Starting Something New

A new book looms on the horizon, far off, but exciting!

I haven't written any kid's stuff in a while, but with two of my adult novels wrapping up in the next couple of months, I can't wait to dive back in.

Inspiration - Washington and Oregon!

When I first set out to write The Whispering Ferns, I didn't really have a story in mind. I knew I wanted to write about ghosts and mysterious houses and the wonder of exploring a new place, but I had trouble coming up with my location.

Until my wife and I took a vacation out to the states of Washington and Oregon, that is. We fell in love with the dark forests and quaint little towns along the coast and I had my location!

It wasn't long before a tiny fishing village began to take shape in my mind, a sheltered bay and pebbled sand beach, all framed by the leafy backdrop of the mysterious forest.

Moonstone Bay was born.

The Whispering Ferns Is Here!

Eleven-year-old James "Smith" Campbell usually avoids adventure and thrills, but when he is forced to visit his troublemaking cousins in the tiny fishing village of Moonstone Bay, he is thrown into secret passages, ghosts, pranks, tall tales, and the disappearance of his new friend, Noelle.

Convinced the townspeople are following the wrong leads, Smith sets out to prove she took off on her own to search for a mysterious ghostly shape. Ignoring his fears and a fast approaching storm, he enters the dreaded forest alone.

A kids book about ghosts, new friends, bravery, hidden passages, big spooky houses, the awesome state of Washington, the Whispering Ferns is a book in the grand tradition of John Bellairs, Encyclopedia Brown, The Hardy Boys and all of those awesome adventure novels we loved as kids. If that sounds like your idea of a fun time, check it out. It's available on Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Amazon and will be coming soon to the Kobo, iPad and most good electronic booksellers. And it's just under Three bucks!

Welcome Back To Moonstone Bay!

It's been a while, hasn't it?

Over a year in fact, and I finally have not just a little bit of good news, but a lot of good news! Next week, The Whispering Ferns will be available as an eBook on Smashwords, Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com and all other fine eBook retailers! That's the cover up above, by Deeply Dapper Designs, and in the next few days, stay tuned for more updates and info!

Progress... Movement... Query!

I haven't been to Moonstone Bay for a while, I'm a long, long distance from the Pacific Northwest, but a lot of good things have been happening with it. The first chapter has been completely re-written, jumping ahead to the action a bit quicker, and I've revised a few scenes throughout to emphasize his cousin's rambunctious nature.

I've also started a query that is progressing well, with an eye at officially starting to send it around by next week. That's one scary step closer to possibly making Smith and my mysterious fishing village a place that exists in more heads than my own.

It's Official!

I received my official Rejection letter in the mail yesterday from Delacorte. That means I can move on to editing and starting to look for an agent! You can read a bit more about it over at http://r-o-u-s.blogspot.com/

Delays!

We just heard from Delacorte (Via one of the message boards I frequent) that Delacorte's decision regarding the contest will be delayed, likely until the middle of December. That's probably good. While I'm extremely excited about the new revisions I have planned and the official agent search, I've been too busy to work on any of it.