Planet of Fire

Planet of Fire (2007) Post 396

In Planet of Fire, the Arkies land on yet another planet to gauge its suitability for habitation. It's so hot Pace transforms Singer's handkerchief into heat-resistant cloth, and they make themselves suits. EarthNet agents Farla and Tench arrive and are shocked to believe the Arkies would have landed on this planet. They follow them down. The Aries have come to the conclusion this was a bad idea, but decide to investigate a shady place before  giving up. They find a cave full of crystals. The agents try to grab them, setting off a rockfall. Deep in the caverns, the Arkies meet didgies- little salamander-style beings that call themselves firespinners. They help the Arkies survive long enough to get back to Ark3. The agents are forced to spent a hot time of it in a patch of shade and, since they can't leave until sundown, the Arkies get safely away. The planet. though interesting, is not SR.

This one proved quite difficult to write because it kept veering into fantasy territory and I had to keep hauling it back to sf. In the end it was one of my favourites.

ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Skippy The Curse of the Blue Diamond

Skippy The Curse of the Blue Diamond (1999) Post 395

Skippy The Curse of the Blue Diamond is a picture book written under licence and based on the animated 1990s series. In this story, Matilda, presenter of In Bush Town Tonight, breaks the story of the discovery of King Ock's tomb... resting place of a legendary blue diamond. Naturally, Croco, the corrupt mayor, wants the diamond for himself. Equally naturally, Skippy, Poss and friends are determined to prevent him from getting it. The story pays a good deal of homage to Indiana Jones and other robust cursed tomb stories... and of course Skippy and co win out in the end.


ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Wedlocks

Wedlocks (accepted late 1990s) Post 394

Wedlocks is a romantic suspense novel set in the same networld universe as In Search of a Husband, Mix and Match and Triple Treat. A young woman is rescued from a shipwreck and claimed by a man who claims to be her husband. She's pretty sure he's not, but she has no identification and is missing a chunk of her memory. Nevertheless, what she does remember, definitely suggests she's never met The Viking before. He lives as a semi-recluse, on the French-speaking Pacific island of Atonement, in a house with wedding pictures showing him with his bride... a dead ringer for Our Heroine. Once she eventually convinces him she really isn't his wife, they get together to solve the mystery; just who is she?
This story was accepted by an audio book company, and the representative told me they'd already picked out voice actors but... well, nothing. I still have the manuscript, and possibly the audio-script I made from it, but it is a VERY 1990s story.
As with Triple Treat, I suppose it's nearly old enough to be Nostalgia Period?

ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Triple Treat

Triple Treat (accepted 1998) Post 393

Triple Treat is a romantic novel; the third in a trilogy that began with In Search of a Husband (1997) and continued with Mix and Match (1998). Marcus Sutherland, from the first book, was friends with Jasper Diamond, from the second book, so the books weren't all that closely related. In book three, Triple Treat, Jasper's twin sisters, known as the Diamond Duo to the society pages, staged a joint engagement party and, on a whim, invited Jasper's mousy PA, a casual friend. The party was a disaster, and ended with the twins summarily disengaging themselves from their fiances and Ellie, the PA, realising her life has narrowed so far she barely has room to breathe. The clueless twins make helpful suggestions for things she ought to do... all of which predicate on a background, finances and opportunities Ellie doesn't have. Finally, she snaps at them and they announce their intention of walking a mile in her shoes... Meanwhile, the jilted fiances are not pleased, and one of them's gunning for Ellie. John Parish, the charming conman from In Search of a Husband makes an appearance, and the whole story becomes a game of musical chairs.
This story was due to be published in 1999, but the upsurge of Amazon and deep discounting brought the company's romance line down, and so it was never published. I have the rights back, along with the rights to the first two, but they're set in the 1990s. Updating them would be awkward, as so many plot points depend on the world as it was then. I could print it at Lulu and/or put it out as an ebook, but I'm not sure whether there's any desire out there for comedy adventure romance set in the late 1990s. I suppose it's nearly old enough to be Nostalgia Period?

ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Up the Stairs

Up the Stairs (1994) Post 392

Up the Stairs is a rhyming picture book, remarkable in that it was illustrated by someone I'm friends with in real life. Lucinda and our friend Amanda get together every so often for lunch. It's pure coincidence that Lucinda illustrated one of my books as we didn't know one another at the time.
This is a simple story about a child going up the stairs and meeting a variety of creatures on the way.

ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Blinky Bill and the Sporty Little Frogs

Blinky Bill and the Sporty Little Frogs (2000) Post 391

The Sporty Little Frogs is another story about Blinky Bill and friends, written under licence for Yoram Gross. In this story, Mrs Frog is sick, and Blinky, Nutsy and Flap take her small children (frogs, not tadpoles!) to the school sports. Unfortunately, Flora, Felix and Frank get stage fright and forget what they have to do. It's up to Blinky and the Gang to give them some confidence.

ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

The Dragon's Coming After You

The Dragon's Coming After You (1994) Post 390

The Dragon's Coming After You is a rhyming story about just what it says on the tin. The dragon is chasing a group of kids in various imaginative ways and they're all squealing and fleeing. The illustrator shows just how much danger the kids are (not) in. This is one of those bright, colourful, cheerful books with a lot of repetition to model sentences for those just becoming confident with reading.

ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

The Heavy Hippo

The Heavy Hippo (2006) Post 389

The Heavy Hippo is another curriculum-based story. This one is about maths, weight, height and comparison. The narrator and her friend Annie go to the science centre and compare themselves and others with creatures, including a hippo, which is, they conclude, well - heavy!  For some reason I am Ruth Wong on the cover. I have no idea how (or even if) I came up with that one.


ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Blinky Bill on Stage

Blinky Bill on Stage (1992) Post 388

Blinky Bill on Stage is one of a few longer original stories I wrote for the Blinky series. In this one, a bushfire destroys the Kangaroo household and Blinky's mate Splodge and his sister Kitty are bereft. Mrs Snake offers to take in Kitty and Splodge, and is angry when her offer is turned down. Miss Magpie's class decides to put on a play to raise money for the family, and Nutsy and Kitty write the script for Kangarella. With cuddly sisters, three nice mice, the hairy godmother and others, plus song and dance routines, it's sure to be a hit, but Blinky, who would rather be out playing Rob'em Good in the bush is cranky. Mrs Snake offers back stage help... All is sorted out in the finish. I had quite a lot of fun with this one, writing bits of script and some songs for the musical. 


ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Who Needs a Shadow?

Who Needs a Shadow? (2000) Post 387

Who Needs a Shadow? is a short fantasy about Shadow, who has lost his person (Old Codger) and needs to find a new one. A shadow without a person is a shadow without direction or purpose or hope, but it's difficult to find someone who doesn't have one already.
This is another story of which I don't have a copy and of which I can't find a picture on the 'net. If anyone has a copy and would scan the cover for me I'd be grateful. I wrote this one under my Nicholas Flynn pen name.


ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Helping Toby's Team

Helping Toby's Team (2006) Post 386

Helping Toby's Team is another of those beautifully illustrated very short books designed to showcase a particular topic. In this case, it was force-and-motion. Originally called Helping Tom's Team, with the younger child being a girl, this one is the simple story of a younger brother (changed in edits) who wants to help the elder one take all the equipment to the game. He offers help and then has to work out how to deliver it. He uses a wagon, and discovers, along with the reader, that a path is more conducive to force and motion than the grassy park.
I was Sandra Fitzgerald this time! (This preserves the initials of my maiden name!)

ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Sea Shanties

Sea Shanties (2018) Post 385

Sea Shanties is an anthology, and I didn't write all of the text or even most of it. However, I did conceive it, orchestrate it and ringmaster it, and I, or various of my alter egos, did write some pieces as well as the links.
In some ways, Sea Shanties is related to one of our other efforts, Ssstories. After choosing the S-words for that one, I belatedly thought of all the ones that could have been in... sea, shells, songs, sand, stones, salt, sky, sunshine, summer... and a disproportionate number of these suggested sea. Rather than do Ssstories 2, we decided to do a sea-themed anthology, and here it is. The beauty of the sea as a theme is that it offers realism, myth, fantasy, sf, family, coming of age, humour, tragedy, the past, the future and a whole lot more. The sea touches every continent and island, and influences a great many cultures. 
All the anthologies to date have been fun to work on, but in some ways this has been the easiest, because it inspired so many diverse themes, characters and plots. And, although as I said, I don't write all or even most or much of the material, I do spend a lot of time working out the sequence and finding the correct balance of pieces. Obviously, I couldn't do this without the band of writers who share my fascination for the anthology form, so I'm lucky so many do!
Information on the how, why and wherefore of these enterprises is at http://www.printscharmingbooks.com

ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Stencil Fun On the Farm

Stencil Fun On the Farm (2008) Post 384

Stencil Fun On the Farm is a very short text about animals waking when Father Rooster crows and getting ready to begin their day of activity. 

There's a bit of a chain reaction as each lot of animals (hens, cows, sheep etc) starts moving and sets the next lot off. These are little activity books and I did several of them. Trying to sort out what was and wasn't published seemed impossible since I've never seen copies, but someone who works at the company kindly sent me some information for this blog.


ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Sky Watchers

Sky Watchers (2006) Post 383

Sky Watchers is a very short story about astronomy. For years I was encouraged to make my writing more multicultural instead of reflecting my own surroundings, so I did this text about Theo and his big sister Melita, who came home with a telescope and set it up on the roof so she could teach Theo how to identify various heavenly bodies. The implication through the names was that the family was Greek. When the book came out, Melita and Theo had become Mary and Sam. Oh well! I tried. I used the pen name Annabelle Tan on this one. 


ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Ride, Roll and Run

Ride, Roll and Run (2006) Post 382

Ride, Roll and Run is a short text on the theme of exercise. Our hero asks various neighbours who is coming to celebrate the new fitness area's opening. Some intend to run, while others will roll on roller skates, or skateboards and others might ride bicycles or scooters. The point is that everyone will be getting out there for some fun. I used the pen name of Sara Chen on this one.

ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Planet of Secrets

Planet of Secrets(1998) Post 381

In this graphic novel Arkies title, the Arkies have already landed on a planet. This one has been visited before, but the records say a ship merely touched down briefly and then left. Nevertheless, Lyam discovers Earth-type clover growing and surmises it must have escaped from the ship and colonised the planet. Singer is equally interested to find clover isn't the only thing the ship left in its wake; horses approach.i Singer communicates with one, and learns her name is Heya. While she's riding Heya, the Arkies' old enemies Farla and Tench from EarthNet turn up. Heya flees with Singer aboard, and the others have to avoid EarthNet, find Singer and then reason their way out of a situation none of them expected.

ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Wiz

Wiz (1994) Post 380

Wiz is one of the very shortest of my titles... not only in its title but in itself. I can't find a copy of the cover, but it shows a little boy dressed as a wizard with a wand. It's a kind of guessing game, with illustrations that support the words so children can guess... Wiz makes a fox in a box, a star in a jar and so on. If I locate a copy, I'll explain it better and post the cover.

ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.

Silent Planet

Silent Planet (2008) Post 379

Silent Planet is one of the Arkies series, and in this one, I decided to ring the changes. The premise is that the four arkies and their sentient computer, ArkMa, are ranging the galaxies looking for SR (settlement ready) planets. Up until now, they'd never found one, so this time, they did. They descend on a seemingly deserted planet that has signs of an elaborate civilisation. Singer senses life... but no humans. The arkies discover some dogs which invite them to join their pack. 
An unseen intelligence is watching, and suddenly deafening sirens ring out. It turns out the brain of the city, somewhat like ArkMa, is very much alive...

The way these manga-style books are written is quite different from normal narrative. Here's a sample of the manuscript showing the set-up.

• Page 10 []

Panel 33: The Arkies are reacting to a loud sound and a voice that seems to be coming from all around the square. No one is visible. The cat is wailing and streaking across the square. Three parrots swoop overhead.

Caption:  SUDDENLY, A SIREN SOUNDS.

SFX: EEEEoooooEEEEooooooEEEEE!

Cat: WROOOOOWWWWW!

Voices:  DANGER, DANGER. ABANDON CITY. DANGER, DANGER. COLLAPSE IMMINENT.

Panel 34: The Arkies react, running away, but Pace seems about to stop.

Caption: THE ARKIES FLEE FROM THE SQUARE.

Merlinna: RUN!

Lyam: BACK TO ARK3!

Pace: WAIT!

Panel 35: The others turn back to look at Pace, who has stopped and is holding up his hand for silence.

Singer: BUT—

Pace: WAIT, EVERYONE.

SFX: EEEEoooooEEEEooooooEEEEE!

Voices:  DANGER, DANGER. ABANDON CITY. DANGER, DANGER. COLLAPSE IMMINENT.

ABOUT THE BLOG

Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)

The goal for 2017 was to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. 2017 is now behind us, but I ran out of year before running out of books, so the blog will continue for at least the next month or so.