Friday, February 6, 2015

The Search for the Stone of Excalibur: Review for Fiona Ingram's WOW-Women on Writing Tour

☆☆☆☆☆  
for 
The Search for the Stone of Excalibur


I so enjoyed Fiona’s first book in The Chronicles of the Stone series, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, that I couldn’t wait to read Book 2: The Search for the Stone of Excalibur.
Instead of being set in Egypt, this story is set in England and Scotland. Having just visited there in September 2014, it was exciting to be transported back again. However, you don’t need to be familiar with the UK countryside to enjoy this story. Fiona’s descriptive details build that setting for the reader.

The main characters, Justin and Adam, find themselves smack dab in the middle of danger from the moment they land in London. And to compound matters, their Aunt has put them in charge of a girl! They meet Kim at the airport before leaving for London when Aunt Isabel rushes to the gate, informing them that she has to fly immediately to France, and they must take care of Kim when the three of them fly to London. Neither of the boys is excited for a tag-along, especially not a girl! Ingram’s superb dialogue sets the reader right down in the middle of scrabbling kids.

This fast-paced adventure is full of surprises involving none other than their old enemy from Egypt, Dr. Khalid, and newcomers, the Eaters of Poison. Readers will thoroughly enjoy that most of the action takes place in a centuries old castle in Scotland. Cliff-hangers are sure to keep the pages turning, and at the end, readers will be clamoring for Book 3: The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper, set in Mexico.

A great read for young readers including reluctant readers—and those young-at-heart. As with book one, this one comes with additional materials at the back of the book to satisfy that lust for more knowledge about Arthur, Excalibur, and medieval England!

 
 About The Search for the Stone of Excalibur:

A modern day adventure as our protagonists search for Excalibur and the treasures it holds!

Continuing the adventure that began in Egypt a few months prior in The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, cousins Adam and Justin Sinclair are hot on the trail of the second Stone of Power, one of seven ancient stones lost centuries ago. This stone might be embedded in the hilt of a newly discovered sword that archaeologists believe belonged to King Arthur: Excalibur.

Join Justin and Adam as they search not only for the second Stone of Power, but also for the Scroll of the Ancients, a mysterious document that holds important clues to the Seven Stones of Power. As their adventure unfolds, they learn many things and face dangers that make even their perils in Egypt look tame. And how annoying for them that their tag-along companion, Kim, seems to have such good ideas when they are stumped.

About Fiona Ingram:

Fiona Ingram was born and educated in South Africa, and has worked as a full-time journalist and editor. Her interest in ancient history, mystery, and legends, and her enjoyment of travel resulted in The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, the first in her exciting children’s adventure series—The Chronicles of the Stone. This was inspired by a family trip the author took with her mom and two young nephews aged ten and twelve at the time. The book began as a short story for her nephews and grew from there. The Search for the Stone of Excalibur is a treat for young King Arthur fans. Fiona is busy with Book 3 entitled The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper, set in Mexico.

While writing The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, Fiona fostered (and later adopted) a young African child from a disadvantaged background. Her daughter became the inspiration for the little heroine, Kim, in The Search for the Stone of Excalibur. Interestingly, the fictional character’s background and social problems are reflected in the book as Kim learns to deal with life. Fiona’s experiences in teaching her daughter to read and to enjoy books also inspired many of her articles on child literacy and getting kids to love reading.

Author Site
Blog
The Quest Books
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Facebook
Amazon Purchase Page

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Meet MG Author Andy Mulberry

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes California MG Author Andy Mulberry. Andy, like me, writes for those reluctant readers out there.

First, a bit about Andy:

Andy Mulberry loves to write children's books filled with strange adventures, odd characters and mysterious circumstances. She lives in Southern California with her scowling teenager, a chubby blue cat-beast, an imaginary dog and one leaky roof!

Why did you pick to write books for MG?

I think the best answer is that I’m a kid at heart and constantly have a funny/weird story or two in my head. Growing up, books gave me so much joy (they still do). If I can pass on the joy of books to impressionable young minds, all for the better *cue evil laugh*!


What types of books do you like to read?

I got the heavier side of reading out of the way in my younger years. Most classics, the Top 100 books you ought to have read, I probably have read them—not that I actually understood most of them :) And while I do admire beautifully written prose and character driven stories (read: literary fiction), I now seek perhaps the lighter side of reading—I want to be entertained by fantastical storylines, strange circumstances and unique characters that will stay with me and make me think and laugh and simply happy. I read to be entertained in an upbeat, positive way, whatever the genre might be.

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

Photography. And by that I mean snapping pictures of beautiful Southern California with my super-smart phone while attempting to hike 5 miles only to turn into a café for coffee and carrot cake.

Tell us about Skycastle, the Demon and Me and how the story came to be.

Skycastle, the Demon and Me is a middle grade fantasy adventure aimed at reluctant readers. I can’t really say how the story came to be; it pretty much showed up in my head fully formed…it is one of those ‘what if’ story lines, I’d say. I like ‘what if’ stories. I dare you to give the book to a reluctant reader and not see him turn the page, trying to find out if Jack really does order a demon straight from Hell. (He does.) The book is the first in a series, available as paperback and audiobook, and for free as an ebook pretty much everywhere.

Here's a peek at Skycastle, the Demon and Me:



“If you owe Hell gold but you can't pay, you're about to have a bad day!
You can’t catch a demon. But you can order one.
You can order one straight from Hell. It will get you into trouble.
In any case, it certainly gets Jack into a lot of trouble...

WARNING...this book contains a scowling demon, bad decisions, a skeleton key, not foul but hellish language, an ordinary boy and an extraordinary castle.

You’ve been warned.”




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

Skycastle and the Demonic Incident in Chinatown, Book 2 in my Skycastle series was been released last year. This book contains a scowling demon, a headless horseman, an angry dragon, an ordinary boy and an extraordinary castle. There’s cheesecake. And something straight out of HELL.


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

Currently busy finishing up Skycastle and the Demonic Kraden Debacle in Hollywood, Book 3 in the Skycastle series, to be released next month. 

What advice do you have for other authors?

Advice? Not really, as I think that we are all unique snowflakes, us writers. What works for one will not work for another author. But the old adage of ‘You Can’t Fix a Blank Page’ rings most true, so my advice is to write more and then some more.


Anything else you want readers to know?

Thank you for having me here today! And I’d like to leave you with my favorite quote from Dr. Seuss: 'If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good.' :)

Where can readers find you and your books?

My books are available as eBook, paperback, and audiobook anywhere you can buy books online. Ask me for a review copy or visit my blog. Every Sunday, I feature children’s book authors on my blog

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

All the Authors I've Interviewed and the Kid Lit Blog Hop #53.

This Hop will see numbers 88 and 89 of my interviews with childrens/MG/YA authors. That means sometime in 2015 I will be posting my 100th interview! Can say I ever saw that coming when I started interviewing authors back in October 2012. Those first months I posted one interview per month. I did post one lone interview in 2009 with an author who put me off interviewing for quite a while. However, I have met some fantastic people and new friends.

Katie Carroll/Fiona Ingram/Kathy Sattem/Margaret Fieland/Suzanne de Montigny
Alice M Roelke/Kay Lalone/Dom Testa/Morgen Bailey/T.M. Souders/Julie Grasso 
Diane Robinson/Chloe JonPaul/Annika James/Nancy Bo Flood/Hazel Nutt
Madeleine McLaughlin//Audrey Kane/Edwin Hanks/Michael Seldon/Cathy Collar
Krysten Hager/J. B. Pelts/SW Lothian/Rosie Morgan/Beth Overmyer

I joined the Kid Lit Blog Hop in May 2013 and started posting author interviews twice and sometimes three times a month. Then came November 2013. I had so many requests that I started posting four interviews a month, two with each Hop! And now in 2015, I could easily post 6+ author interviews a month, but then I'd have to be locked up!!

Tammy Lowe/Gabrielle Mazur/Penny Ehrenkranz/Nancy Bell/Hamilton C Burger
Anna Olswanger/Rebecca Douglas/Cordelia (Melody) Peugh/Philip Coleman
Ralph Angelo/Sharon Ledwith/Rosemary Gemmell/Ann Swann/
Gail Strickland
Jacci Turner/Meg Dendler/Ben Woodard/Margi Evans/Traci McDonald
C. M. Gray/Christian Weigand/Stephanie Dikey/Lorraine Carey
Christine Meunier/Thereza Howling

What started out as a way to write a blog to get exposure for me and my books has blossomed into a forum where I am able to help new authors get exposure for their books. And, along the way I have been fortunate to interview some established names in the industry, like Ben Woodard, Claudia Cangilla McAdam (this month), Christopher Mannino, Joe Gazzam, and C. M. Gray. I've even started a Pinterest Board for the Authors I Have Interviewed. Like most things in my life, I'm a little behind on posting, but I hope you'll visit.

Susan Royal/Jemina Pett/Helen Laycock/Sherry Antonetti/Bobbi Chukran
Dianna Winget/Elle Jacklee/Crystal Marcos/Jacqui White/Nikki McDonagh
Raymond Bean/Rosen Trevithick/Cherlisa Richardson/Mark A. Cooper
Joe Gazzam/Randa Handler/Hannah Lapehn/Angelina Hansen
Daniel Nanavati/Laurisa White Reyes/J. S. Jaeger/Chris Mannino/Brae Wyckoff
David Chuka/Robert Clark/Heather Brainerd/Kai Strand

In 2015, I once again have to opportunity to bring you interviews with new and established authors who are writing exciting stories for young readers. Please join me this year in making these authors feel welcomed.
 
And now,

Welcome to the 53rd Kid Lit Blog Hop where we continue to develop a dynamic and engaged community of children's books bloggers, authors, publishers, and publicists.

On this Hop, Carpinello's Writing Pages interviews
and
MG Author Andy Mulberry.

So, you are always more than welcome to join us by popping in a post and hopping around to meet some of your fellow Kid Lit bloggers and authors! This week, we are excited to be including a Pinterest Linky Party to be held in conjunction with the Kid Lit Blog Hop. These linky parties are designed to give you the opportunity to connect with and grow your network of fellow kid lit bloggers, authors, and parents through your various social media platforms. This week... the Pinterest Linky Party. We are pleased to be welcome a new permanent KLBH host with us (you'll remember she co-hosted with us last week!): Katie from The Logonauts, a blog focused on sharing and discussing great books for elementary and middle grade readers. Big welcome Katie!  

Hostesses:

Mother Daughter Book Reviews

Julie Grasso, Author/ Blogger

Cheryl Carpinello, Author / Blogger

Stacking Books

BeachBoundBooks

Pragmatic Mom

Music, Teaching and Parenting

Reading Authors

The Logonauts

 

Happy Hopping everyone and enjoy the Hop!

Kid Lit Blog Hop
 

Kid Lit Blog Hop & Linky Party Rules *Please Read*

1. LINKY PARTY: Add the link to your Pinterest page in the Pinterest Linky Party list below. Be sure to visit at least the two links directly before yours as well as your hosts' Pinterest pages. Be sure to follow some boards that interest you and re-pin what catches your eye. 2. KID LIT BLOG HOP: Link up any Kid Lit related post in the Kid Lit Blog Hop. This can be a link to a children’s book review, a discussion about children’s literature/literacy, or a post on a recently-read children’s book or one that you love from your childhood.
* Don't link directly to your blog, it must be a specific post.*
* For Authors, we prefer you to link to your blog if you have one. Please link unique posts each time ~ no repeats please. *
* Make sure you include an image relevant to the POST (e.g., book cover), not your blog button or photo of yourself.*
* Feel free to link more than one post.*
3. KID LIT BLOG HOP: Please visit AT LEAST the TWO LINKS from the Kid Lit Blog Hop directly ahead of your own and leave them some love in the form of a comment. We are trying to build a community of bloggers, readers, parents, authors, and others who are as passionate about children’s literature as we are so please CONNECT and follow any or all of the blogs that interest you! 4. If you like, grab the button above and put it somewhere on your blog, preferably the post you're linking up. If you'd prefer, you can just add a text link back to this Hop so that others can find it and check out all these great book links! 5. It would really help us get the word out about the Kid Lit Blog Hop if you would be so kind as to tweet, share, and spread the word about the Hop!
Interested in co-hosting the Kid Lit Blog Hop/Linky Party? If you've joined us before, you are welcome to join us again! Please email renee @ motherdaughterbookreviews (dot) com and put Co-Hosting Blog Hop in the subject line.
Happy Hopping!
 

PINTEREST LINKY PARTY


KID LIT BLOG HOP

Meet YA Author Claudia Cangilla McAdam

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcomes fellow Colorado author Claudia Cangilla McAdam and her YA novel Awakening. Claudia also writes children's and MG stories.

First, a bit about Claudia:

When I was ten, I wrote my first poem, got great support from my mom and dad (as if they’d say anything that wasn’t positive—I was blessed with great parents!) and received encouragement from my school teacher. I was hooked. I knew at that moment that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, and I focused my education on doing just that. In fact, I was published before I graduated from college with my degree in English.

I have been writing professionally in the decades since then and have penned scores of articles, stories, and poetry for children's publications as well as magazines and newspapers geared to teens and adults. I have written hundreds of reading comprehension passages for assessment tests, and I have authored fourteen published books (with two more coming out this year), including several picture books, a YA work of Biblical historical fiction, and a middle-grade mystery novel.

I live with my husband in Colorado in a home with a stunning view of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains—a soothing scene to contemplate while I write and a source of much inspiration.

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

I write for children because I guess I’m a kid at heart in that I have an endless curiosity about a wide range of subjects, and I love exploring those subjects and presenting them to kids at a level they can understand. The beauty of the written word has always captivated me, and it’s the combination of the sound of language and the sweeping sensation of story that enthralled me as a young reader and motivates me as an author.

Because I grew up steeped in Nancy Drew mysteries, it was only natural that I would try my hand at a mystery geared for preteens, and the result is my MG novel, Riddle at the Rodeo.

I never thought I’d write YA, but through my studies of Sacred Scripture (I have a master’s degree in Theology), a work of Biblical historical fiction just seemed to write itself, and my novel, Awakening, resulted.

What types of books do you like to read?

I really enjoy contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mysteries, and nonfiction that sings.  And because I have an interest in theology and scripture, I read a lot of books geared to increasing my understanding of those subjects and improving my relationship with God. I enjoy reading children’s/MG/YA as well—so important to do, as a writer of such. I just wish I had time to read everything that appeals to me. Reading is addictive for me, and if I have any desire to cook, eat, wear clean clothes, etc., I have to force myself away from a good book. Generally, I save my reading for vacations, and I’m one person who doesn’t mind a plane delay of any length, as long as I have something engaging to read.

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

In addition to reading, I love to travel and to spend time with my family, which includes my two married sons and their spouses and kids and my large extended family, where I’m the oldest of eight siblings.

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

Awakening is YA Biblical historical fiction. I never deliberately set out to write Awakening, but three very interesting experiences came together: 1) I kept waking up in the middle of pitch black nights believing that I was waking up a dozen years in the past. I thought I had just dreamed the past 12 years, but that I was really living in our former house and that my sons were still in elementary school. In reality, I was living in my current home, and my sons were in college.  This happened repeatedly, and I kept wondering if I really woke up in the past, what would I do differently, knowing what I know now? 2) I was a Scripture student at the time marveling at all the wonderful Biblical insights I’d never before learned. 3) During Lent each year, I was captivated by the figures that populated the Stations of the Cross services I attended weekly.

Before I knew it, I was jotting down the story of a young modern-day teenage girl who doubts the concept of sacrifice, having lost her father and brother when they died saving someone she deems unworthy. She doesn’t understand why anyone would die for someone else—and that includes Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. When she takes ill and falls asleep, she awakens in first-century Jerusalem on the Wednesday before the crucifixion. She realizes that she knows what no one else does: Jesus is going to die. She sets about trying to stop the crucifixion, and in the process, she rediscovers her faith.

The curious thing is, once I started to write the book, I never again experienced those middle-of-the-night awakenings that made me feel I was out of place and somewhere else in time.

Here's a peek at Awakening:

“I hate you!” I slammed the door into the jamb with a boom, and it shivered the walls down the hall and into the living room and dining room. The china in the cabinet tinkled against glass shelves. The grandfather clock in the entry groaned a gong, even though it was still ten minutes before the hour.

In my bedroom, the knickknacks on the bookshelf tottered and rattled. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the trophy on the top shelf wobble and teeter side to side, like a drunk staggering along a line. I stretched out my arm, but too late. It somersaulted to the floor. The golden, pony-tailed soccer girl, her leg outstretched with ball balanced against her arch, landed upside-down on the floor. Her head and foot snapped off, and the rest of her body broke free from the trophy’s pedestal.

“Ouch!” I said, rubbing the back of my head, as if the injury had been to me and not to the figurine that was supposed to represent me. I picked up the pieces. The “MVP” plaque had popped off the fake-marble base. “Most Vocal Person,” I said, changing the real meaning of the abbreviation. “Why can’t I just keep my big mouth shut?” I dumped the mess onto my desk.

Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.
My other books include the picture book (both print and eBook), The Christmas Tree Cried, the Story of the White House Christmas Tree. When this book came out, then-First Lady Laura Bush requested an autographed copy, and I was invited to the White House on three separate occasions. I have also authored three other picture books that feature the Colorado nature photography of John Fielder: Do You See What I See?, Maria’s Mysterious Mission, and A, B, See Colorado  an Alphabet Book of the Centennial State. Then there’s the MG mystery, Riddle at the Rodeo, an homage to the beloved Nancy Drew books of my childhood. I also have a set of nonfiction books that educators and parents use for character development, entitled Portraits of Character.

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


Fall of 2015 should see the publication of my two newest picture books: Kristoph and the First Christmas Tree (Paraclete Press) and The Mermaid’s Gift (Pelican Publishing). I have also completed my second YA Biblical historical fiction, entitled Beckoning, and at present, I’m searching for the right publishing home for it. My next big project will be to write the treatment and screenplay for Awakening.

What advice do you have for other authors?

Of course, I could say what other authors say is key: read, read, read. But I’d also tell would-be authors that getting a book published isn’t the end of the process. It’s actually the beginning of the next phase of being an author: marketing. Are you prepared to do interviews, school and club visits, book presentations, etc.? Those things take a lot of time to arrange and carry out, but they can be worthwhile in getting you and your books noticed. Many writers are introverts, and it’s hard for them to get “out there,” but for those who push through that, the visibility can do wonders for not only your own self-esteem, but for the success of your books as well.

Anything else you want readers to know?

For anyone who wants to take a look inside my books, there are book trailers that can be viewed on YouTube for:

Awakening
A, B, See Colorado
The Christmas Tree Cried

Also, I put a lot of effort into creating supplemental material for many of my books, including book club notes, discussion and activities guides, resource information, teacher aids, etc., all of which are available free of charge by download on the resources page of my web site

Additionally, with respect to Awakening, I make free author visits to show a PowerPoint presentation and discuss this book with school classes, adult book clubs, and homeschooling families—both locally and across the country—and to speak at special events and at religious retreats. Awakening has been published in Polish and German, as well as English. 

Where can readers find you and your books?

The best place to connect with me is at my web site, www.ClaudiaMcAdam.com. All my books are detailed there, and they are available through their respective publishers, at bookstores, and at online retailers such as Amazon (that’s the most complete list) and Barnes & Noble. Awakening’s publisher gives great discounts for sales of sets of books to clubs or classes.