A Journey into Indie Publishing

New Release - Secret Agent Disco Dancer: Chicken George

2020-04-26T23:25:00.006-07:00

Get it at Amazon

The Stomach of the South is Back!

GEORGE PECK is a simple man, the owner-operator of the hot new fast food chain, Texas Chicken Stand. While the latest outbreak tests his business, a certain frog with a legendary appetite tests his sanity.

"What's up, dude?" Secret Agent Disco Dancer looks at the menu. "I could really go for some fried chicken." He rubs his big belly.

"How many pieces? Eight? Or perhaps twelve?" George's scratchy voice comes over the drive thru intercom.

"I was thinking more like 100." The Stomach of the South licks his chops.

Approximately 8,100 words. Intended for children 9 and up. Descriptions of my other popular children's books are included after the main feature (an additional 5 pages).

Available at all online stores, including Amazon.

Coming Soon - Secret Agent Disco Dancer: Taco Tuesday

2019-04-20T04:54:00.003-07:00

That's right! An all-new Secret Agent Disco Dancer adventure is on the way, and it promises to be the craziest food misadventure yet. Hide your tacos, kiddos, 'cause this froggy has an appetite for the ages!

Alphabet All-Stars Spooktacular Update: Story #8 (Candy Corn'd) Is Now Live!

2019-01-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

Available at Amazon and part of Kindle Unlimited

It took a little longer than expected, but story #8 in the Alphabet All-Stars Spooktacular series is now live. If you've purchased this book in the past, delete it from your Kindle and download a fresh copy (if automatic updating doesn't appear). The new story will appear magically before your eyes...

You can tell that you have the latest version by visiting the Copyright page, which should read: First Edition (v1.12).

Here's an excerpt from Candy Corn'd:

Gabe Gratz stood still as a statue, his eyes wide and skin gooseflesh. A fiery pumpkin flashed by, chasing after Melvin Muffrow, one of the many neighborhood bullies who came out at night, especially on Halloween. His little ghost of a son cautiously stepped out from behind a tree and joined him, peeking through tiny holes cut into the bedsheet draped over him while a pumpkin bash unfolded a block over.

"So, uh... I hope you like Smarties, Ryan." He handed over the roll of candy and slowly patted his son's head. Just a moment ago, the pumpkin stood over him, eyes blazing and ready to pounce. But Gabe was able to talk his way out of it--[i]sort of[/i]--and wound up getting a roll of Smarties for his trouble.

But that wasn't all the pumpkin had left behind, to which his son merely pointed.

"What's wrong, son?" Gabe finally looked down.

"He left behind another piece of candy, dad," said Ryan.

"Really? Where?" Gabe squinted. His eyes weren't the best at night, certainly not without his glasses. And where had he put his flashlight? He had brought along a flashlight, hadn't he? He scratched his curly head and looked around.

"There!" Ryan walked right up to the treat and stopped.

For some reason, Gabe still couldn't see it. "Well, go ahead and pick it up."

"No way." Ryan shook his head and backed off.

When the pumpkin a block over screamed "Just one piece!" Gabe fully understood why his son was reluctant to touch the candy.

"That must be for you." Ryan took another step back and pointed, making sure that there was an appreciable distance between himself and the candy so that the ghoulish pumpkin wouldn't mistake his intentions.

"Don't be scared." Gabe stepped over. "Old man Gordon is just playing a trick on us, like he does every Halloween. And he certainly wouldn't hold it against you if you tried to return a piece of candy that had accidentally fallen out."

"Just to be safe, I think you should pick it up." Ryan did not budge.

"Right. Now where did you say it was?" Gabe reached down and felt around. When his fingers struck upon the plastic wrapping, he picked up the confection and held it up to the moonlight. "Well, that's odd."

"What is it, dad?" Ryan craned his head up to his father, but could only see so much through the holes in his sheet.

"It's a single piece of candy corn." Gabe looked at it more closely. "Usually these come in packages filled with several pieces. I wonder why this only has one." He glanced at his son's Smarties. "Hey, wanna trade?" He held it out to him.

"First, we need to make sure that... Oh, Mr. Pumpkin!" Ryan said to the animated pumpkin as it dragged Melvin the Mischief Maker along with him.

"Whoa!" Gabe jumped back.

"Yes, my child?" the pumpkin's voice was rough and booming. He considered the boy, then father shaking beside him.

"You forgot a piece." Ryan pointed to his father.

Introducing Alphabet All-Stars Spooktacular--IT'S ALIVE!!!

2018-10-11T10:44:00.006-07:00

Available at Amazon and part of Kindle Unlimited

That's right! Halloween is just around the corner, and I have quite a treat for you...

Welcome to my living document project called Alphabet All-Stars Spooktacular, a Kindle Unlimited exclusive. Just what is this "living document" nonsense all about? That means you get the book and its initial five stories, plus all the stories that come afterwards in the months and years ahead. As the collection grows, so will the price, so get a copy while it's still only 99 cents.

To illustrate how this works, I've just added an all-new story (Skunked) to the October 5th release. Now you get the following stories:

1. Take One
2. Check Your Candy
3. Bring a Flashlight
4. Every Piece Counts
5. Skunked (NEW!)
6. Use Your Heads

And, of course, you also get the bonus story Scaredy Monster (an additional 2,300 words) at no additional cost.

So what's the goal of this project? To create an environment of endless Halloween, spanning over at least 100 stories. These are the first six. Exactly how far will it go? Good question, for the possibilities are endless, and as long as I'm writing, you can expect a story or two every few months, especially around Halloween.

How do you know if the book has been updated? By visiting the product page on Amazon and also following this blog. Every time there's a new story, I'll write about it here and update the product page. Promise!

And be warned! This project promises to get a lot scarier as time goes on.

So I hope you enjoy my latest release, and for the next three readers who subscribe to my Patreon page, you may find a character named after you in the adventures ahead.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Sneak Peek - Secret Agent Disco Dancer: You Don't Know Jack

2017-09-20T18:46:00.003-07:00

Note: The following is an excerpt from my upcoming children's book Secret Agent Disco Dancer: You Don't Know Jack. This is an early preview and may contain typographical or grammatical errors that haven't been corrected yet.

Chapter 1: Monster

“Today is a special, special day,” Miranda reminded herself and nodded ever so slightly. She looked down at her Spiderman lunchbox, a gift from her father who had purchased something he liked rather than what was appropriate for a young frogling her age on her first day of Bay Lake Elementary. “Oh, daddy...” She shook her head and set the lunchbox on the seat beside her. He was always doing crazy things like that, and where the heck was he? He promised that he’d escort her to the bus, this morning of all mornings, but as usual, he called in and told momma that he had to work late again, and cried into the phone before hanging up.

“Really, again? That’s like the third time this week.” Her smile turned into a frown. Silly grown ups and their silly jobs. “If I had my way...” She looked around the bus. “I’d get rid of jobs once and for all!” A smile returned to her frog face.

“Eek!” A girl screamed as she got onto the bus.

“What is it, dear?” The large bus driver who had introduced herself as Beatris several minutes before looked at the frightened girl.

“There’s a monster on the bus!” She pointed to Miranda.

“Hey, I’m not a monster! I’m just a wee frogling.” Miranda nodded, agreeing with something her father had said the last time he joined the family for bedtime stories.

“It’s Swamp Thing!” said another girl as the children ran off the bus.

“Swamp Thing? What does that even mean?” Miranda tilted her head to one side and stared out the window. What was wrong with those crazy kids? Hadn’t they ever seen a frog before? Surely she was larger than they’d seen before—about the size of a toddler and a good foot shorter than the smallest six-year-old human.

But clearly she wasn’t a monster in any sense of the word. That belonged to the creature hiding in the back that she’d noticed while stepping on the bus. Though he managed to conceal himself well that morning, he certainly couldn’t sneak one past her. (Besides, Miranda had older brothers who looked just as scary...)

Still, he wasn’t much of a monster.

“Right, Jack?” Miranda peered over her shoulder.

Secret Agent Disco Dancer: You Don't Know Jack is now available >>

Sneak Peek - Secret Agent Disco Dancer: Santa's Super Helpers

2017-09-10T06:55:00.005-07:00

Note: The following is an excerpt from my upcoming children's book Secret Agent Disco Dancer: Santa's Super Helpers. This early preview may contain typographical or grammatical errors that haven't been corrected yet.

Chapter 1: Extra Crispy

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the top secret government black ops field office, not a creature was stirring except for a diabolical pig with devious designs on taking over the world and other self-serving plans, a crazy disco dancing frog, and, well, the entire I.T. staff...

"I can't believe they're having us work on Christmas Eve." Secret Agent Disco Dancer propped up his feet on the desk and leaned back in his chair.

"Yeah, tell me about it," said Gruber, a twelve-year old genius and youngest agent ever to work for Black Eagle. His glasses looked like the bottoms of Coke bottles, his hair short, straight and spiky. Although it was cold out, he wore shorts. Even Secret Agent Disco Dancer couldn't believe his boss, the brown Andalusian Special Agent Halfwitz, let him get away with it.

Gruber rolled up his diagrams, which detailed where to add additional firewalls and other security measures to make the network impervious to outside hackers, and slid them in a long cardboard tube.

"Don't you know? Evil never rests. And, well...it's not like you numbskulls were doing anything, anyways." Earnest T. Bacon, the T undoubtedly for Trouble, stepped into the frog's office with a present in hand--a black bow over black wrapping paper.

"If I had my Firetoad clearance, I'd be more useful." Secret Agent Disco Dancer sat up straight. "It's crazy, really. Even though I have a direct line to the president, I can't read my own memos--even from missions that I took part in!"

"Need-to-know, froggy woggy, need-to-know. And it's better that you don't know anything. Not that you do, of course." Earnest coughed, surprised at the venom coming out of his mouth that eve. "Although it pains me to say this: Merry Christmas, Secret Agent Disco Dancer. You survived the first year, which is longer than I ever thought you'd last. For that, you deserve a reward." The pig set the gift down carefully on the desk.

"Really? I don't know what to say..."

"Well, if I were in the Christmas spirit, I'd say don't open it," Earnest thought to himself and grinned.

"That's not fair. I didn't get anything for you," said the frog.

"There's always next Christmas," Earnest smirked as he said it. He walked away as fast as he could, hoping Secret Agent Disco Dancer did not hear the ticking coming from inside the package.

"Wow, that's nice of him. Is that the same pig?" Gruber peeked down the hallway at the fleeing swine, then back at the gift. "So what do you think it is?"

"Oh, it's a bomb, of course. Say, can you hand me that jar?" Secret Agent Disco Dancer pointed to a glass jar filled to the brim with popcorn kernels.

"Sure." Gruber fetched it for him and readjusted his glasses.

"As they always say, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade, or in this case, when covert assassins in the highest places of government hand you bombs..." He reached inside his desk, grabbed a blast bag, unzipped it, tossed in Earnest's gift, sprinkled popcorn kernels on top, and zipped it back up. "Make popcorn!" He shook the contents around until the bomb detonated.

The bag jumped out of Secret Agent Disco Dancer's hand, expanding ten times its normal size before finally deflating. He put his head up against it and heard the faint sound of popping. "Ooh...I think it's almost ready... You wouldn't happen to have any butter handy, would you?"

Gruber checked his pockets then shook his head, mortified one of his coworkers had tried to take out the outrageous frog.

Secret Agent Disco Dancer unzipped the bag and gaped at the charred remains inside. "Oh Orville, what have they done to you? Well, so much for smoked brisket popcorn." He dumped the blast bag in the trashcan, which caught fire.

"You're not going to report this?" Gruber asked.

"Report what? It's Christmas!" Secret Agent Disco Dancer grabbed a fire extinguisher from around the corner and put out the fire.

"But he gave you a bomb."

"That's not the worst he's given me."

"Right. So, uh...what did you get your children for Christmas?"

"Great Scott!" The frog nearly jumped out of his skin. "Tomorrow's Christmas! How did it sneak up on me?" He looked around. "Oh, the horror! I didn't get my children anything. Quick, there isn't any time to lose." He hopped out of his chair.

"What is it, Secret Agent Disco Dancer? You want to go to the mall? I hear Pentagon City is open till midnight."

"That won't help at all, especially since the post office shut down for the holidays."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I need to speak to main man himself if my children have any hope of getting presents. I must find...Santa Claus!" Secret Agent Disco Dancer held one finger high, the fire reigniting in the waste basket behind him.

Secret Agent Disco Dancer: Santa's Super Helpers is now available >>

Yet Another Russian Translation Published

2017-09-03T17:17:00.003-07:00

Available in the iBooks Store

After writing yesterday's blog post, I sat around and wondered, "Why haven't I published that other Russian translation?" 'Twas a good question--jolly good, I must say--for I had no reason not to finish the partially completed work and get it out the door.

So that's what I was up to yesterday afternoon--doing all the things I'd neglected to do for the Russian version of My Little Pet Dragon and finding a way to finish. And that's what a lot of writing/publishing is about: finishing. Though the journey may be long, there's something about that last mile when the end is in sight that makes one want to work that much harder. I call it "the eye of the tiger," for in many ways you're going for the kill; sleighing a beast of a problem that you've been wrangling with for far too long.

And once it's over and you take a breath after submitting your newest work of fiction, there's a sense of euphoria that is second to none. You did it! No longer is it just an idea floating around your head. You materialized it with sheer will alone. You can share it, profit from it, and hopefully affect others in some positive way.

Though this was just a translation that I didn't transcribe myself, there was still quite a bit of work involved. There's nothing glamorous about mocking up a book that you've already translated a dozen times. Yet, there is something mysterious about it. What does the Russian language look like when paired with the images? The new version with the odd cyrillic script gives it a personality all its own. What might it sound like if read aloud? Such thoughts provoke my mind to wander.

And wander I have...

Anyhow, Мой Маленький Домашний Дракон is done and I've sent My Crazy Pet Frog to my native Russian translator, Anna Marine. She also took another look at this book and gave me the thumbs up. (It's been a few weeks since she provided me with the translation, so I knew she'd be able to view it with a fresh eye if I sent it to her.)

Although it's still early in the publication process, you can find it here:

Apple: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1278689701
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=q70zDwAAQBAJ Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/745993

And my apologies in advance. Amazon doesn't allow books written in Russian on their site. It's a crummy thing, and I find that more and more of my books aren't making it into Amazon. Like my other Russian children's books, I do have a MOBI version for Kindle devices, so if you're interested just contact me.

Please also be aware that I'm in the process of pulling the last of my books out of Kindle Unlimited. There are about a dozen titles left, so if you have Kindle Unlimited and would like to check out my work, please do so soon. Afterwards, the only subscription service my books will be available in is Scribd, though Kobo does have Kobo Plus that is being tested in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Russian Translation Published

2017-09-02T06:50:00.000-07:00

Available in the iBooks Store

It's a good thing to have a native speaker look over a book that you've recently translated. In this case, my Facebook friend Anna Marine took a look at the Russian language version of I Love You, Teddy and spotted a number of errors. Chief among them was one that I'd made on the cover: one of the words had been cut off. Oops!
As for the rest, I can only say that I'm surprised. The Russian translator who worked on Alphabet All-Stars: Be Safe This Halloween did a perfect job; so much so that Anna didn't find a single thing she'd change. I'm not going to speculate as to why this happened, but without Anna I wouldn't have known that there was anything wrong with the original translation.

Get your work independently reviewed, folks. I can't stress this enough!

In the end, I have what I set out for--a solid translation of a solid children's picture book. I also gained a translator in the process. From now on, Anna Marine will be handling all of my Russian translations and has already finished up My Little Pet Dragon, which contains Russian and English text, side-by-side.

Is there a Russian market for children's picture books? That I do not know. I went out on a limb when I had my books translated into Italian, French, Dutch and Norwegian--all with good results. Now I find myself doing it again, and if nothing comes of it, at least I tried. Certainly a few kids can benefit from the effort, particularly those in bilingual households.

Why did I have my children's books translated into Russian in the first place? Good question. When I was translating Alphabet All-Stars: Be Safe This Halloween into multiple languages, I identified all the countries that celebrate Halloween in one form or another. I was surprised to read that Vladimir Putin wants to get rid of the holiday, and since many Russian families already live in the United States, I was determined to do it.

As it turns out, I was lucky the first time around with getting the book translated. And the second book has led me to an even better translator.

And that's the thing--it isn't always easy finding good translators, and when you do, you've got to keep them busy. Even if it's a book that you really don't need translated, I feel that it's important to keep translators engaged and the line of communication open, that way when a really important job comes up, you know what their availability is.

I'll translate a few more picture books and see what happens. Translations of My Crazy Pet Frog, Pigtastic and A Little Book About You will happen. Beyond that, who knows? There's also the time factor involved. Every hour spent on a translation is an hour that could be spent writing a brand new English language book. And when it comes down to that, I'd rather be producing new content than translating old content.

If you'd like to see what I've done, you can download a free copy of Alphabet All-Stars: Be Safe This Halloween here:

Apple: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1271133575
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=6ZswDwAAQBAJ
Inktera:http://www.inktera.com/store/title/d1f2cbb7-d9d9-418d-b2ea-c8cfa9c3ebfe
Kobo:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/9o7-gtA7uzaPeAuh-N8xYw
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/741967

You can also purchase the bilingual English/Russian version of I Love You, Teddy for a nominal fee here:

Apple: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1269890995
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=okcwDwAAQBAJ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/741401

(Sorry, neither Amazon nor Barnes and Noble want Russian books. I do have MOBI/Kindle versions available upon request. Just contact me.)

Russian Translation Unearthed

2017-08-08T20:42:00.000-07:00

So there I was--cleaning up my iMac hard drive and deleting off various junk that I'd acquired when I stumbled upon something surprising. Although I'd paid for the Russian language translation of Alphabet All-Stars: Be Safe This Halloween, I'd forgotten that I'd done the same for another widely-translated title of mine: I Love You, Teddy. At first I thought it was a mistake. I'm pretty good when it comes to these types of things, or so I thought. But after I opened the file and scanned it over, I confirmed the embarrassing discovery--that I really did have all the necessary text to publish a new work of fiction.

How do these things happen? Well, life happens. And when you stop writing for weeks or months at a time, it's easy for these things to fall through the cracks.

But a complete translation, really? I know, it's bad. What can I say? Dementia runs in the family. (And I won't even comment about the short story that I'd forgotten I'd written and had to read through to the end because I had no idea where it was going.)

So upon discovery, I swore that I wouldn't delay any longer. The title would get done, that very day if possible, but likely the following day. Now it's 99% done, and I'm just waiting for a Russian friend to look it over and give me the go ahead to publish it. It's a simple bilingual book, and if I remember correctly, the translator did a good job the last time around. (Or I'm confusing him with someone else and am in for a nasty surprise when my Russian friend gets back to me with a list of corrections. Hey, these things happen.)

Whatever the case, I'm glad I finally did something with it. Not only was there a small sum of money invested, someone invested their time to get the translation done and open the door to a whole new audience. I hate that I dragged my feet on it, but it's done. Almost. Soon...

Until then, enjoy the cover I put together--which looks exactly like the other variations of the same title, but with funky characters. (And who doesn't like funky characters, right?)

Sneak Peek - My Crazy Pet Frog: The Nightmare Pizza Before Christmas

2017-03-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

Note: The following is an excerpt from my upcoming children's book My Crazy Pet Frog: The Nightmare Pizza Before Christmas. This early preview may contain typographical or grammatical errors that haven't been corrected yet.

Chapter 1: Restless

I was snug as a bug, or so the saying goes, and I was most definitely curled up in a rug, for my sheets were still in the wash and I was too lazy to stick them in the dryer. Tomorrow, for sure.

Ah yes, tomorrow—that place where all inconvenient tasks like doing dishes go, especially scrubbing toilets and washing my oversized underwear. Pew!

As I lay there contemplating all of the tasks that I pushed off till the following morning, I began to think over the Christmas list that was still fresh in my mind. I'd sent poor Aunt Edna a ham, hadn't I? Surely I had, but did they delivered it? And was Aunt Edna even alive these days? I tended to get her and her twin sister Emma mixed up. One had a stroke not that long ago. Or was it her husband? Or wait...perhaps it was her cranky, old father who had kicked the bucket one Christmas too early?

“No, Edna never married!” I pushed the rug aside and sat up in bed. “Emma—Emma's the one who...oh, yes! Her father had a stroke. And she had asked me to send a honey-baked ham his way since he was on a meager pension (Did they still have those these days?) and quite lonely, and didn't have anyone to cook for him except his two daughters who visited infrequently, and were afraid that they might be delayed flying in from the west coast, blah, blah, blah.

Though I'd told Emma...wait! Emma's the vegetarian!

Though I'd told Edna that I'd sent the ham to her poor, old father, had I actually done it? I certainly didn't want to inconvenience her with taking a ham aboard her flight. I mean, who wants to bring aboard a ham carry-on, or check hammy at the terminal? Traveling was already difficult enough, but traveling with hammy? They'd be lucky if the staff didn't gobble it up before it arrived on the opposite coast.

If, in fact, it arrived.

Finally, I could take no more, and put on my slippers and lumbered across the room. I opened my ledger—which I preferred to keep by hand since I didn't trust modern computers, and found my way to the holiday gift expenses. “Oh, dear,” I mumbled, still half asleep. I didn't see any notes or special instructions accompanying the appropriate line item. If I'd sent the ham to her father, I would have put an asterisk next to the expense, but no such marking appeared in my trusty ledger.

Likely I'd forgotten, and unfortunately Emma would have a heavy-hammed haul from one airport to the other, from one cozy home to that tiny shamble in the middle of-

“Good grief!” I looked out the window and jumped back.

That crazy, good-for-nothing life-sized frog pressed his face against the window, mouthing the words Merry Christmas.

Instantly I stepped forward and pulled down the shade.

“Aw, come on, dude. Don't be like that. You're not really going to shut me out on Christmas Eve, are you?” he groaned.

Was I?

The smart move would be to play Christmas music until he eventually went away. But with the swirling winds outside, I understood exactly how bone-chilling it could be.

And wasn't he a cold-blooded creature? Surely he wouldn't last until the morning. And then there was the matter of the falling snow. I certainly didn't want a froggy snowman to greet me when I shoveled the driveway Christmas morning.

As I reached for the shade, I wanted to slap my hand away. “Bartholomew Bundt, what is wrong with you? Remember the last time you let him into your house?” I told myself. Between preparations for the zombie apocalypse and the rogue pizza that found its way inside, he nearly destroyed my humble home. I wasn't keen on handing out Christmas spankings, but this one...I could see the pain in his big, red eyes. He was struggling, this one. “Perhaps I could open my house to him for just one night.” I surprised even myself when the words rolled off my tongue. “Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if...” I pulled up the shade.

But there was no one there.

“Oh, don't worry about that. I already let myself in!” came a voice in my ear.

“Ahh!!!” I jumped so high I nearly cracked my skull on the ceiling.

“I hope you don't mind. I just helped Santa deliver presents all over North America, and well...I'm hungry!” He rubbed his big belly.

What Did I Do? And What Am I Doing?

2015-11-10T15:05:00.001-08:00

So I've reached 227 published works, and now that I've had a chance to sit back and watch the dust clear, I'm wondering, "What did I do?" I have a bunch of shorts, no novels to speak of, and most of what I've published are children's books.

Is there something wrong with this? And should I be made to feel like something is wrong with what I've produced?

Due to changes in Amazon's payout system, the operative advice is to make your books longer. Write more, if you can, especially if it fits the story. In this, I don't really have a problem. I actually have a couple novels that I haven't published yet, and I will eventually change gears and finish them off. Eventually.

But I love short fiction, and based on reader feedback, they seem to like it, too. Should I give up short fiction for a while and put everything I have into novels?

Not so fast…

Picture books need to remain short--around 30 pages--so that young readers can actually finish them. Although extending stories might seem like a great idea, I've received complaints about some books being too long. That's right--a picture book that's too long. Is that even possible? But the readership is speaking, and I do not necessarily disagree with them.

All stories have a desirable length that they fit in, and each is different. Writing longer simply doesn't apply to children's books as it does to other genres.

So what's a children's book author to do? What they always do: produce more books, not stretch existing ones.

Can you imagine if Dr. Seuss tried to extend the Cat in the Hat to make a few more pennies from borrows? It might have a disastrous effect on the final product. Money has a way of muddling things, and that's exactly what I think this is: a muddle.

Some readers like my picture books because they're short and sweet. More complex works, like the 16,000 words I poured into Bubblegum Princess: Pinkberry Patch, create an entirely new reading experience. Forcing one to become the other isn't always in the book's best interest. Since the book is a showcase of our efforts, you would think an author would take a more guarded approach.

Such is not the case from what I've seen, and I worry that authors might screw up perfectly good stories to make a few bucks.

While each of us has to do what we need to survive, I'm going to avoid the temptation of extending anything and simply write more stories. I'll write as long as I can, but not at the expense of the work at hand. I'll also tackle larger, more complex books, such as Secret Agent Disco Dancer, which I've avoided for one reason or another. (Which is a nice way of saying that I've been lazy.)

Another thing I read about is authors getting stuck writing in a particular genre. I'm a free spirit, and I understand exactly how this feels. I love the challenge of producing something new and following my instincts. The thought of rehashing something or continuing to write a series that I'm no longer fond of doesn't appeal to me, but even that's secondary.

What writers seem to forget is that they're getting the opportunity to write what they want and make a decent living off of it. Some of us will even become rich off of our endeavors. That's not such a bad deal.

But forget about the money or what you'd rather be writing instead. Just write. Write as much as you can whenever you can. Let your universe explode!

While it might sound like I'm advocating scattering one's focus, I'm not. I'm just of the mind that if other writing projects are important, you'll find a way to fit them in. You'll wake up an hour earlier, etc., just for the chance to live in that world.

And why not? If you have an idea, go for it. Don't put limitations on yourself that you can only write certain types of books, etc., because there's no money in certain genres. Your desire to write other things may be an indication that you need a break, and will give you the opportunity to test out new waters.

Just yesterday I finished up Bubblegum Princess. "But the picture book has been available since 2012," you say. Yeah, but I wasn't satisfied with it. It didn't represent my best effort or fulfill reader expectations. So I vowed to write a little each month, a chapter here and there, until it was done. Although the project dragged on, I never forgot about it, and forced myself to sit down and extend the lines a little further. I'm proud of what I accomplished, even if there's no financial reward.

I kept my promise, that's the important thing. I gave the reader something closer to what I had in mind. And it feels good. So very, very good.

Now I'm presented with a challenge: Do I work on Story A or Story B? Why do I do this to myself? Isn't the intention to write all of them? Just dive in and take them all on. Be fearless! Challenge yourself, don't limit yourself! If all of us acted on our instincts rather than getting lost in the benefits of writing one book versus the other, we'd produce a lot more content, and thus, make more money.

That's what I'm trying to do right here--to break out of this narrow mindset. If I can even accomplish one tenth of what I set out to do, I'll do far more than I would otherwise.

Sure, a successful series brings with it obligations, but that doesn't mean that we can no longer be creative or try out new things. We just need to mix them in: a sequel here, a brand new picture book there. And by all means, none of us should ever feel stuck. Enjoy all of the writing, even if there are other things that you'd rather be writing at a particular moment. Give it a chance, and you'll be surprised at the results.

So at 227 published works, what am I doing? Starting over. And moving on to #228.

Bubblegum Princess: Pinkberry Patch

2015-11-07T09:53:00.005-08:00

Back in 2012, I wrote a picture book titled Bubblegum Princess that was short, sweet and full of colorful pictures. It wasn't a chapter book to the disappointment of many who had downloaded it, and in hindsight, it probably should have been. To correct this, I've been writing a children's novel to accompany the picture book titled Bubblegum Princess: Pinkberry Patch. The coolest part about this is if you already own the book, you can read the new chapters for free. Just delete it from your Kindle and download it again (look in the Coming Soon section in the back of the book). It's also reasonably priced (99 cents) and can be borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited Lender's Library.

Twenty chapters have been added thus far, with more on the way. It's a little over 14,000 words or 57 pages at 250 words/page. Currently, I have no idea how many chapters it will take to wrap the story up. It wouldn't surprise me if it stretches past 50. Enjoy the story for now, and I'll put up more chapters as soon as I can.

UPDATE: Bubblegum Princess: Pinkberry Patch is now done! The last few chapters have been added, now 22 in all and nearly 16,000 total words. Right now I'm in the process of going back and smoothing everything over. I expect to wrap it up in the next few days.

Here's the full chapter list in case you are interested:

Chapter 1: Tingle
Chapter 2: Peculiar
Chapter 3: No Problem At All
Chapter 4: Skyward
Chapter 5: Marnie
Chapter 6: Gatekeeper
Chapter 7: Teaser
Chapter 8: Incomplete
Chapter 9: Amiss
Chapter 10: Awakening
Chapter 11: Found
Chapter 12: Alexandra
Chapter 13: Flash
Chapter 14: Hedgehopper
Chapter 15: Schooled
Chapter 16: Tears
Chapter 17: Retribution
Chapter 18: Truth in Numbers
Chapter 19: Vermin
Chapter 20: Replenish
Chapter 21: Memento
Chapter 22: Blue

As well as the first chapter:

Bubblegum Princess
Pinkberry Patch

By Scott Gordon

Chapter 1: Tingle

Melissa Alexander knew something was amiss the moment she slipped a piece of bubblegum in her mouth. Although the package said Pinkberry Patch, BubblePop Girls' brand new flavor, it had a minty aftertaste that sent tingles down her spine. As she rubbed her arms to keep from freezing, her pearl skin began to glow.

"What's happening to me?" She noticed her unblemished skin. Years ago, when she was just a wee thing, she cut her hand on a glass, leaving behind a one inch scar that she would carry for the rest of her days. But as she passed her fingers over it, the eternal mark rubbed off—as if all she needed was a fine polishing. "No way." She gawked at her perfect skin.

"Miss Alexander, are you chewing gum in class?" said Beatris Blunt, a middle-aged woman with thick, brown hair pulled back in a bun.

"Uh...no, ma'am," she replied.

The entire class turned and looked at her. A pair of girls snickered in the far corner.

"Really? Then what's that in your mouth?" The teacher tapped her foot.

"Oh, that. I was just chewing my nails." Melissa tried her best to hide the gum.

"Those must be some really big nails.”

"Yes, ma'am." Although mommy and daddy frowned whenever she talked with food in her mouth—even gum—Melissa could carry on entire conversations without exposing the contents of her mouth.

"You really have a thing for fingernails, don’t you? Is this part of some bizarre health craze?" The old maid raised an eyebrow, evoking a fresh round of giggles.

"No, I just chew them whenever I get nervous.”

"And what on earth is there to be nervous about?" Beatris stepped closer and crossed her arms.

Melissa shrugged, but no words came out.

"Great heavens, child. What have you done to your hair?" said Ms. Blunt.

"What's wrong with my hair?" Melissa grabbed a handful and gasped. No longer was it golden brown like her mother's; instead, it was strawberry pink, the very shade of bubblegum that she was trying to hide. As she caught her breath, she accidentally gulped down the minty morsel. "I’m not feeling so well…perhaps I should see the nurse.”

"Yes...perhaps you should..." The teacher eyed her suspiciously.

Lullaby by S.E. Gordon - Chapter One

2015-10-21T06:36:00.003-07:00

Lullaby

By S.E. Gordon

ONE

My earliest memories are of water. Cold, frigid water stabbing at my throat like knives, and weighing me down on the swimming pool floor below.

I died that day. Briefly. A few moments, nothing more.

In those anguished moments, as my mother worked my chest, pumping out the essence that had snatched life from me, I saw him. His golden hair was long and flowing. Like mine, in fact, but a shade brighter. His skin was glowing, smooth and firm to the touch. As my fingers grazed him, he turned and looked at me.

Seaborn eyes gazed through me. There was not a hint malice, only curiosity. The angel in the apartment swimming pool—how did he get here? I hadn’t noticed him till my life flickered, eyes drawing to a close.

He did not offer a hand. No, he had something more to offer.

Instead, he offered his lips to my virgin mouth. A final breath, a breath of life, kept me in the realm of the living a while longer.

He drew back, eyeing me with that same puzzled look. I must have opened my eyes then, fully taking notice of him. As I looked into his, I wondered if I was in the pool at all.

My saving grace was but a kiss. My very first kiss!

Water erupted from my mouth like a geyser. I coughed the swimming pool back out of my lungs. The afterworld could not have me, not just yet. The stranger had made sure of it. Another cough, more choking, and then some crying. So much crying, but it didn’t come from me. “Oh, thank heavens!” Momma weeped, thanking her mysterious savior that she prayed to over and over, and wondering what she’d ever do without her only daughter, the one precious thing she had in her life.

I lay there on the concrete lip of the pool, gazing at the sun overhead. There were no clouds, nothing to prevent my ascension to the above. “It’s ok. I’m still here.” I touched her arm. “Everything’s going to be all right, momma. Everything...” Consciousness slowly drifted from me.

Scott Gordon and Friends Kidtastic Giveaway: April 5th - 9th

2015-04-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Scott Gordon & Friends
Kidtastic Giveaway

April 5th - 9th, 2015

This raffle is for children 12 or younger and expecting mothers. (Parents entering for their children is also fine.) By submitting your name, you are confirming that you are eligible to the receive a prize if your name is drawn. International children are welcome to participate provided they have a reliable address that can receive packages. Not responsible for items lost in the mail.

And most importantly--NO CHEATING!

Please do not enter more than once or your entry will be invalidated.

Grand Prize

(1) New 3DS XL ($199.99 or less), color of your choice (black or red) +
(1) 3DS game of your choice (up to a $39.99 value) +
(1) Amiibo of your choice (up to a $14.99 value)

Additional Prizes

Win one of Louise Lintvelt's fabulous children's books:

* Goodnight, Sleep Tight: What a Wonderful Flight
* Sing-Along Construction Song
* How Andrew Got His Spots

Entries will be accepted from April 5-9. The drawing will take place on April 10th, and the winners will be announced shortly afterwards.

Terms may be amended at any time.

HOW TO ENTER

This raffle is being hosted by Rafflecopter. Please use the form below to enter. Although the form asks you to comment on the blog, it is completely optional and doesn't prohibit you from entering. Just click on "I commented" to be entered into the raffle.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Free Children's Books

The following children's books are available for free from April 5-9, 2015, unless otherwise noted. Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow these titles for free at any time.

Enjoy and Happy Easter!

—Scott Gordon

Pigtastic
by Scott Gordon

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

Introduce your children to a great message about accepting people for who they are. Great for bedtime!

BONUS! Grab a copy of My Crazy Pet Frog for just 99 cents >>

The Pig Princess
by Angela Muse

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

The Pig Princess is the story of a princess searching for that perfect dress to wear to the ball. She becomes upset when she cannot seem to find a dress that suits her. Will she ever find her perfect fit? This book is intended for children aged 8 and under.

Also check out Caterpillar Shoes (new!), Lil Glimmer, The Nutt Family: An Acorny Adventure, The Bee Bully, Eager Eaglets: Birds of Play, Cactus Charlie, Suzy Snowflake, The Christmas Owl, The Cat Who Lost His Meow & Ten Thankful Turkeys by Angela Muse.

Monster Ruzz has to go to the dentist
by Sarah Holmlund

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

What happens when you don't brush your teeth? This is a story about monster Ruzz who doesn't want to brush his teeth ever. But when his teeth starts aching he's not so happy anymore... Follow along when monster Ruzz has to go to the dentist.

This rhyming children's picture book is written in a humorous style with colorful, entertaining images. It's fun, quick and easy to read. Suitable for children 3-8 years old.

BONUS! Grab a copy of Meet the Monsterlingz for just 99 cents >>

Three Wee Peas
by Laura Yirak

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

Learn the farm animals and their sounds with the Three Wee Peas. Follow the peas through their day, say the sounds and give them a hey!

This is a fully illustrated children's eBook for ages 18 months and up.

BONUS! Grab a copy of My Silly Kitty for just 99 cents >>

The Many Nibbles of Mister Gibbles
by Laura Yirak

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/7/15! << Ending April 7th!

Mister Gibbles is a funny little guy. Maybe he’ll eat a piece of Mary’s cake? Oh no! Stop! Guinea pigs don’t eat cake. What do they eat?

Mister Gibbles will certainly let us know if we can get him to come out and play.This is a fun poem for the little ones and wait...if Mister Gibbles won’t eat that piece of cake, can I have it?

BONUS! Grab a copy of My Silly Kitty for just 99 cents >>

Puppy Come Home (Puppy Pug Tails)
by Laura Yirak

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

The little puppy is lost. He dreams of the past and how he got under that silly bush! Find out what happens to him. Will he make it home?

This is a cute fully illustrated eBook for ages 2 and up.

BONUS! Grab a copy of My Silly Kitty for just 99 cents >>

How Oakley Lost His Spots
by D.C. Swain

FREE 4/8/15 - 4/9/15! << Beginning April 8th!

Oakley is a Dalmatian who doesn’t have any spots. Convinced by his friend Rover that he has lost them, he sets off to find his spots, only to find out that Dalmatians aren’t born with spots and that they all develop at different times.

A vividly illustrated picture book, this story is perfect for showing children how everyone develops at different rates.

BONUS! Grab a preorder copy of The Bees for just 99 cents >>

How Far Will It Fly?: (My Yellow Kite)
by D.C. Swain

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

Catching a breeze high in the sky, find out how far this yellow kite will fly.

A fun, rhythmical, picture book - your children will enjoy this imaginative journey.

Recommended for children aged 2 - 5.

BONUS! Grab a preorder copy of The Bees for just 99 cents >>

How Andrew Got His Spots
by Louise Lintvelt

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/7/15! << Ending April 7th!

Poor Andrew is feeling very blue, all the other giraffes are very spotty but he is as white as can be. He does not have any spots, you see!

He keeps seeing spots wherever he goes...

One spot, two spots, three spots...Four!

And many, many, many more.

"Where did you get your spots?" he asks. Join Andrew as he discovers how the ladybug, the leopard and the owl came to have spots and discovers that spots often appear when you are least expecting them! This is a wonderful rhyming picture book for children of all ages.

BONUS! Grab a copy of Louise Lintvelt's Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen for just 99 cents >>

Things You Might See on an African Safari: A Counting Journey Through Africa
by Louise Lintvelt

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

Animals begin to stir, slowly rising with the sun.

Tourists hop into a bus, and set off for some fun.

"We are off on safari; can you guess what we will see?"

Learn to count and meet all kinds of interesting animals on an exciting safari through Africa.

BONUS! Grab a copy of Louise Lintvelt's Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen for just 99 cents >>

Things You Might See Swimming Under the Sea: A colourful underwater adventure
by Louise Lintvelt

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

"We are going for a swim in the sea; can you guess what we will see?"

Learn to recognize colours and meet all kinds of interesting marine animals on an exciting underwater adventure.

BONUS! Grab a copy of Louise Lintvelt's Diary of a Dancing Drama Queen for just 99 cents >>

The Fisherman's Son
by Marilyn Peake

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

THE FISHERMAN’S SON is a middle grade fantasy novel about the adventures of Wiley O’Mara. On the back of a magical dolphin, the twelve-year-old rescues six boys trapped in an ancient city under the sea. Along the way, he fights both The Beast in the Forest and a Fire Beast guarding the city of old.

BONUS! You can also pick up the next books in the series for just 99 cents each during this special promotion:

—The City of the Golden Sun (Book 2)
—Return of the Golden Age (Book 3)

Alphabet All-Stars: Animal Flashcards
by Scott Gordon

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

Check out the flashcards that all of the animals are talking about! 36 colorful illustrations in all.

Intended for children 2-6. Approximately 40 pages. Descriptions of my other popular children's books are included after the main feature (an additional 5 pages).

BONUS! Grab a copy of Alphabet All-Stars: Funny Flashcards for just 99 cents >>

The Snarls: A Hair Combing Story
by Becca Price

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

The Snarls. They live on pillows and in the wind, just waiting to move into long, fine, or curly hair. And when they move in, they make nests, and more snarls, and more nests. But they also have their natural enemies: a comb, a brush, and the dreaded Detangler spray.

This charming story makes hair combing of difficult hair not only enjoyable but a silly experience.

BONUS! Grab a copy of Becca Price's Heart of Stone for just 99 cents >>

Sharee
by Daria Aran

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

Sharee is an adorable alien who lives in outer space on a star. Sharee would really like to meet new friends. But how can he do that if he lives by himself on his own star? Sharee decides to have a party and share his star with other aliens. Will he succeed? You can find out in this colorful and amusing picture book.

This book has an addition of Text Pop-Up, a special feature that allows you to view the text in a bigger size by double-clicking on the text.

Curse of the Creeper Part 1: Minecraft Books for Kids (Unofficial)
by Daniel Ashley

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

They Come Every Night

Sam and his family have a job to do: fight creepers. At night, waves of creepers emerge from the forest and attack his village. The hissing gets louder each night because there are more and more creepers.

He's Got a Problem

Secretly, Sam is obsessed with creepers and wants to know everything about them. He's not even sure they're bad!

Something Weird Is Happening

The problems start when one night he hears a creeper talking to him. In English. Is he going crazy or are they trying to say something?

He Needs to HELP a Creeper

Sam has an idea that can stop the creepers forever, but he's going to need some help: from a creeper. The creeper needs help from Sam: the creeper has a curse. To remove the curse, Sam must travel farther from home than he's ever gone before, and will see things in Minecraft he never knew existed.

Ming Li and the Charmed Phoenix
by Marina Bonomi

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

On the day of his triumph young scholar Ming Li is kidnapped and forced to take sides in a feud among two supernatural beings. Will his ingenuity allow him to break the curse of the Dragon King?

NOTE: This fairy-tale contains full-color illustrations, while they look good in greyscale, they are better appreciated on the Kindle Fire tablets or on the Kindle apps for devices with color screens.

Bheki and the Magic Light
by Janet Hurst-Nicholson

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/7/15! << Ending April 7th!

A bullied herd boy becomes a hero.

'The big day has arrived and Bheki’s house is flooded with electric light for the first time. He remembers the time, many years before, when his father gave him a light that really did seem to be magic. The torch brought him many friends and a new status in the kraal, until its beam began to fade. Bheki’s journey to bring power back to the magic light tested him to the limit but ended in magic of a different kind. It gave him a belief in himself.'

At the end of the story, Bheki explains how batteries work and how electricity is generated and brought into homes across the world.

If you watched Nelson Mandela's funeral service at Qunu you will recognise the similar rural setting in the story. (Nelson Mandela was also a herd boy.)

BONUS! Grab a copy of Leon Chameleon P.I. for just 99 cents >>

Where Do Ghosts Go When They're Not Spooking and Scaring?
by Allira Bell

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

A HALLOWEEN STORY ABOUT GHOSTS AND WHAT THEY DO WHEN THEY'RE NOT SPOOKING!

What do ghosts do when they are not spooking and scaring people? Do they go to sleep counting ghost sheep? Do they go to ghoul school? Do they tell ghost stories?

A quality children's picture book for kids aged 2-6

BONUS! Grab a copy of Allira Bell's Coco Cow and the Biggest Apple for just 99 cents >>

Pumper the Pumpkin
by Tiffany Turner

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

This Halloween short story is intended for ages 3-10. Get into the Halloween spirit with this family friendly tale.

On Halloween Eve, Pumper is trying to be a jack-o-lantern. Only he needs to find the right family to adopt him. Will he in time? Join Pumper in this amazing Halloween quest of being a part of something bigger.

BONUS! Grab a copy of The Lost Secret of Fairies for just 99 cents >>

Quick, Quick, I Feel Sick!
by Allira Bell

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

Oh no! Everyone in the family is sick and rushing to get out of the car! Why are they sick, and who is the only member of the family not to get sick, and why?

BONUS! Grab a copy of Allira Bell's Coco Cow and the Biggest Apple for just 99 cents >>

How My Farts Made Me Famous!
by Max Hinky

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

If you like fart books for kids, you will love this one!

Max Hinky's favorite dinner is his dad's Spaghetti Explodarama. But on the day after he'd had six helpings, Max had a case of gas that wouldn't quit. Now the whole of Cloverfield school thinks he's gassing everyone out on purpose. Probably even Amy (the only non-weird girl at school). On top of that—the bully brothers, Kryton, Kelvin and Kenny—are hot on Max's stink trail. Yet by the end of this day, Max's stinkazoids are going to rocket him to fame!

A humorous book for reluctant readers. Approximately 8000 words.

Game On Boys! The PlayStation Play-offs: A Hilarious adventure for children 9-12 with illustrations
by Kate Cullen

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

Game on Boys is a hilarious adventure story for boys and girls that will get you laughing hysterically until your guts explode. Just make sure your Mom doesn't have to clean it up and keep the dog away.

It follows the adventures of 10 year old cool gamer Ryan and his cool school, cool teacher and very uncool sister 'Loom Band Lisa' who does everything in her pink power to ruin his fun.

It's all about boys that love computer games, pea shoot in class, catch flies in their mouth and make fart sounds under their arms.

When their teacher with the unfortunate name (Mr Higginbottom) introduces a Play Station competition at school, everyone in the fifth grade goes into a crazy frenzy as they battle their way to win the prize. With Ryan's cool gaming record he's a sure fire thing to win until something disastrously ugly happens to cause his plans of victory to come tumbling to the ground faster than super sonic radar doing a bungee jump with a triple somersault back flip on the way. SPLAT !!%**$

Will it all end badly, and will Ryan's reputation change from being the coolest gamer to the biggest loser wearing splatted egg on his face or can super dooper good things come out of really horrid bad things?

With heaps of school yard humor and funny illustrations, this book is sure to get you away from your consoles for awhile.

BONUS! Grab a copy of Diary Of a Wickedly Cool Witch for just 99 cents >>

The Search for the Sheriff's Star: A Lost Bookshop Adventure
by Adam Maxwell

FREE 4/9/15 - 4/11/15! << Beginning April 9th!

When Nina, Ivy and Oswald step into the hidden room in the Lost Bookshop they find themselves transported to a saloon in the Wild West and looking down the barrel of the rotten Rude Robbie’s gun. They quickly find themselves caught up in a plot that threatens to demolish an entire town. The children know they must help and, with the aid of a little Indian girl named Wachiwi, they set off to save the town in The Search For The Sheriff’s Star.

Will they find the fabled treasure in time to save the town and if they do will they ever find a way back to the Lost Bookshop? Read on and join the fun in this children’s cowboy (and cowgirl!) adventure!!

Is this your first visit to the Lost Bookshop? I’m not sure I recognise your face. Or perhaps I do. I’ve been in these pages so long sometimes faces get a bit blurred. Well, if it is, welcome back and if it isn’t don’t worry, you don’t need to have read any of the other books to enjoy the story. The Lost Bookshop adventures all stand on their own so the only thing you need to know is that there’s magic in the pages and on the shelves hereabouts. What kind of magic? Well, you’ll have to wait and see...

Baby Blue
by Scott Gordon

FREE 4/7/15 - 4/11/15! << Beginning April 7th!

Simple, delightful and utterly cute, this picture book celebrates the tender years of childhood. Feel the love resonate from the pages!

BONUS! Grab a copy of My Crazy Pet Frog for just 99 cents >>

Eggtastic
by Scott Gordon

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

Foreign Language Editions

¿Quién Quiere Ser Un Robot?
by Scott Gordon

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

El lejano planeta de Infinim, que promete una existencia celestial y eterna para su sociedad de robots, está aceptando postulaciones. Aunque uno de los postulantes es más viejo y no tan rápido como solía ser, ¡tiene lo necesario para ser aceptado? Adivina quién es antes de que termine la historia en este ingenioso libro para niños.

Cuori Sani e Felici
by Scott Gordon

FREE 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

Leggere Cuori Sani e Felici e' il modo giusto per iniziare una conversazione col tuo bambino sul cibo e su come fare le scelte piu' sane per lui.Tante belle illustrazioni e messaggi positivi accompagnano questo divertente piccolo libricino.

Per bambini dai 2 anni in su. Piu' di 50 pagine in tutto!

This edition includes English and Italian subtitles side-by-side.

Great Books for 99 cents!

The Emerald Quest: A Noah Winter Adventure
by Renée Pawlish

Just 99 cents 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

A long-lost emerald, a missing treasure map, and a wealthy villain combine for an action-packed adventure!

Thirteen-year-old Noah Winter, the son of sea-exploring treasure hunters, dives the San Isabel shipwreck with his parents in search of a mysterious treasure map lost in the murky depths off the Florida Keys over a century ago. The map reveals the hiding place of the priceless De La Rosa emerald. But before the Winters can find the map, a wealthy treasure-hunting rival kidnaps Noah’s parents. Now Noah must match wits with a dangerous adversary, not only to discover the treasure map first, but to rescue his mom and dad before it’s too late.

Cooper's Smile
by Jerri Kay Lincoln

Just 99 cents 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

This book tells the story of a small child struggling through the daily challenges of childhood while being happily comforted by Cooper the dog. It is an illustrated, feel-good rhyming story that will captivate adults as well as children.

My Crazy Pet Frog
by Scott Gordon

Just 99 cents 4/5/15 - 4/9/15!

MY CRAZY PET FROG doesn't know what he is! Perhaps he's a secret agent or a world champion golfer. Who knows? One day to the next, he runs in circles, trying to be everything for everyone. It's not until he comes across one of his loved ones that he realizes the most important thing of all...

Teachers and Principals, Please Check Out ASCD's Arias Publications and Other Books

ASCD Arias Publications provide concise answers to challenging questions that you need to solve today.

ASCD Arias titles are conveniently formatted to be read in one sitting and immediately put into practice. They offer original and relevent content, answers from voices you trust, and a time-saving, 50-page format. Choose from two value-priced formats: $12.99 (print) and $6.99 (e-book).

ASCD is the leader in K-12 professional development for educators.

Could It Be...?

2015-03-09T19:20:00.001-07:00

Could It Be...Another Big Gift???

Coming April 5, 2015

I wonder what they'll think of next...

Brought to you by:

Scott Gordon

Sarah Holmlund

Angela Muse

Laura Yirak

Louise Lintvelt

D.C. Swain

Becca Price

Renee Pawlish

Jan Hurst-Nicholson

Daniel Ashley

A Special Gift for You! (March 4-8, 2015)

2015-03-02T17:57:00.001-08:00

A Special Gift for You!

March 4-8, 2015

The following children's books are available for free from 3/4/15 - 3/8/15, unless otherwise noted. Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow these titles at any time for free.

UPDATE: First of all, my apologies. There were some technical difficulties yesterday getting a few of the books to change from full price to free. Jasper Penzey: International Boy Detective is now free from 3/5/15 - 3/9/15, and The Fearsome Charlie Grace will be free 3/6/15 - 3/7/15. Sir Dudley is heavily discounted from $4.99 to $0.99. I will let you know when that title goes on free promotion again.

I feel terrible about this, so I decided to add another book to the mix: Brainy Bird, Exercise Master (free 3/5/15 - 3/9/15). Have a great time enjoying this wonderful assortment of books!

—Scott Gordon

Jasper Penzey: International Boy Detective (Book 1, The Ruby Brooch of Atlantis)
by Monica LaSarre

FREE 3/5/15 - 3/9/15!

Jasper Penzey has never known his mother and his father never wants to speak of her. At the ripe age of 9 years old, on the eve of his and his father’s move from Louisiana to Santorini, Greece, precocious Jasper discovers an amulet and a note from his mother. So begins the journey of a lifetime into island life, complete with a traipse through history and a search for the location of the lost city of Atlantis. What starts out as a summer of fun tagging along with his history professor father, quickly turns into a romp through all things Greek with a host of new friends and an undercurrent which pulls Jasper into searching for his mother.

Meet the Monsterlingz
by Sarah Holmlund

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

"Imagine being a young child again, presented with a Kindle that has a colourful picture story about a monster family. Each monster has a story to tell, and there is so much more to see..." Would you be engaged by this? Who wouldn't...

Meet The Monsterlingz - they are colourful, diverse, and each of them has something interesting to show your child. A short rhyme accompanies each monsterling, and be best read aloud for a child. But you will probably not get the chance to finish the story, as each page is full of great things to discover. Besides the story being funny, it is a quick read, too, as there are only 15 pages.

If your child will allow you to finish the book, besides wanting to ask numerous questions about the illustrations, you could read this book in about 5 minutes. But it would be better to take some more time, and explore each page with your child and introduce him/her to new concepts found in the illustrations.

This is the first book in the rhyming monster book series about the Monsterlingz family and their family members. The book is best read in colour, as it makes the illustrations really pop off the screen. If you have a child who is between 3 and 8 years old, you should treat yourself and your child to the adventure inside this picture book. It's the perfect illustrated children's book for kids that love monsters and rhymes!

Monster ABCs: An Alphabet Book from A to Z
by Sarah Holmlund

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

Teach your child the alphabet with this fun book. The book presents all the letters, from A to Z, with colorful, entertaining images that will capture your child's interest. Suitable for children 3-8 years old.

This book:

—contains charming monster illustrations.
—has a unique picture for each letter.
—has a simple question before each letter that helps to engage your child and sustain their interest.

This book is a great tool to use to make learning the alphabet fun. Pick up your copy today!

The Fearsome Charlie Grace and the Amazing Pirate Race
by D.C. Swain

FREE 3/6/15 - 3/7/15!

The Fearsome Charlie Grace holds a race of pirates in this book of rhythm and fun. Each page introduces a new pirate coming to a calamitous, hilarious end in this adventure race. With colorful full-page illustrations and a wonderful rhythm, your children will love reading this story over and over again. Perfect for children aged 3-7.

How Far Will it Bounce? (My Blue Ball)
by D.C. Swain

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/6/15!

Take a trip of fun and adventure with this little blue ball as it goes down the front steps, out the gate and into the big wide world. With vivid illustrations and a fun, sing-song rhythm, your children are sure to love this journey. Recommended for children aged 2 - 5.

Worlds of Wonder: A Short Story Anthology
by Emily Martha Sorensen

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

A bunch of science fiction and fantasy short stories aimed at young adult and middle grade readers. There are fairy tale retellings, time-traveling, giant babies, dragons, and even a short story set in the middle of Black Magic Academy.

Contains the following short stories:

—Rite of Passage
—A Phone Conversation
—The Spinning Talent
—Unicess
—Cindy's Fairy Godmother
—Monster Under the Bed
—Time Switch
—The Apple of Discord
—Advanced Precognition
—Beauty and Brave
—The Dragon and the Santa
—Invoice
—Interplanetary Edition
—Schedule TMTR
—On the Way Through the Woods
—When the Wilkinsons Grew

The anthology is about 26,500 words.

Kids Book: One Sheep, Two Sheep...Time to Sleep
by Louise Lintvelt

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

One little boy and five naughty sheep,

will poor Ben ever get to sleep?

"One sheep, two sheep, three sheep, four....."

Suddenly there's a knock on the door.

Join Ben and the unruly sheep for some bedtime fun!

Riley Flynn and the Runaway Fairy
by M.J. Storm

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

Riley Flynn loved books. She just never expected to find herself trapped inside one.

Years ago, her great-grandfather had written a series of fantasy novels about a world called Alora. They'd been full of magic, mystical creatures, and adventures. Riley thought they were just about the best books in the world.

On her eleventh birthday Riley received a mysterious gift: a set of notebooks containing the handwritten first draft of her great-grandfather's first novel. The odd thing was, nobody knew who had sent them to her. Riley's great-grandfather had vanished many years earlier under circumstances that had never been explained. His notebooks hadn't been seen since.

And while the old notebooks might have seemed harmless enough, they contained a power Riley could never have believed was possible. Now she finds herself trapped in Alora, the land of her great-grandfather's stories, with a lonely fairy as her only companion. Her only chance to get back to her own world lies in freeing the greatest wizard Alora has ever seen from a magical prison, all while being hunted by an evil queen who will stop at nothing to find her and claim the fairy's magic as her own.

Sir Dudley Tinklebutton and the Dragon's Lair
by T.J. Lantz

Just 99 cents!

Sir Dudley is a shining example of true knightliness- he is always chivalrous to the ladies (provided they are young and attractive), he keeps his boots polished at all times (his squire’s job), and he never says no to a free drink (he deserves it). He has the perfect career- until one day when he steps foot in Candon, a battered village, besieged by a vicious dragon. Unable to figure a way out of the situation, Dudley soon finds himself face to face with the most deadly creature known to man.

Sir Dudley Tinklebutton and the Dragon’s Lair is a comedic fantasy/adventure. While intended for audiences 8-14 years of age, there is plenty of fun for adults as well!

Fairies and Fireflies: Bedtime Stories
by Becca Price

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

In the Wide, Wild Field, friendship is bigger than fear, and can be found in the unlikeliest of places.

A butterfly fairy gets a kitten, raids a beehive, and makes friends with a firefly. Urisk the brownie gets a new home, and finds help overcoming his fear of the dark. Fireflies learn that friends come in all shapes and sizes, and let you be who you really are.

This collection includes the bonus story, Sunflower, which was also published in Dragons and Dreams.

These bedtime stories will enchant children ages 3-7.

A Princess for Tea
by Becca Price

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

When a dragon moves into the neighborhood, a brave Princess volunteers to be sacrificed for its dinner. A dashing Prince goes to rescue her, and discovers that he and the whole kingdom entirely misunderstood the situation.

Children have always delighted in fairy tales, tales of adventure and challenge in magical lands where dragons live and The Dark is a thing to be feared and explored. From the original Grimm's fairy tales through Andrew Lang's colorful fairy books to modern classics like Robert Munsch's The Paperbag Princess, there will always be a need for, and a place for, fairy tales. This story, which also appears in Dragons and Dreams, continues on in this tradition, with silly, serious, and poetic stories.

Leon Chameleon PI and the Case of the Missing Canary Eggs
by Jan Hurst-Nicholson

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

A humorous animal detective story for 7-12 year-olds (set in South Africa) .

When Mrs Canary’s eggs mysteriously disappear, a frantic Mr Canary dashes straight off to the Pigeon Valley Police for help. Unfortunately, Sergeant Loerie and Constable Mole’s hasty attempts to make an arrest lead them to the wrong suspects. Leon Chameleon PI, who has quietly kept an eye on developments, decides it is time to step in and offer his services – after all, isn’t he the best Private Eye in Pigeon Valley? He puts all his skills to work and finds vital clues which Loerie had overlooked. Now a daring plan is needed to trap the suspects and bring them before Spotted Eagle Owl’s Court, where Leon springs his final surprise...

Janet Hurst-Nicholson draws on the habits and characteristics of the small creatures living in Pigeon Valley, Durban, to create a thrilling detective story. Barbara McGuire’s illustrations capture the story’s humour, while portraying the animals as they really are.

Leon Chameleon PI and the Case of the Kidnapped Mouse
by Jan Hurst-Nicholson

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

A humorous animal detective story for 7-12 year-olds.

"When Mr Woodland Mouse mysteriously disappears, Constable Mole is quick to enlist the help of Leon Chameleon, Private Investigator, whose expertise enabled the Pigeon Valley Police to solve the case of the missing canary eggs.

After organising a search, Leon realises that there is only one creature in the valley who can spring the captured mouse from his prison. But just when he thinks Mr Woodland Mouse is safely on his way home, the plan goes horribly wrong..."

All the animal details of food, habits, and lifestyle are true to nature (apart from Constable Mole’s sunglasses!) and the animals solve the crimes using their own natural abilities. Children will absorb much knowledge of the small creatures of Africa without being aware of it.

A section of interesting facts has been added to this second detective story in the Leon Chameleon PI series. It provides valuable and little-known information on chameleons, moles and other creatures featured in the story.

The Race (An Inspiring Story for Left-Handers)
by Jan Hurst-Nicholson

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

Vicky is left-handed and teased for being clumsy, but a visit from her Gran changes everything.

Vicky’s Granddad has died and her Gran is coming for a visit. Vicky wants to cheer her up by embroidering a cushion as a gift, but Vicky is left-handed and she struggles to learn how to sew. She decides that winning a race in the school sports might be a better idea – but can she do it, especially when Graham threatens to spoil all her plans?

The story highlights some of the challenges faced by left-handers.

At the end of the book is advice on how to help left-handers; how to tell if a child is left-handed; the correct way for a left-hander to hold a pencil and to slant the paper; famous left-handers; percentage of the population who are left-handed; career choices for left-handers and cultural issues for left-handers.

The Lost Secret of Fairies
by Tiffany Turner

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

Wanda had always read about adventure. Now she was in the middle of one. The World of Fairies is real, and she is their new Crystal Keeper, human caretaker to the World of Fairies. But the Fairy World is in trouble. The fairies are falling ill from the pollution that ravages the world above. Wanda has to find the key to their cure, before it's too late.

Note: Use Smashwords Promo Code FL57N to get your free book. You can also purchase this book for 99 cents on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Monsters Have Mommies
by Angela Muse

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/5/15!

Have you ever wondered if monsters have mommies and daddies? It turns out monsters families are a lotlike our families. This monstrous tale about parents and family is perfect for children aged eight and under.

Also check out Lil Glimmer, The Nutt Family: An Acorny Adventure, The Pig Princess, The Bee Bully, Eager Eaglets: Birds of Play, Cactus Charlie, Suzy Snowflake, The Christmas Owl, The Cat Who Lost His Meow & Ten Thankful Turkeys by this author.

Coco Cow and the Biggest Apple
by Allira Bell

Just 99 cents!

Coco Cow wants the biggest apple on the tree for lunch. But she can't reach it by herself. She needs the help of Hushabye Horse, Shooshoo Sheep, Peekaboo Pig, Rufus Rooster and Snisha Snail. Coco discovers there's something much better than the best apple on the tree - friends!

A quality children's picture book for ages 2-6.

Little Ghostie
by P.M. Richter

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

When a tiny ghost is caught on Halloween by the dreaded Ghost Buster Hunters he is placed in a Haunted House with other magical creatures. Cindy and Bobby, two children who can actually see ghosts, attempt to free the tiny ghost from his trap in the spooky house. (This is a book for children with lots of pictures for their enjoyment. Also included is a recipe for Triple Dipped Smores Candy Apples.)

Christmas with Uncle Nick
by P.M. Richter

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

A mysterious relative called Uncle Nick comes to babysit on Christmas Eve. The children, Bobby and Cindy, are surprised because they didn't even know they had an uncle. When the lights go out, Uncle Nick starts telling them wonderful Christmas tales and fantasies. (The entire Night Before Christmas poem and a recipe for Sugarplum candy is included.)

Oliver and Jumpy
by Werner Stejskal

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

These illustrated cat stories are all about “Oliver and Jumpy”, who are best of friends and experience many adventures together. Oliver is an elegant black tomcat, who is full of himself. As a matter of fact he says: “I love myself!” quite often. Naughty, isn’t he? But his best friend Jumpy, a kangaroo lady, is aware that it is only a front! Oliver has a soft heart and will always want to help others. The great thing is Jumpy’s pouch, which Oliver loves to ride in! He calls her his kangaroo taxi! These little bedtime stories with their lovely illustrations are great for small kids. A parent can read the text and tell the child in his own words. These animal stories have sufficient text to keep early readers happy and provide some educational value. Depending on your device, there is pop-up text (at Amazon) or audio available. Several talented illustrators are essential to bring these children's stories to you in quick succession. Love you all! Meow!

Check out the Free INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES to see how beautiful the illustrations are! Story 7: Winterland - Fun in the snow. Story 8: Baby Oliver - Yes, Oliver has been a baby too! Story 9: Egging – Watch what hatches from a big egg.

Little Lisa and Her Two Princes
by Rhonda Tyler

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

In a far, far away land, one day the animals of the forest woke up to find a stranger in their woods.

It was a beautiful little girl whose name was Little Lisa. She had pretty blue eyes and hair the color of gold and wore a tiny gold crown perched upon her head.

She was smaller than most of the animals and had no idea how she got there or even who her parents were.

She did know that she was a princess and needed to find a prince to marry, but who would marry such a little princess?

This is a story of her adventures.

This children's e-book is a fairy tale. Each page is a full-colored illustration with large printing for easy reading and is for kids aged 3 to 8. Beginner readers will love the pictures and older children will love the story.

There are 77 pages in the story.

Taming Your Pet Monster: An Operational Guide
by Scott Gordon

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

The craziest user guide you'll ever read! Written for mommies and daddies just as much as their children, Taming Your Pet Monster is filled with laugh-out-loud humor and bizarre situations. Witty, colorful and unique, this is one wacky ride you'll never forget!

This book is approximately 60 pages in all. Descriptions of my other popular children's books are included after the main feature (an additional 5 pages).

A Little Book About You
by Scott Gordon

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

Take a few moments and read this heart-warming picture book to your child. Featuring over 30 pages of colorful, computer-generated art, there's plenty to keep them interested in addition to the awesome message inside.

There's no better way to tell them that you love them!

Little Chickadee
by Scott Gordon

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

After months of loneliness, a little chickadee realizes that he misses someone in particular. He writes constantly and waits for her return, but time slowly trickles by with no end in sight. There's something he's been meaning to tell her--something very, very special. Will he get the chance?

15 fun-filled pages. Appropriate for all ages, children 3-6 in particular. Descriptions of my other popular children's books are included after the main feature (an additional 5 pages).

Brainy Bird: Exercise Master
by Scott Gordon

FREE 3/5/15 - 3/9/15!

It's time to get off the couch and have some fun! Leave your cell phones behind and get outside. There's nothing better than playing sports with your friends.

Live life, feel great, and you'll be a winner every time!

Over 30 fun-filled pages. Appropriate for all ages, children 3-6 in particular. Descriptions of my other popular children's books are included after the main feature (an additional 5 pages).

Teachers and Principals, Please Check Out ASCD's Arias Publications and Other Books

ASCD Arias Publications provide concise answers to challenging questions that you need to solve today.

ASCD Arias titles are conveniently formatted to be read in one sitting and immediately put into practice. They offer original and relevent content, answers from voices you trust, and a time-saving, 50-page format. Choose from two value-priced formats: $12.99 (print) and $6.99 (e-book).

ASCD is the leader in K-12 professional development for educators.

A Special Gift is Coming on March 4, 2015!

2015-02-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

Fantastic FREE Children's Book Giveaway: June 9th - June 13th, 2014!

2014-06-09T04:21:00.000-07:00

The free titles for this promotion are:

Four Fantastic Bedtime Stories for Children 3-6
Alphabet All-Stars Animal Pack Vol. 1 (beginning 6/11/14)
The Sweetest Stalk (FREE on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, Versent, Inktera, and Lulu!)

Download them all before they return to full price!

Also check out my other published works and upcoming titles!

Download for FREE 6/9/14 - 6/13/14!

Download for FREE 6/11/14 - 6/15/14!

FREE on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo,
Smashwords, Versent, Inktera, and Lulu!

For more fantastic savings, visit utahsweetsavings.com!

Fantastic FREE Children's Book Giveaway: April 30th - May 4th, 2014!

2014-04-30T05:32:00.001-07:00

This is my biggest children's book giveaway in quite some time, and there's something for everyone. My flagship title My Little Pet Dragon has been upgraded to HD and includes additional bonus material that pushes it to a whole new level, especially the sneak preview of Secret Agent Disco Dancer. I've also included foreign translations of this title just in case you feel more comfortable reading it in another language.

The free titles for this promotion are:

My Little Pet Dragon
Mijn Kleine Huisdraak: Special Bilingual Edition (English & Dutch)
Mi Mascota El Dragoncito (Spanish Edition)
Alphabet All-Stars: Colorful Cards (5/1/14 - 5/5/14)
The Sweetest Stalk (FREE on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, Versent, Inktera, and Lulu!)

Download them all before they return to full price!

Also check out my other published works and upcoming titles!

Download for FREE 4/30/14 - 5/4/14!

Download for FREE 5/1/14 - 5/5/14!

FREE on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo,
Smashwords, Versent, Inktera, and Lulu!

For more fantastic savings, visit utahsweetsavings.com!

Awesome FREE Children's Book Giveaway: April 6th - 10th!

2014-04-06T07:56:00.002-07:00

It's been awhile since I've done a free children's book giveaway, so to kick things off, I'm giving away three books from April 6th - 10th. All titles are available on Amazon only unless otherwise specified.

The free titles are:

Alphabet All-Stars
Un Pequeño Libro Sobre Ti
The Sweetest Stalk (FREE on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, Versent, Inktera, and Lulu!)

Download them all before they return to full price!

Also check out my other published works and upcoming titles!

Download for FREE 4/6/10 - 4/10/14

Download for FREE 4/6/14 - 4/10/14

FREE on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo,
Smashwords, Versent, Inktera, and Lulu!

For more fantastic savings, visit utahsweetsavings.com!

Alphabet All-Stars: Animal Flashcards is now available on Amazon

2014-04-04T21:19:00.003-07:00

Now Available on Amazon!

Eggtastic is now available for just 99 cents!

2014-03-26T19:28:00.001-07:00

Exclusively on Amazon!

Spring is just around the corner and it's time to see what the Easter Bunny is up to. This year he's enlisted some help, and it's an odd choice at that. What is that clever rabbit up to and what is he really planning? Find out in this humorous picture book by the author of My Little Pet Dragon and My Crazy Pet Frog.

Intended for children ages 3 and up. Approximately 40 pages in all. Descriptions of my other popular children's books are included after the main feature (an additional 5 pages).

This book is an Amazon exclusive.

Who Wants To Be A Robot?

2014-03-23T09:21:00.003-07:00

Now Available Exclusively on Amazon!

The off-world planet of Infinim, which promises a heavenly and eternal existence for its society of robots, is now taking applications. Although one of its applicants is older and not quite as quick as he used to be, does he have what it takes to be accepted? Figure out who he is before the story's end in this clever children's book.

Intended for ages 3 and up. Over 50 pages in all. Descriptions of my other popular children's books are included after the main feature (an additional 5 pages).

February Eight Hour Challenge Results

2014-03-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

February was the first full month of restarting the Eight Hour Fiction Challenge, a call to arms for all able authors that originated on Joe Konrath's blog. A couple of us informally took the challenge in January, and posted the results here.

I hope you'll enjoy what authors came up this month. Hopefully we'll have a better turnout in March

Title: The Most Wonderful Day
Author: Scott Gordon
Genre: Humor
Length: 1,250 words
Completion Time: 4 hours

Description:

Martin Freeman finally took the plunge. He quit his day job to become a full time author and isn't looking back. Brimming with confidence, he's concerned how his wife Greta will take the news. Although being your own boss is liberating, it's also quite scary. If things don't work out, there's no one else to blame but him, a point Greta will most certainly remind him.

But he'll make it work. He's sure of it.

It's just a matter of convincing his wife…

EXCERPT FROM THE MOST WONDERFUL DAY

“Today is the most wonderful day in the world.” Martin Freeman stepped inside his humble home and kissed his wife Greta.

“And why is that, dear?” She scanned over the Food Section of the Washington Post and turned the page.

“Because I’m free to write whatever I want.” He slung his jacket over a chair and pulled it next to her.

“I thought you were already free to write whatever you want.” Greta did not look up. “That’s why you decided not to waste your time submitting your manuscript to traditional publishers and work independently.”

“That’s true, but it’s so much more than that,” he beamed.

Suspicious, she put down the newspaper and looked him in the eye. “I know that look.” She bit her lip. “What did you do?”

About The Author

Scott Gordon is the author of several children's books, including My Little Pet Dragon, My Crazy Pet Frog, Pigtastic, A Little Book About You, A Pocketful of Dinosaurs, Ninja Robot Repairmen and If I Were A Robot. Currently he is hard at work on multiple projects: Secret Agent Disco Dancer, Braedyn Bunny and the Missing Eggs, Baby Bee, Aveline & the Great Pumpkin Bash and more!

Date(s) Free

March 12-16 on Amazon.

Where To Find It

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IVRVXN2/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00IVRVXN2&linkCode=as2&tag=thwoofsego-20

Title: La Flor Más Hermosa
Author: Scott Gordon (author), Ligia Gordon (translator)
Genre: Children's Book/Girls
Length: 500 words or more (picture book)
Completion Time: 3-4 hours book creation and publication, 5-6 hours translation

Description (Spanish Language)

La búsqueda para encontrar la más bella flor, lleva a una madre a descubrir el bien más preciado de todos. Con obras de arte deslumbrantes en cada página, esta es una lectura obligada para todas las madres e hijas por igual. Aproximadamente 40 páginas.

Descripciones de mis otros libros populares para niños se incluyen al final (un adicional de 5 páginas).

Where to Find It:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ILYD89M/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ILYD89M&linkCode=as2&tag=thwoofsego-20

Note: This following title was written back in August 2013, but was too late to qualify for Joe Konrath's original challenge. Since February was a light month for entries, I decided to include it here. Enjoy!

Title: Something Under the Sea is Drooling: A Halvin and Cobbs Adventure
Author: Ken Naga
Genre: Science Fiction/Comedy
Length: 6,011 words
Completion time: 7 hours, 56 minutes

Description:

Halvin an' Cobbs vs. Cthulhu!

Halvin "Hal" Ferguson spent his childhood day-dreaming, but even in his wildest imaginings, he never thought he would find himself thrust onto the ragged edge of reality.

Hal's fantastic and unrestrained imagination placed him at the head of a motley but mighty band of beings known as the Mindknaves who tirelessly battle against the forces from Beyond.

But now, the Mindknaves are all but gone. They cannot help him. Cthulhu made sure of that.

Cthulhu - a rancorous and insanely-powerful psyche-shredding force from Beyond has captured Hal's Mom and Dad. Hal knows Cthulhu's plan. The monstrous being of ancient evil plans to force Hal to give up the source of his power - his imagos - and Hal knows that Cthulhu will do anything to get it.

So why is Hal, accompanied by his ever-faithful friend and guardian, the talisman-toy lion Cobbs, diving straight into the reality-warping citadel-city of R'lyeth--straight for Cthulhu's home?

Because Hal knows something that Cthulhu doesn't...or at least he hopes he does.

About The Author

I love to write. I try to write everyday, but I sometimes fail. Regardless, every time I write I try to write better than I did the last time. I think that makes me a writer. I hope my writing pleases those who read it.

I am terribly afraid of snakes.

Additional Comments

See my original blog post:

http://kennaga.blogspot.com/2013/08/trying-something-for-fun.html

Where You Can Find It

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ICXCSP2

Title: The Crappiest Author
Author: WTF Man
Genre: Humor
Length: 5,400 words
Completion Time: 22 hours

Description:

Borges Svelt set a goal; a goal that he has no hope of achieving: writing 100,000 words in one day. At first he takes baby steps, averaging 25,000 words per day before encountering his first obstacle. With a little ingenuity, can the eccentric author conquer his dream? Or is he totally out of his league?

About The Author

Where You Can Find It

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ILWVNXC/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00ILWVNXC&linkCode=as2&tag=thwoofsego-20

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-crappiest-author-wtf-man/1118732174

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-crappiest-author

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/411938?ref=wtfman

Eight Hour Fiction Challenge - February 2014

2014-02-08T21:23:00.002-08:00

Back in August 2013, bestselling author Joe Konrath issued a challenge to see if his readership could write, edit and publish a work of fiction in under eight hours. This included everything, from the initial concept to cover design. In the end, 140 participants successfully posted their works, myself included, and got recognition in Konrath’s epic blog post.

Afterwards, there was no talk about revisiting the challenge, which disappointed many of us. Sure, classics like Bottling Farts weren't up for any literary awards, but they were fun to produce and entertaining in their own right. The overall quality was better than expected, which made it all the more puzzling why no one was pushing for a second Eight Hour Fiction Challenge.

After lengthy deliberation with members of Kindleboards, the rules were finalized and a target date was set for February 2014.

Here are the official rules:

THE IDEA

To write, edit and publish a work of fiction in eight hours or less. The author is responsible for all aspects of the creative process, including cover creation (whether you do it yourself or have someone else do it) and posting it to at least one major e-book vendor (typically Amazon).

RULES

1. Everyone is welcome to participate in the challenge.

2. You may take the challenge as often as you like.

3. You are free to write whatever you wish. No work will be excluded because of its subject matter or genre.

4. The hours worked do not have to be consecutive.

5. Although writers are encouraged to attempt the challenge in eight hours or less, they may use up to 24 hours to ensure quality and completion of their work.

6. E-mail me the following details to donaldrump@segordon.com by 11:59 p.m., February 28th, 2014 (early submissions help tremendously):

Book Title
Author Name
Genre
Total Words
Completion time (This is used to determine the 8/12/24 hour categories.)
Book Cover (Please limit this to 300 pixels in width.)
Description
Author Bio (No more than a paragraph or two.)
Date(s) free
Link(s) to your entry on Amazon (If it's not on Amazon, a link to one of the other major vendors will do. Affiliate links are accepted and encouraged.)
Comments (Optional. Tell us what you learned from the challenge, obstacles that you had to overcome, etc.)

All of this information will be added to a spreadsheet so that I can easily sort on genre, length, completion time, etc. I may put this information in a database in the future, but for now a spreadsheet will suffice.

Results will be posted on my personal blog http://segordon.blogspot.com the first Saturday following the end of the month. If you're looking to conserve your free days, that Sunday may be your best bet. In the future, I may give the Eight-Hour Fiction Challenge its own blog or website, but let's get through the first challenge first!

Additional blogs are welcome to include the results of the Eight-Hour Fiction Challenge. Just contact me and I'd be happy to share the source code (and most importantly, images) so that it can be easily posted on your website/blog and there isn't a duplication of effort.

JANUARY CHALLENGE

Although I was still incorporating feedback for the official rollout in February, a few of us took the challenge anyways. (Once you’ve done it a couple times, it becomes quite addicting.) Here are the two submitted entries:

Title: The Iron Border
Author: Cora Buhlert
Genre: Dystopian Science Fiction
Length: 5,600 words
Completion Time: 11-12 hours

Description:

Ana has lived in the shadow of death all her life. For when she was six years old, a TV broadcast announced that an asteroid would hit the Earth twenty-two years later, extinguishing all life as we know it.

As Ana grew up, she put her faith in the worldwide lottery supposed to select the chosen ten thousand, the survivors of humanity who would escape the doomed planet in giant space arks.

But the lottery is not as fair and unbiased as Ana has been led to believe. And even her best efforts to turn herself into someone who would be useful aboard the great space arks do not bring Ana any closer to the gleaming shuttles that are being constructed behind the iron border only a few miles away…

About The Author

Cora Buhlert was born and bred in North Germany, where she still lives today – after time spent in London, Singapore, Rotterdam and Mississippi. Cora holds an MA degree in English from the University of Bremen and is currently working towards her PhD. Cora has been writing, since she was a teenager, and has published stories, articles and poetry in various international magazines. When she is not writing, she works as a translator and teacher. Visit her on the web at: http://www.corabuhlert.com.

Read Cora's experience taking the Eight Hour Fiction Challenge.

Where To Get It Free

XinXii: http://www.xinxii.com/en/the-iron-border-p-350154.html
Use coupon code 8HOUR2 (valid until 02/11/2014).

DriveThruFiction: http://www.drivethrufiction.com/browse.php?discount=87796
(Discount expires on 02/11/2014.)

Additional Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I3TO5RY
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-iron-border-cora-buhlert/1118357741?ean=2940148206866&itm=1&usri=2940148206866
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/de-DE/ebook/the-iron-border
ARe: https://www.omnilit.com/product-theironborder-1410636-245.html

Title: The $500 Question
Author: Donald Rump
Genre: Fart Fiction/Humor
Length: 2,100 words
Completion Time: 6 hours

Description

Perkins Deadwood can't believe his ears. His twelve-year-old son just asked for a pet fart for Christmas. And not just any fart, a Spanish fart. Hay caramba!

Can the used car salesman talk his son out of it? Or is this Christmas really going to stink?

For mature (and not so mature) audiences.

About The Author

When he's not writing about old, crusty farts, Donald Rump writes about actual farts--the stinkier the better. He is also an advocate of the No Fart Left Behind program and marriage equality for all gaseous entities great and small.

Mr. Rump lives in Southern Maryland with his pet fart Floofy.

Where To Get It Free

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/395386?ref=donaldrump
Use Coupon Code LW73P (valid until 2/22/2014).

Additional Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZY1E0Y/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00HZY1E0Y&linkCode=as2&tag=thwoofsego-20
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-500-question-donald-rump/1117997303
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-500-question

A Journey into Indie Publishing

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Introducing Alphabet All-Stars Spooktacular--IT'S ALIVE!!!

Sneak Peek - Secret Agent Disco Dancer: You Don't Know Jack

Chapter 1: Monster

Sneak Peek - Secret Agent Disco Dancer: Santa's Super Helpers

Chapter 1: Extra Crispy

Yet Another Russian Translation Published

Russian Translation Published

Russian Translation Unearthed

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Chapter 1: Restless

What Did I Do? And What Am I Doing?

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Bubblegum PrincessPinkberry Patch

By Scott Gordon

Chapter 1: Tingle

Lullaby by S.E. Gordon - Chapter One

Lullaby

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ONE

Scott Gordon and Friends Kidtastic Giveaway: April 5th - 9th

Scott Gordon & Friends Kidtastic Giveaway

Free Children's Books

Foreign Language Editions

Great Books for 99 cents!

Could It Be...?

A Special Gift for You! (March 4-8, 2015)

A Special Gift for You!

March 4-8, 2015

Jasper Penzey: International Boy Detective (Book 1, The Ruby Brooch of Atlantis) by Monica LaSarre

FREE 3/5/15 - 3/9/15!

Meet the Monsterlingz by Sarah Holmlund

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

Monster ABCs: An Alphabet Book from A to Z by Sarah Holmlund

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

The Fearsome Charlie Grace and the Amazing Pirate Race by D.C. Swain

FREE 3/6/15 - 3/7/15!

How Far Will it Bounce? (My Blue Ball) by D.C. Swain

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/6/15!

Worlds of Wonder: A Short Story Anthology by Emily Martha Sorensen

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

Kids Book: One Sheep, Two Sheep...Time to Sleep by Louise Lintvelt

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Riley Flynn and the Runaway Fairy by M.J. Storm

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Sir Dudley Tinklebutton and the Dragon's Lair by T.J. Lantz

Just 99 cents!

Fairies and Fireflies: Bedtime Stories by Becca Price

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A Princess for Tea by Becca Price

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Leon Chameleon PI and the Case of the Missing Canary Eggs by Jan Hurst-Nicholson

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Leon Chameleon PI and the Case of the Kidnapped Mouse by Jan Hurst-Nicholson

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The Race (An Inspiring Story for Left-Handers) by Jan Hurst-Nicholson

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The Lost Secret of Fairies by Tiffany Turner

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Monsters Have Mommies by Angela Muse

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Coco Cow and the Biggest Apple by Allira Bell

Just 99 cents!

Little Ghostie by P.M. Richter

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Oliver and Jumpy by Werner Stejskal

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Little Lisa and Her Two Princes by Rhonda Tyler

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Taming Your Pet Monster: An Operational Guide by Scott Gordon

FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

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FREE 3/4/15 - 3/8/15!

Little Chickadee by Scott Gordon

Bubblegum Princess
Pinkberry Patch

Scott Gordon & Friends
Kidtastic Giveaway

Jasper Penzey: International Boy Detective (Book 1, The Ruby Brooch of Atlantis)
by Monica LaSarre

Meet the Monsterlingz
by Sarah Holmlund

Monster ABCs: An Alphabet Book from A to Z
by Sarah Holmlund

The Fearsome Charlie Grace and the Amazing Pirate Race
by D.C. Swain

How Far Will it Bounce? (My Blue Ball)
by D.C. Swain

Worlds of Wonder: A Short Story Anthology
by Emily Martha Sorensen

Kids Book: One Sheep, Two Sheep...Time to Sleep
by Louise Lintvelt

Riley Flynn and the Runaway Fairy
by M.J. Storm

Sir Dudley Tinklebutton and the Dragon's Lair
by T.J. Lantz

Fairies and Fireflies: Bedtime Stories
by Becca Price

A Princess for Tea
by Becca Price

Leon Chameleon PI and the Case of the Missing Canary Eggs
by Jan Hurst-Nicholson

Leon Chameleon PI and the Case of the Kidnapped Mouse
by Jan Hurst-Nicholson

The Race (An Inspiring Story for Left-Handers)
by Jan Hurst-Nicholson

The Lost Secret of Fairies
by Tiffany Turner

Monsters Have Mommies
by Angela Muse

Coco Cow and the Biggest Apple
by Allira Bell

Little Ghostie
by P.M. Richter

Christmas with Uncle Nick
by P.M. Richter

Oliver and Jumpy
by Werner Stejskal

Little Lisa and Her Two Princes
by Rhonda Tyler

Taming Your Pet Monster: An Operational Guide
by Scott Gordon

A Little Book About You
by Scott Gordon

Little Chickadee
by Scott Gordon

Brainy Bird: Exercise Master
by Scott Gordon