In the Limelight with Middle Grade Author Mikey Brooks...

Welcome to the Official Blog Tour of:

THE DREAMSTONE,

Book Two in The Dream Keeper Chronicles

A thrilling fantasy-adventure series for middle-grade reader!

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Don't forget to check out the GIVEAWAY

at the bottom of this page for a chance

to win one of over 30 prizes! 

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Interview with Mikey Brooks:

1.     How long have you been writing, Mikey?

I started writing when I was about twelve. At the time I lived with my grandparents in a rural town in Missouri. Our nearest neighbor was about a mile away and the farm house was surrounded by dense, dark woods. Those woods served as the backdrop of many stories. 

2.      Where did you get your idea and inspiration to write The Dreamstone?

The idea for The Dreamstone came about as I was writing the ending to The Dream Keeper. There was this hidden side plot that kept creeping to the surface as I was writing book 1. By the time I wrote the last chapter of The Dream Keeper I had the whole story outlined in my head for the second book. Originally the idea came as I was trying to fall asleep. I was wishing there was someone who could just escort me to Dreams…seconds later, there was Gladamyr (the dream keeper).

3.      What sets The Dreamstone apart from other books in the same genre?

I had a hard time getting a publisher to first pick up this book because it is so different from other books in its genre. Reviewers have compared it to the action of Percy Jackson and the magic of Fablehaven, but the story is not like them. It’s a story of self-discovery and finding the courage to stand up for who you are. The magic and action are just there to move the story along.  

4.      As an author, Mikey, what is your writing process?

I first start with an idea. Now it can be anywhere from a cool scene or a concept I want to explorer. I then create a rough outline of the plot. Then I try and find the best characters to fill that story. Sometimes the characters come first—Gladamyr was one of those. The rest just seem to find their way in. I then set to it. I write chronologically. I have skipped over stuff and gone back but that always proved to mess the story up later on. So I’m an outliner.

5.      How long did it take for you to start and finish The Dreamstone?

It’s funny when I am asked this. The first book took me almost 3 years to write. I was going to school full-time as well as working full-time. It got bits and pieces along the way. After I had finished writing that I started on book 2, The Dreamstone. It took me a little over a month to write out the first draft. I then had it sit there as I queried agents and editors for The Dream Keeper. It sat there too long. I am excited to have it out.

6.      Do you have any advice for other writers, Mikey?

Never, ever give up! Know that what you have is a gift—a gift to tell a story is indeed a form of magic.

7.     What’s next for Mikey Brooks the author?

More and more books. The final installment in The Dream Keeper Chronicles, The Dream Makers, will come out in summer 2014. I have a standalone Narnian tale, The Stone of Valhalla, coming out in the spring as well as a picture book I wrote with my wife, ABC Adventures: Cooking with Kids. There are others in the wings waiting to hit the stage but so far that’s all I have scheduled. I love to write for kids and as long they keep reading I’ll keep writing.

8.      Okay, here’s one for me, since I’m writing a time travel series—If you could time travel anywhere into Earth’s past, where would you go and why?

I’d have to say the 17 century. I’ve always loved Alexandre Dumas and his tales of swordfights and noble brotherhood. I think kids would love to see the age of Musketeers and swashbuckling action. There is so much you could explore in a time period like that. Especially if a girl was involved; the roles of men and women were so different back then. Would our heroin have to disguise herself as a boy to get the respect of the other musketeers? It would be a fun adventure.

Anything else you'd like to share?

I am excited to announce the release of book two in middle-grade fantasy series THE DREAMSTONE. It is an action-packed adventure with a toe in both the real world and the fantastic. 

DREAMS: 

Dorothy called it Oz, 

Alice called it Wonderland, 

but Nightmares call it HOME. 

When Parker’s mom is dreamnapped by the wicked Mab, it is up to him and Kaelyn to save her. When they return to Dreams, they discover Mab isn’t their only problem. Gladamyr has lost his powers and the only way to get them back is to become what he fears the most—a nightmare.

SYNOPSIS:

In Book 1, The Dream Keeper, Parker and Kaelyn discovered that Dreams was a real place that everyone visits while they sleep. An evil nightmare named Fyren took control of the gateway to that world. Parker and Kaelyn teamed up with Gladamyr, the only dream keeper to escape capture by Fyren, and together they save Dreams from Fyren’s rule. After the defeat of Fyren the children return to Awake to find Mab, Fyren’s next in command, has dreamnapped Parker’s mom. 

The story continues in Book 2, The Dreamstone, as the children return to Dreams to save Parker’s mom. Finding her, however, is not their only problem. Mab has waged a war on the Crossing and has sent an army of dragons to bring it down, nightmares have been released from prison, and Gladamyr has lost his powers to shape-shift. Parker, Kaelyn, and Gladamyr must once again defy all odds to set things right and save Parker’s mom before it’s too late.    

In Praise of THE DREAMSTONE:

“The Dreamstone, by Mikey Brooks, is a wild stallion of a story: fast, thrilling, and unpredictable. I was hooked in chapter one. If he can snare the attention of an old reader like me, he’ll have kids sneaking this one into class underneath their text books…If this one isn’t a kid-pleaser, I don’t know what is.” –Michelle Isenhoff, author of the Divided Decade Trilogy and the Taylor Davis Series.

“This really is a cracking novel. Action-packed and spellbinding!”—Cas Peace, author of The Artisans of Albia series.

"If you like the Percy Jackson, Fablehaven, or the Harry Potter series, you'll love this!" –An Amazon Reviewer.

AUTHOR BIO:

Mikey Brooks is a small child masquerading as an adult. On occasion you’ll catch him dancing the funky chicken, singing like a banshee, and pretending to have never grown up. He is the author/illustrator of several books including the best-selling ABC ADVENTURES: MAGICAL CREATURES and BEAN’S DRAGONS as well as the middle-grade fantasy-adventure series THE DREAM KEEPER CHRONICLES. His art can be seen in many forms from picture books to full room murals. He loves to daydream with his three daughters and explore the worlds that only the imagination of children can create. Mikey has a BS degree in English from Utah State University and works full-time as a freelance illustrator and cover designer. As a member of the Emblazoners, he is one of many authors devoted to ‘writing stories on the hearts of children’. He is also one of the hosts of the Authors’ Think Tank Podcast. You can find more about him and his books at: www.insidemikeysworld.com

Now Available in Audiobook!

BOOK LINKS:

Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1939993237 

Hardback: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1939993229

eBook: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GP33YZO

ISBN:

Hardback: 978-1-939993-22-9, Paperback: 978-1-939993-23-6, eBook: 978-1-939993-24-3

PRICE:

Hardback: $19.95, Paperback: $12.99, EBook: $2.99.

 

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10 winners will receive a gift bag with numerous signed books marks, 

collector cards, wrists bands, and a handmade dream key necklace.

Paperback Books:

Can You Survive? Treasure Island, by Blake Hoena

The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer, by Lisa Cole Orchard

Color of Freedom, by Michelle Athearn Isenhoff

Explorer X-Alpha, by Lm Preston

Gangsterland, by Ansha Kotyk

Cycles, by Lois Brown

Andy Smithson: Blast of the Dragon’s Fury, by L.R.W Lee

Princess Kandake, by Stephanie Jefferson

Weight of the Crown, by Stephanie Jefferson

Arrow of the Mist, by Christina Mercer

Cassidy Jones, by Elise Stokes

The Seventh Attendant, by Elise Stokes

Curse at Zala Manor, by BBH McChiller

The Curse of the Double Digits, by Lynn Kelley

Into the Forest and Down the Tower, by Ann T. Bugg

Off to Camp and Discovering Art, by Ann T. Bugg

Agency, by Shantal Hiatt

Psyched, by Juli Caldwell

Ragesong, by J.R. Simmons

EBooks:

Secret Sisters Club, by Monique Bucheger

Trouble Blows West, by Monique Bucheger

The Alien Mind, by Virginia Jennings

The Last Time Keepers, by Sharon Ledwith

Frogs & Toads, by Stacy Lynn Carroll

Nexus Point, by Jaleta Clegg

Warrior Beautiful, by Wendy Knight

Shahira and the Flying Elfs, by Anna del C Dye (PDF)

 


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