Author Review: Cheyrl Carpinello

I remember when I was in the sixth grade and I took my first history class. It was Utah History back then, and it was taught by the meanest, orneriest teacher in the Middle School. I hated history from then on: World History, U.S. History, Utah History, you name it. If it had a history in it it was my least favorite class. Now a much older and wiser person I am a history junkie. I love Historical Fiction, Historical Biographies, and family history. Even so, I still recall my complete lack of interest back when I was 12 in anything that did not have something to do with my life, my world, and my current problems.

     In Cheyrl Carpinello’s intermediate novels The Kings Ransome,  and Guenivere, Carpinello has brought history to life in an exciting, interesting, and fun-filled way. Her character’s have real pre-teen problems. Pressures to perform, being misunderstood by adults, wanting to dream their own dreams but feeling the responsabilities of growing up pressing in on them.

 

This author uses accurate historical descriptions and vanacular but still manages to tell stories from the middle ages in a way kids can understand; not just comprehend but feel.

     “I liked the pages. Trying so hard to be squires. I want to be a knight but it sounds hard and the pages got to have so much fun.”

          Matthew- age 11

     “I cfelt so sorry for Guenivere, I have to worry about what to wear to school, not who I have to Marry, and she didn’t even get to choose.”

          Sarah, age 12

 

Through the real life adventures of these kids in a time my young reading friends could not imagine, they became interested in the legends of King Arthur and then history.

These stories are beautifully and vibrantly told. You can picture the Castle keep. The Knights on their horses and The witch in all her terrific horror. Guenivere’s chase of the rabbit through the castle, had the kids I read with laughing, and the wild man had them all so intrigued that when we had to stop for the day and wait to finish the next, the kids couldn’t wait to get back to the story.

Ms. Carpinello’s portrayal of the King Arthur legends was fast paced enough for even some younger readers.

     “I thought it would be boring without pictures, but after reading outloud I didn’t even notice.”

          Kaison, age 8

     “It was fun to read, and I like the princess.”

          Hannah, age 9

     It was so much fun to read and enjoy a bit of history from these novels point of view. Cheyrle Carpinello is great at mixing historical accuracy with interesting stories and great characters. To find out more about Cheyrl Carpinello's books go to: 

MuseItUp, Outskirts Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Ibookstore 

 

 

Although a retired teacher, Cheryl Carpinello still has a passion for working with kids. She regularly conducts Medieval Writing Workshops for local elementary/middle schools and the Colorado Girl Scouts. She is not the only one who loves Medieval Times and the King Arthur Legend. The kids thoroughly enjoy writing their own medieval stories complete with dragons, wizards, unicorns and knights!

She loves to travel and her other job is with a major airline. Her favorite trip was a two week visit to Egypt with her husband that included traveling by local train from one end of Egypt to the other.

Some of her favorite books include The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Once and Future King, and any by the duo Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

You can find out more about Cheryl Carpinello, her books and World of Ink Author/Book Tour at http://tinyurl.com/ajka7zv

Follow Cheryl Carpinello at

Beyond today Educator http://www.beyondtodayeducator.com

Carpinello’s Writing Pages http://carpinelloswritingpages.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ccarpinello

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.carpinello1

Talking With Sands Heatherington About Characters

     A few weeks ago I did an author review of Sands Heatherington and his remarkable characters from his Night Buddies series. I was able to ask him how he builds such remarkable, vivid characters for his stories, and as expected his response was equally as interesting and thought provoking as he is.

How to Develop Vibrant, Believable Characters?  This is a challenging question and one I'm not really qualified to have a go at, since I deal in fantasy and caricatures.  But I have some opinions on the matter, as follows.

Aristotle said art imitates nature.  He was talking about drama (mostly Oedipus Rex) and he called the process mimesis.  John Dryden qualified this two thousand years later, saying that's all well and good, but art, in order to be art, is nature "wrought up to a higher pitch" (another way of saying sure, it comes from nature, but it has to have some tuning added in).

It's difficult to disagree, and I'm not here to play critic, so what can we take out of this in practical terms as storytellers?

Start with nature and go with some real character you know or know about.  If you want to draw a "real" character, use a REAL CHARACTER as a basis.  People are far too complex to simply make up.  William Faulkner said he got most of his material from sitting around hunting camps at night.

That's the Aristotle part, the raw material part, and you ignore it at your peril.  That is, unless you do gangs of sociopathic iguanas and French-speaking rhinos like I do.  My only "real" character is John, my protagonist, and he is a close facsimile of my son, name and all.

The Dryden part (the "vibrant" part) is just as essential.  This is where you leave off being a newspaper reporter and work your raw material into what you need for your story.  It's the "art" element, although it's really more "craft" if you want to know the truth.  (The Greeks didn't even make this distinction.  They called it all techne.)  But this is where you put flesh and bone to the template you fliched from the real world.  Load your character up with eccentricities that are interesting and entertaining and organic to your story.  Make sure of this last part or you'll only be adding tinsel.  And finally, let the character surprise the reader now and then.  Dull people that you know are predictable, aren't they?  I'll bet the really interesting ones keep you guessing just a little bit.  Give your character the ability to jump "out of character."  Truly interesting real people do this all the time.

Sands Hetherington   

Sands Hetherington and Jessica Love are available for speaking and signing events, as well as touring with The World Of Ink Network. Author Sands Hetherington and illustrator Jessica Love’s nighttime adventure children’s chapter book, Buddies, Impostors, and One Far-Out Flying Machine the second book in the Night Buddies series published by Dune Buggy Press will be featured on tour  throughout January and February 2013.

The first book in the Night Buddies series, Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare is available anywhere books are sold.

Night Buddies, Impostors, and One Far-Out Flying Machine, the second book in the Night Buddies series, has a ton of mischief going on all over the Borough, done by a red crocodile and causing confusion and hard feelings

About the Book:

For young John Degraffenreidt, lying awake at night is no reason to fret when it brings a bright red crocodile named Crosley out from under his bed. Night Buddies like Crosley promise a big adventure to any kid not sleepy yet--and tonight is no different! Out of bed, and into the city, John starts on a very special Program (Night-Buddies-speak for adventure) with his crocodile friend. Crosley is a unique, wacky character, the only red crocodile in the world for sure, but look-alikes have started popping up all over town, committing crimes, causing confusion, and making Crosley crazy at the sight of them. The imposters must be stopped, and Night Buddies John and Crosley are just the ones to stop them! Stakeouts and wild chases in a fantastic flying machine, far-out schemes to snare the imposters with the help of old friends and new ones, and a never-ending supply of Crusted Crème Fro-Madge frozen yogurt make for one totally super night.

ISBN Numbers

Book 2: 978-0-9847417-2-4

Book 1: 978-0-9847417-1-7

Publication Dates

Book 2: February 1, 2013

Book 1: June 1, 2012

Juvenile Fiction/Chapter Books for Ages 7 and up.

Places where available for sale:

Amazon.com; BN.com; wherever books are sold.

(Dune Buggy Press titles are distributed by Delphi Distribution and are set up with wholesalers like Ingram and Baker & Taylor.)

About the Author: 

Sands Hetherington, creator of the Night Buddies series of chapter books is delighted to have published his second title, Night Buddies, Impostors, and One Far-Out Flying Machine. Sands credits his son John for being his principal motivator in creating Night Buddies. He and young John developed the Crosley crocodile character in the series during months of bedtime story give-and-take. They collaborated many nights on escapades starring John and Crosley, until eventually it occurred to Sands why it was that Crosley was bright red. That was when the first book came together. Now, Sands is pleased to announce the second title in the series!

Sands raised his son as a single parent from the time John was six. He read to him every night during those formative years: all of the classic children’s stories from Aesop through the Grimms, Lewis Carroll, Frank Baum, Tolkien and Dahl, with a lot of Dickens and Hugo thrown in. When school was out they got in the car and toured Alaska, Canada and most of the contiguous states. John still gets around. So far he has lived in Germany, Scotland, Russia, England and Spain.

Dogs have always been a part of the author's life, beginning with Whiskers, a cocker spaniel. When his wonderful boxer Hube died, he despaired of finding a boxer who could match him, and instead got a Saint Bernard. He ended up breeding Saints for a number of years and at this point has had twelve as house pets. Sands says dogs can do you a power of good, and if you lose one, go out and get another the next day and you will be surprised at how fast your grief goes away.

Sands is also a Civil War buff. He would like to spend a month of evenings with common soldiers from both sides to see how they felt about the business. And eccentric generals like Jackson, Sherman and Forrest, and most of all Lincoln. Because Lincoln never gets to smile in his pictures.

The author was born in New York City but was transplanted a year later to Greensboro, North Carolina, where his maternal grandmother lived. He never really left the area and has a lot of the South in him. His grandmother was a prominent educator and became a great friend and mentor.

Sands majored in history at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and has an M.F.A. in creative writing and an M.A. in English from UNC-Greensboro. He lives in Greensboro now, and hangs out with his longtime friend Ann and their Saint Bernards Dudley and Maggie. He likes visiting ancient Mediterranean sites in Turkey and Italy, and most of all Greece.  

You can find out more about Sands Hetherington, Jessica Love and the Night Buddies series World of Ink Author/Book Tour at http://tinyurl.com/bysdkbv

Follow the Night Buddies at

Fan Website: www.nightbuddiesadventures.com

Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/nightbuddies

Twitter: @Night_Buddies

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/nightbuddies2/

GoodReads Author Sands Hetherington

Publisher Website: www.dunebuggypress.com

Unblocking The Muse

     A week or so ago, I was watching, or listening to I guess, a movie with my family. It was the story of an old burned out writer who moves to an island community off the east coast. The community is small and tight knit, and this writer is a mean nasty drunk who ends up being neighbors with a single mother and her three daughters. The main character is played by Morgan Freeman which drew my interest in the first place but also it was a story of a writer.
Morgan's character is in a wheel chair and has his right arm paralyzed so when he writes he plunks away on an old fashioned typewriter with just one hand. I always find it interesting that movies portray writers to be people who just sit down and type out a 100,000 word manuscript and then mail it off to their editor to be published and sell millions of copies. Anyone who has ever even attempted that move will find very quickly how much of a fantasy that is. But I digress.
  One of the pre-teen neighbor girls goes to this author with an offer. She will pay him 34 dollars and 18 cents if he will teach her how to write a story. Well he takes the 34$ but lets her keep the change and then proceeds to give her the best advice any writer can get.
#1 Have a good cry. Tears are just the way to get you to the place you need to be.
#2 A story starts with a hero, be your own hero and do what you think you can't.
and #3 Your imagination is working when you look around and list what you don't see. Never stop looking for what you don't see
     Now perhaps, that third one was more profound for me than it will be for you, but think about its ramifications.
     What world don't you see?
     What faces, clothing, cars, pets, etc. etc.the possibilities are endless.
     What lives in the heart and mind that you don't have the understanding to imagine? We don't see time, space, love, fear, or joy? Use your imagination to form pictures, sensations, smells, and sounds. If you make a list after trying it. You will be surprised how many story ideas you have; how many descriptors to fill your Work In Progress, How many emotions will spill onto the page.
No matter how stifled your muse or blocked your writers mind is; you will never regret exercising your imagination.

The Spy Game by J.D. Holiday

 I have the unique opportunity to spotlight an author of children's books forThe World Of Ink Network. I will also be posting a review of this book so keep your eyes open for the review but, for now take a look at J.D. Holiday's newest release.

The World of Ink Network will be touring author and illustrator J.D. Holiday’s children’s read along picture book, The Spy Game throughout January 2013.

What happens when you end up with a dog you don’t want and only stares?

About the Book:

Eddie would love to have a puppy to play with. A puppy would pull on a rope. Catch a ball and lick your face. But his Uncle brings Eddie an older dog named after a famous spy. What can you do with an old dog? It probably couldn't learn new tricks and the only thing this dog did was stare. It's what they find to do together that makes them the best of

friends!

Publisher: Book Garden Publisher, LLC

ISBN: 978-0-98186-144-9

Publication Date: August 2012

Places available for sale: Amazon, B&N

About the Author: 

J.D. Holiday is the author and illustrator of four children's books. Picture books: JANOOSE THE GOOSE, THE SPY GAME, and Matt Shelley's Halloween Misadventure with Award-winning author, Christy Condoleo, and the chapter book for 6 to 8 year olds, THE GREAT SNOWBALL ESCAPADE. J.D. Holiday is a co-host on It's Story

Time, Gather 'Round with Christy Condoleo on Blog Talk Radio's World Of Ink Network:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork

You can find out more about J.D. Holiday, her books and World of Ink Author/Book Tour at http://tinyurl.com/bzwlprd

Follow J.D. Holiday at

The Book Garden http://www.thebookgarden.net

J.D’s Writers Blog http://jdswritersblog.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @JDHoliday

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JDspage

Facebook Fan: www.facebook.com/BooksByJDHoliday

Publisher Website: http://www.thebookgarden.net

To learn more about the World of Ink Tours visit http://worldofinknetwork.com  

###

Full Media Kit, Photos and more are available upon request electronically.

Author Review: Sands Heatherington

As an avid reader who listens to books instead of using my eyes to read them; a character's voice is extremely important. An author's voice can be found
in the narrative of the book you are reading, but the character's in the book must distinguish themselves from one another through their appearances, body
language and dialogue. This is one of the most powerful tools that compel readers to read different works from the same author. Will we ever forget Scarlet
O'Hara's voice from Gone With The Wind? How about Ron Weasley's voice from Harry Potter?
In reading Sands Heatherington's second book Night Buddies, Imposters, And One Far-Out Flying Machine, I was most impressed by  Heatherington's use of
character voices. His lead character, the world's only red crocodile, has not only a distinct appearance, but an unusual dialect. He speaks English, has
his own set of vocabulary, makes sounds for punctuation, and practically explodes from the pages. His Secondary characters are equally as interesting,
unique and humorous throughout the story. Their wild ride through the night life of New York City, tracking down the imposters who are giving our hero
a bad name, is a fun filled adventure with laughs all along the way. From the Blue Baboon to the tricky iguanas, the whole story is  decorated with the
distinct use of voice throughout.
Sands Heatherington has managed to keep the Night Buddies Series fun, funny, and alive through John, and Crosley. If you loved and laughed your way through
Night Buddies, and The Pineapple Cheesecake Scare, then you'll love the next portion of this series. You can find out more about Sands Heatherington on
his World Of Ink Tour page, as well as
Amazon.com; BN.com; wherever books are sold. (Dune Buggy Press titles are distributed by Delphi Distribution
and are set up with wholesalers like Ingram and Baker & Taylor.)

Night Buddies, Impostors, and One Far-Out Flying Machine: Book Two in the Night Buddies Series of Chapter Books.

 For young John Degraffenreidt, lying awake at night is no reason to fret when it brings a bright red crocodile named Crosley out from under his bed.
Night Buddies like Crosley promise a big adventure to any kid not sleepy yet--and tonight is no different!  Out of bed, and into the city, John starts
on a very special Program (Night-Buddies-speak for adventure) with his crocodile friend.  Crosley is a unique, wacky character, the only red crocodile
in the world for sure, but look-alikes have started popping up all over town, committing crimes, causing confusion, and making Crosley crazy at the sight
of them.

The imposters must be stopped, and Night Buddies John and Crosley are just the ones to stop them!  Stakeouts and wild chases in a fantastic flying machine,
far-out schemes to snare the imposters with the help of old friends and new ones, and a never-ending supply of Crusted Crème Fro-Madge frozen yogurt make
for one totally super night.

2. Night Buddies, Impostors, and One Far-Out Flying Machine, the second book in the Night Buddies series, has a ton of mischief going on all over the Borough,
done by a red crocodile and causing confusion and hard feelings everywhere.  It's driving Crosley nuts!  He's innocent, but since he's the only red crocodile
in the world, everybody thinks it's him.

Join John and Crosley for another "Program" as they scoot around the Borough in their fantastic flying machine and enlist help from a variety of supercool
folks, including Crosley's brother Crenwinkle, and Rodney Oglesby, proud proprietor of a sauerkraut and jellybean hot dog cart.  They'll try anything to
put a stop to all the evil-doing and restore Crosley's good name.  But it won't be easy!
...