Blake Hoena's Blog, page 18

Swamp Sting

Cool news! My graphic novel Swamp Sting has been nominated for a Cybils Award in the Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novel category. Along with that, Captain Boomerang's Comeback got the nod for the Early Chapter Book category.

Now, going up against the likes of Amulet and Amelia Rules, I don't expect a win, but just to be considered amongst those books is a treat.

Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein

About a week ago, I was shopping for a birthday present for a friend's daughter. They often read together at bedtime, so I was thinking a new book would make a better gift than another doll or a DVD. But what book?

As luck would have it, to use an old cliche, the day I was heading out to the bookstore, I heard a bit on NPR about Shel Silverstein. He had a new book out, Every Thing On It. I guess that's kinda similar to Johnny Cash coming out with a new CD posthumously. Like Johnny, Shel had a lot of material that didn't fit with past projects, but was still worthy of being presented to his adoring fans.

I was ecstatic. Not only did I by a copy for my friend's daughter, but I picked one for myself, too. So that's what I'm currently reading.

Eek and Ack

They appeared on Graphic Novel Reporter's spring core list of graphic novels for kids. So why not the fall list as well!

There is also mention of the DC Super Heroes series, which I wrote six titles for.

Amplified

This week, I saw the "near" final cover for Amplified, and in my awe, I starting thinking back on my writing career. I realized a funny little coincidence. The first book I published, nearly 10 years ago, was about skateboarding.

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And now, my latest book also involves skateboarding. Things have evolved quite a bit, from a simple 32-page nonfiction book to a 140-page fictional story. I've come along way in those few years, and I'm feeling like Amplified is the best book I've written to date. Here's hoping in the next 10 years, I will continue to have further writing successes.

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Tony Hawk's 900 Revolution series

The first four books in the series are now available

Book 1 - Drop In
Book 2 - Impulse
Book 3 - Fall Line
Book 4 - Unchained

Each of these books introduces one of the main characters: Omar, Dylan, Amy, and Joey, into the Revolution. Then in book 5, my book, Amplified, the four have their first mission as a group, to see if they can handle the challenges ahead.

When you read Unchained, check out the sample pages from my story in the back.

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review - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

"When the new school master, Ichabod Crane, arrives in Sleepy Hollow, he visits some of the local families for his evening meals. During these visits he hears the legend of Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Horseman. Not only the school teacher, but also the singing teacher, Crane has amongst his singing students the beautiful Katrina, a young lady whom he chooses to teach privately. The unattractive Crane has as his rival for her affections a strapping young man named Brom. Unbeknownst to many locals, the handsome Brom plays practical jokes on Ichabod. Is he responsible for the demise of Ichabod Crane? Will the truth ever be revealed?

With cartoons taking several forms, from colourful stylised pictures to depict the current day, sepia for the historic components of the story and silhouette style for the night time and more gruesome parts of the tale, the illustrations add an extra dimension to the text. . . . descriptive text make this another accessible tale for not just those who enjoy classic tales but also for the reluctant reader."

—ReadPlus

Sack Attack!

My latest football graphic novel, Sack Attack!, has been released.

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Summary: The Eagles have two talented defensive linemen who tackle the game of football in opposite ways. Mike Bravis outmuscles his opponents, while Trenton Kubrick prefers to outsmart them. The two defensive stars may have different playing styles, but the outcome is always the same: they get the sacks while their opponents get embarrassed. But when Jared Michaels, the best offensive lineman in the league, comes to town, he makes it obvious that Trenton and Mike will have to pool their talents to stop the Bandits' all-star aerial assault.

Trivia: A fun little tidbit about this book is that I used my oldest nephews: Ryan, Chase, and Carter, as side characters for this book. However, I realized I forgot Gavin, the youngest member of my family. Expect to see his name in one of my upcoming books

Diesel - foster dog

It's been a few month since I've fostered a dog full time. With summer, vacations and camping on the weekends, I just haven't been able to commit to it. But then this week along came Diesel.

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He's a 150 pounds of furry love. Zuki, my dog, is standing next to Diesel in the above pict, and she's dwarfed by him.

People are surprised that I agreed to take on such a big dog, but I have a soft spot for St. Bernards. Growing up, I had one, Brutus.

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Brutus was my bud, my favorite pet of all time, and could snag footballs out of the air. I miss him still.

Not sure how long I'll have Diesel, but he's stirring some sentimental pangs as I'm reminded how loveable and drooly and playful St. Bs can be.

Captain Boomerang's Comeback

Captain Boomerang's Comeback is now in bookstores. Check it out!

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Summary: After a series of random robberies, the FLASH's head is whirling at super-speed. He wants to take down this out-of-sight outlaw, but the confusing clues aren't adding up. For one man, however, each piece is part of a colossal comeback. The super-villain CAPTAIN BOOMERANG is out to seek revenge against the SCARLET SPEEDSTER! But the super hero knows "what goes around comes around," and he's not about to let this crazy crook spin out of control.

The Hunger Games

Every year, toward the end of July, I go on a camping trip. It's a small way in which I honor my father, who passed away when I was very young—the reasons for it being a camping trip is another story, best told at another time. But one key thing I do during each of these camping trips is read, and read a lot.

I'll get up early, stoke a fire to heat up some coffee and read. Go for a long hike, eat lunch, and read. Then fit in another short hike, make dinner, and read until the sun sets.

Last year, I tackled half of the Harry Potter series. This year, it's The Hunger Games Trilogy.

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I've been hearing a lot of good things about Susan Collins's series (and I really enjoyed book one—I added fishing to this year's trip and didn't get as much reading time as normal, so am only a few chapter into book two). There's also a movie coming out based on the books. Plus I'm a big fan of post-apocalypse type stories, thus my latest addition to Tony Hawk 900 Revolution series. All-in-all, a combination that was making these books a must read.