Blake Hoena's Blog, page 2
October 27, 2022
Book 5 to Halloween . . .
The spooky season is full of ghosts & goblins, mummies & monsters. In this picture book, I teamed up with the amazingly talented Tim Palin to show young artists how to draw some of those ghoulish creatures using numbers.
Oh, and this book was also set to music by Emily Arrow!
October 26, 2022
Book 6 to Halloween . . .
This title touches on some scary modern tales, from the Slender Man to Hanako-San, a creepy Japanese ghost.
Hanako-San haunts school bathrooms, and if there is an out-of-order stall (the third one to be exact) that will be where she dwells. Just don’t ask, “Are you there, Hanako-San?”
You don’t want to know what happens next!
October 25, 2022
Books 8 & 7 to Halloween
Could You Escape the Tower of London
Doubling up here because I’ve written two books about one of the most haunted places on Earth. Both are interactive books in which readers choose the paths to follow. Some paths lead to salvation while others end in doom!
In Tower of London, readers attempt to survive encounters with the ghosts haunting the grounds of the White Tower, from Queen Anne to a bear escaped from the Royal Menagerie.
In Could You Escape the Tower of London, readers are imprisoned within the Tower of London and must escape or risk residing there permanently.
October 24, 2022
Book 9 to Halloween . . .
Eek & Ack was my first original graphic novel series. These space alien brothers are set on conquering our big blue home, and not in your typical fashion. Once they try covering the planet in the ooze from a million snottle bugs. Another time, they try zapping it with a giant magnifying glass.
On one of their misadventures they land on Earth during the spookiest time of the year and encounter a werewolf. But why are they dressed as a ballerina and a ghost?
Read the book!
October 23, 2022
Book 10 to Halloween
My countdown to Halloween begins with a retelling of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
The tale of Ichabod Crane’s confrontation with the Headless Horseman has long been a classic amongst fans of the spookiest time of the year, and it has inspired countless adaptations.
For my graphic novel retelling of this fabled tale, the artist was Tod Smith. He gifted me one of my favorite spreads of the story, which I’ve hung in my office.
October 15, 2022
Review — Quest to the Forbidden Mountains
A fun and original story . . . Adventures in Foreverland: Quest to the Forbidden Mountains is a combination of an interactive book and DIY adventure that is unreservedly recommended for children ages 8-15.
—Children’s Bookwatch
October 1, 2022
Behind the Scenes of Adventures in Foreverland
I began working with WazLab Books shortly after the pandemic forced us all to work (and learn) from home, and for me, my latest book, Quest to the Forbidden Mountains, was among the best things to come out of the trials and tribulations of the past few years.
Lou Basilone, one of the founders of WazLab Books, created the world of Foreverland years (and years) ago. He had even written stories (there is a YA novel somewhere) and drawn illustrations set in this magical realm. He is also the artist behind the landscapes that appear in the book. But for a long time, his ideas and art were collecting dust.
But not forgotten!
His son Sal, the other founder of WazLab Books, had grown up listening to his father’s imaginative stories. They were a part of youth, and he hoped to share the wonders of Foreverland with others. That’s when I entered the picture!
My task was to rejuvenate Foreverland and come up with a story that would appeal to modern readers. Of course, it had to have adventure. The series is titled “Adventures in Foreverland.”
The book had to have humor—just because!
But we went beyond that. To truly engage today’s middle grade readers, we turned Quest to the Forbidden Mountains into an interactive book with includes mazes, word searches, coded messages, and more . . . and these puzzles are an integral part of the story.
As we like to say, it is a #readandplay adventure!
Quest to the Forbidden Mountains is just the first book in a six book series, so expect Thomas, Beamer, and Zorda to have many more adventures.
September 1, 2022
Quest to the Forbidden Mountains
It is always exciting to have a new book coming out, and Quest to the Forbidden Mountains, book 1 in the Adventures in Foreverland series, will be hitting bookshelves this month!
It’s Celebration Day!
Thomas and his best friend Beamer are headed to the castle to join in on the fun. But as the festivities are getting underway all around the villagers mysteriously fall into a deep, endless slumber.
That’s when Thomas hears the alarms within the castle. Someone has stolen the Orb Staff, the powerful talisman that King Droz wields to rule over Foreverland. And worse, Princess Zorda has been kidnapped!
What caused the explosion?
Who stole the Orb Staff?
Why was Princess Zorda taken?
Thomas will need your help to undercover these mysteries.
Wind your way through mazes.
Decode word puzzles.
Find hidden objects.
Play games to defeat monsters.
And much more as you join Thomas on his quest to recover the Orb Staff and save the princess.
Quest to the Forbidden Mountains is more than an activity book, it is an adventure, an Adventure in Foreverland!
For More Information visit WazLab Books.
May 8, 2022
Shay’s Rebellion
It’s been more than 15 years since I served as the managing editor for Capstone’s Graphic Library brand. The idea of telling stories through sequential art was new to me back then, and to fully understand the potential of the format, I felt a need to try my hand at writing a graphic novel script. My first was Matthew Henson: Arctic Adventurer, and I followed that up with Shackelton and the Lost Antarctic Expedition.
A little TRIVIA: I also drew the storyboards for Shackelton.
Since then, I’ve written dozens more graphic novels on everything from mythology to sports, science, biographies, retellings, and even created my own series, Eek and Ack, about two space alien brothers set on conquering our big blue home.
Now, as a freelance author, it’s exciting and a bit nostalgic to write stories for the brand that piqued my initial interest in the format. In a way, my latest book takes me back to those early graphic novels, presenting important historical moments through sequential art.
Shays’ Rebellion is a minor skirmish when compared to other world-changing conflicts. But its impact is still felt some 200 years later. The threat posed by poor, angry farmers (most had been soldiers in the Continental Army) brought George Washington out of retirement (otherwise he might not have been the first U.S. president) and also helped push the Founding Fathers to address the many faults of the Articles of Confederation (the original constitution that united the 13 Colonies into states).
June 1, 2017
Monster Heroes — Review
Over four stories, Hoena and Bardin introduce young monsters who “wanted to be like superheroes and save the day.” There’s Will, a shy but brave ghost; Mina, a beet-juice-drinking vampire; Linda, a kindly witch; and Brian, a quick-thinking zombie who prefers tofu to brains. The stories are essentially identical: each of the four runs into trouble with members of his or her own kind (mean ghosts try to haunt new residents in town, Mina’s parents plan to take a bite out of their dinner guests) and the friends swoop in to help, but Hoena’s playful sense of humor and Bardin’s Cartoon Network–ready illustrations keep these three-chapter stories quick moving and entertaining.
—Publishers Weekly
