Tag Archives: children’s fantasy book

Sep2

Back to School Blog Tour 2025 Day 2 – Kenneth Haines

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Welcome to Day 2 of the Back to School Blog Tour. Today, I’d like to introduce you to Kenneth Haines, a children’s fantasy author. Mr. Haines has written immersive children’s fantasy tales. Being known for his titles, Sea of Shadows and Whispering of the Sand, he builds worlds where eerie meets the heartfelt. I had a chance to ask him about his inspirations, writing journey, and plans for future books.

Kenneth Haines is the author of children’s fantasy novels.


1)    What made you want to become an author?

Kenneth Haines: I became a single father to three boys and two girls. Plus, I must have inherited it from my great, great Aunt Helen Keller.

2)    Who were your inspirations on your writing journey?

Kenneth Haines: My writing journey was inspired by my children growing up and things we did together. Plus, their struggles growing up and things I seen and done growing up. While my younger ones were in elementary school, I started writing short stories for them. So, I would read before bedtime to them and when they had sleepovers. After they all grew up, I continued reading to some of their friends. I still remember my stories. My youngest son mentioned that I should look into publishing ones I wrote and just had hidden away in a filing cabinet.

3)    Do you have a writing routine? If so, please explain.

Kenneth Haines: I take care of a parent with dementia. Since I have to be close by during Mom’s nap time, I found time to bring my stories to life especially when the weather doesn’t permit me to go outside.

4)    For your featured book, how did you get the ideas to write it?

Kenneth Haines: My books start with meeting people and finding out their inner strengths and have a unique name. Then at night while sleeping, it comes to me so vividly. I’m able to put it down on paper the next day. I also design my own covers for all my books.

5)    What writing projects are you working on right now?

Kenneth Haines: Jasey’s Secret: The World Beyond the Glass is my newest book. I am working on the second book right now. Jasey’s Secret is a heartwarming tale of wonder, courage, and the unbreakable spark of childhood imagination. It’s for anyone who has ever refused to let go of magic.

Jasey’s Secret: The World Beyond the Glass is a children’s fantasy that takes the reader beyond their imagination into a fantastic, eerie world. Jasey’s discovery of her inner magic builds into a courageous story as she refuses to let go of her gift. This heartwarming tale will inspire any child to pursue their own journey of discovery and look to themselves for the magic inside.

Jasey’s Secret: The World Beyond the Glass and other Kenneth Haines books are available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and the Google Book Store.

For more information for books by Kenneth Haines, please visit his website at: HERE!

Thanks for checking in for our featured author today. Check back tomorrow for a new featured book review.

-Tiffany Turner

Head Writer/Editor

Indie Children’s Authors Connection Blog

Jun11

Fun Summer Activity for Kids: Build a Fairy Garden

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I use crystals, small plants in pots, and fairy figurines to decorate my porch fairy garden.

I’ve been giving tips to parents for the last few months in how to help structure your child’s learning. Now that summer is here, we’re trying to find more at home summer activities to keep our children and families safe from Covid19. What a great time to take advantage of the outdoor space you have! Have you considered building a garden? This doesn’t mean you need a backyard. Gardens can be built on a porch or even a window sill. To make it extra special, create a fairy garden!

The first step is to choose small plants that you would enjoy tending. You can buy them in small planters and/or replant them into the places you would like, or plant seeds and watch them grow. Choose flowering plants or herb plants such as lavender, rosemary, or other favorite herbs your family may prefer. You get the extra bonus that you can eat them later. Small ivy or other small growing plants with flowers make lovely fairy settings.

Many cities and towns are starting phase 2 openings in which garden shops are starting to be allowed to reopen. Small starter plants can be purchased or order seeds online. You can pick and choose which plants you enjoy. Look to see where your plants will be. Consider if you have more shade or sun, since often plants can be purchased that fit those conditions. I have a shaded porch and I find plants that need a lot of sun tend to not do well. So, I’ve chosen more shade friendly plants for my porch fairy garden. Remember, stay safe and wear a mask when going back into stores and use hand sanitizer.

Garden Gnome

My garden gnome was purchased from the local garden center and is prominent in my fairy garden.

The second step is to order either small pebbles, sand or other decorative gardening accents to create paths and decorative areas for your fairies. You can use these items to decorate and create places for your fairies to gather. For example: I used old aquarium stones to make paths and a little gathering space to later place fairy figurines.

Accent items turn the garden space into wonderful scenes for fairy figurines. The added bonus is you get to watch the plants grow to fit. You can also order crystals to places through out the garden. Plants enjoy having the energy of these wonderful pieces among and around their leaves. Place stones and crystals in pots and in soil.

The third step is to order fairy figures. Many of the figures I have collected over the years have been given to me as gifts or I have purchased from gardening shops or other places. This can be a fun experiment in searching for the right fairies for your garden. You might find it is a wonderful time to start a new collection, and the garden will be a home for your new fairy figures.

When done, you’ll have a fabulous fairy garden to tend. Watering my garden is a great welcome relief from online working and tutoring. I enjoy having a cup of tea while smelling jasmine flowers or looking at my small Japanese maple tree. Other plants and flowers attract birds and butterflies from time to time. My porch may be small, but it is mighty in the positive fairy experience it creates for me to relax and enjoy some quiet time.

Enjoy building your own fairy garden with your children and welcome the summer weather in style. When you’re done, you’ll have a monument to the peace you can build at home.

summer1Plus: you can still continue summer reading with your child. I’ve made available an entire free online novel to go along with my first book in my fantasy children’s series, “The Lost Secret of Fairies”. The story takes place during the summer, and is a great addition to a child’s reading list to continue reading skills in these away from school months. There is nothing better to curl up with a good book in a garden. It’s something I did as a kid myself. So, can’t help but pass on the tip.

Here is the link to the full online novel: https://crystalkeeper.wordpress.com/2020/04/04/parent-support-for-homeschool-free-ebook-online-novel-study/

Link to your copy of “The Lost Secret of Fairies”:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1425146716

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lost-secret-of-fairies-tiffany-turner/1019317884

Apple/iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1503006160

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-lost-secret-of-fairies-1

Enjoy your summer!

-Mrs. Turner

May7

Interview with Jenny Wilson

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Jenny Wilson is the author of the children’s fantasy book, The Lighthouse Keeper: A Story of a Soul.

I’m sure you are looking for a great fantasy book for your child to escape into while practicing reading skills. Not to mention, some of their teachers are likely still asking for children to keep up those twenty minutes of silent reading a day (D.E.A.R. Time). I’ve got a fantastic fantasy that will support any Harry Potter fan. The Lighthouse Keeper: A story of a soul takes you to the Vale of Aisenma where a lonely boy realizes that the world around him is full of magic and that he is not alone.

The author, Jenny Wilson, has drawn from her upbringing of growing up in Scotland to bring you a mystical tale. I had the chance to ask her about her childhood reading memories, how she got her story ideas, and what she has in store for us in future projects.

  1. What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

Jenny Wilson: I read constantly as a child – I devoured books. One of my earliest memories is making a book called “The Adventures of Teddy” and giving it to my mum. She still has it now, nearly 40 years later!

2) Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?

Jenny Wilson: There were so many different authors but the one that stands out for me is Lucy M. Boston. The Children of Green Knowe is one book that I keep coming back to even now. I think I have read it about 30 times now and it is still as fresh and as magical as the first time I came across it. I love how a book can stay with you long after you’ve read it and show you things you hadn’t noticed before. Lucy M. Boston’s writing is enchanting. Words are like spells and a well-written book has the power to transport you to anywhere.

3) Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.

Jenny Wilson: My writing routine is just to sit down and do it. Little and often is much better than big long stretches once in a while. If you get into the habit of dedicating a time and a space to do something it becomes automatic.


4) What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Jenny Wilson: I am working on a prequel to The Lighthouse Keeper at the moment. My aim is to show the world that there is magic all around and within us, and that our thoughts have the power to transform our lives.

5) When did you first become interested in stories about magic?

Jenny Wilson: Well, all stories are magical in some way, if the writer can engage the reader and transport them. So in that sense, for as long as I have been reading! But in terms of magical realism, I love the works of Italo Calvino. He makes the everyday seem extraordinary. I love how changing the way you look at something completely transforms that thing. In this sense, words can be like spells.

6) How did being born and raised in Scotland affect your stories?

Jenny Wilson: I think wherever you are born and raised, your environment will seep into your experience one way or another. Scottish weather is not exactly predictable and lends itself quite nicely to curling up with a good book, which suited me perfectly! There are parts of the country where you can feel the magic in the air as well. One of my favourite parts of Scotland is Stirling and the surrounding countryside. There, when you’re standing up on the top of a hill and looking down below at the rolling fields, you really feel that anything is possible and that you are part of something truly magical.

7) What subjects would you like to explore in your writing?

Jenny Wilson: I want to explore how our thoughts shape the world around us and that we are in charge of our thoughts and, therefore, our worlds. I aim to show how nobody is alone, that even though you may feel wretched and powerless, you are part of something and that if you listen carefully within, you already know what to do.

8) What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Jenny Wilson: To just sit down, take a deep breath and do it! I am very easily distracted and I know how easy it is to let other things take over and seem more urgent than they are. For a while, I had the tidiest cutlery drawer in Europe. Now, I am happy to say, I do some writing every day and my drawer has gone back to being a muddle.

9) Where do you see your writing taking you in five years?

Jenny Wilson: I’m working on the prequel to The Lighthouse Keeper: A story of a soul now and aim to have four more book titles in five years.

10) What is writing to you in one sentence?

Jenny Wilson: Writing is my soul mission.

The Lighthouse Keeper CVRThe Lighthouse Keeper: A story of a soul is a book that can show you how magic is all around, and how it can shape your life. The people of Aisenma live in constant fear. Wolves prowl around the Bay of Sevlow. The storytellers have been banished. But a lone boy discovers his inner magic and goes on a journey to save his home and all the people in Aisenma. Join in this fantasy adventure that will remind you that nobody is ever alone, especially if they have their true inner magic.

The Lighthouse Keeper: A story of a soul is available at: Amazon.com and Amazon.ca.

For more information on Jenny Wilson, visit her website at: Amazon’ Author’s Page.

Jan24

Interview with Fantasy Children’s Writer: J. Edwards Holt

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J. Edwards Holt is the author of the children’s epic fantasy Little Men, Big Treasures.

I’m a total fan of Tolkien. So, when I find a story that is a worthy fantasy adventure, I like to recommend it and talk to the author. J. Edwards Holt has written a children’s fantasy epic adventure called Little Men, Big Treasures. After getting a degree in education, he followed his dream to be a children’s author. Now a full-time writer, illustrator and blogger, Mr. Holt spends his time spreading his Christian message through his passion of telling stories.

I had a chance to talk to J. Edwards Holt about his inspirational stories from his childhood, what he liked to tackle as subjects, and what writing is to him.

  • Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?
  • J. Edwards Holt: C. S. Lewis has always been my favorite author. From the very first time I opened “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe”, I fell in love with his style. After that, I read the remaining Narnia books and, of course, enjoyed all of them. As a Christian author myself, I appreciate the messages that Lewis communicates in his novels. While there are many authors that I like (J.K. Rowling, Dr. Seuss, Rick Riordian are just a few examples), C. S. Lewis is the one that I mold myself after the most.

 

  • What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?
  • J. Edwards Holt: Both of my current books are fantasy-themed (“little Men, Big Treasures” and it’s sequel “The Summoner’s Gem”), so in the future I hope to write more fantasy fiction, and maybe even some science fiction at some point. I also wouldn’t mind writing at least one non-fiction book as well.

 

  • What is writing to you in one sentence?
  • J. Edwards Holt: If I had to sum it up in one sentence, I would say that, for me, writing is a way of teaching and spreading a message.

 

littlemencvrLittle Men, Big Treasures is a fantastic epic tale of grand adventure, incredible battles, and sacrifice. O’Balin, son of Blorn is an eager young dwarf and native to the mysterious Mountain Realm. He’s been a treasure hunter his whole life. So, when he hears that the King of the Mountain Realm is offering a reward for whoever finds the Lost Treasure of Undur, he’s ready to take the challenge. Going against warnings from his family and friends, O’Balin gathers a company to go on the journey of a lifetime. What sacrifice will it take to find the treasure? Get lost in the battles, talk of kings and dwarves, and dive into this tale of adventure.

Little Men, Big Treasures is available at Amazon.com and is a Kindle Unlimited title.

Jan13

Children’s YA/Middle Grade Book Review: The Blue Unicorn’s Journey to OSM

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BlueUnicornCoversmallI am a sucker for a good unicorn story. Ever since I read The Last Unicorn in high school, I’m drawn to them. So, when The Blue Unicorn’s Journey to OSM by Sybrina Durant crossed my virtual desk, I couldn’t help but take a peek. I’m glad I did. In a land that resembles many video game worlds, map is included in the book; I began my adventure with Blue the Unicorn.

Set in a beautiful land of fairies and unicorns, The Blue Unicorn is a misfit, a unicorn with no magical gift. A prophecy said he would save the unicorns from the evil sorcerer trying to destroy them all. But so far, he was just an ordinary unicorn, until the day the Moon-Star was to appear. Now, Blue must meet his destiny to save the unicorns and defeat the evil sorcerer.

This plucky fantasy story is in a unique format of short chapters. It has beautiful, colorful illustrations for each small chapter, and moves the story along with the imagination. It is a complicated world with unicorns given unique personalities and powers. This fantasy adventure will be great for any child that loves to get lost in a fantasy world. And oh yeah, it’s got unicorns! Always a plus!

***The Blue Unicorn’s Journey to OSM is available on Amazon.com and is a Kindle Unlimited title.