DISCLOSURE
Per FTC guidelines, I disclose partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Amberjack Publishing
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Splendid Baron Submarine
Written by Eric Bower
Publisher’s Synopsis: Waldo “W.B.” Baron is back with another amazing adventure in another incredible invention! Pirate treasure? A clandestine meeting? A terribly rude monkey with personal boundary and hygiene issues? Two of those things sound like a dream come true to W.B, whose clever inventor parents are hired―by the Vice President!―to go on a super secret and intensely important treasure hunt to repay a national debt. If only it weren’t for that lousy, rude monkey, it would be the beginning of a perfect adventure. But at least it isn’t squirrels…
The treasure hunt gives the Baron family the opportunity to use their exceptional steam-powered submarine, freshly biggened and ready for adventure! But things are seldom straightforward for the eccentric Baron family, and this treasure hunt is no exception. W.B.’s trademark bad luck has him suffering monstrous marine misfortune and marauding monkey misery.
Can the Baron family embark on their newest adventure without the eggy and depressing Aunt Dorcas? Will the Barons find the treasure they seek? Will they save the country from financial ruin? Where does the monkey fit in, anyway? Do we like asking questions? Not really, but inside you’ll meet someone who likes asking questions and then answering them (despite his claims to the contrary, he really does like it).
Oh, did we mention the pirate’s curse?
Ages 9-12 | Publisher: Amberjack Publishing | November 14, 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-1944995256
Available on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2yCiI6P
Available on Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.
Available on IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eric Bower is the author of The Bizarre Baron Inventions series. He was born in Denville, New Jersey, an event of which he has little recollection, yet the people who were there have repeatedly assured him that it happened. He currently lives in Pasadena, California. His favorite type of pasta is cavatappi, his favorite movie is The Palm Beach Story, and he is the proud recipient of a “Beanology Degree” from Jelly Belly University in Fairfield, California. His wife and family have told him that the degree is nothing to be proud of, since “It’s not a real degree. You know that . . . Right?” and “Eric, they literally give them to everyone who visits the Jelly Belly factory,” but he knows that they’re all just jealous.
OFFICIAL LINKS
Splendid Baron Guest Post: Tales of a Wannabe Superhero Mom
WHAT ARE SOME EARLY CHILDHOOD NON-CONVENTIONAL INFLUENCES THAT SHAPED YOUR WRITING STYLE?
I was introduced to one of my biggest creative influences when I was fourteen years old and went on a family trip to London. I was fortunate enough to see a handful of wonderful shows while I was there (and I also learned that I absolutely love to eat fish, as long as it’s breaded and deep-fried and served with fries, thereby providing no real nutritional value), but the show that still stands out in my mind is The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), by the Reduced Shakespeare Company. It made me laugh so hard that I dearly regretted my fluid intake prior to sitting down in the theater. Even though that was well over twenty years ago, I can still vividly recall a moment when one of the actors told a joke so corny, that the entire audience groaned in unison. The actor smiled at the audience and said “I don’t care what you think. I think I’m funny”, which then received one of the bigger laughs of the evening. That’s probably a good representation of my sense of humor and how I use it in my writing. I strongly believe that children are the shrewdest judges of fiction –they always recognize when an author is putting out something that clearly doesn’t tickle or intrigue them. I always try to stay true to my sensibilities, even when those sensibilities are worthy of groans. Which they often are.
Another huge influence from my youth are the films of the Marx Brothers. There’s a wonderful sense of chaos that drunkenly gallops through their movies, where magical realism is seamlessly intertwined with sight gags and music and puns so bad that even my father rolls his eyes at them. My obsession with their films might have been odd when I was young (I feel bad for all the grade school teachers and friends’ parents who had to deal with a mouthy nine-year-old with a grease paint mustache and fake glasses), but I feel they’ve served me well as a writer of groan-worthy children’s fiction. Even though they seemed chaotic, there was a recognizable structure to the Marx Brothers’ films, and more importantly, there was a lot of heart to them as well. While the three main characters (four, if you’re one of those “Zeppo should count too!” fools) might occasionally act cruelly, there was an undeniable childlike sweetness to them as well, and they would often find themselves in trouble when they were simply trying to help an innocent couple build a life together, or aid a nice person being sabotaged by a stuffy and humorless villain. Their films taught me that madness can be magical, and oblique humor can be transcendent, but if there’s no heart and soul to a piece, then it’s probably not going to resonate with an audience.
I realize that neither of those inspirations are particularly non-conventional, but something they both have in common is that I shared them with my parents, who both have a wonderful (and groan-worthy) sense of humor. I think that’s why I was inspired to write silly children’s fiction in the first place. The books I write aren’t intended to be enjoyed alone. They’re the sort of books that I would have liked to read aloud with my parents when I was a kid, so we could enjoy the puns and groans and unabashed silliness together. Laughter is like love and music; it’s always better when it’s shared. (My apologies if that sounds like something I stole from a greeting card. I guess I’ll list Hallmark as my final non-conventional inspiration.)
TOUR SCHEDULE
Word Spelunking
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11/16
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Tales of A Wanna-Be SuperHero Mom
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11/17
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Mommy Ramblings
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11/20
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LitPick Student Book Reviews
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11/22
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The Fairview Review
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11/24
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Nonperfect Parenting
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11/27
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icefairy's Treasure Chest
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11/28
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Teacher Dance
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11/29
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Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers
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11/30
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ShootingStarsMag
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12/4
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The Lovely Books
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12/5
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GIVEAWAY
Enter to win a The Splendid Baron Submarine themed prize pack!
One (1) winner receives:
- A copy of The Splendid Baron Submarine, by Eric Bower
- A The Splendid Baron Submarine themed gift pack. Includes some pirate-themed goodies, Go Fish, and ghostly treats as well.
Giveaway begins November 15, 2017, at 12:01 A.M. MT and ends December 15, 2017, at 11:59 P.M. MT.
Giveaway open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older.
Prizes provided by Amberjack Publishing
Eric definitely has a sense of humor that shows in his work. Thanks for sharing with the I interview.
ReplyDeleteCarol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
Yes I loved his response , Good luck
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