Meet MG Author Kathleen Jae

 

Carpinello's Writing Pages is excited to host Kathleen Jae on her Pump Up Your Book Tour for her very first novel, but not her first book. Please welcome her and be sure to leave encouraging comments. Don't forget to read all the way to the end for something special.

First, a bit about Kathleen:

Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery is Kathleen Jae’s first novel. She has been writing in one form or another for over twenty years. Her greatest success story is her daughter, and their autism journey is chronicled in Kathleen’s first book, From Prompting to Shaping to Letting Go: My Love Affair With ABA and How Being a “Bad Mom” Helped My Daughter With Autism Succeed. Two of Kathleen’s short stories made it to the finals of the 2017 Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Award competition.

 

Why did you pick to write books for middle-grade readers?

I never set out to write for middle-grade readers. In fact, I did not realize there was such a label when I began Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery. I knew my protagonist would be a chipmunk, and in the beginning, I had no idea the book would surpass 150 pages. It kind of evolved, so that when it was finished I knew the readers would probably be about ten years old to fourteen or fifteen. But in reality, middle-grade readers range in age from about eight to twelve.

 

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

I can find so little time for reading strictly for fun! When I am reading, it’s something historical to research for the sequel to an upcoming book, Island Times Three (a historical detective mystery that takes place on Manhattan and Sanibel Islands) or browsing the internet to search for material to use in the sequel to Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery. The book I am reading for Island Times Three is The NYPD’s First Years by Bernard and Jon Whalen. When I’m not writing, I am outside as much as possible, gardening or hanging with our dogs.

 

Tell us about Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery and how the story came to be. 


My family and I have visited Sanibel Island in Florida a lot over the past 20 years. About five years ago we decided to take a kayaking tour in Tarpon Bay. At one point, our guide began to talk about the red-mangroves and how they are destroyed to make room for development. While I sat listening, I pictured a chipmunk standing on a red mangrove branch, and I came up with a premise: a young chipmunk protects the red mangroves from destruction.

 

Here's a peek at Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery:
 

Dangers lurk both high and low,
 

Marauders, curs, moggies too.
 

When darkness comes, we must not go,
 

And wait for light’s renew!
 

Elanora’s mother uttered the verse daily, just as her mother’s mother had told it to her, so who was Elanora to question it? It gave her shivers when she heard the serious way her mother told it, as if every menacing creature mentioned in the verse were waiting just outside their burrow, ready to pounce on them for daring to leave the safety of their home. The first time her mother recited it, Elanora was busy studying the stripes on the back of her sister Vala. All of them had these same stripes, even her mother, but Elanora thought them quite unnecessary.
 

“One…two…three…” she counted, poking hard at each line, until her sister screamed for her to stop. Elanora was quietly scolded, as it was normally a time for rest. She promised herself to ask her mother about the stripes at feasting time, for she had an almost vital need to know things.
 

“Please tell me now—why do we have these silly stripes on our backs?” Elanora asked her mother this question after they arrived at the edge of a clearing where the cobbings grew on the popple trees. She pulled a piece of cobbing from the tree and shoved it in her mouth. Her sisters and brothers foraged around her, and she had never heard them complain about the ugly and slimy things. But Elanora thought they tasted like dirt, and their shape reminded her of the lily pads she had seen in the pond that was not far from their home. Elanora accepted the tops, but she had long ago rejected the stems for she thought they made her tummy hurt. At least that is what she told to all who would listen.
 

Her mother smiled at Elanora’s question. “Hava has used her wisdom once again with the creation of our stripes. You noticed they are different colors, yes?”
 

Elanora nodded.
 

“That is so we are one with everything else she has created.”
 

“But—”
 

“Look at your brother there,” she directed, pointing to Calum. “You must use your eyes skillfully to see him among the leaves and the twigs and the ground.”
 

Elanora tried to observe the scene in an open-minded way and decided that her mother was right: when Calum was still he seemed to disappear.
 

Elanora nodded. “I agree, Mother. But if Hava has done this good thing, why did she also create the defyers—those awful creatures who watch for us and take us away with their sharp claws?”
 

Her mother stopped eating and frowned at Elanora. “You are asking too many questions! We will leave that for another outing!”
 

She had been told such things before, like when she would ask why the water fell from the sky or why the brightness left and the darkness arrived at the same time. She knew her queries annoyed her family, but she could not help herself. That was why she loved to talk to Damhan. He answered her questions thoughtfully and always welcomed more.
 

That eventide, Elanora asked if she might explore the nearby pond the next brightness, and her mother agreed. Just as the light pushed through the tops of the trees, Elanora’s mother received a report of a cur wandering near the rock wall. After securing a promise from her daughter that she would not be away long, Sorcha gave Elanora permission to leave the nest.
She peeked from the opening of their burrow. Elanora loved the cozy home she shared with her family, and her mother once told them that she had lived in the same burrow when she was a youngster. The tiny entrance was at the bottom of a tall honey tree, and once inside, Elanora had to turn to the right, climb up two steps, and turn left. A feathered creature had bored a hole through the bark at this point, and Elanora loved to watch the brightness of the moon push through the opening and into their burrow, and it was the last thing she saw before falling asleep.

 

The other part of the burrow, one that Elanora did not like, was under the ground. Its entrance was just beyond the steps, and the tunnel that led downward was narrow. They sometimes slept in a nest in one of the larger pockets, usually after hearing the cries of a moggie.
 

Dangers lurk both high and low,
 

Marauders, curs, moggies too.
 

When darkness comes, we must not go,

And wait for light’s renew! 

 

How do you go about researching for your stories? 


During my initial online research for Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery, I discovered chipmunks are not naturally found in Southwest Florida, and at the same time I found out that the other main characters, namely the round-tailed muskrats, are not normally found in red mangrove forests. I had to pick up my characters and move them someplace else, and since salt marshes are sandwiched between freshwater marshes and red-mangrove forests, it was a logical place for the book’s setting. In the course of additional research, I found a site that explained how to drain a salt marsh and how it affects the water and, therefore, the animals who live there. I bought a few books online that explained the salt marsh ecosystem, and they were helpful.

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


The first book I published is called From Prompting to Shaping to Letting Go: My Love Affair With ABA and How Being a “Bad Mom” Helped My Daughter With Autism Succeed. It’s about the journey my daughter and I took after we received her autism diagnosis at the age of three, her ensuing behavioral program I set up and her many achievements over the years.

 

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



I’ve started the sequel to Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery, and Island Times Three should be released in August.

 

What advice do you have for other authors? 



If an idea comes to you, and you think it will make a good book, just start it. Do some research—enough to get some pages down. I find that when I start writing, the ideas about where my characters go and what they say just flows. Write until the ideas slow. Then walk away for a little while. Think about what you have written. I have worked this way many times, and I might be cleaning or gardening and thinking about the story, and an idea will just pop into my head.

 

Anything else you want readers to know? 


I want to thank illustrator Lori Taylor, Editor Lisa Gilliam and Graphic Designer Peter Chiappetta for their hard work and skills in bringing Elanora to life.

 

Where can readers find you and your books? 


To purchase a print version of Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery, click here, and From Prompting to Shaping to Letting Go, here.

 

Readers can email me at kathleen@kathleenjae.com and

Website 

Pinterest 

Facebook 

 

Amazon 

 

Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

 
Kathleen Jae is giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card
&
One Printed Canvas Bag

 
(Canvas Bag Includes one plushie muskrat (Beathas, Lachi and the rest of the colony); one plushie chipmunk (Elanora); one plushie gray squirrel (Nara); one roseate spoonbill photo transfer hanging by Etsy shop owner FeelinGroovyPhotos (Moira and Muirreal); one framed manatee art print by Etsy shop owner SammWehmanArt (sea cow); one cormorant printed tea towel by Etsy shop owner HearthandHarrow (Pelles); one yellow-crowned night heron signed printed note card by Etsy shop owner BlueHenCraft (Morven); one set of 5 vintage bobcat postage stamps by Etsy shop owner AxmxZ (bullycat); one red-tailed hawk applique iron-on patch by Etsy shop owner PatchParlor (defyer); one reusable shopping bag adorned with assorted forest animals including red fox (oppect), white tailed deer (Damhan), rabbit (quidge) and owl (maurauder); one bird-watching notebook with blue jay (Jae) on front; two signed copies of Elanora and the Salt Marsh Mystery and two Elanora bookmarks.)
 

Terms & Conditions:
 

By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive $50 Amazon Gift Card & one winner will be chosen to win tote bag.
This giveaway ends midnight April 30.
Winner will be contacted via email on May 1.
Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!

Writing Tips & Meet MG Author S. N. Bronstein

Welcome back to Carpinello's Writing Pages! I've been busy transferring my Arthurian Legend books over to Silver Quill Publishing, my author co-op. Just finished this last week. Now I'm working on publishing my Guinevere trilogy in an eBook collection. So far, it's time consuming, but no major problems. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Before I introduce us to our author, hear are some writing tips from our archives. The key is that writing tips don't go out of style. Please leave your tip(s) in the comments. All my readers would appreciate the share.

Succeeding in the field of writing comes down to three things: Practice, Patience, and Persistence. Without those, you’ll never make it. As writers, we never stop learning, and we never stop practicing our craft and trying to improve. We learn early on to be patient with ourselves and our stories and this crazy business of writing and publishing. We also learn to be persistent and to never give up on the projects we care about, even if that means multiple rewrites, multiple submissions, a radically different approach to publishing or marketing, etc. We are strong people, we writers, and we love what we do. We’re lucky—

Just write and don’t let anyone else decide what success means—William Stuart, author of

And now,

Please welcome Middle Grade author fellow educator S. N. Bronstein to Carpinello's Writing Pages

First, here's a bit about S. N. Bronstein:

I worked 34 years in a large metropolitan area school system. During those years I was a teacher, crisis counselor, investigator of student at risk cases, and Regional Supervisor.  Following my retirement I began writing and publishing novels for both adults and children.I still live in Florida with my wife and our cat Nugget. You'll see why I mention Nugget when you read on.

Why did you pick to write books for upper middle-graders?

My decision to begin writing MG books came about after publishing a number of adult crime stories called The Fairlington Lavender Detective Series.
I reasoned that if adults enjoyed crime stories, then why wouldn’t MG students enjoy age appropriate stories with the same theme? Of course the nature of the crimes and the plots would have to be altered to be consistent with the age group.  MG students can learn a great number of important life lessons from this genre. This resulted in The Private Eye Cats series being published.



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

I enjoy reading historical non-fiction when I am not writing. I also enjoy home improvement projects.

Tell us about The Private Eye Cats series and how the stories came to be:  

The Private Eye Cats series consists of two books; The Case of the Neighborhood Burglars and The Case of the Kidnapped Dog. The plots follow two sister cats who live at home with their ‘humans’ and at one point decide to become private detectives.
 
How such an implausible challenge could be realized is revealed early in the first book. Special skills the cats possess that the readers learn of allow the two feline ladies to pull this off. Scooter and Nugget solve two separate crimes in the area of their home.

Here's a peek at The Case of the Kidnapped Dog:

I think I talked about it in our first book, but in case you don’t remember, with cats it’s all about the action. Cats have a need to find out everything about everything. It’s called curiosity and as my older cat sister Scooter taught me, it’s part of our instincts. We have no choice in the matter. Dogs can be content sitting around the house, going for a walk twice a day, and chasing after a ball and bringing it back to their humans until they pass out from the heat. Not us. We can play the ‘make the humans happy’ game like any other house pets, but our real goals are to explore, find out what’s up, and stick our noses exactly where they don’t belong.
 
It was this instinct to get into the action that got me, Nugget, and my sister Scooter into so much trouble last April. During that month I wanted to find a way to sneak out of the house once our humans, Tony and Misty, went to work. Well, I did find a way out.                      
 
I convinced Scooter to join me on a trip to the outside world. Against her better judgment, she finally agreed.
 
Scooter’s decision to join me on a tour of the real world beyond our four walls led to all kinds of mischief. Once she heard about some burglars breaking into houses on our block, she dreamed up the idea that we should help the police catch the crooks.
 
Well, we did help the police solve the case. We caught the criminals who were responsible, and we became Private Eye Cats.

How do you go about researching for your stories?

I had to do very little research for the MG books given that I had extensively researched many of the forensic details for my adult crime stories. A big positive here is that the cats are ours in real life.

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

The Private Eye Cats series includes two books so far: The Case of the Neighborhood Burglars and The Case of the Kidnapped Dog.

My adult series consist of four cases worked by Detective Fairlington Lavender in South Florida. The books include The Case of the Miami Philanthropist, The Case of the Miami Blackmailer, The Case of the Miami Vigilante, and The Case of the Yellow Flower Tattoo.  The WIP  and final addition to the series is The Case of the Small Town Coroner. All are fast paced thrillers where the MC faces almost insurmountable odds in bringing the antagonist to justice.

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

Aside from the adult WIP, I am planning a third in The Private Eye Cats series.

What advice do you have for other authors?

For novice authors I advise them to follow their instincts when sitting down to write. Don’t count words, don’t count pages, and don’t write when your creative side is not in gear. Let the story flow from your mind to the page without a lot of concern for rules.  There is one rule for writing…there are no rules.
 
Of course, proper grammatical form is a must and all books have to be logical in terms of the story line moving along.
 
Writing is easy. Editing is a challenge. Getting published by a traditional house is even more of a challenge. Marketing and selling your works is the most frustrating of all. But never give up, ever.
If there is ‘a book in you’ then write it.

Anything else you want readers to know?

Keep reading regardless of whose books you decide to select.

Where can readers find you and your books?

Website  

Twitter

My books can be found on the site, sample chapters read, and books can be purchased in all formats directly from Amazon. My books are also available from most on-line book sellers.

 
 

Meet MG Author Elizabeth Woodrum

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes one of our favorite types of authors today: Teacher-Author Elizabeth Woodrum.

First, a bit about Elizabeth:

I am originally from Indiana. I moved to Ohio after college for a teaching position and have lived in the Dayton area since 2002. I have been a teacher for about fourteen years, having taught grades four, six, seven, and eight during that time. I currently teach sixth-grade language arts.

I began working on my first independent author project in 2012 and published the first book in my middle grade mystery series in 2013.

Why did you pick to write books for Middle Grade?

I chose to write for a middle grade audience because I was inspired by my time spent with fourth-grade students. I taught that grade for ten years, and I know that age level well. I kept them in mind as a possible audience while writing.

What types of books do you like to read?

My favorite genre is fantasy, though I do enjoy realistic fiction as well. I read a lot of YA books, especially now that I teach sixth-graders. I like to keep current with what they are reading, but I also just really enjoy that genre.


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

I spend a lot of time reading or listening to audio books. I find inspiration from books I enjoy. I spend a lot of time walking or playing with my dog. I adopted her from a rescue organization four years ago, and she is my little shadow.

Tell us about Maisy and the Mystery Manor and how the story came to be.

My current book is the third in the Maisy Files series. This particular story came about because I wanted to have something that would be timely, since I wanted to publish it in October. I also wanted to mix things up a little bit. The previous two books took place mostly at Maisy’s school. The third book has a completely different setting.

Here's a peek at Maisy and the Mystery Manor:

Super sleuths will be thrilled to know that everyone’s favorite fourth-grade detective is back with a double dose of mystery adventure!

As Maisy participates in a mystery weekend event for junior detectives, she uncovers a real case. Could a ghost be haunting Mystery Manor?

Find out in the exciting third installment of The Maisy Files!





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

My other two books, Maisy and the Missing Mice and Maisy and the Money Marauder, are my two other published works. They introduce readers to the character of Maisy Sawyer, a fourth-grade detective with quite an imagination. In the first book, Maisy is tasked with finding the school’s missing mice mascots. In the second, she must solve the case of stolen lunch money.

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

I’m currently toying with a few new ideas for Maisy. But, I also have a YA novel that is bouncing around my brain. I’m planning on releasing another Maisy book in the spring or early summer. But, I would like to also write a YA novel sometime in the future.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Keep writing! I find that if I take a break, it’s much harder to get back in the swing of things. Also, do your research about the publishing process to determine if you want to go the independent or traditional route. Whichever route you choose, be informed.

Anything else you want readers to know?

I want readers to know that I greatly enjoy writing stories for Maisy. A lot of my inspiration comes from my classroom experience, and I think that makes my stories very relatable for young readers.

Where can readers find you and your books?



Website
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon Author Page


My books are available online. The e-books are available only through Amazon, but the paperbacks can be bought at just about any online retailer. The first two books are currently available in audio book format through Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. The third audio book will soon be available as well.

Book Blast for Koolura and the Mayans

Koolura and the Mayans Book Blast

About the Book:

Title: Koolura and the Mayans, Book 3 

Author: Michael Thal
 
Publisher: Summer Solstice
 
Publication Date: March 16, 2016

Genre: Middle Grade Mystery

 AMAZON      BARNES & NOBLE






Blurb:

Koolura, a girl with extraordinary psychic powers, is back again with pal Leila. The duo is off to Mexico for Koolura’s father’s wedding. When touring a Mayan archeological dig, the girls uncover a mysterious device that hurtles them 2000 years back in time. They soon discover aliens from the planet Aquari living amongst Mayan natives. Are these Aquarians planning to take over Earth? And can Koolura and Leila stop them in time?




Other Books in the Koolura Series:

The Legend of Koolura, Book 1: Koolura isn’t an ordinary girl. She has what every child dreams. She has the COOL.

Koolura has doubts about herself. She and her father have relocated so often she has few community ties. Here, at her new school, for the first time in her life she feels right at home.

Koolura is a sixth grade Armenian girl and this story tells how she obtained the cool powers and gradually learns to use them. She has the ability to dematerialize at will and reappear where she chooses. She can move objects with her mind and she can even defy gravity!

But will these powers be of any use in stopping a stalker intent on the destruction of Koolura and her friends? He’s determined to retrieve Koolura’s unrealized cool powers with the mysterious decoolerizer.

The hour approaches for her final confrontation with her nemesis, the stalker believed to be responsible for her mother’s death.


Koolura and the Mystery at Camp Saddleback, Book 2: Koolura has the ability to teleport, levitate, heal, and even fly. But at Camp Saddleback, Koolura wakes up drained and powerless. Who or what has stolen her psychic powers?

As Koolura searches for the truth about her power loss, she and the Chumash Girls have to deal with pranksters ruining their cabin and destroying their summer. Campers plan revenge but problems escalate as lives are threatened. Will Koolura and the Chumash Girls solve the mystery at Camp Saddleback?


About the Author:

Michael Thal is the author of five published novels—Goodbye Tchaikovsky, The Abduction of Joshua Bloom, and The Koolura Series—The Legend of Koolura, Koolura and The Mystery at Camp Saddleback, and Koolura and the Mayans. He is also a columnist for the Los Angeles Examiner writing articles about parenting and education.

Moving from the frigid Northeast to comfy Southern California in 1973, Michael taught elementary and middle school for 28 years until a freak virus left him deafened at the age of 50. He reinvented himself as a writer composing over 80 published articles in print magazines as well as novels for middle grade and high school aged students.

Learn more about Michael Thal:  Website /Blog.

AMAZON      BARNES & NOBLE

Meet Aussie MG Author Julie Grasso

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes fellow Kid Lit Blog Hop hostess and award-winning MG author Julie Grasso. She is the author of the Caramel Cardamom Sci Fi trilogy and the Frankie Dupont mystery series. Julie hails from down-under and is expecting a new Grasso this September!

First, a bit about Julie:

With a background in paediatric nursing, Julie Anne Grasso spent many years literally wrapping children in cotton wool. Every day she witnessed courage and resilience from the tiny people she cared for, which inspired her to write stories to entertain them.  A science fiction nerd, (she even owns a TARDIS) cupcake enthusiast and lover of all things mystery, she lives in Melbourne with her husband Danny and their little girl Giselle. Most days she can be found sipping chai tea and dreaming up wonderful worlds that often involve consumption of cupcakes.

Why did you pick to write books for children/MG?

Middle grade is such a sweet spot, because kids this age are not quite ready for the reality of the world we live in. Fantasy and Mystery are how I choose to entertain them, with the hope to ignite their imaginations.

What types of books do you like to read?

I love mystery, middle grade, picture books, sci fi and forensic pathology.

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

Spend time with my family, drinking chai late’s and dreaming up ways to make our small part of the world better.

Tell us about the newest Frankie Dupont book and how the story came to be.

Frankie Dupont And The Science Fair Sabotage is the third in my Frankie Dupont mystery series. I loved the idea of having kids attend a sustainable science fair, where their inventions have to be made from renewable or recyclable material.  It gave me a chance to dream big and then weave the mystery in around it. It was released in May 2015.

Here's a peek at Frankie Dupont And The Science Fair Sabotage:

Frankie Dupont is less than impressed when he has to attend the sustainable science fair with Kat and Amy. Upon his arrival, he learns that Amy's brothers have had their robotics chip stolen. Keen to recover the chip, Frankie questions the kids in the competition, but everyone seems to have a motive. When baffling clues start rolling in via “Snap-Goss” instant messages, Frankie realises it will take all of his detective muscles to solve this case.





Tell us a bit about the Carmel Cardamom books.

My Adventures of Caramel Cardamom Sci Fi trilogy was completed in January this year. Caramel is no ordinary elf.  She can read minds and control technology, but when the crunch comes, she has to work together with her friends to overcome the enemy.

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

Frankie Dupont And The High Seas Heist, the 4th book in my series, will hopefully be released in August this year. This one has some awesome evidence to be investigated, which I hope the kids will love.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Dream big, expect nothing to come easy and work hard because no one else can make your dream a reality….

Anything else you want readers to know?

Life is too short not to eat a sticky date and caramel cupcake with caramel cardamom sauce at least once in your life.  I recommend it.

Where can readers find you and your books?

Website
Blog
Creative Kids Tales
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
YouTube

Meet MG Mystery Author Shannon L. Brown

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes Middle Grade author Shannon L. Brown, a lover of mysteries.

First, a bit about Shannon:

Award-winning journalist Shannon Brown released her first book, the middle grade mystery The Feather Chase, in 2014. After writing more than 600 articles about almost every imaginable subject including opera, Daniel Boone, and her specialty of jewelry, Shannon switched her focus to marketing her book and writing the next book in the Crime-Solving Cousins Mystery series. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, she now calls Nashville, Tennessee, home.

Why did you pick to write books for MG?

I was writing for adults, sweet romance novels that have not been published, when writing for middle grade chose me. Mysteries have been a favorite genre since I discovered them as a kid and read every one I could put my hands on. When I got the idea that turned into The Feather Chase, I knew immediately that it was for kids and something that I would have enjoyed when I was that age. I always looked forward to the next book in the series that I read, so I know readers will be happy to read the next book in the Crime-Solving Cousins Mystery series later this year.

What types of books do you like to read?

I like to read middle grade books (I really do enjoy them), cozy mysteries, and sweet romances, mostly historical. I also enjoy reading about history, things like hundred-year-old newspapers and land deeds that most people would consider yawn-worthy.

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

When I’m not writing, you may find me alone baking something yummy (that my husband will gobble up as soon as it’s out of the oven), reading (usually in bed – it’s the perfect place to read), or hiking on a wooded path. I also enjoy doing volunteer work or watching a movie with my professor husband. My calico cat Evie manages to be part of most things at home—she’s on my lap as I answer these questions.

Tell us about The Feather Chase and how the story came to be.

I was driving along a busy interstate in the Dallas/Fort Worth area when an image of a briefcase full of feathers popped into my mind. The Feather Chase was born that day. In the book, small town Sophie and city girl Jessica haven’t seen each other in years but are spending the summer together. It isn’t going well. The twelve-year-old cousins find a briefcase full of feathers in the woods and have to solve the mystery. They’re quickly in the middle of a mystery and have to learn to work together to bring the bad guys to justice.

Here's a peek at The Feather Chase:

They start chasing a mystery—then it chases them!

Twelve-year-old cousins Sophie and Jessica don’t have much in common. Sophie loves hiking and her small town. Jessica would rather be shopping in a city. The only mystery is how they’ll be able to spend the summer together.

Then they find a briefcase in the forest with a surprise inside. When they hear footsteps behind them and bad guys run after them, they have no choice but to work together to solve the mystery of The Feather Chase.



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

As I mentioned earlier, I've written hundreds of articles on a multitude of topics, but this is my first published book.

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

I’m writing the next book in the Crime-Solving Cousins Mystery series which begins when Sophie and Jessica find a gift wrapped package on Sophie’s front porch with a clue inside that sends them on a hunt for missing treasure.


What advice do you have for other authors?

Learn your craft. Read in your genre.

Anything else you want readers to know?

My website has a lot of fun things for kids:
An online puzzle of the book cover
Customizable printable bookplates that kids can type their name into
Word puzzles

I've also created a lapbook, something homeschoolers will be familiar with. This downloadable lapbook kit (.pdf) has three parts, all tying back to the The Feather Chase:
Part One: the reader learns more about what they just read, such as details about London and tunnels.
Part Two: Using The Feather Chase, the reader learns about the parts of a novel and mystery.
Part Three: The reader writes his or her own mystery, incorporating  what they learned in Part Two.

Where can readers find you and your books?


Website

The Feather Chase is available in print online at Barnes & Noble or Amazon, or can be ordered from any bookseller. The ebook is currently on Amazon.

Meet MG Author R. M. Clark

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes R. M.  Clark author of MG mysteries. His reading favorites fit right in with ours!

First, a bit about R. M.:

I am a computer scientist with the Department of Navy and a children’s mystery writer. After graduating from the University of Idaho, I moved from the Gem State to northeastern Alberta to Southern California before settling into a cozy town in Southeastern Massachusetts, where I live today with my wife and two sons.

Why did you pick to write books for middle grade?

My first two books were written for an adult audience, but more than one agent noted that my voice was better suited for the younger crowd (not an insult—just a true observation). From that point on I channeled my inner ‘tween and wrote seven middle grade novels. I guess those agents were right!

What types of books do you like to read?

I mostly read adult thrillers and mysteries by stalwarts like John Grisham, Michael Crichton, and David Baldacci, but I venture into middle grade and some lower YA books to “keep up” with the genres.

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

As a family, we like to go geocaching (www.geocaching.com), a high tech treasure hunt using a GPS device, which gets us out to many different places on the weekends. As a New Englander, I’m a diehard Red Sox and Patriots fan. Of course, that means a lot of people don’t like me already!


Tell us about The Secret at Haney Field: A Baseball Mystery and how the story came to be.

I spent nineteen years as a baseball coach—from T-ball to American Legion and most levels in between. From my typical place in the third-base coach's box, I imagined a baseball mystery told from the viewpoint of a modern-day bat girl (April) who happens to be a baseball savant. I wanted to include a reference to the Negro Leagues and its players because their history is so important to the game, so I created Flash Henderson, a speedy outfielder from 1941 who befriends April and her best friend, Darren. When they become entangled in a mystery involving the owner of the team, their passion for the game and its history take them (and the reader) on the journey of a lifetime.

Here's a peek at The Secret at Haney Field: A Baseball Mystery:

Twelve-year-old April O'Day's summer has gotten off to a flying start. As the new bat retriever for the Harpoons, her hometown's minor-league team, she's fetching bats and doling out great advice to players and coaches alike. In a word, she's becoming indispensable. But mysterious things are happening at Haney Field, which April and her best friend—and fellow baseball enthusiast—Darren Plummer are determined to uncover. As they quickly learn, this is no ordinary season. In fact, it's a whole new ballgame!






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

I’ve written nine books since I started writing seven years ago. My first one was “practice” and lives forever in the trunk. My next adult work, Center Point, was published last year. My debut middle grade book, Dizzy Miss Lizzie, was published in 2012, but the publisher went AWOL, and I recently got the rights back for it. I have two ready for submission: The Right Hand Rule, a mystery about four science fair winners who use their project knowledge to solve a mystery.  Then there’s The Tick Tock Man, in which a boy, CJ, is thrust into an Alice In Wonderland-type world whose citizens are mostly clock parts and whose job is to keep all the great clocks in town running smoothly. Things get even stranger when CJ uncovers a centuries-old feud between neighboring clock villages. Besides those, I have a few other manuscripts in various stages of readiness.


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

I’m always writing (or re-writing) something. My latest manuscript is about Devin, a middle school boy who dreams of being a magician, but he performs badly under pressure. After opening a special magic box from a famous magician, Devin is convinced his brain is occupied by an 19th century kid magician named Ehrich, who just may be the key to Devin’s success and who just happens to be a young Harry Houdini.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Get to know the business before you get too far into your writing career. Know what agents can and can’t do for you. Know the difference between large and small presses. Never sign a contract without knowing what every paragraph means. Be aware that there are good reasons and bad reasons to self-publish. It’s a slow business, so there’s no excuse for being ill-prepared for the journey. Oh, and never forget that writers are the most important links in the publishing chain.


Anything else you want readers to know?

Thanks for having me. This is a wonderful site.


Where can readers find you and your books?

Read more about me and my books at my website, www.rmclarkauthor.com.