Tag Archives: children’s middle grade book

Mar22

Interview with Ron Crouch

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Ron Crouch is the author of the Beyond Belief series. The second book in the series, “Beyond Belief: The Adventure of Zombie Island” will release on March 31, 2021. Pre-orders available now.

I am a sucker for a good zombie book. I also remember teaching all the different genres when I was a teacher. October was the “Spooky” genre month, but I found many students reading them all year long. If you have a child that enjoys the “Spooky” or horror fiction genre, I think I’ve found the right author for you.

Ron Crouch is a child psychologist that loves to write and help kids critically think. He is writing a series of middle grade novels and the second will be released on March 31. With a love of fantasy as a kid, he brings alive a gripping and humorous world kids can get lost in. I had the chance to talk to Ron Crouch about his childhood reading memories, favorite author, writing routines and what projects he has planned in the future.

  • What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

Ron Crouch: My favorite memory from reading as a child was the joy of stumbling onto a really good series and realizing that there were many more books to read.

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

Ron Crouch: I loved Lloyd Alexander and I read every book he published. I finished them sometime between the ages of eight and fourteen. When I took up writing myself, I found that although my settings and characters are very different, and my use of language in much more modern, I still had the same love for quests, adventures, and tall tales.

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

Ron Crouch: I work as a child psychologist during the day, so my writing routine starts early, usually before 5AM. I try to fit in all my writing before I leave for work at the hospital each day. Luckily, I’m an early bird by nature and find that I am most creative in the hours before the sun rises.

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

Ron Crouch: The Beyond Belief book series is for middle grade readers, and I would like to finish the series with five books. But beyond that I would like to write nonfiction for parents. In particular I would like to help parents in their efforts to teach their children how to think critically in our current misinformation age.

  • What is writing to you in one sentence?

Ron Crouch: For me, writing is a way of contacting like-minded people and offering them a sense of belonging in a world that might not value them and support them.

“Beyond Belief: The Adventure of Zombie Island” is Ghost Adventures meets the Goonies. Kenai is an ordinary kid that just happens to be a paranormal investigator. With his sidekick Tinkerbell, an AI drone, he has gone after ghosts in a haunted theater, run from herds of jackalopes, and gotten lost in underground bunkers. But in this book two of the series, he finds himself somewhere he’d never imagine: stuck selling door-to-door products for the Happy Day pyramid scheme. But there seems to be something wrong with the company. Can he find out what is behind the sinister business before the zombie thugs find him?

“Beyond Belief: The Adventure of Zombie Island” is the second book in the Beyond Belief series. It is available starting on March 31, 2021 and is currently on pre-order at Amazon.com.

If you’d like to start the Beyond Belief series with book one in preparation for the release of book two, here is the link to it. Start with “Beyond Belief: The Adventure Begins” HERE.

Both titles are in the Kindle Unlimited program.

For more information on Ron Crouch and his other projects, please visit his website at:

https://raisingaskepticalkid.com/.

Jan13

Interview with Valerie Anne Hudson

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One of my favorite books I read in 5th grade was called “Half Magic” by Edward Eager. I think it’s one of the books that drew me into fantasy as a kid. So, I’ve always been intrigued by wishing magic stories. I think I’ve found a great one to read aloud to your class or have your youngster dive into during this pandemic. Reading is such a great escape and distraction, as well as building literary skills. I think I’ve been doing more reading since the lockdowns started back in March 2020. So, this is the perfect new release to treat your class or child at the start of 2021.

Valerie Anne Hudson is the author of the new children’s fantasy book, “Watch What You Wish For”.

I’d like to introduce you to the author, Valerie Anne Hudson. She’s written the book involving wish magic called “Watch What You Wish For”. I had the chance to ask her about her reading inspirations as a child, writing routines and helpful methods, and all sorts of interesting facts on her process for writing her book.

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

Valerie Anne Hudson: The sudden realization that I could read ‘grown up’ books.  I vividly remember having absolutely nothing to read one day. Out of desperation, I took one of my parents’ books off the bookshelf – it was a Readers’ Digest containing a variety of condensed novels.  I devoured the contents, and was so proud of myself!

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

Valerie Anne Hudson: As a child my favorite author was Louisa May Alcott.  I still have my original dog-eared copy of “Little Women.” I must have read that book dozens of times over the years. What a superb achievement, to write a book that’s still enjoyable and relatable 150 years later.

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

Valerie Anne Hudson: I write for 4 or 5 hours a day, which is easy for me now that I’m retired. I’m truly fortunate to be able to do that!

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

Valerie Anne Hudson: At the moment I’m focused on fantasy:  the paranormal and the supernatural, and I write for children. I hope that my writing evolves, though, and would like to attempt something for adults in the future.

5) How has your day job/career prepared you to be a writer?

Valerie Anne Hudson: I taught school for 25 years, so there’s lots of writing involved there. I taught grades 4 to 6 for many of those years, and always loved teaching English and creative writing.


6) Why are you drawn to writing fantasy and about the paranormal?

Valerie Anne Hudson: An overactive imagination! I’m a huge Stephen King and Dean Koontz fan, along with JK Rowling, of course.  Such great escapism!


7) What activities do you do to help with the creative writing process?

Valerie Anne Hudson: I’m always on the alert for potential plots or scenes for upcoming stories. It’s amazing how many ideas you can get from real life news stories – truth is always stranger than fiction, as they say. Also, I try and read other people’s books as much as I can. All types and genres.


8) How did you get the idea for the “Wishing Tree” in your book, “Watch What You Wish For”?

Valerie Anne Hudson: I was thinking, what if you made a wish that actually came true? And what if you regretted making that wish and wanted to take it back? Then I started researching wishing wells and the stories associated with them, and discovered that there are actually wishing trees in some parts of the world. A tree seemed like it could be more dramatic than a well, so that’s how the idea blossomed.


9) Is the town of Mariposa a real town? If yes, why did you choose it? If no, was it inspired by a real town and which one?

Valerie Anne Hudson: Mariposa is a fictional Canadian town originally created by renowned author Stephen Leacock. Although he denied it, it was actually based on the town of Orillia, Ontario, which is where I live. I’ve changed the layout of the town and its surroundings around a fair bit in my story, so it wouldn’t have been fair to call it Orillia. Mariposa seemed like a good alternative choice.

10) What is writing to you in one sentence?

Valerie Anne Hudson: The desire to entertain my readers with sheer, delightful escapism!

Released on Jan. 8, 2021

“Watch What You Wish For” isn’t your normal fairy tale. 12-year-old Sophie isn’t happy about moving to the small town of Mariposa. She misses the big city, but luckily finds some friends also in the 7th grade. Their adventures lead to the discovery of an ancient Wishing Tree. They find the secret to unleash an evil power connected to the towns shadowy past. People start to go missing as lives turn upside down. Faced with the need to try to get things back to the way they were, our heroes embark on a journey that leads to self-discovery and friendship.

“Watch What You Wish For” is available at Amazon.com as a Kindle Unlimited title.

For more information on Valerie Anne Hudson, visit her website here.

Sep6

Pre-Back To School Blog Tour: Interview with Dr. Gary Haq

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My Dad, The Earth Warrior is available on Amazon.com.

Dr. Gary Haq is the author of the book, My Dad, The Earth Warrior. Dr. Haq is a real life earth warrior, an associate researcher at a global environmental think tank and research scientist at a European research center. My Dad, The Earth Warrior, is a story about a boy and his dad connecting from a long distance relationship to save the Mother Earth. The story is inspirational in helping middle readers to understand environmental issues and help get involved. Dr. Haq was able to sit down and talk with me about his memories of reading from childhood, his favorite author, and what will be some more of his upcoming projects.

  • What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

As a child, I was engrossed in the world of Narnia. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was one of my favourite books. After reading it, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series. It was the first time I felt an overwhelming urge to continue reading.

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

Besides, C. S. Lewis, Roald Dahl was one of my favourite authors. I loved his crazy funny characters and strange world. I am sure he influenced my funny sense of humour, which is reflected in My Dad, The Earth Warrior.

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

In this book, I have taken a humorous approach to environmental issues such as climate change, fracking and loss of green space. While I have interest in writing more eco-adventures, my current work in progress is a funny, fantasy adventure.

For more information on Gary Haq and his book, My Dad, The Earth Warrior, visit his website at: https://www.garyhaqwrites.com/. He is also available on Twitter at @drgaryhaq. My Dad, The Earth Warrior is available at Amazon.com.

back2schoolbanner2018**Look for more children’s author interviews starting next week with the Back to School Blog Tour 2018. Giveaways, book discounts, and featured authors and their books will be posted all week from Sept. 10-14. Bookmark and join us all next week for a celebration of children’s authors and their books to kick off the new school year!

Jan27

Author Interview and Book Review: Curse of Sap River by Brooklyn West

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curseofsapriverRecently, I’ve had the opportunity to talk with Brooklyn West. She is the author of  the new release, Curse of Sap River, a strange journey into the micro world of bugs and nature with a unique perspective. I got to speak to Ms. West about reading as a child, author’s that influenced her, and upcoming writing projects.

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

Brooklyn West: The most vivid memory from childhood that I have is reading on the porch.
2) Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?

Brooklyn West: I liked books that were portholes to another world or time. It could be another planet or century, or the world of a fish or bug. Worlds that you couldn’t visit or experience in real life.
3) Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.

Brooklyn West: Whenever I get the chance. Even if you don’t feel like writing something – set a small goal, sit down, and try. The next thing you know ideas are flowing.
4) What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Brooklyn West: I have more adventures planned for Libby and her friends in the apple orchard.
5) What is writing to you in one sentence?

Brooklyn West: Writing to me is taking the reader on a journey.

For more information on Brooklyn West, visit her website at: LibbyLacewing.blogspot.com.

 

Book Review of Curse of Sap River:

Curse of Sap River by Brooklyn West is a delightful adventure into the micro-world of bugs from a new perspective. Libby is a lacewing bug, an aphid wrangler, and helps control the aphid population on the Owens Farm. But an especially bad aphid infestation leads to the wrangling adventure of her life. With helpful ladybug sidekick, Libby faces dangers all while trying to round up the invading aphids all while learning that you can’t face the world alone.

This beginning chapter book is a delight into the mind of what it would be like if you were a bug cowboy. Brooklyn West creates a world of home and family fighting against the world in miniature. Children will love the spirit of these characters as they face obstacles that are small to us, but dangerous to them. It’s an enjoyable book to share as a gift or as a class library addition for a beginning reader.

This book is available at Amazon.com and at Createspace.