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Read It Free. Tell Me What You Think. Help Me Write Better.

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Want to help an author write a better book? Here's your chance. I'm giving readers the first 10 chapters of Secrets of Whisper Pine: The Missing Moo FREE.  And I'm not just asking you to read them. I want your opinion. Did you love the mystery? Did a character drive you crazy? Was there a part that made you want to keep reading? Was there something you didn't like? Tell me!  I'm looking for honest feedback from real readers—not professional reviewers. You can tell me: What you loved What you didn't like What confused you What surprised you What you'd change Whether you'd keep reading Your opinion could actually help influence how I write future books. Parents, Make It a Family Challenge! Here's a fun idea:  Read the 10 chapters with your child. Then compare your answers. Who do you trust? Who do you suspect? What do you think happened to Daisy? What do you think will happen next? And here's the important part: Let your child have the final word....
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Read the First 10 Chapters FREE—and Help an Author Tell a Better Story

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 What if your child could help an author improve his next book? Most authors write a book, publish it, and hope readers enjoy it. But what if an author invited readers to be part of the process? That's exactly what I'm doing. I want to invite parents, children, teachers, grandparents, and anyone who enjoys a good mystery to read the first 10 chapters of my book, Secrets of Whisper Pine: The Missing Moo , completely FREE—and then tell me what you think. Not just what you liked. I want to hear what you really think. Did you like the characters? Was the mystery interesting? Did you want to keep reading? Was there a part that confused you? Did something surprise you? Was there something you didn't like? What would you change? What questions did you have? And most importantly: Would you want to read the rest of the story? Your opinion matters to me. A Mystery Begins with a Missing Cow Here's where the adventure starts:  Daisy disappears. Lost—or taken? Who kidnaps a prize c...
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Are We Losing Our Tween and Teen Readers?

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Are We Losing Our Tween and Teen Readers? According to the NEA, the percentage of 17-year-olds who read nothing for pleasure has doubled over a 20-year period. Let that sink in for a minute. Interestingly, the percentage of 9-year-olds who read almost every day for pleasure has stayed pretty steady at around 54%. So somewhere between “I LOVE books!” and “Do I have to read this?” something happens. Something terrible. School. Yes, School. I'm calling you out. But don't worry, parents. I'm calling you out, too. Fair is fair. So, What Is the Problem? Honestly, I think part of the problem is that we're asking books to compete in a pretty unfair fight. Think about what kids have available to them today. YouTube has moving pictures, music, sound effects, dramatic voices, explosions, funny animals, people doing ridiculous things, and an algorithm whose entire job is to say, “Oh, you liked that? Here are 47 more!” Video games have stunning graphics, instant rewards, challenge...
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