Reblogged: Sir E. Robert Smythe and writing for Middle-grade

Sir E. Robert Smythe:

Writing for Middle-grade

Christina Weigand

 Time to talk a little bit about my Middle-grade series.  A few years ago I approached a gentleman about taking a series of children's scripts and aging them up to middle-grade. I felt that since I was writing young adult, writing middle grade would be easy. I quickly realized when I started working on this new series that middle grade is definitely different from writing young adult. I won't go into all the differences here, just know that there was a slight learning curve. It has been an exciting challenge to write for people in this age group.

Although many of the characters had already been created, I felt one more was needed. So I created Sir E. Robert Smythe. He is the Chief Safety Ambassador for the Galatic Safety Council from the planet Gwill. He works with Queen Sage and an array of characters that come to Earth to help children navigate their way through many of the social issues plaguing today's society.

Sir E. Robert  helps  boys and girls between the ages of 12 and 14, deal with school bullies, homeless people, death of a loved one, rich girl vs. poor girl, self esteem issues, suicide, arts vs. sports and A.D.H.D.

Someone once asked me why do kids need fantastical creatures to guide them through life? Don't the parents do that? At the time I was so upset that I could not formulate an answer. ( A problem I frequently have when in a confrontational situation). Looking back on that evening from this point of having finished six books with these characters, I think I finally have a partial answer. So here it is: This is a very unique age group. These kids are on the verge of teen years where they become more responsible for their decisions and yet they are at a point that they still want their parents to give them all the answers. They don't want to listen to their parents and yet they are  in a place where adults are still needed. The fantastical creatures of the Gwill create an atmosphere for these young people to begin to formulate the person that they will grow into, provide gentle guidance while still giving the preteen room to make their own choices.

Anyway that's what the series is all about. Two of the books are published: Sir E. Robert Smythe and the School Bully and Sir E. Robert Smythe and the Lost Detective. The third one, Sir E. Robert Smythe Goes Shopping will be released in the next few months

and the remaining three books are with the publisher with plans of releasing them over the next few years.

God willing these books will serve to help 8-12 year-olds become aware of social issues and find a way to navigate their way through them.

A Lesson in Life by Rick Haynes

Displayed on the wall of my local pub

Rick Haynes

The following was sent from a mother-in-law to her new daughter.  It’s a rough guide to the battle of the sexes, apparently, and is displayed on the wall of my local pub.

As she said, it’s not meant to be taken seriously.

If Julie, Della and Susie go to lunch, they call each other, Julie, Della and Susie. But if, Tommy, David and Mikey go to lunch, they call each other, Toss-Pot, Ginger Knob and Numb-Nuts.

When the ladies receive the bill, the calculators come out. But when the boys decide to pay, they each put in a £20 note as they have nothing smaller and they’d never admit they want any change.

A woman would pay £5 for something she doesn’t really need. Whereas, a man would pay £6 for a £5 item he needs.

A man has about six items in the bathroom cabinet. Toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, aftershave, razor and shaving foam. The average number of items in a ladies’ bathroom is usually over 100. A man would not be able to guess what most of them were.

A woman always has the final word in an argument. Anything a man says afterwards is the start of a new argument.

Women love cats. Men say they do to ensure another argument doesn’t start.

A woman always worries about her future. A man only worries about the future once he’s married.

A successful man is one earning more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one finding such a man.

A woman marries a man expecting him to change but he rarely does. Whereas a man marrying a woman expects she will not change, but she does.

A woman will always dress up to go shopping, take the kids to school and visit friends. Her man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

Men will wake up looking reasonable. Their other half takes an hour in the bathroom to look the same but usually better.

Ladies have an in depth knowledge of their children. What they like, what they hate, their friends and social activities, even their dreams. Their partner has some vague idea of small noisy people running around the house.

Written by K.

Aquila et Noctua a historical novel - New Release

By P. J. Mann

There is a new release on Mann's house, and that doesn't just mean that I have written a new novel, but I have also experimented something new, a historical fiction.

Aquila et Noctua (The Eagle and the Owl) comes from a story I wrote many years ago and brings me back to one of my loves in life: History, and particularly the history of Ancient Rome. 

The story tells about a young slave, Saul, coming from Jerusalem, and the complicated relationship he will develop with his masters and with the other slaves, who will become a sort of surrogate family; the one he lost once he was enslaved.

Once again, like in my debut novel "A Tale of a Rough Diamond," we have the themes of envy, jealousy, conflictual relationships within the family, and wisdom.

Wisdom is depicted in this case like the Noctua (Owl), and like in nature happens, the owl is going to bring wisdom, with sudden chaos.

The Aquila, (Eagle) represents the Roman Empire and the family who will purchase Saul. 

There is going to be a Release party on my Facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/2225782511045126/

It is scheduled for Sunday 1.9  at 10:00 AM EDT and there will be other authors to help me celebrate the release. If you have more questions about this new release this is the right time to have them answered.

EXCERPT:

​The sun shone brightly in the sky on that late summer day. The successful campaign in the territories of Palestine brought new glory to the Empire and filled every corner of the city with celebrations.
The massive military action, planned by Emperor Hadrian, had brought about the final defeat of the rebellious Jews in the third Jewish revolt.
Jerusalem was renamed Aelia Capitolina in honor of the victorious emperor and as an ultimate humiliation to the rebels. The prisoners were sent all over the Empire to be sold as slaves while the Roman generals and commanders were decorated in the public square of the Forum.
It was a joyful period throughout all of Rome, and it should have been no exception for Marcus Tiberius Numida. However, something weighed heavily on his mind and alienated his soul from the revelry.
He wandered through the streets of Rome, not paying attention to where he was going until he found himself in the slave market in the Forum.
Several specimens of males and females, crammed into cages, peered from between the bars, waiting to be yanked out and pushed to line up behind the merchant. Their eyes revealed fear and confusion
Each merchant touted the good properties of each slave they were selling, wildly gesticulating to underline their words to attract customers, as crowds of curious people and potential buyers gathered around.
The sobs of the waiting slaves and the clang of their chains against the bars, combined with the din of the curious onlookers and the raucous voices of the merchants. The stench of bodily fluids melded with the scent of food that was sold in the square.

To pre-order the novel, please follow this link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VXB2QFR

Author link: https://pjmann2016.wixsite.com/pjmann

Other books: https://pjmann2016.wixsite.com/pjmann/books

I hope I have attracted your attention and see you soon at the release party!

Stay tuned!

Rainbows and Clouds by Erika M Szabo

Short stories about life’s humorous, happy, and dark moments.

By Erika M Szabo

EBOOK

PRINT

AUDIOBOOK

Some of the stories are from my years in nursing, Steve's clumsiness and my cooking disasters might make you spit out your coffee laughing. The stories of my pets will put a warm smile on your face, and the stories about life's darker moments might make you wipe a tear or two.

Rainbows and dark clouds are part of life,

Without darkness there can be no light.

Without moments that make us cry,

We can’t enjoy moments that make us smile.

Without moments that make us laugh,

We can’t get through moments that make us sad.

~Erika M Szabo

Listen to a few stories

The Coven by Tricia Drammeh

Paranormal/Horror for Young Adults

Abby has finally put the horrors of the past behind her and is ready to move forward as a medium-in-training, but her vow to refrain from dabbling in the paranormal is harder to keep than she'd anticipated. A strained relationship with a former best friend, a mysterious stalker, and a new friend who is full of surprises turns Abby's world upside down, but when she discovers someone she trusts is keeping a shocking secret, she doesn't know where to turn.​

The Coven is the exciting sequel to The Seance. Filled with magic, chilling suspense, and surprises, this latest story in the Dark Summons series is the perfect read for teens and adults alike!

The Coven is available here: https://books2read.com/u/3kppPR

Outcast by Rick Haynes

A fantasy tale of love, betrayal, and giants

The freedom of youth quickly disappears as a maelstrom of evil erupts. Torn between blind loyalty to his evil master and freedom, Sigbjorn chooses to escape from the clutches of Lord Uddi. With his two sword shields following, Sigbjorn leads them to Humli, a small peaceful town in the hills. Their hopes of finding a place to call home are soon dashed as a shadow grows in the east. With the vile Guths threatening to align themselves with the mysterious giants, only a tidal wave of hero’s blood can prevent the carnage.                                            https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1093832541

Creativity - Your Way

Creativity - Your Way

There's the old saying that everyone has a book in them, waiting to be written. While I'm not sure that's true - not everyone wants to be a writer, after all - I think everyone has the ability to be creative. I would even go so far as to say creativity is part of who we are as human beings.

Creativity comes in many forms. Some of us are sculptors, painters, writers, poets, or song writers. There's scrapbooking, photography, crafting, woodworking ... the list goes on and on. Being creative is a way to let your mind run free. It's both relaxing and invigorating. And, even if you don't see yourself in any of the aforementioned creative categories I listed, I'm willing to bet you're still a creative person. Some people use creativty in their jobs - landscapers, architects, engineers, for example. And, then there's some common hobbies such as gardening, sewing, and knitting that require creativity.

If you've always wanted to try your hand at writing, painting, or some other artistic pursuit, what's stopping you? Don't worry about whether or not you'll be any good at it. The whole point of trying something new is to see if you like it. If you enjoy it, that's all that matters, Don't let anyone discourage you from being creative or expressing yourself.

Be creative - YOUR WAY!

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To read more of Tricia Drammeh's post, please visit her blog: https://authortriciadrammeh.wordpress.com/