Giveaway! The Briny Deep Mysteries

In anticipation of The Briny Deep Mysteries Trilogy's 9/1/2014 release, we're listed giveaways on Goodreads for each book in the series!  There's 10 copies of each book available, so the chances of winning are great!  Check out the giveaways below:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Disappearing

by Jennifer Torres

Giveaway ends August 31, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Return

by Jennifer Torres

Giveaway ends August 31, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Battle

by Jennifer Torres

Giveaway ends August 31, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Interview with author of The Briny Deep Mysteries trilogy

The new sci-fi/mystery trilogy, The Briny Deep Mysteries, is coming out September 1st, and it's going to be filled with twists and exciting turns that will keep middle graders reading!  To learn more about the writing of this exciting trilogy, we sat down with author Jennifer Torres:

Enslow Publishers: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Jennifer Torres: Since I was very young, I’ve always loved getting lost in a good book. Reading really fueled my imagination. I especially loved to read mysteries and stories about fantastical places. As I got older the idea of creating my own magical lands through writing was so exciting I just had to pursue it.

Enslow: How did you begin your writing career?

Torres: I began writing in journals as a child. My friends and I would also write scripts and plays and then share them with each other to review – and sometimes to act out.  After finishing school, I became a newspaper reporter and columnist. Over the years I worked as freelance journalist, writing for local and national magazines and newspapers. I’ve also written seven non-fiction children’s books, but THE BRINY DEEP MYSTERIES is my debut into middle grade fiction – and truly the kind of writing I’ve always wanted to do. 

Enslow: What inspired you to write “The Briny Deep” trilogy?

Torres: All the books I read growing up captured my imagination with incredible, edge of your seat stories that often involved secret passageways, doorways to other lands, or a compelling mystery seemingly beyond explanation. When I created the town of Briny Deep, I wanted to construct a place that had never existed before, populate it with a cast of amazing characters, and weave a spellbinding mystery that would engage and captivate readers in the same way I was as a child.

Enslow: Where there any particular obstacles you encountered while writing this book?

Torres: My ten year old was a bit of an obstacle because she wanted to use my laptop all the time to play her computer games. I tried to stick to an early morning schedule of writing – way before she woke up, so I didn’t have to wrestle her for it.

Enslow: When do you write best?

Torres: During the week, I like to get up early while it’s still dark outside and everyone else in the family is asleep. I brew a big cup of coffee and try to get a few hours of writing in. I feel most creative in the morning. But I also love to write when it’s raining outside or a storm is brewing. It really sets the mood for me.

Enslow:  If you weren’t a writer, what might you be doing instead?

Torres: I would be a detective or a private investigator.  I grew up wanting to solve mysteries. My childhood friend and I even opened our own “detective agency” – her dad built it for us in her backyard and we kept “files” on everyone in the neighborhood.

Enslow: What is your favorite children’s book?

Torres: I have so many books that I loved when I was growing up. My top three books would have to be; The Phantom Tollbooth, Harriet the Spy (she kept notes on everyone in her neighborhood too,) and A Wrinkle in Time.  Middle Grade books are my very favorite genre. The kind of books with secret passageways, time portals, and hidden paths to magical lands are the best.

Enslow: What kind of experience do you hope your readers have with “The Briny Deep” trilogy?

Torres: I want them to go on a thrilling ride, filled with fun twists and turns through the town of Briny Deep. As they read the series they should feel like they are on an adventure – and a quest for answers that keeps them excitedly reading until the wee hours of the morning, and leaves them with a true awareness of how much magic and wonder can be found inside a book.



Look for The Disappearing, The Return, and The Battle on SpeedingStar.com, or with your favorite bookseller.  

Interview with Author Bonnie Pryor and Special eBook Offer

Bonnie Pryor is the author of several of Enslow's historical fiction books, including the Hannah Pritchard trilogy. She took some time recently to talk to us about how she combines historical facts with her fictional characters. 

Bonnie Pryor

Enslow:  What is your favorite childhood memory about books?

Bonnie:  My favorite memories are about reading and my favorite places to read were…sitting in a crook of an old plum tree, under my covers at night, inside my math book at school, and under the dining room table when I was supposed to be dusting….any place I had a book.

Enslow:   How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

Bonnie:  I suppose I had a fairly sheltered childhood with strict parents, so I have trouble imagining bad characters.

Enslow:  When did your interest in writing historical fiction start?

Hannah Pritchard: Pirate of the
Revolution (Book  1)

Bonnie:  I’ve always enjoyed reading historical fiction, but, for some reason or other, I didn’t think of it until about fifteen years ago when an editor (knowing I liked historical fiction) suggested I try writing some.

Enslow:  What was your biggest challenge when writing The Hannah Pritchard trilogy?

Bonnie:  Fitting what was going on in the real world at that time into my story – for instance, John Paul Jones being in Portsmouth, NH, and Paul Revere in Boston.

Enslow:  What is your favorite trait of your female pirate character, Hannah Pritchard?

Bonnie:  Hannah is strong and independent. She figures things out and takes care of them on her own.

Enslow:   Hannah finds herself aboard an American privateer ship during the Revolutionary War and has to hide her female identity to be able to work as a cabin boy. How do you think this reflects the roles of women during this time period?

Pirate Hannah Pritchard:
Captured  (Book 2)

Bonnie:  Except for a few female pirates, who were not very nice characters, women were considered bad luck on a ship. Although women worked as hard and as well as men, they were restricted by the society of the times as to what they could and couldn’t do.

Enslow:  Hannah and her friends must complete some important missions for the Continental navy and outsmart an enemy pirate in a race to bring home the buried treasure. What’s your secret to writing fabulous adventures while still referencing real people and real historical events?

Bonnie:  I did a lot of research to get the timelines correct in my head. The events that were actually happening then were exciting, so it wasn’t hard to fit them into the story.

Captain Hannah Pritchard:
The Hunt for Pirate Gold
(Book 3)

Enslow:  What do you and Hannah have in common?

Bonnie:  Like Hannah, I’m an independent person with a mind of my own and I’ve always been fairly interested in having adventures.

Enslow:  If you could trade places for a day with one historical character, who would it be and why?

Bonnie:  It would be Margaret Mead. Growing up I admired her and her amazing adventures as an anthropologist and actually thought about going into that field.

About the Author: 

Bonnie Pryor claims she was ‘born loving books’ and it certainly seems as if books are the warp and weft upon which the threads of her life are woven.

Thirty years after the publication of her first book, Grandpa Bear, she has written and had published a total of thirty-seven books for children and young adults. Though her first love is picture books, she has written easy-to-read books, chapter books, mysteries, and historical fiction. Many of her books have been translated into different languages and are sold in countries around the world.

REVIEW

"The 'Real History Behind the Story' section is a great addition to this historical fiction series. These would be excellent books for teachers to use in their classrooms, because they intertwine American history with realistic tales."
     –Library Media Connection, March 2008

SPECIAL EBOOK OFFER FOR A LIMTED TIME ONLY!
Consumers can take advantage of a SPECIAL OFFER on the eBook versions of the Hannah Pritchard trilogy from their favorite eBook retailers including Amazon and Kobo. For a limited time, Hannah Pritchard: Pirate of the Revolution (Book 1) is only 99 cents and Pirate Hannah Pritchard: Captured (Book 2) is just $3.49. Captain Hannah Pritchard: The Hunt for Pirate Gold (Book 3) is also available for $7.69.

Coming Soon...

The highly anticipated The Fortune-Teller: Book II of the Brightstone Saga by Paul B. Thompson, will satisfy the readers' curiosity after reading the first book in this fantasy-fiction trilogy, The Brightworking: Book I of the Brightstone Saga, released earlier this year.

ISBN: 978-0-7660-3950-6
Available Now

In this second book, the mysterious magic increases throughout Mikal's journey and he must fight dangerous creatures in order to keep the secret of the future from the wizard, Harlano. Mikal and his female friend, Lyra, realize that with the power of predictions comes the risk of changing the world forever.

ISBN: 978-0-7660-3983-4
Available January 1, 2013

Here's what people are saying:

"Comfortably predictable fare for younger fans and those who prefer their fantasy charged with standard themes and tropes." –Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2012

"Mikal, the common-sensible country boy, and Lyra, his 'not entirely trustworthy' new friend, are an irresistible duo. Paul B. Thompson's The Brightworking is as exciting and quirky as any reader could hope."
–Tonya Carter Cook, coauthor of the Dragonlance Elven Exiles Trilogy

The Brightworking: Book I of the Brightstone Saga is available now and can be purchased directly from Enslow, major book distributors, retail bookstores, and online retailers. The Fortune-Teller: Book II of the Brightstone Saga will be available January 1, 2013. You can reserve your copy now at Enslow.com.