Genre: Children's Mystery / Chapter Book
Date of Publication: October 14, 2017
Pages: 159
Synopsis | Praise | Buy Now | Guest Post | About the Author | Giveaway | More Blogs
Amber and Autumn, elementary school sisters, don’t seek out problems to solve, but they often find themselves engaged in uncovering truths, solving mysteries, and helping others in the process. Autumn’s natural curiosity, combined with her boldness, leads her to push for answers to anything she does not understand. Amber, her older sister, more cautious and easily spooked, prefers to let Autumn drive ahead to solve mysteries which come their way, but her keen skills of observation often lead to the resolutions they seek.In The Secret Room, the girls, during their stay at a B&B, discover a long-forgotten room in the attic and uncover its secrets. The story takes place at the House of Seasons, a bed-and-breakfast in historic Jefferson, Texas. Their quest to uncover secrets takes the girls on a journey through Jefferson history including a cemetery, a river boat tour, and even an evening ghost walk.
Praise for The Secret Room:
“Great book, really enjoyed reading. I'd guess a target audience would be 7 to 13-year-olds. Thank you for allowing me the honor to preview your book. I look forward to purchasing your published work.” -- Joseph (Teen Beta reader)
The Secret Room is a fun read. Not only is it a mystery; it also contains some of the history of Jefferson, Texas, and the surrounding area, as well as pictures of some special places there. Children and adults will enjoy reading it, just as I did. -- Carol (Adult Beta Reader)
“Overall I thought it was a great book. I would be excited to read the next book in the series.” --Madeline (4th grade Beta Reader)
“The whole time I liked the suspense and the mystery side of it.” – Beta Reader
“I relate more to Amber because she doesn't like a situation without light and she doesn't like doing scary things first. She sends her little sister in to do it first and I do that. Amber is the older sister and so am I.” – Beta ReaderBuy Now:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Images from The Secret Room
Guest Post by John Alexander
The owner of the House of the Seasons graciously allowed me to take pictures and use many of the features of this historic home to bring realism to my fictitious Bed-and-Breakfast.
The story and the original owners of the House of the Seasons are fiction as are various inventions about the house itself. The Jefferson history and the places in the town which provide the backdrop of the story are real, and the wonderful people in the town of Jefferson, dedicated to its historical preservation, give this town the special significance it deserves.
The cupola is a special and unique feature of this historic home. Below is a look at the cupola from inside.
Each window in the cupola is a different color and represents a different season of the year. Green represents the spring, red for summer, blue for winter, and amber for fall.
The story and the original owners of the House of the Seasons are fiction as are various inventions about the house itself. The Jefferson history and the places in the town which provide the backdrop of the story are real, and the wonderful people in the town of Jefferson, dedicated to its historical preservation, give this town the special significance it deserves.
The cupola is a special and unique feature of this historic home. Below is a look at the cupola from inside.
Each window in the cupola is a different color and represents a different season of the year. Green represents the spring, red for summer, blue for winter, and amber for fall.
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John writes chapter books that appeal to elementary school children to capture their imagination and help them discover the love of reading early in life. John lives in Frisco, Texas with his beautiful wife and his King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, Charlie Brown.
John spent his childhood in a small town in east Texas. He attended college at the University of Texas earning a BS in Physics and a BA in Math (minor in Computer Science). His years in the high-tech industry, most of it on the “bleeding edge,” allowed him to develop new technology with software.
John had the privilege of co-authoring two editions of CallManager Fundamentals. The two books sold over 23,000 copies, exceeding the publisher’s goal of 8,000. Having discovered his love for writing while still working in high tech, he began writing fiction in his spare time and published The Enclave, a mystery / suspense novel, in 2010.
After leaving high-tech in 2014, he now spends full time pursuing his writing passion. He loves writing books that help children discover early in life that reading is a fun adventure. He recently released illustrated editions of the first three books in the Amber-Autumn mystery series: Christmas Garden Illustrated, Grandfather’s Blessing Illustrated, and Golden Campout Illustrated. The Secret Room is the fourth book in the series.
John spent his childhood in a small town in east Texas. He attended college at the University of Texas earning a BS in Physics and a BA in Math (minor in Computer Science). His years in the high-tech industry, most of it on the “bleeding edge,” allowed him to develop new technology with software.
John had the privilege of co-authoring two editions of CallManager Fundamentals. The two books sold over 23,000 copies, exceeding the publisher’s goal of 8,000. Having discovered his love for writing while still working in high tech, he began writing fiction in his spare time and published The Enclave, a mystery / suspense novel, in 2010.
After leaving high-tech in 2014, he now spends full time pursuing his writing passion. He loves writing books that help children discover early in life that reading is a fun adventure. He recently released illustrated editions of the first three books in the Amber-Autumn mystery series: Christmas Garden Illustrated, Grandfather’s Blessing Illustrated, and Golden Campout Illustrated. The Secret Room is the fourth book in the series.
GRAND PRIZE: Signed copies of all four Amber-Autumn series books + $10 Starbucks Gift Card
TWO RUNNERS-UP: Signed copy of The Secret Room
November 27-December 6, 2017
(U.S. Only)
TWO RUNNERS-UP: Signed copy of The Secret Room
November 27-December 6, 2017
(U.S. Only)
| 27-Nov | Book Trailer | Hall Ways Blog |
| 27-Nov | Excerpt | Chapter Break Book Blog |
| 28-Nov | Review | Momma on The Rocks |
| 29-Nov | Author Interview | Books and Broomsticks |
| 30-Nov | Review | Missus Gonzo |
| 01-Dec | Notable Quotable | Forgotten Winds |
| 01-Dec | Notable Quotable | The Page Unbound |
| 02-Dec | Review | Storeybook Reviews |
| 03-Dec | Review | The Librarian Talks |
| 04-Dec | Sneak Peek | Texan Girl Reads |
| 04-Dec | Excerpt | Reading by Moonlight |
| 05-Dec | Review | Tangled in Text |
| 05-Dec | Author Interview | Books in the Garden |
| 06-Dec | Review | Syd Savvy |
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