Fantasy adventure for middle-grade children
 | Two of our featured authors joined to write a Halloween themed, spooky and funny heroic fantasy adventure for middle-grade children. The book is coming in April in eBook and print. |  |
Spooky and funny, a heroic fantasy adventure for middle-grade children. Nikki and her impish cousin, Jack, find a mysterious black pumpkin in the forest on Halloween. A wise talking skeleton, Wishbone, tells them that the ghosts of the Trinity of Wishmothers are trapped inside the pumpkin and can’t be freed without their wands. The children offer their help, so the skeleton takes them on a journey to the world of Creepy Hollow to retrieve the three wands he hid long ago in Red Crow Forest, the Tower of Shadows, and the Cave of Spooks. Ghoulina, the beautiful vegetarian ghoul, and Catman, who was once a man, join them on their quest. They must face danger and conquer evil every step of the way as they search for the Wands before the wicked Hobgoblin and his henchman, a Tasmanian Devil, can get their hands on them. This is a fun, humorous and touching story for kids, with plenty of character interaction woven into a backdrop of scary danger, heroic action and lessons to be learned.
Poems by Joe and illustrations by Erika
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Teaser from the book
“What’s Celestria, Mister Wishbone?” Jack wanted to know.
“Celestria is the Realm of Spirits, where I live now. It’s a cemetery in Creepy Hollow.” Wishbone cleared his throat with a metallic-sounding cough. “You see, in Creepy Hollow the spirits of the dead can live side-by-side with the living.”
“Awesome!” cried Jack.
“Wicked!” said Nikki, clapping her hands. “Okay, but now you’re a wind chime. So how did that happen?”
“Well, let me tell you, and I’ll try to make it as short a story as I can,” said Wishbone. “It all begins with a Goblin named Hobart. Hobart was just another cute, little goblin who had fallen on hard times. He lost his job and his home, and had no luck at all. So one day he went to visit The Trinity of Wishmothers and begged them for help. Taking pity upon him, the Wishmothers gave him a test in the form of three wishes. He was supposed to use the three wishes to help others, which in turn would help him and bring him good luck. But Hobart was greedy and he used the three wishes for selfish reasons. He wished for wealth and power and fame, so he failed the test. As punishment for wrongly using his three wishes, the Wishmothers transformed him into the mean and ugly Hobgoblin. But they couldn’t take away the wealth, power and fame he had wished for.”
“That’s a nasty thing to have happened to the poor guy,” said Jack.
“Not as nasty as what later happened to me,” Wishbone told him.
“Hobart had it coming to him, Jack. He was selfish and used the Wishmothers’ gifts for his own benefits” said Nikki. “What happened next, Wishbone?”
“First, Hobgoblin used his wealth and power to build a great castle, which he calls Crag Heap, and he used his fame to attract a large band of followers. Then he and his minions took over Goblin Acres and locked the mayor in Deep Dark Dungeon.”
“That Hobgoblin sure is one bad dude,” said Jack.
“He certainly is,” Wishbone agreed. “But wait, there’s more.”
Hobgoblin wasn’t satisfied with all that he had accomplished. He wanted more wealth and more fame, but most of all, he wanted more power. . . magical power. So he summoned one of his favorite minions, the Tasmanian Devil, who helped him murder the three Wishmothers and steal their magic Wands.”
“Did Hobgoblin use the Wands?” Jack asked Wishbone.
“Indeed he did. He knew just enough magic to turn the power of the Wands against the ghosts of the three Wishmothers.”
“What did he do to them?” Nikki asked.
Wishbone sighed; he sounded exactly like a wind chime swaying in the breeze. “He imprisoned them inside a black pumpkin.”
Jack suddenly grew very nervous. He looked at the black pumpkin and asked, “You don’t mean this pumpkin, do you?”
“Celestria is the Realm of Spirits, where I live now. It’s a cemetery in Creepy Hollow.” Wishbone cleared his throat with a metallic-sounding cough. “You see, in Creepy Hollow the spirits of the dead can live side-by-side with the living.”
“Awesome!” cried Jack.
“Wicked!” said Nikki, clapping her hands. “Okay, but now you’re a wind chime. So how did that happen?”
“Well, let me tell you, and I’ll try to make it as short a story as I can,” said Wishbone. “It all begins with a Goblin named Hobart. Hobart was just another cute, little goblin who had fallen on hard times. He lost his job and his home, and had no luck at all. So one day he went to visit The Trinity of Wishmothers and begged them for help. Taking pity upon him, the Wishmothers gave him a test in the form of three wishes. He was supposed to use the three wishes to help others, which in turn would help him and bring him good luck. But Hobart was greedy and he used the three wishes for selfish reasons. He wished for wealth and power and fame, so he failed the test. As punishment for wrongly using his three wishes, the Wishmothers transformed him into the mean and ugly Hobgoblin. But they couldn’t take away the wealth, power and fame he had wished for.”
“That’s a nasty thing to have happened to the poor guy,” said Jack.
“Not as nasty as what later happened to me,” Wishbone told him.
“Hobart had it coming to him, Jack. He was selfish and used the Wishmothers’ gifts for his own benefits” said Nikki. “What happened next, Wishbone?”
“First, Hobgoblin used his wealth and power to build a great castle, which he calls Crag Heap, and he used his fame to attract a large band of followers. Then he and his minions took over Goblin Acres and locked the mayor in Deep Dark Dungeon.”
“That Hobgoblin sure is one bad dude,” said Jack.
“He certainly is,” Wishbone agreed. “But wait, there’s more.”
Hobgoblin wasn’t satisfied with all that he had accomplished. He wanted more wealth and more fame, but most of all, he wanted more power. . . magical power. So he summoned one of his favorite minions, the Tasmanian Devil, who helped him murder the three Wishmothers and steal their magic Wands.”
“Did Hobgoblin use the Wands?” Jack asked Wishbone.
“Indeed he did. He knew just enough magic to turn the power of the Wands against the ghosts of the three Wishmothers.”
“What did he do to them?” Nikki asked.
Wishbone sighed; he sounded exactly like a wind chime swaying in the breeze. “He imprisoned them inside a black pumpkin.”
Jack suddenly grew very nervous. He looked at the black pumpkin and asked, “You don’t mean this pumpkin, do you?”
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