Author Interview with C.Lee Mckenzie

The DMS was lucky enough to interview C. Lee Mckenzie, author of the middle grade book The Great Timelock Disaster, sequel to Alligators Overhead. Lizzy recently reviewed this story, and it was great to share our thoughts about it and hear yours! We are excited for a quick Q & A with this author. So, without further ado... take it away, Lee!  Night owl or early bird? Very early bird here! When I’m writing I’m up at 4AM. Ah, the quiet and cozy darkness of it all. A perfect time to concoct that next scene. Physical books, ebooks, or audiobooks? In order of preference: physical, ebooks, audiobooks. I love my ebook more on trips and less when I’m home. The one audio book I loved was Anansi Boys. The voice actor was amazing. That’s the only one I’d recommend, but I do have The Street of a Thousand Blossoms tucked away for a trip to Oregon in June. I’ll let you know how that one goes. Cat person or alligator person? Oh, now you’re asking me to make an extremely difficult choice. If I choose Cat, my alligators are going to threaten to boycott me again. If I choose Alligator, those cats are going to start their protest about how unfair I am to put reptiles into the cats' traditional role as familiars. Let me play the diplomat here and say that in my next book I’ll be a cat person for sure. (Give me a minute while I write a note to myself, so I won’t forget this promise.) If you had a time machine would you go to the past or the future? I’d be sorely tempted to go back and meet some people who either did great things or rotten things, and tell them what I thought of them and the consequences of what they did. As if my opinion counts, right? But I’d love to experience the past as it really was. I’m never sure we get the straight story in our history books.  Would you follow the rules like your character, Weasel? Or would you break them like Pete? I’m kind of not a rule follower, but I hate the complications of breaking rules. You know, things like jail and fines take up valuable time and money. Pete knows this, too, but he can’t quite stop being Pete. I guess if maturity does set in, I’ll have to create another mischievous character who breaks rules. Chocolate or vanilla?  How about vanilla with chocolate fudge on top? I want it all! Coffee or tea?  Coffee. Tea for when I’m sick. Cookies, cake, or ice cream?  Cookies. They’re so portable, and I find tiny crumbs on my keyboard for later when the cookies are all gone. Beach or the mountains?  You drive a hard choice, here. I’ll go for mountains. Love the trees and creeks and caves. They entice me to explore. Where do you like to write? I write mostly on my computer at my desk. I edit a lot in the garden or on my deck where I can scream loudly without scaring my family. Editing is always emotional for me. What are you working on now?  I’m at the beginning of Pete and Weasel’s next adventure. I’m EDITING a YA that is giving me fits (see the part about screaming above) and I’ve written about ten chapters of a new YA.  I have no idea where any of these projects will wind up. Click here to read more about C. Lee Mckenzie...  Connect with this author  Read the reviews! Read the reviews!  Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Will Pete and Weasel Be Stuck in the 1800s?

Ever since Pete Riley found out that he's a wizard he's been trying to work on his skills. Unfortunately, that means working with one of the oldest witches in town. She doesn't have a lot of patience for Pete and the mistakes he makes, but you can't blame her. When Pete accidentally says a spell he shouldn't have he has no idea how bad things are about to become. Harriet says he's done something to the time lock and now he must remain home and in his room while everything gets fixed. It seems like nothing is happening, so Pete sneaks out of his room and grabs his friend Weasel to help him. Weasel doesn’t want any part of Pete’s plan, but he can’t get away before the two are sent back in time to the 1800s, where they must try to piece together what has happened. They know that any chance of getting back relies on finding someone named Mr. Dread Wraith. Finding him proves to be trickier than they could have expected, and they don’t have long before the spell will be permanent, trapping them in the past. Getting caught by thieves, who force Pete and Weasel to work for their food and shelter, adds tension to an already stressful situation. Will this make it impossible to find Dr. Dread before it's too late? Is there anyone who can help them in the strange world of the past? Can Pete and Weasel get back to the present day? You'll have to read this time travel mystery to find out!

After reading Alligators Overhead by C. Lee McKenzie I was excited to read the second book in the series, The Great Timelock Disaster. Pete and Weasel’s story picked up right where they left off in the last book, which made it very easy to follow along. I liked traveling back in time with them and learning about what life was like in the 1800s. I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to eat the food they were given. I enjoyed the banter between Weasel and Pete, because Weasel seems a little unhappy with most of Pete’s decisions, and it was great to see that their relationship had not changed. I was glad that Weasel likes history, so he had some interesting things to see firsthand in the 1800s, even if he didn’t want to be there. This is a suspenseful book that also includes an underlying message about the trouble you could get into when you don't follow directions. This is a fun story for kids who like a good mystery and those who sometimes break the rules will be able to relate to Peter. I hope and Pete and Weasel will have another adventure soon!

Has anyone else read The Great Timelock Disaster? Or have you read another book by C. Lee McKenzie? We would love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L

Stop by on Friday to read our interview with C. Lee Mckenzie!  

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Answer to Monday's Riddle: Back in the 1800's...

Queen Victoria: 1837-1876 (Victorian Era)

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! You guys nailed it this week. Lizzy's review will send us back to 19th century England, and Friday we'll be chatting with C. Lee Mckenzie, so be sure to check back! See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F

This period in history is the key. Time travel back, and here's what you'll see: Victoria stands to get her crown, machines start running in every town, Oliver Twist's picking pockets, the jury's hung on Ripper's docket. The fashion's gorgeous for those with more, but not so fancy if you're poor. In the path of mind, where can this be? Which reflection of thought do you see?

What period in history am I referring to? *BONUS: Where is it? Answer:19th Century England (Victorian Era) 

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I
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62 original riddles and illustrations

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Monday's Riddle: A Period in Time...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme? I may want to visit this time, but I don't know if I could handle the fashion, even though I like it! ; ) ~ F

This period in history is the key. Time travel back, and here's what you'll see: Victoria stands to get her crown, machines start running in every town, Oliver Twist's picking pockets, the jury's hung on Ripper's docket. The fashion's gorgeous for those with more, but not so fancy if you're poor. In the path of mind, where can this be? Which reflection of thought do you see?

What period in history am I referring to? *BONUS: Where is it?

I gave you a clue!

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