better editor.
Second, write what you’re passionate about, and use your own life experiences to create authenticity.

Anything else you want readers to know?

Before signing off, I’ll leave you with some fun then-and-now trivia.

Then: Fishermen in the ancient world caught tuna with a (you guessed it) trident. Cool, right?

Now: People still believe that Atlantis was real. And people keep looking for it, somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.

Where can readers find you and your books?

My website.

Visit for short stories, trivia, events, and fun facts about Trident.

Facebook 

LinkedIn

Trident:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

And on the shelves at Arcade Booksellers in Rye, NY.

Meet MG Author Matt Harry

Welcome to Carpinello's Writing Pages where I introduce you to new authors, famous authors, and old friends! Today we have middle grade author Matt Harry, no stranger to writing and entertainment, with his second book in the Codex Arcanum series which was just released Nov. 5th. I've just started book one Sorcery for Beginners and am excited to get into it
 
Here's a bit about Matt:

I've been writing since I was a middle grader. I learned to make movies at the University of Southern California, which was the closest I could get to attending Hogwarts in the real world. Since then I worked as an editor, screenwriter, director, producer, and college professor. I live in Los Angeles with my wife and two sons, all of whom (thankfully) like to read.

Why did you pick to write books for MG?

First off, I find that middle grade stories are the ones I like reading best. MG protagonists are at such a crucial stage in life: trying to figure out what kind of people they want to be, but not quite yet burdened with all the social issues teenagers face (and which I find trying to write about). Secondly, I love engaging with middle grade readers. They’re so excited about books and magic and adventure — all things I like to write about.

What types of books do you like to read?

I love reading MG but I also have a preference for grounded sci-fi and fantasy. Anything too alien or macho is hard for me to relate to, but give me a wise-cracking, ordinary schmo who discovers some bit of magic/futuristic tech, and I’m on board. Some recent favorites include the Brilliance trilogy, The Library at Mount Char, and All the Birds in the Sky.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

I love food, whether it’s going out to eat or cooking something interesting at home. One of the best parts of living in Los Angeles is that there’s so much amazing cuisine to try, from taco trucks to Michelin-starred sushi restaurants. I’ve lived here for 20 years, and I still haven’t tried them all! What we’re having for the next meal is a frequent discussion in our house, often times while we’re enjoying the current meal. But since I can’t eat all the time, I also like playing video games, watching movies, and hiking.

Tell us about Cryptozoology for Beginners and how the story came to be.

Cryptozoology is the sequel to Sorcery for Beginners, in which a group of middle schoolers find a help guide for magic, then have to keep it from being stolen by bad guys. In this book, I wanted to explore another magical element from the beginner’s perspective. I considered Magical Places, Magical Artifacts, and Time Travel before settling on Cryptozoology, the study of undiscovered (and in my books, magical) creatures.

I knew I didn’t want the main character from Sorcery to be the protagonist again, so this time the story centers on Trish Kim, a tough 13 year-old who’s trying to figure out how to tell her friends and family that she’s gay. It was fun to write within the same group of characters, but from a different perspective. It’s something I plan to continue in future books.

I also wanted to focus on issues surrounding animal conservation and whether or not people can be trusted to do the right thing. And like Sorcery, there are boxes that offer up lots of side information on magic, history, and magical creatures. So there’s a lot going on in this book!

Here's a peek at Cryptozoology for Beginners:

Only six weeks after a handful of teenage sorcerers defeated a team of anti-magic mercenaries called the Euclideans, Trish, Owen, and Perry are called back into action when they discover that the world’s cryptids (aka magical creatures) are disappearing. They’re partnered with brusque team leader Jacinda Greyeyes and their former nemesis Bryan Ferretti in a mission to travel all over North America, collecting famous cryptids like the jackalope, the chupacabra, and the altamaha-ha.

But when another team of teenage sorcerers suddenly vanishes, the spell casters set out for Germany, Egypt, and the Seychelles to uncover why the Euclideans have been abducting and experimenting on magical creatures like the unicorn and the sphinx. The secrets they uncover threaten to divide them, and reveal a truth that will permanently upend the way the world sees sorcery.


 Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Sorcery for Beginners was my first published novel. Booklist called it a “clever, often hilarious adventure” and Publishers Weekly said “it’s a charming package and a drily funny adventure.” It’s also being developed as a TV show. But my favorite part of publishing the first book was seeing kids react to it. We even had a few kids dress as characters from the books!

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

I just finished a draft of an adult novel about a cynical spiritual investigator who can see people’s souls. After that, if things go well with Cryptozoology, I hope to start on the third book in the Codex Arcanum series.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Keep writing. It’s so easy to get discouraged, but I’ve found that writing is like exercise — it’s hard to do when you’re out of practice. So I make it a habit to write at least five days a week, to write even when I’m not feeling it, and to always be working on something.

Also, get comfortable with social media. I’m amazed how many people all the world have discovered my books through Facebook and Instagram.

Anything else you want readers to know?

I will be appearing at book events around the country over the next few months, but I really like doing school visits. If you have a school that you’d like me to come visit, reach out to me on Facebook and hopefully we can work something out!

Where can readers find you and your books?

Indiebound is a great way to find copies at your local bookstore.
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

If you order through my publisher Inkshares, I’ll send you a FREE 60 page short story that connects Books I and II!

Meet MG Author Duo J.S. Jaeger

Parents to four wonderful children, Jerry and Stephanie Jaeger enjoy working together as J.S. Jaeger to write uplifting, entertaining stories. 

Jerry overcame bullying to earn his black belt in Kempo Karate. He served as a special agent for the FBI and currently works as a prosecutor. 

Stephanie ran her own accounting practice for several years before turning her focus to writing Scrolls of Zndaria with Jerry. 

Together, they are excited to bring readers of all ages into the magical world of Zndaria.

~ Facebook ~ Website ~
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Denya’s excited to attend the Healing Hands Academy. It’s her chance to become a handmaiden, help others, and live a life of adventure.

But studying at the Academy isn’t everything she’d hoped. The headmistress and many of the students still look down on human handmaidens. It seems as quickly as she makes friends, she has to say goodbye. And just as she starts gaining acceptance, she puts the other students in danger.

Is Denya’s determination enough to see her through, or will she be sent home, back to the peasant life she’s trying to escape?

The second Short Scroll of Zndaria, Healing Hands parallels The Golden Wizard and allows readers to see the magical world of Zndaria through Denya’s eyes. Readers will be reunited with favorite characters from the main series as well as experience life in the Redwood Forest.

Buy this book today to get a glimpse into the world of Zndaria or delve deeper into the journey that began in The Golden Wizard!

  
~ Universal Amazon Link ~ 
  

Snippet:

Harmonia grinned at them. “All of these herbs can heal the sick or injured, either on their own or as part of a mixture. Many are common plants while others are harder to find. Some, if handled incorrectly, can be fatal.” She motioned for the students to follow her. “To prevent any unnecessary accidents, I’ll teach you how to identify the deadliest herbs today.”

Denya’s concern changed to curiosity. She knew which dangerous plants to avoid back home in Burrowville, but she hadn’t realized some of them could heal.

In the rear of the greenhouse, Harmonia stopped at a dirt-covered table bearing three different plants. She pulled iron tongs from her pouch and clasped a long blade of grass from the first plant. “The goldenslasher grows wild in the desert. Notice it’s several times thicker than your typical grass and bulges in the center. It’s also sharp enough to slice through flesh.”

Pulling trimmers from her pouch, she cut off a tip about the size of Denya’s thumb. She switched the cutters for pinchers and pulled a golden fiber from the center of the freshly cut blade. “Tea made from this strand will settle the most nauseated stomach.”

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Writing Tips & Meet the Author Duo of HL Carpenter

Welcome back! As always, I am sharing writing tips from authors I interviewed in 2016. Hope these inspire you! Please feel free to leave your own tip(s) in the comments.


The best advice I was given and can pass along is to read widely from the best books, not only in the genre(s) you want to write, but the classics, too. We all absorb patterns of language while reading, so you ought to read the best. While you're reading, write every single day, even if it's only vague notes or a very rough draft. The only way to learn to write well is to write a LOT of words. I wrote story after story and two complete novels (never published, thank goodness) before I ever sold my first short story (about 500,000 total words in seven years). That was back in the "olden days" (1980's and 1990's) and I collected over 600 rejection letters before that first acceptance. No, that's not a typo!—Katy Huth Jones author of the YA fantasy Mercy's Prince.

Write what you love despite the trends. If your heart is in it, the reader will love it too—Rita Monette author of the MG adventure The Curse at Pirate's Cove.

Always get your facts straight. And never embellish unless you have to (blush)—N.A. Cauldron author of the children's

And now for our author interview!

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes the writing team of HL Carpenter and their unique Middle Grade stories.

Here's a bit about HL Carpenter:

Hello, Cheryl! Thanks for sharing your blog space with us! We're happy to be here!

And hello readers! We're delighted you're here! We're HL Carpenter, a mother/daughter author duo. We write family-friendly fiction from our studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like our stories, is unreal but not untrue.


Why did you choose to write books for middle grade and young adult readers?

We're not sure we chose to do that so much as our work simply evolved in that direction. Our books span genres and can be hard to pin down to a particular age group. All our books do have signature similarities: a strong, practical, intelligent female protagonist, a steadfast friend or two with a sense of humor, and a supportive if exasperating family or family substitute. They're all "clean" too. You won't find explicit sex, violence, or foul language in our stories. While we don't whitewash reality—our characters go through real struggles and their worlds are not all helpful chirping bluebirds and good shoes—we strive to create a world where readers of any age are welcome.

What types of books do you like to read?

Probably easier to say which types we don't read—if we could think of any. We're voracious readers. We like books of all genres: Historical, contemporary, mystery, fantasy, self-help, how-to. Sometimes we read two or three different genres at once, in different formats, with one on the e-reader, another in hard copy, and a third in audio version.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

Besides reading, we love the outdoors. We garden, bird-watch, walk, and journal the activities of the wildlife in Carpenter Country.

Tell us about The Ghost in The Gardens and how the story came to be.

The Ghost in The Gardens sprouted from an article we read about a small botanical garden and a woman who spent her entire working career cataloguing the plants in that single garden. Her dedication was inspiring, and we were awed by the variety of plant life in such a small area and how difficult finding a particular plant is.

Here's a peek at The Ghost in The Gardens:

I had the future planned out.

The ghost was not in the plan.

After the first visit, I still didn't really believe in ghosts. But when she came back the second time, I had to change my mind. I hadn't been dreaming and I wasn't crazy. The only other alternative was: I had seen a ghost.

I started researching ghost visitations. What made them stick around in this world? How did they choose who to haunt? Why had no one ever caught a legitimate sighting on video or made a recording?

Mostly what I learned was that people argued a lot about whether ghosts existed. People who believed in ghosts liked other people who believed in ghosts. People who didn't believe in ghosts thought people who did were crazy.

I was not crazy.

Finding out the answers to my questions about ghosts should have been easy. I had my own personal ghost to ask. But every time she visited me, I couldn't say a word. My thoughts got all tangled and my breath stuck in my throat and I got dizzy. Having my own personal ghost was not helpful. The visits were...creepy. Like are-you-here-because-I'm-going-to-die creepy. Maybe the creep factor was why no one had ever documented a ghost.

I shivered, though I hadn't seen the ghost in hours and cheerful sunlight warmed the early June morning. The Water Garden, a magical green fairyland of trickling streams and arched bridges, closed in around me. Shadows shifted. Bushes rustled.

I'd never seen a ghost before, not even when my dad died. Why had one decided to haunt me now?

"Just lucky, I guess," I said. "What do you think, Barkley?"

My long-legged Schnauzer scratched his ear with his hind foot. 

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Yeah, we've written a few others. We're compulsive and we can't stop ourselves from writing new stories. :) Counting The Ghost in The Gardens, we currently have eight published works.

Jack and The Fountain of Youth: a new-adult novella about a girl who helps a young man rediscover the fountain of youth so he can reverse the spell he's been under for 500 years.
 

 The SkyHorse: a fantasy about a girl who finds a mysterious egg that hatches into a flying horse.

 Walled In: the story of Vandy Spencer, a teenager who has everything—and then discovers her father has been involved in a massive fraud.

 Pirate Summer: the story of a teen who has to travel back in time two hundred years to save her brother.

Dream Stealer: a fantasy novelette about a teenager who is expected to carry on the family business of stealing dreams, even though she doesn't want to.

 A Cause for Murder: a cozy mystery novel featuring a septuagenarian sleuth who solves a murder at her retirement community.

The Demise of Fyne Literature: a short story about fighting the demons within.





What's next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

We're taking a brief break as we begin introducing The Ghost in The Gardens to the world.

In terms of writing work-in-process calling for our attention, we're waiting to hear back from a publisher on a cozy mystery, we're nearly done with the first draft of a themed collection of short stories, and we're in the revision stage of a collection of contemporary satire. We have a futuristic novella ready for re-release, and a couple of completed cozies for adult readers that we're thinking of publishing as a series, along with novellas featuring the same characters.


What advice do you have for other authors?

Write what you enjoy writing. Find your trigger—that is, find a theme or a plot or a character that sparks your imagination and makes you smile. If you try to write what's popular or what sells, your writing will suffer. Ask how we know—go ahead! :)

If you have a story to tell, tell it. Then put it in a drawer and go study authors whose books you love. Ask yourself what draws you to those stories. Write or type out passages that resonate with you. After a couple of months of immersing yourself in your favorite books, take your manuscript out of storage, and read it with fresh eyes. Revise it based on what you've learned. Repeat the process at least once more.


Anything else you want readers to know?

Once upon a time, we shared Carpenter Country with a horse whose sire was a movie star. But that's a story for another day.


Where can readers find you and your books?

The central hub for all Carpenter Country adventures is HLCarpenter.com, where you'll find links to our social media and author pages, free reads, audio excerpts, reader's guides, and photo-essay updates of the latest happenings in our neck of the human experience.


Release date for The Ghost in The Gardens: June 17, 2018

Pre-order links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Gardens-HL-Carpenter-ebook/dp/B07CV2GJZY/

Mirror World (ebook): https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/juvenile/products/the-ghost-in-the-gardens-e-book

Mirror World (paperback print): https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/juvenile/products/the-ghost-in-the-gardens-paperback

Meet Middle Grade Author Gary Val Tenuta

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes Gary Val Tenuta, an author of many talents as you will see.

First, a bit about Gary:

Gary Val Tenuta is a book cover designer (BookCoversAndVideos.webs.com), songwriter, and author with a degree in Social Psychology. His professional writing career began as a contributing writer for Fate Magazine in the 1990s. Since then he has authored two full-length novels and a series of novellas all for adult readers. The Lost Dreamstone is his first novel for Middle-Grade readers. Gary lives with his black cat Bear in a cozy condo in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S.


Why did you pick to write books for MG readers?

The idea for The Lost Dreamstone came to me over 30 years ago. Due to a crazy series of odd coincidences, the book sat unfinished until recently when I decided if I didn’t finish it now, it might never get done. The details of that strange series of coincidences — all of which were related to the story — are included as an addendum at the back of the book.

What types of books do you like to read?

I’ve read everything Dan Brown (author of The DaVinci Code, et. al.) has ever published. So that’s a big clue as to the kind of stories that draw me in.  I’m also a big fan of anything that’s similar to Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

When I’m not writing I’m usually busy designing book covers or creating book trailer videos. Otherwise there’s good chance I’ll be practicing some bluegrass licks on my guitar. Or, if I’m feeling really lazy, I might be caught binge-watching a good series on Netflix.

Tell us about The Lost Dreamstone and how the story came to be.
 
As I mentioned earlier, the story of The Lost Dreamstone came to me over 30 years ago. What inspired it, I honestly don’t remember. I suspect it was probably an infatuation with two of my all-time favorites, Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. I was a new father of a son at that time, and I think I just wanted to write something that he would like to read when he got older. But, also as I mentioned earlier, a strange series of coincidental events (all related to the story I wanted to write) caused the book to remain unfinished for years. That series of events is a story in itself, and it’s included at the back of the book under it’s own title: A Tale of Two Tales: The Story Behind the Story of The Lost Dreamstone. My son now has a 4-year-old son of his own, and The Lost Dreamstone will be waiting for him to read when he’s a few years older. I created all of the illustrations in the book, some of which can be seen in the book trailer.

Here's a peek at The Lost Dreamstone:
 

Don't believe in the Sandman? Neither did 11-year-old twins, Josh and Jenna. That is, until one night when something moved in the corner of Jenna's bedroom. That event started a chain reaction that catapulted the twins across a threshold into a mystical realm, "the place of dreams where nothing is quite the way it seems, where that which is, perhaps is not and what is not might be."

Josh and Jenna are shocked to discover they are the key to fulfilling an ancient prophecy:

Now the Dreamstone has been lost
Waiting who knows where?
Like a ball between two players tossed
’Tis neither here nor there.
Two children from the Outer World
Together shall come alone.
They must be twins, a boy and girl
To find the lost Dreamstone.

The prophecy must be fulfilled or all of us––you, me, everyone––will suffer horrendous nightmares every sleeping moment of our lives for as long as we live.

Tasked with finding the Dreamstone in a realm populated by Dreamons and Drangels and Skrids––Oh my!––not to mention those annoying Weedles––the twins face dangers and strangers beyond their wildest dreams.

Will Josh, the adventurous one, find this adventure to be more than he can handle? Jenna, the cautious one, will certainly find her cautious nature challenged by the need to press onward in spite of the obstacles at nearly every turn.

Failure to succeed in their quest is not an option––at least not if they ever want to return to their home and to the comfortable lives they once knew. D'rath Kahn, the Dark Lord of Nightmares has declared it so.

There is much to be discovered in the place where dreams come from. Like Shamara the Sorceress told the twins, "Future fortune is often lost because a threshold is left uncrossed."

The door is open. Won’t you come on in?

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

My first novel, The Ezekiel Code, was self-published back in 2007. It is a metaphysical mystery adventure inspired by UFOs and the Bible!

My second novel, ASH: Return of the Beast, is a cross-genre tale incorporating elements of the occult lore, supernatural phenomena and police procedural. The story was inspired by a little known legend concerning Aleister Crowley, a notorious practitioner of what is often called the “Dark Arts”, or “Magick”. According to the legend (apparently true) Crowley was cremated when he died in England in 1947, but the urn containing his ashes mysteriously disappeared. In my novel, the how and why of that disappearance is revealed, and it’s reappearance in modern day Seattle brings about a series of baffling deaths that becomes a the most bizarre case that ever landed on the desk of Seattle Police Detective, Brian Kane, who doesn’t believe in the supernatural.

I also have a series of Twilight Zone-ish novellas on Kindle called Twisted Tales From the Files of the Second Chance Limousine Service. They are stand-alone stories that can be purchased individually or all five of them together in a set called “Wanna Take a Ride?”

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

I’m currently working the 6th Second Chance Limousine story and I’m hoping to have a children’s picture book out by the end of the year.

What advice do you have for other authors?

There are several things I could say but one thing that comes to mind immediately is about reviews. If you get some bad reviews, don’t let them stop you from continuing to write. Yes, it’s disappointing, but it’s just possible that some of those bad reviews might turn out to be very helpful. Try to be objective and see what you can learn from them. The reviews for my first novel, The Ezekiel Code, were nearly equally divided by 4 and 5 star reviews on the upside and 1 and 2 star reviews on the downside. It took me a long time to get over the disappointment of the negative reviews but eventually I began to see that what many of those reviewers had to say was true. I made a concerted effort to learn from them so that my future work would show a marked improvement. I’ve made a lot of headway in that respect, and I’m still working at it.

Anything else you want readers to know?

The Lost Dreamstone is currently promo priced at just $1.99 in the U.S. and £1.49 in the U.K. It’s only available on Kindle right now. I hope to have a paperback edition out by the end of the year.

Where can readers find you and your books?

Amazon author page
Wesbsite


The Lost Dreamstone:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Book Trailer