Welcome to the Begonia House!

Written by Jessica Haight & Stephanie Robinson 
Illustrated by Roman Muradov

 The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow hits bookstores everywhere in December 2015! 

This month marks the countdown to the release of this exciting, new middle grade mystery, and we're creaking open the foreboding front gates to give you a sneak peek at the secrets hidden within...

Eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow is less than thrilled that her family is moving thousands of miles from civilization to the quiet country town of Ashpot, CT, where she's absolutely certain she'll die of boredom. 

As if leaving Manhattan and her best friend Lizzy, the only other member of her elite Detective Mystery Squad, wasn't bad enough, Fairday is stuck living in the infamous Begonia House, an old Victorian with dark passageways, a gigantic creepy willow tree, and a mysterious past.

Before she can even unpack, strange music coming from behind a padlocked door leads Fairday up a spiral staircase and into a secret room, where an ancient mirror, a brass key, and a strange picture of a red-haired lady are the first in a series of clues that takes Fairday, Lizzy and their new squad member, Marcus, on an amazing adventure and reveals secrets about the Begonia House that they never imagined.

Can the members of the Detective Mystery Squad piece together the puzzle before it's too late? Or will whatever's causing trouble find Fairday and her friends first?

Be sure to stop by Friday for a BIG reveal that will put another piece of the puzzle into place. ;)

A few reviews on the beta copy 

"I loved the opening chapters of The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow, and was immediately captivated by the characters. The writing is great and very accessible. I'm sure children and young adults will love it." Jenny Nimmo, Author of Midnight for Charlie Bone

"I absolutely love this book! The writing is terrific; the pacing is perfect; the characters are well-conceived and fleshed out; and all I want to do is keep reading!" Gina Shaw, Editorial Director, Original Book Publishing for Scholastic Book Clubs

"I LOVED this book! The characters are all complimentary and endearing. The writing keeps you in suspense and wondering what is going to happen. Just like in JK Rowling’s Harry Potter Series... it all made sense and was revealed in the end... which is what makes her books, and this book enticing. The wording and figurative language used is FANTASTIC! The well-placed, enriching words will help to develop young readers’ vocabulary. There are so many great teaching points regarding word choice, figurative language, and voice in this book. I want to be a part of the DMS... I want to solve a riddle... and I want to explore the many enchantments of the Begonia House!" Kristen Yoder, Elementary School Teacher 

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Answer to Monday's Riddle: Mystery and Magic in CT!

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! This week we're whisking you away to the front gates of a crumbling, old Victorian known as the Begonia House. It's located in a small fictional town in Connecticut, and dripping with mystery. So hold onto your hats, and fear not the unexpected! ; ) ~ F

At a southern point is this northern place. Hills and valleys mark its face. There are four distinct seasons the weather does bring. It may be harsh during winter, but it's lovely in spring. Old and known as this part may be, there's a magic held deep in the root of the tree. Roads snake through past rivers unwinding, leading you on with a spell that's binding. Mesmerizing as the country can be, the city is also something to see. There's lots of culture and art abounds, music and theatre chime in with their sounds. In the nooks and crannies you're sure to find treasure, and it's bound to have a mysterious measure. Perhaps it's a house that enchants your sight; a crumbling Victorian will do for a fright. There's lots to see, though it's thought of as mild- but not in the hands of an imaginative child. Once a sign told of its disguises,"Welcome to Connecticut, we're full of surprises."

Where am I referring to? Answer: Connecticut

The clue was a store in Sherman, CT called Happy Rainbows. It's run by a lovely lady named Barry, and probably the best shopping experience you can imagine. Definitely a Connecticut treasure, hidden in the nooks and crannies of New England. :) 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations 

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Available in all e-book formats

Download for only .99¢ on Smashwords

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Monday's Riddle: In the Nook and Crannies...

Hello Riddlers! Can you guess our theme. This week, it's personal! ~ F

At a southern point is this northern place. Hills and valleys mark its face. There are four distinct seasons the weather does bring. It may be harsh during winter, but it's lovely in spring. Old and known as this part may be, there's a magic held deep in the root of the tree. Roads snake through past rivers unwinding, leading you on with a spell that's binding. Mesmerizing as the country can be, the city is also something to see. There's lots of culture and art abounds, music and theatre chime in with their sounds. In the nooks and crannies you're sure to find treasure, and it's bound to have a mysterious measure. Perhaps it's a house that enchants your sight; a crumbling Victorian will do for a fright. There's lots to see, though it's thought of as mild- but not in the hands of an imaginative child. Once a sign told of its disguises,"Welcome to _________, we're full of surprises."

Can you guess where I've suggested? If so, fear not the unexpected. ; )

Where am I referring to? (fill in the blank)

I gave you a clue! 

CLUE!

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Interview with Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer

The DMS was lucky enough to interview Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer. Fairday reviewed their unique children's picture book Fartiste, and it was great to share our thoughts about it and hear yours! We're excited to learn a little more about their story. So, without further ado... take it away, Kathleen and Paul!

What inspired you to write Fartiste?

It was all Paul's idea. Paul is attracted to extremes in information and found out about Joseph Pujol (Fartiste’s real name) in an obscure book about bodily functions. We keep a library of such books in one of our bathrooms, so obviously I’m on board with weird information too, and it didn’t take much to persuade me that his story could make a unique children’s book with no competition.

How long did it take you to write Fartiste?  What was your research process like? You wrote the book together, how did that work?

It took several months. We digested the only biography of Pujol, decided to write the book in rhyme, passed the manuscript back-and-forth between us, wrote many, many drafts, and had a blast.

What are some of your favorite books from childhood? Were there any specific authors who inspired you?

Around the house we had lots of Little Golden Books and inexpensive editions of classics. The first book I can remember reading is Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child’s Garden of Verses, illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen. Favorites included historical fiction (Laura Ingalls Wilder; Elizabeth Speare’s Calico Captive or The Witch of Blackbird Pond), biography (the Landmark Book series on people like Helen Keller, Elizabeth Blackwell, Susan B. Anthony; anything on queens), mysteries (the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton was thrilling), great fiction (Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins, Louise Fitzhugh’s Harriet the Spy, Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking). Above all, fantasy-- especially Edward Eager’s and Carol Kendall’s magical books.

How do you decided which biography you will write next?  Sometimes you work together and sometimes you work on different projects, how do you decide which projects will be written together?

I write about the person I am most passionate about at the time. Paul and I work together on our humorous books. He writes and illustrates his own joke books, so he’s the humor expert.  He did the research for Fartiste, Lincoln Tells a Joke, and The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny), and our upcoming book I can’t talk about yet.

If you could befriend a person from any of your books, who would you befriend? Why?

Paul says Joseph Pujol.  Me not so much—more like one of the people in Lives of the Musicians or Lives of the Writers.

I know Kathleen likes to write in her office, possibly with a face mask on.  Kathleen- Do you listen to music while you are writing?  Paul- Where do you like to write or illustrate? Do you have any special conditions for writing/illustrating?

Paul works in an office right next to mine. We can hear each other laughing throughout the day. We listen to a huge array of music, often from eclectic radio stations like FIP (in Paris) and KCRW (Santa Monica) or enormous playlists on Pandora and Rhapsody.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?

We both vote for San Diego—we love it here.  But if we were independently wealthy, we'd divide our time between here, Paris, and New York—all stimulating places.

Are you currently working on a book? If so, can you tell us a little bit about it?

We have collaborated on two books for the Heinemann Leveled Literacy Intervention series – Robots in Space and The Theremin: Play, But Don't Touch.  And we're working on a new funny biography that we can't QUITE talk about yet—stay tuned.

Where can we purchase your books?

At a terrific independent bookstore like The Hickory Stick Bookshop in Washington Depot. Fartiste makes an unusual holiday gift!

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