Blog Tour: Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper #adventure

Today I welcome author Fiona Ingram, who's sharing about her new kids' adventure book, The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper - Book 3 in the Chronicles of Stone series.

About the Book:

  

A plane crash! Lost in the jungle! Hunted by their old enemy, will Adam, Justin, and Kim survive long enough to find the Third Stone of Power? With only a young boy, Tukum, as their guide, the kids make their way through the dense and dangerous jungle to find the lost city of stone gods, where the Stone of Power might be located. River rafting on a crocodile-infested river and evading predators are just part of this hazardous task.

Of course, their old adversary Dr. Khalid is close behind as the kids press on. But he is not the worst of their problems. This time Adam will clash with a terrible enemy who adopts the persona of an evil Aztec god, Tezcatlipoca, and is keen to revive the ancient tradition of human sacrifice. Adam, Justin, and Tukum must play a dreadful ball game of life and death and maybe survive. Will they emerge alive from the jungle? Will Dr. Khalid find the third Stone of Power before they do?

Who doesn't love learning about or visiting somewhere new? She's got some great points about writing and travel!

   Writing about different places and countries for kids 
   By Fiona Ingram

    In writing about real locations, I felt very fortunate that I had been able to visit Egypt with my two young nephews prior to writing my first middle-grade adventure, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab. How does one recreate for readers, especially young readers, the sense of ‘being’ in a place? Top of the list is, of course, actually going to the particular location.

    Location is not just a geographical point on a world map. It’s a mixture of sights, sounds, smells, sensations, tastes, and the ambiance or atmosphere that comes with its people, history, culture, architecture, and art. The trick in getting young readers to enjoy an adventure in a different place or country is to help them experience it with all their senses. Since I modeled my heroes on my two nephews, it was important for me to get a feel for how two boys would react in such a foreign (and potentially dangerous) environment.

    I bought quite a few miniatures that really helped me recreate the haggling scene in the Egyptian market at Esna, and these brought back the sounds and smells of people, incense, food, spices, and much more. The air was hot and dry. The taste of the food was unforgettable. Do you know the best olives and cucumbers are found in Egypt? The crisp, cool, almost sweet taste of a cucumber so juicy and refreshing that one just wants to gobble the whole thing down. The tart tang of a black olive on your tongue … spicy yet so tasty that one or two are just not enough. Kids always want to know what the heroes ate or drank during the adventure and this is important, so I have included lots of foodie details in all my books.

    Book 2: The Search for the Stone of Excalibur was also quite an easy adventure to describe because I have visited both England and Scotland and was able to clearly describe the different atmosphere, temperatures very much cooler than Egypt, and the old cities, the stone castles, the air of mystery and intrigue that surrounded this adventure. I had already spent a few amazing weeks in Scotland, researching old castles. Ask me anything about castles … with or without drawbridges, moats, portcullises, battlements … you name it, I visited it. Finally, I settled upon the fabulous, fairytale setting of Dunrobin Castle, for me an exquisite vision, as the setting for Book Two.

    Book Three: The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper takes place in Mexico, Central America, and although I would have loved the reality of an actual location, this is when I had to rely on secondary sources available. For authors not able to travel, secondary advice includes guidebooks, travel blogs, Google Earth, interviews with experts, and (very importantly) research. These options shouldn’t be considered second best in any way because even though one may be fortunate enough to make a trip, there is hard work to be done when putting a story on paper.

    I read books by modern day explorers about their jungle escapades and got a real feeling for just how hot, humid, dangerous and intense the jungle atmosphere is. Absolutely exhausting to slog through the almost impenetrable foliage.  Civilization might be a quick plane trip away, but when you’re deep in the jungle, there’s no quick route out of it. Fortunately for me, I had the help of two experts, both of Mexican origin, to guide me in all my descriptions.

    Any location is unique and there is pressure upon the author to describe it using all five senses so that readers can relate to it, enjoy it, and believe in it. Young readers always ask the most intriguing questions—the how, who, why, when, what, and where—and I think I have covered all my bases so far in these adventures!    

About the Author:

Fiona Ingram is a children’s author, but up until a few years ago, she was a journalist and editor. Something rather unexpected sparked her new career as an author—a family trip to Egypt with her mother and two young nephews. The Chronicles of the Stone series includes, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, and The Search for the Stone of Excalibur (book 2). Find out more at her Facebook page, Twitter, Blog or on GoodReads. 

TOUR STOPS:

Today @ The Muffin

What goes better in the morning with coffee than a muffin? Grab your cup of morning brew and join us today when we celebrate the launch of Fiona Ingram's book, The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper.  You can read our interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book. http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

August 14th @ Write Like Crazy

Make sure you stop by Mary Jo's blog Write Like Crazy where Fiona Ingram talks about why your child doesn't like reading and how to fix this. http://www.writelikecrazy.com

August 15th @ Girl Zombie Authors

Come by Christine's blog where Fiona Ingram shares her thoughts on writing about different places for kids. https://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com/

August 16th @ Jessica Samuel's Blog

Come by Jessica's blog today where Fiona Ingram talks about how to transform your non-reader into a reader. https://jessicasamuelsauthor.com/

August 19th @ Madeline Sharples' Blog

Stop by Madeline's blog today where author Fiona Ingram shares her thoughts with young writers on writing and creating characters. http://madelinesharples.com/

August 20th @ Mari's #JournalingPower Blog

Stop by Mari's blog where author Fiona Ingram shares her thoughts on developing characters that children will relate to. https://www.createwritenow.com/journal-writing-blog

August 20th @ Bairn's Bard

Stop by Rebecca's blog Bairn's Bard today where you can read a post by Fiona Ingram's daughter and also you can read about Rebecca's thoughts on the book The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper.

https://bairnsbard.wordpress.com/

August 21st @ Cover2Cover Blog

Stop by Steph's Cover2Cover where you can read Fiona Ingram's blog post about choosing books for your kids. http://cover2coverblog.blogspot.com/

August 22nd @ Look to the Western Sky

Come by Margo Dill's blog Look to the Western Sky where Fiona Ingram writes about her experiences fostering (and later adopting) an illiterate African child who is now a lovely young woman who loves reading. http://margoldill.com/

August 22nd @ A New Look on Books

Come by Rae's blog where Fiona Ingram writes about the joy of writing for children.

https://anewlookonbooks.com/

August 26th @ Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi

Come by Karen's blog where Fiona Ingram shares her thoughts on how to encourage your kids to start writing. http://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/

August 27th @ Mommy Daze: Say What??

Stop by Ashley's blog where Fiona Ingram talks about helping kids read better with homeschooling. A must read as school is about to start! https://adayinthelifeofmom.com/

August 27th @ Rebecca Whitman's Blog

Come by Rebecca's blog where you can read Fiona Ingram's post about using computers to improve reading skills. https://rebeccawhitman.wordpress.com

August 28th @ Jennifer's Deals

Stop by Jennifer's blog where she shares what she her thoughts about Fiona Ingram's incredible middle grade adventure book The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper. https://www.jennifers-deals2.com/

August 30th @ Story Teller Alley

Visit Veronica's blog and check out her thoughts on the book The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper. http://storytelleralley.com/blog

August 31st @ Mommy Daze: Say What??

Make sure you stop by Ashley's blog again where she shares her thoughts on Fiona Ingram's book The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper. https://adayinthelifeofmom.com/

August 31st @ Rebecca Whitman's Blog

Stop by Rebecca's blog again where you can read Fiona Ingram's post about writing a children series. https://rebeccawhitman.wordpress.com/

September 1st @ Cathy C. Hall's Blog

Visit Cathy's blog today where Fiona Ingram shares the top ten things you never knew about Mexico! https://c-c-hall.com/

September 2nd @ Break Even Books

Come by Erik's blog Break Even Books where Fiona Ingram talks about how to make your books both enjoyable and educational. https://breakevenbooks.com/

September 3rd @ Beverly A. Baird's Blog

Join us over at Beverly A. Barid's blog where author Fiona Ingram shares her thoughts on developing a children's series. http://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com

September 4th @ Cathy C. Hall's Blog

Make sure to come by Cathy's blog again where she shares her thoughts on Fiona Ingram's book The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper. https://c-c-hall.com/

September 5th @ Jill Sheet's Blog

Come by Jill's blog today where Fiona Ingram shares her thoughts on writing for children.

https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/

September 5th @ Ali's Bookshelf

Stop by Ali's blog where Fiona Ingram talks about whether books can help children cope with life.

http://alisbookshelfreviews.blogspot.com

September 7th @ Beverly A. Baird's Blog

Join us at Beverly's blog again for her thoughts on Fiona Ingram's adventurous book The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper. http://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com

September 7th @ Anthony Avina's Blog

Stop by Anthony's Blog where you can read Fiona Ingram's post about why a book series is so good for non-readers. https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

September 9th @ Anthony Avina's Blog

Make sure to check out Anthony's blog again where you can read his thoughts on Fiona Ingram's book The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper. https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

September 10th @ Misadventures with Andi

Come by Andi's blog where you can read Fiona Ingram's post about why children love reading about other countries and cultures. https://misadventureswithandi.com/

September 10th @ Whitman's Academics

Stop by Rebecca's blog where Fiona Ingram's talks about turning a non-reader into a reader. https://whitmansacademics.wordpress.com/

September 12th@ Coffee with Lacey

Stop by Lacey's blog where she reviews Fiona Ingram's book The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper. coffeewithlacey.wordpress.com

September 13th @ Coffee With Lacey

Be sure to stop by again when Lacey interviews author Fiona Ingram and chats about her newest book The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper. coffeewithlacey.wordpress.com

September 14th @ World of My Imagination

Come by Nicole's blog where she shares her opinion about Fiona Ingram's middle grade fiction book The Temple of the Crystal  Timekeeper. http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com

September 15th @ Story Teller Alley

Stop by Veronica's blog Story Teller Alley to read Fiona Ingram's post on how she came about to write the series The Chronicles of the Stone. http://storytelleralley.com/blog