Bubba and Squirt’s Shield of Athena (Bubba and Squirt Book 4) Middle-Grade Fiction, Adventure by Sherry Ellis Book Tour with Guest Post and giveaway

 

 

A Greek Goddess and a Mythical Monster! 

Bubba and Squirt’s Shield of Athena

Bubba and Squirt Book 4

by Sherry Ellis

Genre: Middle-Grade Fiction, Adventure

A Greek Goddess and a Mythical Monster!

When Bubba and Squirt travel through the mysterious vortex on a quest to save their father, they end up in Athens, Greece where they meet an old woman known as the Oracle of Delphi. Her intriguing riddles set them on a path that leads to the Netherworld, a place where danger lurks around every corner.

With the help of their new friends and some unlikely allies, they must defeat the monster that holds their father captive. Will they succeed or be trapped forever in the labyrinth of the Netherworld?

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Bubba and Squirt’s Shield of Athena Excerpts

 

                 A cool mist tickles my skin as I follow Squirt through the mirror. Our feet land on solid ground, but it’s pitch black. We shine our flashlights around and discover we’re in a cavern. Jagged stalactites hang down from the low ceiling like shark teeth. The floor looks equally menacing with spikes and ravines popping up all over the place.

                I take a deep breath and blow it out. “Now what?”

                Squirt doesn’t move. “Do you hear something?”

                I hold my breath and listen. “Sounds like dripping water.”

                “Right. And something else.” She points ahead. “It’s coming from over there.”

                “Should we see what it is?”

                “Hold on.” She shines her light over the space where we’d entered. Nothing marks it’s a doorway. No mirror. No light from the other side. “How will we find it when we come back?”

                I look around and spot some small rocks. “How about this?” I use my mental powers to levitate the rocks and pile them in front of the  wall.

                Squirt nods. “Good thinking.” She touches the wall. Her finger passes through, showing us we’ll be able to get back to our friends.

                We inch toward the dripping sounds. I shiver, not liking this dark, spooky place one bit. Our lights bounce off the wall, casting eerie shadows.

 

Excerpt 2:

                Squirt whirls around. Her wide eyes tell it all. She’s found the gargoyle.

                A high-pitched screech fills the air. It echoes through the cave, making my hair stand on end.

                I look for a hiding place but find none. “What do we do now?”

                “Run!” Squirt charges toward the path and scrambles down.

                I should listen. But then a swirling blue circle appears on the wall. I want to see what it is. It grows bigger until it becomes a portal, like the one we came through. Is it the way home? Then I see what comes out. Kanaima! The jaguar-man’s gold eyes spot me, and his lips curl into a snarl. Fire leaps out from between his claws. My hear pounds while I back away. He steps forward, revealing the gargoyle behind him. Its red eyes burn like fire. I scream and run. Past Medusa. Down into the crevice. 

What book do you think everyone should read? Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. It makes you think about what’s important in life.

 

How long have you been writing? Twenty years!

 

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? Since I’m a plotter, I’ve planned the characters before I begin writing.

 

What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?

 

The research I do before writing a book is extensive! I probably spend more time researching than writing. Once I decide where in the world Bubba and Squirt are going, I read travel books to find out what’s interesting there. The first thing I do is determine where Bubba and Squirt will come out once they’ve gone through the portal. Then I find sensory things about the place. How does it look? How does it smell? What can you hear when you’re there? Is it cold or hot? In many of my stories, I’ve been to the places Bubba and Squirt visit. Not for Bubba and Squirt’s Shield of Athena. I had to rely on my research and interviews with a lady from my critique group who is Greek and knows all about Athens. 

 

Then I research the culture of the country. What are the traditions? What do the people wear? What kinds of cars do they drive? What do they eat? What about the mythology and folklore of the place? Are there any good ghost stories I can share? These are all things that make the setting, characters, and story come to life.

 

History is another thing I research. What events of the past might be relevant to my story? After incorporating these, I include more information in the back matter at the end of the book, for those who may like to learn a little more.

 

Finally, I research some key words in the language of the country Bubba and Squirt visit. I use a few in the story and then include a glossary at the end of the book, for easy reference and to help readers learn them. 

 

A lot of times my research takes me down rabbit holes. I can get lost in it. But eventually, what I learn guides the plot of the story and helps me better understand the world Bubba and Squirt explore.   

 

 

Do you see writing as a career? I’ve been writing for 20 years, so you’d think it would be a career by now. For me, it’s been a secondary job. My main career is being a musician and Executive Director of an orchestra. That’s where the money is. I think if I can consistently sell books and get paid doing author visits, I would consider it more of a career.

  

What do you think about the current publishing market? I think it’s tough. There are so many books out there, so many authors trying to promote their books. A lot of traditional publishers want to stick with authors known to have big sales, or celebrity authors who can sell books just by their name. I get it. The business is about selling books. I view the whole thing as being like a marathon. If you like writing, you have to stick with it, find your niche, and keep marketing.  

 

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre? I read a lot. My favorite genre is historical fiction, because I like history and can appreciate the research that goes into writing historical fiction.

 

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why? Silence, so I can hear the voices of the characters in my head.

 

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time? Most of the time, I write one book at a time. But I’ve been known to churn out a picture book while writing a middle-grade book. Typically, I won’t work on more than 1 genre at the same time, otherwise I’d get confused.

 

Pen or type writer or computer? Pencil and computer. I’m one of those people who writes all of my stories by hand first. There’s just something about putting a pencil to paper. It helps me get into the flow. After I write a chapter, I’ll go back and revise, erasing whatever doesn’t work. It’s a built-in revision system before I type it into the computer.

 

What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision? I didn’t have any ambitions of becoming an author. It all happened unexpectedly. My first book started as a  poem in my head while I was sitting in the rocking chair with my 3-month-old son one night. Every time my son woke me up, I added to the poem. After a week, the whole thing was in my head. It probably would have stayed there, but I decided to share it with my daughter who was 3 years old. She liked it and said I should make it a book. I took her advice, and the rest is history. Was it the right decision? I’m glad I did it. I know I’ve spent a lot of money marketing, and my bank account would probably be much bigger if I hadn’t. But it’s been a fun, creative process, and the adventures I’ve had as an author and the people I’ve met, have made it worthwhile.

  

Advice you would give new authors?  Think of it like running a marathon. Pace yourself. Do something related to being an author every day, whether it’s writing, or marketing, or doing author visits. Try not to get discouraged if things don’t go your way immediately. It’s a long process, and you’ll have a lot to learn along the way.

 

What makes a good story? Memorable characters who aren’t perfect, but make you feel something, and an interesting plot with action, obstacles to overcome, and twists.

 

What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first? My writing process is rather lengthy, which is why it usually takes me a while to write a story. I begin with research, taking notes, jotting down plot ideas as I go. Then I come up with characters and define their details—appearance, personality, strengths, weaknesses, motivations, fears. Then I define details of the setting, making a point to utilize all the senses when describing the scene.

 

Once I’ve done this, I begin the outline. What happens in each chapter? How does the chapter end? I always want it to be something that makes the reader want to find out what’s next.

 

All of these steps are done with a pencil and a notebook. Even the first draft is done in a notebook.  There’s something about doing it this way that helps me feel the flow. If I don’t like something, I just erase it. After I’ve written a chapter, I read it out loud and see if I like it. If so, it’s time to go to the computer and start typing. Basically, it’s already had at least two revisions before I’ve created the Word document.

 

After the entire thing is complete, I reread it and do searches for overused words like “this,” “that,” and “as.” 

 

When I’m satisfied it’s decent, I let my critique group look at it. They give good suggestions about plot holes and things I haven’t thought about. I revise based on their suggestions.

 

Then I send it to my editor, who looks at it and gives me her feedback.

 

Finally, I send it to my publisher where it goes through at least 3 more rounds of edits before it becomes a published book.

 

One more thing—I generally come up with the title before I start writing. This is based on what seems significant about the story I’ve outlined, and what sounds cool. Only once have I ever changed the title, and this was for Bubba and Squirt’s Shield of Athena. It started as Bubba and Squirt’s Mask of Agamemnon because that’s what made sense for the first version of the story I wrote seven years ago.

 

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want? I write what I enjoy writing. Generally, I don’t jump on the trend bandwagon. That said, I once had a request from a young person to write a horse story. I haven’t done it yet, but I’m toying with the idea.

 

How long on average does it take you to write a book? Anywhere from one week to 10 years. I can crank out picture book manuscripts quickly. Middle-grade books take longer because of the research process, the outlining, and finding the time to do it with my busy schedule. I’d say the average is about three years per book.

 

Do you believe in writer’s block? Absolutely! I’ve experienced it many times over the last 20 years. The best thing to do is put your project to the side and do something else. Walking outside usually gets the creative juices flowing, but I’ve found that taking a break for even a few months can do wonders.

Sherry Ellis is an award-winning author and professional musician who plays and teaches the violin, viola, and piano. When she is not writing or engaged in musical activities, she can be found doing household chores, hiking, or exploring the world. Ellis has previously published Bubba and Squirt's Big Dig to China;  Bubba and Squirt's Mayan Adventure; Don't Feed the Elephant; Ten Zany Birds; That Baby Woke Me Up, AGAIN; and That Mama is a Grouch. Ellis lives in Atlanta, Georgia. 

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