Samuel DenHartog's Blog: The Road to 1,440 - Posts Tagged "action"

Hello, Clean Dreamers and Super Hero Believers,

Get ready to roll out with my latest creation, "Toilet Paper Man," where whimsy meets the every day in the most sparkling of tales. Dive into the pages where Wayne Thompson transforms into the hero our cities never knew they needed—but always wanted.

"Toilet Paper Man" isn't just about tackling the literal spills of life—it's a journey of laughter, unexpected friendships, and the magic found in the mundane. With each chapter, Wayne wipes away the grime, revealing the brighter side of the streets we walk and the places we visit.

Unroll this adventure, revel in the cleanliness, and discover how, sometimes, the hero you need most might just come wrapped in... toilet paper.

With a twirl of the roll,
Samuel DenHartog

Are you ready to embark on a fantastic journey from A to Z? My latest book, "The Alphabet Adventures" is here to whisk you and your little ones away on an enchanting adventure that spans the entire alphabet! Each letter brings a new character and a thrilling tale that sparks the imagination and teaches important lessons along the way.

From Astrid, the astronaut's space explorations, to Zoe, the zoologist's exciting discoveries in the animal kingdom, this beautifully illustrated book is a treasure trove of stories. Each page turns into a portal to a new world where children not only learn about various professions and hobbies but also master their ABCs and expand their vocabularies.

Imagine hunting for treasure with Pete the Pirate, or perhaps you’d prefer a serene visit to Ellie’s enchanted garden. Designed with vivid illustrations and engaging narratives, this book is perfect for bedtime storytelling or as a wonderful addition to classroom reading sessions. Ideal for young readers and early learners, this collection of short tales is bound to be a cherished addition to any child's library.

Whether you're a parent looking for a fun way to teach the alphabet or a teacher seeking engaging stories for your class, "The Alphabet Adventures" offers something special for everyone. Let’s turn the pages and jump into adventure after adventure — because learning is best when it's fun!

A child at heart,
Samuel DenHartog

When I first read the original story, “Winning His Spurs: A Tale of the Crusades by G. A. Henty,” that inspired me to write this book, I was struck by the power of the setting and the spirit of adventure—but I kept wondering what the tale would feel like if the central figure were someone the world never expected to see in armor. That simple shift, from a traditional squire to a young woman born into the same code of chivalry, opened the door to a deeper exploration of identity, conviction, and the meaning of honor. The time period didn’t change. The battles didn’t soften. What changed was who stood in the middle of it all, shaping the story through her presence.

The heroine at the center of this retelling, Gweneth de Lance, doesn’t wear a disguise or pretend to be anything other than who she is. That felt important to me. Too often, historical stories force women to prove themselves by denying themselves, but Gweneth simply is—a knight, a warrior, a person of conscience in a brutal and uncertain time. Writing her journey meant balancing ferocity with introspection, loyalty with doubt, and always pushing her forward in a world that accepted her role without question but still demanded everything of her.

I didn’t want this to be a story about rebellion or exception. I wanted it to be about legacy, about living fully within a tradition and reshaping it not through resistance, but by embodying its truest form. The Crusades were a time of great conflict, but also of profound cultural encounters and moral complexity. That context gave me room to tell a story that respects the gravity of history while centering a character whose presence brings new resonance to old themes.

This book became a way for me to ask, “What does it really mean to be a knight?” and then follow that question into battlefields, desert marches, and the quiet moments in between. Whether you come for the swords and sieges or the character and conviction, I hope you find something that stays with you long after the final page of "The Ideal Knight".

At its heart, this book is about pursuit—of truth, of meaning, of something buried deep beneath centuries of silence and stone. "Quest for the Incan Treasure" follows Della Montrose, a resourceful and determined Englishwoman who finds herself swept into the dangerous shadows of Peru’s highlands. What begins as a practical decision to seek a new future becomes a relentless search through jungle paths, forgotten ruins, and layers of betrayal. Della isn’t chasing adventure for its own sake—she’s chasing answers, and along the way, the questions only grow more personal.

Peru is more than a setting here—it’s a living presence, shaping every risk Della takes. The Andes rise like ancient sentinels, and the remnants of the Inca Empire press in from all sides, whispering secrets in every crumbled wall and sacred site. The line between legend and history blurs as Della and her companions piece together clues pointing to a treasure hidden during the Spanish conquest—something worth killing for, and worth dying to protect. But the deeper they go, the more the journey tests their loyalties, forcing them to decide what they value more: gold or each other.

Della herself was a joy to write—calm under pressure, fiercely intelligent, and quietly brave. She doesn’t seek the spotlight, but she also won’t be pushed aside. She makes hard decisions and carries their weight without complaint. Her journey isn’t just a physical one across dangerous terrain—it’s an internal one as well, as she uncovers what drives her, what she’s willing to sacrifice, and what kind of legacy she wants to leave behind.

This story is full of narrow escapes, shifting alliances, and the lure of a past that refuses to stay buried. But more than anything, it’s about the cost of discovery and the courage it takes to walk into the unknown. If you love stories where ancient mysteries come alive and characters must earn every step forward, I think you’ll enjoy walking beside Della through "Quest for the Incan Treasure."

When I first began writing this book, I didn’t expect the siege to become so personal. The destruction of Jerusalem is one of the most tragic and complex moments in ancient history—filled with desperation, fractured loyalties, and sacred symbols pulled into the dirt. But amid all that collapse, I kept returning to a single idea: what does it look like to hold fast when everything around you is falling apart?

Eleazar came to me not as a warrior, but as someone who refused to be erased. He isn’t drawn to violence or power, but when the world pushes him into war, he doesn’t flinch. Through his eyes, we see the strain of leadership when surrounded by ruin, the cost of conviction when betrayal is constant, and the quiet dignity of someone choosing to protect rather than destroy. And always at his side, even when absent, is Mary—the person who sees him most clearly, who anchors his resolve with love, loyalty, and her own kind of courage. His journey doesn’t offer easy answers, but he never stops asking what is worth saving, and who he’s saving it for.

I found myself more interested in the spaces between battles. The silences in the temple courts, the weight of a decision made in the dark, the loyalty that survives when every cause has been questioned. The story moves across hills and cities, blood and prayer, but it always comes back to something quiet and human: what does faith look like when it no longer wins, and what love endures when even hope feels dangerous?

That’s the question at the heart of The Olive and the Empire, and the reason this book became more than a war story to me. It is about survival, yes—but also memory, silence, and the fragile bonds we cling to when history turns violent. I hope it lingers.