I began writing when I was in High School. I developed the Timeline story at 15, and began writing the first book at 16. The series is a teen/young adult science-fiction and fantasy adventure. It takes key historical periods or myths and plays with them. The first novel spins the legend of King Arthur, while the second adapts Stevenson's, Treasure Island, and the third is grounded in World War One. There is still another book to be written and published, which will conclude the series. All books are available on the Chapters website: Click for the 1st, Click for the 2nd, or Click for the third. You can also visit the Facebook Page.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the help of my family and the hard work from my publishing team. Touch Publishing is a great company that has a goal of helping people, and spreading their stories.
The Minuteman Project is the first book in the five-part Timeline series. For eight years, Francis has been held captive by a power-hungry pharmaceutical company that uses orphaned children as lab rats to test their cutting-edge drugs. When Francis and his friends, Will and Jessica, make a daring escape, they find that the drugs they've been subjected to have given them extraordinary abilities, including time-travel. Can they learn to harness their powers and return to the present, in order to free the other children? Or will they remain tossed about on the endless timeline of their lives?
Author Talks
I have visited several schools and have spoken to their English classes. These opportunities have been great for me to meet new people, receive feedback on the books, as well as advertise them. This year I had a booth at the Tapestry Conference in Victoria. I hope to continue to develop my writing ability, improving with each new story.
Book 3: Virgo Rising
The third installment in the series is my personal favorite. Instead of being based off of a myth or legend, this book separates the trio in the middle of World War One. The three are forced to find out who they are, and what they stand for when they are not together.
This is the second book in The Timeline Series; an adventure series in which Francis, Will, and Jessica travel through time on a mission to alter their futures. While trying to return to their present, the trio find themselves face to face with cutthroat pirates. They befriend a boy who has become an orphan at the hands of the pirates and decide to help him rebuild his family business by going on a search for legendary treasure. The journey is as dangerous as the pirates that are also after the treasure, and Francis, Will, and Jessica must use all their tricks to survive so they can try once again to return to the future.
Considering Teaching & Writing
The neat thing about being a teacher and a writer is how I can interweave the two. My experiences as a teacher, and knowing what my students like and dislike can help me become a better writer. On the opposite side, I can encourage kids to start reading again. The world has grown into a technology-based society. Books and stories can help break away from screens and take people back to exercising their imaginations. I also believe I can take what I've learned with my minor in Social Studies, and apply it to novels. Take the Timeline series as an example, I can attempt to use accurate details and accounts of history and create a story around it. I used real lore and myths surrounding King Arthur to make little details feel much more grounded.
The third book, centered in World War One, is where I can really test this approach. I am attempting to make it as historically accurate as possible, while maintaining a fun and interesting fictitious narrative. Students, or anyone who reads it, will get glimpses of the reality people in World War One faced. Using actual accounts of pilots, nurses, doctors, and soldiers I hope to build and develop a story that will hopefully spark young readers into exploring the subject matter further.
I find a lot of people take history for granted, especially students who find it boring. Novels that appeal to young readers, and are grounded in facts, are crucial to change this. Series like Percy Jackson & the Olympians, create fun stories based on history, and in this case, Greek Mythology. Stories like these will pull young readers away from screens and towards books and learning.