SERIES: Secrets of the Seven

The Lost Subway Station of New York

Posted by on Apr 11, 2019 in American History, SERIES: Secrets of the Seven | 5 comments

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The City Hall station–worse for wear, but still elegant today.

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Mayor George B. McClellan (front, center) inspects the brand new subway.

In The Ring of Honor (third in the Secrets of the Seven series), our intrepid heroes Sam, Marty, and Theo must flee through the New York subway system and wind up here–in the City Hall station, the very first ever built in New York. When you think of New York’s subways, do you think grime–trash–rats–filth–delays and frustration? You should have been there in 1904, under tiled and vaulted ceilings, glowing skylights, and elegant chandeliers, lining up for your five-cent ticket.

The station is long since abandoned (the curving platform is too small for today’s trains) but occasionally opens for tours. Wish I could have taken one!

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Sunshine State Young Readers List

Posted by on Jan 25, 2019 in Reviews, Secrets of the Seven, SERIES: Secrets of the Seven | 6 comments

The Eureka Key

The Eureka Key

Whoo-hoo! The Eureka Key is on Floria’s Sunshine State Young Reader’s List! I note that fellow Mainer Megan Frazer Blakemore has made it on this list as well. Hey, Megan, we’re snowbirds!

https://www.floridamediaed.org/ssyra.html

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Review of Secrets of the Seven

Posted by on Dec 10, 2018 in Reviews, SERIES: Secrets of the Seven | 0 comments

The Eureka Key

From a perceptive and talented fifth grade reviewer:

The Founders
Death Valley, CA

Historians are thrilled by the discovery of an artifact in a remote region of Death
Valley earlier this week, and rumors are that more are to be discovered. I assume you are wondering what this artifact is. If I told you, I’d have to kill you. Before you go all whiny on me, make sure to write your will.
This artifact is a key. I know, disappointing. But not just any key. This key is valued at over $6,000,000. This is the key of Benjamin Franklin, the Founding Father of the United States of America. The one from the famous story about the kite.

Benjamin Franklin did more than just mess with electricity. He also started a group call the Founders . The Founders is a group of seven famous figures of the late eighteenth century, and early nineteenth century, including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benedict Arnold.

Each of the Founders chose one artifact to represent them.
Finding all of the artifacts will supposedly do something amazing,
if not magical.

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Best Question

Posted by on May 25, 2018 in Book: Deadly Flowers, Book: Deadly Wish, Book: Dragon's Egg, Book: The Eureka Key, Ninjas, Secrets of the Seven, SERIES: Secrets of the Seven | 0 comments

Dragon's Egg

Mella also does not suffer fools gladly.

Best question I’ve been asked during a school visit this year: If you were a character in one of your books, which one would you be?

Hmmmmm…. I had to give this some thought. My first reaction was Kata, from Deadly Flowers and Deadly Wish, because who would not want to be a deadly female ninja? But Kata’s life is very difficult. I’m not sure I actually want to live like that. In the end I said Marty, from the Secrets of the Seven series, since she is a) brilliant and b) rich. But after thinking it over, I’m leaning toward Mella from Dragon’s Egg. Because I want my own herd of small pet dragons. Yep.

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