Spotlight: Mrs. P., Who Stole My Keys? by Lacie Carpenter and Thornton Cline

Mrs. P Series, Book 2

Middle-Grade Book

Published Date: January 29, 2021

Publisher: INtense Publications LLC

Mrs. P. and her students return to school from their holiday break only to find more pranksters on the loose in her classroom. Mrs. P. is pranked with a hologram of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Ghost of Avery Middle School and with the mother of them all--her keys mysteriously disappear for weeks. Ella, Lennox, Stella and Austin team up to investigate and uncover the identity of the secret prankster who is constantly disrupting Mrs. P.’s class.

Excerpt

     “What a sham,” Stella whispered to Lennox, Austin, and Emma.

     “You’re telling me,” Lennox replied.

     “Are we the only ones who know the truth?” Emma whispered.

     “Preston, Tristan, and Mason know, but I guess the other classmates think he hung the moon,” Austin said.

    “And now’s not the time to tell them,” Stella whispered back.

     Principal Abbott placed a lanyard gold medal and held a large cardboard check in his hands. He began to speak as the cameras rolled, and the microphones were shoved into Kelile and Mr. Abbott's faces.

     “Kelile Anderson, you are a hero in everyone’s eyes. Your invention of a portable digital scanning device to analyze blood samples inside the arteries and detect cancer in the body has caught the Intel Foundation’s attention. You have made a significant breakthrough discovery to help in the fight against cancer and to save lives. I present to you today this gold medal and a check for $50,000 for winning the top prize of the Intel Foundation Young Scientists Award,” Principal Abbott said.

       Everyone in the auditorium stood and cheered with thunderous applause. Kelile’s face beamed with pride and accomplishment. Even if half the school knew Kelile was the anonymous prankster and did all the pranks he was accused of; it didn't matter now. He was the celebrated hero, who canceled out everything he ever did to Mrs. P. and the students.  Principal Abbott handed Kelile a microphone to say a few words.

      “Thank you for this special recognition. I am humbled and honored to receive this award today. Thank you, the Intel Foundation, for seeing the potential in me. Thank you, Principal Abbott, students, and teachers for putting up with all my geeky and crazy ways. I especially wish to thank Mrs. P. and my parents.”

      “He’s finally admitting to his pranks,” Stella whispered.

      “Yes, but in a strange, vague sort of way,” Lennox replied.

     After the awards ceremony, several reporters asked for photographs of Kelile with his science teacher, Mrs. P..  She obliged and smiled proudly with her arms around Kelile even though Mrs. P. knew in her heart of hearts that Kelile was the prankster who annoyed her during the semester with crazy pranks.

     When the reporters had finished their photos, Mrs. P. threw her arms around Kelile to congratulate him.

     “I am so proud of you, Kelile!”  Mrs. P. exclaimed.

     “Thank you, Mrs. P.,” Kelile replied.

      Mrs. P. paused for a second and looked at Kelile as if she knew he was the culprit

 who stole her keys.

     “Even heroes make mistakes too,” Mrs. P. said.

      At that very moment, Kelile knew she knew, but Mrs. P. was the kind of teacher that would forgive and look past his mistakes. Kelile had a feeling he and Mrs. P. would get along just fine in the near future.

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About the Authors

Lacie Carpenter  

With a love for music, literature, and the obscure-Lacie Carpenter finds joy and solace in writing. With three degrees, working on two more, and several Fiddler of the Year awards; her passions lie in music and writing.  Her performances and writing reflect her zest for excitement and intrigue.  She is a published author with Hal Leonard and INtense Publishing.  Carpenter is a music specialist, psychology professor, avid YouTuber, Vlogger, and has a love for baking and travelling.  An award-winning fiddler, multi-instrumentalist, and singer/songwriter, Lacie enjoys passing on her knowledge to others.  She has spoken on and moderated many panels at conventions such as NAMM and Music Cities Convention in Chengdu, China. She calls Nashville, TN her home and is grateful to be able to live out her dreams as an artist.  

 Connect:

Website: http://www.laciecarpentermusic.com

Facebook: Lacie Carpenter Music https://www.facebook.com/fiddlerlacie

Instagram: @fiddlinlacie https://www.instagram.com/fiddlinlacie/

Youtube:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwhcV7diCqbOXvZ7J-pW17A?view_as=subscriber 

Thornton Cline

Ever since his mother signed him up for piano lessons at age five, Thornton Cline has been writing non-stop. With over 1,000 published songs, 150 recorded songs, 32 traditionally published adult, children’s and YA books published, Thornton Cline has been nominated multiple times for Grammy and Dove Awards. In 2017, Cline won a first-place Maxy Literary Award for “Best Children’s Young Adult Book”. Thornton Cline’s books have appeared at the top of the Amazon bestselling charts. Cline has been honored with “Songwriter of the Year” twice-in-a row and has received a platinum award for certified sales of over one million units in Europe.

Cline continues to mentor, speak, teach, and inspire aspiring authors and songwriters around the world. He resides in Hendersonville, Tennessee with his wife, Audrey and their cat, Kiki.. You can follow all the latest updates on his books and songs at his website, ThorntonCline.com; Thornton Douglas Cline on Facebook, @ClineThornton on Twitter, and @ThorntonCline on Instagram. Mrs P: Who Stole My Keys is Cline’s second book of the Mrs. P. series on INtense.

Connect:

Website:  http://www.ThorntonCline.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thornton.cline

Twitter: http://www.twitter@thorntoncline

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thorntoncline/?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thornton-cline-bb103713/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6071084.Thornton_Cline

http://SumnerAcademy.org

http://WelchCollege.edu

Spotlight: Feel Like Eggs?: Introducing Children to a Dozen Emotions by Jeff Goodman and Gabriella Urbina (Illustrator)

Summary

Each egg has an emotion

In this delightful book.

The menu’s full of feelings,

And your child is the cook!

Jeff Goodman’s debut children's book, Feel Like Eggs?, is a lighthearted introduction to the emotions that kids experience on a daily basis. There are a dozen eggs in this egg-centric buffet of feelings, each prepared a different way to reveal a different emotion. Featuring rhyming stanzas and clever wordplay, Feel Like Eggs? is a fun foray into social-emotional learning for the little ones in your life. It’s the answer to the question, “Why express yourself when you can egg-spress yourself?”

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About the Author

Jeff Goodman has long found joy in the magic of the written word. As an award-winning journalist and school communications specialist, Jeff has written extensively about education, child development, and social-emotional learning. He currently works in communications at UCLA. An alumnus of UC Berkeley, Jeff lives in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter.

Connect

Website: jeffgoodmanauthor.com

Facebook: fb.me/jeffgoodmanauthor

Twitter: @jeffgodman2

Instagram: @jeffgoodman2

Spotlight - Pierre the Peacock by Jocelyn M Lacey and Teresa Wilkerson (Illustrator)

Pierre the Peacock is delightfully illustrated with a valuable message. It is about acceptance, friendship and a valuable lesson in how we should treat people. Come with us as we meet Pierre, a peacock who thinks that he will get friends just from his pretty looks. When he meets Jerry, a colorblind little boy, he teaches Pierre that what matters is how you treat people, not what you look like. A lesson for all of us!

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About the Author

Jocelyn Mooneyhan Lacey is a native of Johnson City, TN, where she graduated from Science Hill High School and East Tennessee State University with a B.A. in Mass Communications. She met her husband, Steven Lacey, at ETSU, and they have since lived in Maine, Rhode Island, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and now have settled in New Jersey for the time being. She also shares her home with two dogs, a cat, and three fish.

Connect:

Instagram: @hapigirl10

Spotlight: Clarissa by Giulietta M. Spudich

Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy

A fire is coming. It starts with a girl and a key.

After her mother’s death, Clarissa doesn’t know how to connect with her distant father. Her only friend is an oak tree who she can tell her deepest secrets. When she discovers a mysterious key that unleashes a long-forgotten fire spirit, she must find her voice to protect those she loves.

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About the Author

Giulietta M. Spudich enjoys writing everything from children's stories to grown-up fiction and poems in between. She lives in Cambridge, England where she moved from California in 2002. She is inspired by cats, especially her late black cat, Smokey.

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Spotlight: The Frog at the Window: A Completely Wild Christmas Tale by Scott Langteau and Michaela Brannon (Illustrator)

Children's Picture Book, Holiday Picture Book
Published: November 2020

Publisher: Shake the Moon Books

While Katy and her family spend a snowy Christmas away at Grandma's house, a cold and clever little frog jumps at the chance to move into their warm, empty home. Unfortunately, so does every other four-legged forest dweller in the area. With the perfect holiday vacation house overrun with guests, chaos quickly erupts until the group finds a peaceful solution in this holiday tale of tails. What begins as a break from the wintry woolly land transforms into an annual holiday tradition of kindness and generosity. The Frog at the Window is a Christmas tale with a message for every season!

Excerpt

Tonight was the very first storm of the year, and surprising how much it had snowed.

The Randalls were packed and all ready for bed, with plans to wake early and then hit the road.

“Now Christmas was only a few days away”, thought Katy, relaxed by the tree.

“How will we ever reach Grandmother’s house, when it’s snowing so hard I can’t see?”

And then as she sat staring into the night, through the blustery, snowy white fog- there stood, in the cold window’s lower right edge, a tiny, green, shivering frog.

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About the Author

Hailing from the tiny town of Seymour, Wisconsin, Scott Langteau grew up to become the single Producer involved in the creation of two of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful franchises in videogame history: Medal of Honor and Call of Duty. He has over 20 years of production experience, having worked with companies like DreamWorks, Electronic Arts, Activision, Disney/Pixar, and the Jim Henson Company. Scott is the award-winning author of Sofa Boy, a grim yet fanciful cautionary tale for children about the perils of videogame addiction, The Question, a home-alone snowstorm adventure taken from the imaginative experiences of his youth in wintry Wisconsin, and his 2019 anti-bullying tale: BULLIED, a contemporary look at modern-day bullying and the impact it has on the futures of all involved. BULLIED was recently awarded the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award in the category of Best Mind/Body Self-Esteem book.

Connect:

Website: https://www.shakethemoonbooks.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/slangteau

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shakethemoonbooks

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-langteau-56722b4a/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pe5XzOQW_Kc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shakethemoonbooks/

Spotlight: A Peculiar Royal by Alonna Williams

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy 

The time has come for King Dorian Lockridge to find an heir for the country of Odsia; after the murder of his son, daughter-in-law and grandson fifteen years ago, he knew that sooner or later he’d need to find someone worthy to take the throne…

Spending fifteen years on the streets, doing whatever it took to make sure he and his friends survived from day to day, hasn’t been easy for Tristan.

Having never found remains of his grandson, doubt of his demise lingers in Dorian’s heart; until one day, he finally makes a proclamation, searching for the orphaned Prince of Odsia.  

When Tristan discovers the truth about himself, his whole world changes. How will he adjust to royal living after such a difficult upbringing?  And who was behind the murder of his parents so long ago?”

Excerpt

King Dorian Lockridge sat tall on his throne. He was getting up in age; the short gray hairs that blended with the few remaining black hairs on his head, as well as his short-boxed beard, made that clear. Despite his age, he still had the form of a king, standing at six-foot-two, with broad shoulders and almost perfect posture. The royal garb he wore added to his authority. A long, dark-blue coat with golden buttons on both sides of the chest and a golden design on the sleeves also bore the simple yet intricate branding of the royal family. His forest green eyes were keenly analyzing a tiny crown clutched in his hands. He looked around the throne room, seeing a quiet and empty space, nothing abnormal during this season in Odsia. After all, Februarys in his country were awfully cold and rainy. Most people wisely decided to stay indoors.

But Februarys for the Lockridges were quite notable, albeit gloomy. Their grandson would have been a year older this February, had it not been for the accident.

Marah Elderon, a woman from the royal guard, watched him from the entryway of the throne room. Her athletic build was covered from shoulders to feet in black and brown armor. Her brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, her hazel eyes growing sympathetic as she saw the little crown in his hands. “Your advisor is here,” she announced, bowing before the king and then stepping out of the room.

“Your Majesty, you asked to see me?” a man asked, entering the room. August Elderon stood at about the same height as the king, with a medium build, large dark-blue eyes, light-brown hair—worn in a short cut—and a docile expression.  He was only thirty, which was young for an advisor, but his maturity greatly surpassed his age. The white military jacket he was wearing wasn’t one he wore too often, as it was a reminder of his past days at war, but he preferred the most modest attire from his wardrobe as opposed to the overly fancy clothes the stylist would make him. He gave a friendly smile as he bowed to Dorian.

“Time is running out, August,” Dorian told him. “I’m not getting any younger. And people want to feel secure. With the Delorians rampaging through Karia and putting the country on the brink of war, they’ll want to know Odsia is in good hands, should anything like that happen here.”

“I understand, Your Majesty,” August Elderon replied with a nod. “We are doing the best we can to find an heir, but—”

“I don’t want just any heir,” Dorian softly said, returning his attention to the little crown.

August sighed, lowering his head. He understood Dorian’s pain and wished he could fix everything that had happened, but they needed to carry on. “Your…Your Majesty. It may be time to…”

Dorian stood and walked over to the left side of the room where a white pillar was against the wall; then he carefully placed the crown on a small pillow that lay upon the pillar. He turned to August with a slight smile. “My grandson is alive, August. I can feel it.” His voice held unquestioning conviction.

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About the Author

Alonna Williams is a children's book author and has been writing ever since she was a little girl. It started with a short story and soon progressed to novels. Alonna has worked on, and grew up with a Pirate series entitled, Pirates of the Withering Coast, her favorite series of all, as well as a mystery series, a Sci-Fi/Superhero series and more! When she's not writing you'll most likely find her dancing, whether it be, Tap, Ballet, Jazz or Lyrical, or watching a good classic movie or cozying up to a Disney film! 

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