John William and the Bandits of Basswood by Elizabeth Parkinson Bellows
John William Drake was born an explorer; just like many, many Drakes before him. His adventure really began with the discovery of an old book hidden in the ceiling of the Drake home, followed by the mysterious disappearance of his father. He lived everyday in misery until his twelfth birthday. A new friend gave him an invitation he could not turn down… follow me and change your destiny.
He never imagined being captured by bandits and taken to a ship riddled with river rats was part of his fate. Not just any bandits – the Bandits of Basswood; known to be a ruthless and wild crew of thieves. Trying to escape would be a ridiculous idea. No one has ever escaped and lived to tell about it. Uncovering traces of his missing father gave him hope and upped the stakes. John William was determined to get off the ship alive and search for the missing pieces of the puzzle. The chase out of Basswood was on. He took a chance to change his destiny and ended up on a wild ride to solve the most important mystery of his life.
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Praise for the Book
“The imaginative world created by the author is especially fun. Some animals can talk (with attitude!), magic is in the air and emu-like creatures provide fast transportation. Yes, I realize this series is for children- and they can certainly read it. Just as soon as I'm finished.”
“A simple walk into the world of furry and fairy alike. Enjoyed the character building, as the young boy finds himself in a world with furry pirates, and a feisty fairy princess.”
“Love this book! Great kids book!”
Excerpt
Walking the Plank
“Stand up!” A bandit marched down the steps into the cabin. “You two are coming with me.” He dragged both of them up to the top.
“Just stay quiet. Let me handle this,” Ferdinand whispered.
John William nodded. He was too frightened to speak. The deck crawled with river pirates and bandits wearing sour, drunken scowls on their faces.
“Toss them overboard! We have no use for them now!” The bandits cheered as they pushed John William and Ferdinand onto a thick plank of wood sticking out over the side of the boat.
“Wait!” One of the river pirates stepped forward with his chest out. “That boy is the princess’s friend. He could be worth something, Victor,” he bellowed with an extra deep voice. He certainly looked tough enough – with a chiseled face, broad frame, and big muscles. Even his slicked back, pony-tailed hair looked strong to John William. He began to feel a glimmer of hope.
“Nonsense!” The stout, vicious looking badger pressed a blade into John William’s back. “Move, boy!” He let out a malicious laugh and glared at Ferdinand. “I love to cook hoppers. They make a tasty stew.” He moved the blade over to Ferdinand’s plump belly and rubbed the nub at the end of his wrist where a hand used to be along his whiskers. “Be careful. You don’t want to fall into this blade; it would make a terrible mess.”
John William inched forward, watching the rushing water beneath him. “This is the princess’s betrothed! They are to be married when they are old enough,” Ferdinand blurted. He squeezed his eyes shut as if he expected to be boiled in a fat river pirate’s stew at any moment.
Author Elizabeth Bellows
Um, let's see... when I was eight, I had a pet turkey. I used to take it with me on my very short lived paper route. Needless to say, I was terrible at delivering the paper. No one wanted a "Dollar Saver" with turkey poop splattered across the front page. Apparently that's where the best coupons are.
Books... well, "Treasure Island" is a fantastic pirate tale. I love just about anything by Roald Dahl. I would also like to thank C.S Lewis for sending me on an unrelenting childhood quest for portals to amazing worlds (even in the most unpleasant locations, e.g... the older brother's closet, etc...)
I love to write... these days sneaking away just to use the bathroom is hard enough. Finding a quiet moment alone with my laptop is impossible. I've developed a talent for making airplane noises out the side of my mouth for my son while squeezing in a paragraph or two.I write fantasy stories for children. Yep - I am a HUGE fantasy geek. I can't help myself! It's too darn awesome to escape to another realm with sorcerers and wizards. The underlying theme in my stories is empowerment, self love, and living purposefully.
When football is on I turn into a different person. I may even use a curse word or two... or three. I enjoy running; which is a good thing because I need to do it in order to fit into my jeans.
I love to cook and really, really love to eat. I have a theory that avocados actually contain super powers and have the amazing ability to make any snack epic. I also love garlic... which, according to my loved ones, also has an unfortunate super power ... the pungent breath-inator... or something of that nature.
Few things make me smile more than chocolate, cheese, and a good bottle of vino... AND, if the Chargers would make it to the Super Bowl again - just once:)
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