The Silver Compass Adventures: An Introduction

I started this blog as an opportunity to do more of what I love: write. More importantly, to share my love of words with others. In keeping with that, I’ve decided it’s time to share a bit more about my current work in progress. Some of you may know, April is the first session of Camp NaNoWriMo. If you’re not familiar with that, here’s their website. I am participating in this writing challenge with a word goal of 30,000. More importantly, my goal is to finish the books I’m currently writing.

Currently, I’m working on a middle grade adventure novel that I hope to build into a series. It centers around three eleven year old boys who find they have a device that can transport them through time and space. It is a compass, given to one of the boys by his granddad, a family heirloom. In their first adventure together with the compass, they are transported back to the early 18^th century and find themselves in the middle of the Atlantic on a ship bound for the American colonies where they find themselves confronted by the Curse of the Anne Venture.

While I don’t want to give away any spoilers for the story, I would like to introduce you to my three intrepid adventurers. First up, I give you Michael Triplett, the owner of the compass.

Michael Triplett lives in a small town just outside the state capitol. His mom and dad divorced a few years ago, and his mom is remarried. Michael, or Mike as he prefers now, lives with his mom, stepdad, and sisters A.J. and Gabriella.

Mike plays short stop on his local Little League team. He’s been playing baseball since he was big enough to hold a bat. He started playing short stop two years ago, when he was nine, deciding it was his favorite position because of his favorite player, Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees. Baseball is his favorite thing ever, and there’s nothing worse than a rained out game.

Except maybe sisters. A.J., or Amanda Jean, is Mike’s twin sister. Mike and A.J. get along okay most of the time. Especially when they need to defend each other against their two year sister, Gabby.

Mike goes to school with this two best friends, Tommy Cooper and Elijah Capelli. The three boys are virtually inseparable, hanging out at the ball field, the skate part or the arcade, they’re sure to be found there together.

Mike’s favorite person in the whole world was his Granddad Triplett. During the time leading up to and just after his parents’ divorce, Mike and A.J. spent quite a bit of time with their granddad. He was the one who taught Mike how to ride a bike, catch a fly ball and bait a hook. For as long as Mike can remember, there was an annual fishing trip with Granddad, dad, Mike and A.J. Until last year. Last year, just before summer, Granddad passed away.

Mike misses his granddad tremendously, especially as his eleventh birthday approaches. Life has become unbearably complicated now with another new baby on the way, and dad too busy trying to keep his business running.

Then, on his eleventh birthday, Mike is given a silver compass, a family heirloom that belonged to his granddad. It turns out, this compass has some rather interesting properties, and when he gets together with his two best friends, the compass transports them to another time and place.

And so begin the Silver Compass Adventures.

Photo credit: Katie Aguilera