Elektra Chaos has begun!

Elizabeth was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 6. We've had a tough road, trying different medicines, and now at age 10, we are on the last anti-seizure drug she can take. While our seizures have stopped for the moment, she's also drastically losing weight and has begun failing school. Sometimes I wonder about the world we live in and why children have to face such trying times.

 

Elektra Chaos will be largely about her. In this story, Elektra finds herself inexplicably turned from bad guy to good, and having to save the day after greedy magic thieves stole a magnetized rock and ended up switching the polarity of the entire world. But she's not doing well, and each step toward helping others feels like a heavy burden on herself. She'll have to face all the things she's afraid of (even though having a seizure in front of the whole school already HAPPENED) and figure out how to turn this bad thing she's been given into something that can actually help.

 

This story was all Elizabeth's idea and she wanted to be on the cover. We'll have a book trailer coming out on this one soon.

 

If you want to learn more about Elizabeth and her diagnosis, we made an educational video about getting tested for epilespy that is used all over the world for parents whose children have to undergo everything we've already been through.

EEG test for seizures in children

Marcus Mender is OUT!

I'm so thrilled that the second book of the Troubled Tween Trilogy is out and for sale!

Marcus Mender can fix anything just by holding it. But now, he can’t stop! Like King Midas and the golden touch, everything becomes new and perfect in Marcus’s hands.

Before he can control his new power, the Troubled Tweens are sent to South America on a magical mission: to recover a rare magnetized lodestone before the Loki, the magic thieves, use it for their own selfish purpose.

But the lodestone's magnetic field causes a reversal between positive and negative, turning the Loki into heroes and the Troubled Tweens into villains out to steal more power. Only Marcus's ability to fix the lodestone can save them, but with the switch of good and evil, Marcus will have to struggle to make the right choice.

See it on Amazon.

See it on Barnes and Noble.

The paperback version will be out in early December.

Evolution of a book cover

We've been having fun over here trying to figure out how to depict the magic of Marcus Mender on his book cover.

We won't be releasing the real cover for a while, but thought you might get a giggle at looking at all the "wrong" versions we created along the way.

According to my kids, these covers looked like

1. A bag of flour exploded
2. A dandelion invasion
3. Spiderman with dancing ribbons
4. Attack of the sparkles

We finally got it right and we can't wait to show you!

Cover photo shoot for next TT books coming!

I'm so excited that we're about to shoot the covers for Marcus Mender, the second book in the Troubled Tween trilogy, and Elektra Chaos, the third book. We'll also be doing a special cover featuring Jinnie, Marcus, and Elektra together for some exciting things that will happen once all three books are done.

Savvy readers may be thinking--hey! I thought the Troubled Tween Twins would be the third book!

Yes, the series has changed. After outlining the TTT book, I realized the themes in it had moved into young adult. So the middle grade trilogy will be Jinnie, Marcus, and Elektra.

And if Elektra Chaos sounds more Loki than Troubled Tween, you are right! Some crazy stuff happens in Marcus Mender, including a reversal of magnetic polarity on the earth that causes the good guys to go bad and the bad guys to turn good!

Yup, you're going to be cheering for Bruscilla.

I'll be talking more about Marcus Mender as we lead up to his release day on Nov. 12. Hopefully we'll have images to share soon! I've seen pictures of the boy who will portray Marcus--and he's perfect!

A review of Jinnie Wishmaker from a 13-year-old

Over at It's Raining Books, the teen daughter of the blogger wrote a review of Jinnie Wishmaker! Here's an excerpt:

I really enjoyed reading about how the different people in Jinnie's school learn to work together to defend Jinnie from the evil forces trying to steal her power. It really showed how friendship and teamwork should be. The unique group of people who made up The Troubled Tweens was interesting and I can't wait to see what happens to them next.

They also published Five Things You'd Never Guess about Me! I hate ice cream. You can learn why! And the ghost I worked with! And my thing with esclators. And more!

Lovely review of Jinnie plus WIN stuff!

Over at Me and Reading, Inga Kupp-Silberg gave the most lovely review of Jinnie Wishmaker!

Here's an excerpt of the review:

I think author did a wonderful job with capturing the age of the kids! It was humorous, filled with magic and it was on spot for the kids of 9-11 years of age. It touched the fight between the good and the evil and Jinnie's story was a very good start for the series!

She also posted one of my favorite excerpts from the book, when Jinnie discovers the one true wish of her aunt.

Plus, she had a guest post by me on how I create characters.

It's a Jinnie-palooza! Go see it and win mood rings or the Balloon Animal Book and Pump Kit by commenting!

From skeptic to believer in MAGIC!

Over on Bunny's Reviews, I get a chance to talk about how I did not believe in magic whatsoever until my two daughters insisted I write a magical book. By the time Jinnie Wishmaker was done, I had made a complete turnaround!

Read the story!