Danny in a Newfangled World

Book for Sale on Amazon

// September 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // Books

While the paperback will not be available in Canada (and locally) for another couple of weeks, my book Danny in a Newfangled World, is now up on Amazon.com as both a paperback and e-book.  You can purchase it through my e-store or from Amazon.com’s retail site.

E-store   

Amazon.com   (only the kindle is available here at this point, but the paperback will be there in another day or two)

Canadians will be able to purchase the book at select stores in the near future, as well as through paypal on this site in another three weeks.

Newfangled Book Perfect for E-Book

// September 7th, 2010 // No Comments » // Books

I’m placing my bets on the digital book market exploding in the next year.  My boys are already begging for an iPad.  Hmmm, $650 price tag?  It’s pretty steep, but then again, that little gadget looks like it would be so handy!  If I’m considering buying an iPad, there’s got to be millions more parents just like me thinking about it, too.  And once the pressures of Christmas giving go into hard drive in November, those thoughts will likely turn into purchases. 

While the naysayers on the dangers of digitizing literature abound, I’m trying to embrace the newest concept in reading.  I do love the feel of paper, but I am getting sick of lugging around my latest book – a 1014 page hard cover copy of Ken Follett’s World Without End.  I want to get to the end of the story just so I can stop weight lifting every time I read.  While my kids’ book, Danny in a Newfangled World, is a light weight at 105 pages (soft cover), its young readers share no such love affair with pulp as their parents do. 

As more and more households welcome ebook readers, a bonanza in digital book downloads is inevitable.  And what better book to introduce kids to the newest form of reading than one about a boy who gets sucked inside his computer?  If that can entice my child to get sucked inside a book, it sounds good to me.

New Maze Activity for Kids

// August 26th, 2010 // No Comments » // Books

Hey kids, print off this fun maze to help Danny Lenesky find his cyber buddy, Jingo! 

Puppy vs. Video Games

// August 20th, 2010 // No Comments » // Books

Okay – I finally did it!  I succumbed to the pressure of my children and bought a puppy.  What can I say?  I empathize with their need to have a floppy eared canine.  When I was a child, I invested countless hours begging and pleading with my parents to let me have a puppy, only to hear one ‘no’ after another.  How could I do that to my own kids? 

Now a little more truth… I was hoping that the puppy (who we named Daisy) would also provide some distraction from their desire to play wii and DS Nintendo.  What mother wouldn’t prefer to see her boys cavorting with a cute puppy than arguing over whose turn it is to play Super Mario Galaxy?  The boys have, thankfully, shown an astounding amount of responsibility toward their new puppy duty.  They help walk her, feed her, take her outside, and of course, they love to cuddle with her. 

But do the boys play less video games (or more specifically, ask to play less often)?  Well, the answer is yes.  They are spending more time outside with Daisy.  So I can claim a little victory in that regard.  Most importantly, though, is the joy they get from the company of their new pooch.   Just don’t ask them to pick up dog poop – that’ll start an argument.

Book Launch Coming

// May 18th, 2010 // No Comments » // Books

The book is getting closer to production and will be officially available to purchase through Amazon and select stores in the Fall of 2010.  Did you know that in the U.S. there are almost ten million gamers between the ages of 2 and 5 years old?  Over 12 million are between nine and eleven years old! 

No wonder so many kids don’t have time to read anymore… Why not give ‘em a book they’ll want to read?  Danny in a Newfangled World is for kids who’d rather be playing video games (usually!)  That’s not to say kids are completely disinterested in books and reading.  They’re not so different from adults, though.  We all like a little downtime, and for kids that can mean lots of things – it just turns out that gaming is one of their preferred activities.  So, chances are they”ll want to read about a kid that’s not so different from them (except for the part that he actually gets sucked inside his computer.) 

Stay tuned for new sketches of Danny and his friends by the book’s new illustrator.  Coming soon.

Chapter Three Coming Soon

// April 14th, 2010 // No Comments » // Books

What will Danny find beyond the door?  Things are only going to get more interesting, that’s a guarantee.  Stay tuned.  Next week, Chapter Three – Danny Makes a Friend, will be available on audio.  So check back soon!  And, while you’re here – become a facebook fan of Danny in a Newfangled World.

Listen to Chapter Two

// March 26th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Books

Chapter two of Danny in a Newfangled World is now available!  You can listen or read the chapter called A Little Button into a Big World.

Hoobogey in Dictionary

// March 23rd, 2010 // No Comments » // Books

Check out urban dictionary’s latest definition! Hoobogey is now in urbandictionary at www.urbandictionary.com

Gearing up for chapter two

// March 19th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Books

I’m polishing up my characters’ voices for the next chapter of Danny in a Newfangled World.  And my voice partner is drinking lots of water this week to ensure his narration skills are smooth as chocolate syrup.  

 Next chapter, Danny starts his crazy cyber-adventure.  What kid hasn’t wondered what it would be like to be inside a video game.  Watching it on screen has its perks, sure, but living it?  Way cooler.  Imagine flying through space in a rocket, or jumping effortlessly from one enormous cliff to another to capture bouncing lollipops.  Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?  But not in a video game.

Then again, could be quite terrifying too.  Would you have what it takes to live some of these games that you play?  Well, Danny Lenesky is about to find out what he’s really made of.  You can listen to the podcast next Friday!