Release Date: February 4th, 2014
Description:
Ten-year-old Elvis Jones is tired of being picked on, taunted, and teased by the bullies at his elementary school, so he does what any smart, technologically brilliant kid his age would do: he creates EKHO, the Evil Kid Hunting Organization, a sophisticated network of kid spies and secret agents that utilize a variety of cool gadgets to stay one step ahead of the enemy – the bullies. They hire kids, make them swear allegiance to the organization, and train them as Commandos, Privates, and Elite Spies. As kids rise through the ranks, the missions, posted on an encrypted EKHO website, require more smarts and skill, especially when the bullies form their own counterspy group called DEKE (Destroy EKHO Kids Everywhere).
It’s all in good fun, until the kids of EKHO must put their pretend skills to use for far more serious, and dangerous, missions. As field agents come across evidence of more sinister forces, they now have to deal with the strange, weird, and the unknown as they look for the truth about the bizarre and creepy threats to their school, their families, and their own lives. They experience betrayal, intrigue, infiltration and counter-espionage as well as teachers and adults who act more mysterious with each passing day, which leaves Elvis and his EKHO team wondering: who can you trust when the person standing next to you might not be entirely human?
GUEST POST
Back To The Present: Writing For Kids Today
by Marie D. Jones
Writing “EKHO,” my middle grade series with my son, Max, meant not just picking his brain about what it’s like to be a kid today, but really having to immerse myself in the world of kids that he himself was immersed in. And trust me, that world is a much different one than the one I experienced decades ago, when I was in grade school.
In order to tell a story kids of today want to read, adult authors must be able to relate to today’s kids on many levels, and really understand what is important to them, what makes them laugh and cry and angry and scared, and then find a way to translate that into the story without seeming condescending or as though we are humoring our readers. We almost, as adults, have to go back in time ourselves and be a kid again, but then find a way to fast-forward to the present and translate those memories into today’s setting. It isn’t easy, and kids know when an adult is forcing it, or making it up from scratch.
As an adult, I had to “interview” my son and talk with him daily about his viewpoints, perceptions, experiences, reactions and emotions and process the plot of the story based upon his answers. I had to learn the technology and social networking kids use today, and the memes and concepts they were talking and texting about. I had to find out what books they were obsessed with, what TV shows they loved and what movies they flocked to...and WHY. And I had to be able to get down on their level and see it through their eyes, and not my own. Writers, by nature, are observers, but when we have to write about other age groups, the skill of observing must be sharper than ever.
I also had to learn the lingo, the slang, the verbiage of kids today and the hidden nuances of their speech and behavior. Kids communicate on a whole different level with their peers than they do with their parents, so I spent time observing kids interacting with kids, kids with teachers, kids with parents... listening to their conversations and engaging in discussions with them myself, in order to learn the lay of the land that is modern childhood.
Memories are powerful things, but they don’t compare to the present. This is ultimately Max’s story, even though some of my own experiences may be interwoven in the story, but for me to just automatically assume that my childhood and his were the same is crazy...or as kids might say today, “cray cray.” Writing for kids requires hard work and intensive research to create a world that kids will recognize and believe in, and the uncanny ability to step into their shoes and walk a few miles in them, all the while listening to their every conversation and observing their every move along the way.
About the author:
Marie D. Jones is a best-selling author with an extensive background in unknown mysteries, metaphysics, science, and the paranormal. She has been featured multiple times on the History Channel in Ancient Aliens and Nostradamus Effect. Marie also served as a special UFO/abduction consultant for the 2009 Universal Pictures movie, The Fourth Kind. She is a staff writer for FATE Magazine and Intrepid Magazine and a regular contributor to Paranoia Magazine and New Dawn Magazine. Marie has been interviewed on hundreds of radio talk shows all over the world, including Coast to Coast AM, and has been featured in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and online publications, internationally. She has lectured widely at major paranormal, new science, and self-empowerment events, and is the screenwriter and co-producer of 19 Hz, a paranormal thriller in development with Bruce Lucas Films.
Author's Giveaway
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from <a href="http://iamareader.com/" target="_blank">I Am A Reader, Not A Writer</a> and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.a Rafflecopter giveaway
1 comment:
In a world full of technology, I'm happy there are still authors who want to explore topics that make today's children read. Congrats!
Post a Comment