Meet My Character Blog Tour

After many folks have asked, 'Why don't you start a blog?" I finally acquiesced.

Thank you to Patricia Keeler for your gentle poke in the right direction, and the invitation for joining a character blog tour! Patricia is a wonderful author and illustrator who loves to draw scrappy little girls who hang backwards over swings, excel at watermelon seed spitting contests and whip around at high speeds on their scouters. These are girls after my own heart! My own characters, Dana, Amy and Jack love to ride their mountain bikes through the woods of Troll Creek and aren't afraid to plunge their bikes into deep muddy waterholes. I know our characters would get along great! As do Patricia and I!

Patricia and I meet through the New York Metro Chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and became friends as well as colleagues.

You can learn more about Patricia and her wonderful characters at Patricia's website and her blog.

Now onto the Character Blog Tour - Let's meet Dana, Amy and Jack in The Adventurers Troll Creek

Who is your main character?

Troll Creek focuses on Dana Redding. She is 12 years old with jet black hair and green eyes. She lives in the city with her mom. Her dad died when she was three so it has just been the two of them. Dana likes being on her own and doesn’t mind when her mom works long hours as a research librarian. Recently, her mother began dating again and before Dana knew it, her mom announced she was getting remarried. This set off a chain of events leading Dana to Troll Creek to meet her soon to be stepsiblings, Amy and Jack.

Who is Amy?

Amy Munro lives in Troll Creek with her younger brother, Jack. Amy has straight blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She loves to ride her mountain bike everywhere and knows all the trails around Troll Creek like the back of her hand.

Amy just turned 13. All the candles on her birthday cake were shaped like different rocks. Amy loves rocks and wants to be a geologist like her mom. She carried dynamite in her day pack until her mom confiscated it. That was a drag, so now she collects rocks using her mom’s old rock hammer and keeps them on the dining room table.

Amy is grappling with the reasons behind her parent’s divorce and the fact her dad wants to marry someone new. She devises a plan to bring Dana out to Troll Creek hoping to make her life as miserable as possible.

Who is Jack?

Jack Munro is Amy’s younger brother. He’s 11 but small for his age. He’s famous in Troll Creek for his unique sandwiches. He has the same blue eyes as his sister, but his eyes are softer. He likes to avoid conflict while Amy does everything with brute force.

Jack knows the reason behind his parent’s divorce in spite of Amy trying to hide it from him. He’s upset about what happened but keeps everything bottled up. All of this is connected to his mysterious heart condition that is a guarded secret between him and Amy.

Where is the story set?

The story takes place in and around an old Irish mining town called Troll Creek. The mine was shut down 50 years ago due to a very bad accident and economic times. Troll Creek is now a little tourist town with a rich history of the mining days, a museum, a library, a hospital and a geology field station. Troll Creek thrives on tourism and the field station. It is well known for its Sweet Shop and their homemade fruit Ice Pops.

Every summer Troll Creek comes alive with the Troll Creek festival and the geology camps. But it is most famous for the mysterious train hijacking 100 years ago and the secrets hidden in the old abandoned coal mine.

What should we know about Dana?

Dana is grappling with the aftermath of a fight at her school. It is connected to how her dad died when she was three but she is having trouble talking about it.  She knows her mom is hoping that meeting Amy and Jack will help, but Dana is feeling very reluctant to go. She is struggling with feelings of guilt about the fight and the fact she doesn’t want her mom to get remarried. She wants her mom to be happy so she is reluctant to tell her how she really feels.

Are there more books in the series?

Yes, Troll Creek is book one of a new adventure-mystery trilogy for 8 to 12 year olds. The trilogy is called The Adventurers. Book two is now available and is called The Mask of the Troll. I am currently writing book three.

For more information you can visit Dana, Amy and Jack at www.theadventurers.com