Author of Fantasy Adventure Tales for Young (and young at heart)Readers
E.P. Bellows
"Memories of Gulliver's Travels and Narnia bubble up as I enjoy this fast-action middle-grade novel..."
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
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Memories of Gulliver's Travels and Narnia bubble up as I enjoy this fast-action middle-grade novel of a lonely young man discovering his heritage. An absent mother and a father who seems almost too busy to care leave Alexander Drake feeling awkward and lonely around his peers, but now he's going to spend some time at his beloved grandmother's house while Dad travels again. There Alexander finds a locked drawer, a mysterious key, and a map, all of which lead the lonely boy through the forest to Azra's Pith. There he learns that "being different can make one extraordinary," a pleasing state of affairs indeed.
The scenery of Azra's Pith is pleasingly evocative, and the characters are enjoyably imaginative, leading to amusing dialog and nicely boy-centric contemplation. From talking frogs to threatening birds, friend and foe combine to make Alexander's a classic quest, with all the classic temptations to rest and quit. But the brave team presses on, and the journey's lessons are wise.
The story draws to an enjoyable conclusion, just as a new tale begins, making this a good standalone novel for middle-grade readers, especially those hard-to-reach boys, with the definite promise of more.
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This is the first book I've read from the author. It seems that I've come into the series in the middle, so I have downloaded the first book. It was still an enjoyable read.
The imaginative world created by the author is especially fun. Some animals can talk (with attitude!), magic is in the air and emu-like creatures provide fast transportation.
Yes, I realize this series is for children- and they can certainly read it. Just as soon as I'm finished.
Amazon Review of BANDITS OF BASSWOOD
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Alexander Drake is back, but he's in a bit of a pickle. Imperius is still determined to capture Alexander, and he uses a spell to draw Alexander away from his home. Meanwhile, Imperius sends his servant Roman to take over Verhonia. With things falling apart around him, Alexander's grandfather calls for Alexander's father to come help. Alexander's father was a great general at one time, but he's hesitant to return to that life. Alexander and his father must both come to terms with what must be done if they are to survive.
This story starts immediately with the action, and it doesn't slow down until the end. I enjoyed the pace of the book. It managed to be fast without being too frenzied. Alexander's new friends were pretty awesome! I wanted to be running around with them. I was especially interested in Sarah and her abilities. She had a lot of interesting things going on, and I wanted to know more.
The storyline of Alexander's father was also intriguing and a bit sad. You can see he is really struggling to find a life that suits him and that he can live on his terms. This book has a fairly solid ending, but it still leaves some mysteries to be solved. Once again, it's a quick read that makes it a great choice for young readers. There is action and adventure and magic, and it all makes for a super fun read.
Amazon Review of
ALEXANDER DRAKE'S EXTRAORDINARY PURSUIT
Amazon Review of THE RETURN OF GENERAL DRAKE
BIO
Let's see... when I was eight, I had a pet turkey. I used to take it with me on my very short-lived paper route. Needless to say, I was terrible at delivering the paper. No one wanted a "Dollar Saver" with turkey poop splattered across the front page. Apparently, that's where the best coupons are.
Books... well, "Treasure Island" is a fantastic pirate tale. I love just about anything by Roald Dahl, and who could ever leave out Tolkien? I would also like to thank C.S Lewis for sending me on an unrelenting childhood quest for portals to amazing worlds (even in the most unpleasant locations, e.g. the older brother's closet.)
I write fantasy stories for children. Yep - proud fantasy geek here. It's pretty darn awesome to escape to another realm with sorcerers and wizards for a chunk of the day. The underlying theme in my stories is empowerment, self-love, and living purposefully.
When football is on I turn into a cookie-eating pottymouth. I have a theory that avocados are the Jedi of all foods. I also love anything prepared with garlic... which, according to my loved ones, has an unfortunate superpower.
Last random nugget… few things make me smile more than chocolate, cheese, and a good bottle of vino... AND, if the Chargers would make it to the Super Bowl again - just once:)
John William Drake Series
Part 1: Bandits of Basswood
Part 2: Quest for Copia
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