5 reasons for writing a spooky sea story for kids ...

AVAILABLE NOW!

"REASON #2: RESPONSIBILITY. Sailing your own boat is great for building self-esteem, maturity and responsibility. There's a lot to learn and remember when you sail. 

In this story, Emma, Jonah, and William Blackwell are all alone and in charge of their sailboat, Peregrine. Despite quarreling at the beginning of the story, they're forced to be mature and work together in order to survive."

Blackwells and the Briny Deep is now available! It's book 5 in the award-winning Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, horror stories for kids 9-12 (they get compared to Goosebumps quite a bit).

Why did I set a horror story at sea this time around?  

Here are the top 5 reasons: Novelty (who sails anymore?), Responsibility (lots of rules and tech on a sailboat), Vocabulary (when was the last time you said "scuppers" in casual conversation?), SEA TERRORS (obv) and Because .... Mermaids (the wonderful series illustrator Shawna Daigle, asked for a story with mermaids this time around).

Read the full 5-reasons post on the Dundurn Blog here: Blackwells at Sea

Another reason I set my story at sea? I love sailing and have sailed all my life. Here's a rare picture of me sailing Short Circuit (a C&C 27, a Canadian-made racing boat from the '70s), off Toronto Island on Lake Ontario.

The Author on Short Circuit, September 2018

Blackwells and the Briny Deep Book Trailer

MORE ABOUT Weird Stories Gone Wrong and Blackwells and the Briny Deep on This Blog