Gavin Goodfellow

Eagles Nest Christian Academy - January 19, 2010

candy — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:59:08 +0000

What a GREAT visit I had this morning with the 6th grade students at Eagles Nest Christian Academy. They have just finished reading and studying Gavin Goodfellow: The Lure of Burnt Swamp, and peppered me with questions, mostly about the characters. A hearty thanks to their teacher, Jessica Hague, for all she is doing with Gavin in the classroom!

: 6th Grade Students at Eagles Nest Christian School

Writeen Crue Weekend - January 15-17, 2010

candy — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:49:57 +0000

The entire “Writeen Crue” assembled at Brenda’s in Gambrills, MD, for our annual mentoring retreat, and it was our BEST ever. (Of course, we always say that, but it’s always true.) This year’s theme was “Character Arc,” tracing our protagonist’s growth from where he/she begins to where we will take him/her when the story is finished. We also reflected on our own character growth as individuals and as authors, quite a thought-provoking exercise.

Left to Right (front): Dale McElhinney, Nancy Rue, Winnie Kutchukian, Tim Shoemaker (Back): Dawn Moore, Floss Craig, Rosemarie DiCristo, Brenda Ulman, Joyce Magnin, Candy Abbott, Pam Halter.

Candy Abbott with Nancy Rue, our teacher extraordinaire

Of course, our weekends are not all about serious writing.

Gavin on the radio!

candy — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:21:17 +0000

Hey, thanks to Kelly Fennemore, my nephew’s new bride, I learned today (1/22/08) that . . . well, I’ll let you read it in her words:

“This morning, on the way into work, I was listening to 104.7. They apparently have a kids’ book club that they promote, and every now and then they pick a book and read a couple pages. This morning they were reading Gavin Goodfellow . . . I couldn’t believe it! I was so excited! You are a hit! :)”

The really neat thing about this is that I have no personal connection with anyone at the station. Not only that, but 104.7 plays really good music and we have programmed one of our car buttons to it. Imagine that, a Christian book getting unsolicited promotion on a secular station. Go, God!

Writeen Crue weekend retreat

candy — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:40:09 +0000

I just returned from another AMAZING “Writeen Crue” weekend retreat in Gambrills, MD. The Crue was formed in January 2003 as a mentoring weekend with Nancy Rue, an award-winning author of young adult novels and Christian fiction. The group has 11 members who gather twice a year from seven states (Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee) to refine our writing and encourage and pray for one another.

January 2009 weekend retreat in Gambrills, MD

Back to Eagles Nest!

candy — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:07:54 +0000

: 6th grade students at Eagles Nest

What a great visit I had with these students at Eagles Nest Christian Academy in Milton, DE, on Friday, December 12! This is the third class of 6th graders I’ve had a chance to interact with, and they did not disappoint me with their questions and enthusiam for Gavin. My sincere thanks to Jessica Hague for the great job she’s doing teaching Gavin in her classroom and for inviting me to meet with her students.

Letter from Bethany

candy — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:07:30 +0000

The following fan letter is awesome. Thanks so much, Bethany! I’ll answer your questions at the end of this post.

“Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons shall separate you from the loe of God.” I appreciated this passage from the book because the words conveyed the message of how God protects everyody. You showed this in your book, Gavin Goodfellowwhich opened doors to an exciting world for me. I heard about Gavin Goodfellow: The Lure of Burnt Swamp when you visited my class and discussed it. The Lure of Burnt Swamp caught my attention and kept me intrigued. While reading the book, the expression on my face showed shock and anticipation. My jaw dropped, and my eyes widened. Have you endured a spiritual experience like Gavin’s before? The vivid details allowed me to experience the same feelings the character went through. I tasted the book that Gavin’s uncle asked him to eat in his vision. When Gavin got caught in the Lodge, so did I.

I have many words to describe this book: interesting, down to earth, and suspenseful. I felt connected with both the characters and the setting. Gavin found adventures in Delaware; I live in Delaware. Why did you choose to set your book in the tiny state of Delaware? I related mostly to Molly. We both found ourselves pulled into trouble by our adventurous cousins, and we both strived to get good grades. I related well to Gavin, espcially when Molly and Eric wanted to trespass into the lodge. My cousins always wanted to do something adventurous. I knew doing it would be wrong, and I did’t want to be a part of it; I tagged along though. One time, my cousins wanted to run around the farm, climb hay bales, and wander through the woods. I knew we shouldn’t, but I went anyway. Gavin’s mom seems a lot like my dad because they both act very relaxed, but can but their foot down. Gavin’s dad reminds me of my mother because they both can be strict but for good reasons I do not always appreciate.

After reading The Lure of Burnt Swamp, I realized that we don’t always want the fate that’s forced upon us, but we must make the best of the situation. When I opened this book, the words on the pages leaped at me and I became lost in them. I appreciate spiritual fantasies because of your ability to write a touching book.

Gavin Goodfellow captivated me. The unpredictable story left me on the edge of my seat. Libraries and schools need to stock this book. I’m amazed how well written a book can be. Relating to the characters made it more enjoyable. What inspired you to write such an amazing book? I cannot wait to read the rest of the series to find out what you have in store for Gavin. If you have any tips on how to write an amazing story, I would love to hear them. Thanks for inspiring me to write.

Your devoted reader,
Bethany

Have I endured a spiritual experience like Gavin’s before? Yes, I wrote out of my own experience and have had a number of “mountain top encounters” with the Lord (the attic scene, in particular, although it was exaggerated as I didn’t see Jesus in tangible form). On the other hand, the New Age and witchcraft parts are total research.

Why did I choose to set the book in the tiny state of Delaware? Well, it goes back to writing from experience. Since this is my first attempt at fiction, I thought it best to work with familiar surroundings. Besides, the real Burnt Swamp is such an intriguing place—did you know that there really were fires that burned for long periods of time in Burnt Swamp? But, if you’ll look closely, you’ll see that, although the Eastern Shore is mentioned in the preface, I don’t really identify Delaware anywhere in the book. I wanted to leave my fictional setting vague . . . but, just as I had hoped, you recognized local landmarks. That makes it special for people who love the First State as I do.

What inspired me to write Gavin? Well, in a word, God. I was reading my grandson’s copy of the first Harry Potter book and had a fleeting thought: Somebody needs to write a Christian book that’s just this much fun to read. Immediately, three words penetrated my spirit: “You do it.” You can imagine my apprehension! I began peppering the Lord with my doubts. But Lord, I don’t know how to write fiction; I don’t know how to write for kids; I don’t know how to write fantasy . . . That’s when He reminded me that I am already doing a lot of things I didn’t know how to do because I’d been obedient in the past to the call to write and publish. When I shared the overwhelming vision with my writing friends, a number of professionals came alongside to mentor me. I studied the craft of novel writing. We brainstormed plots and subplots. They edited my many drafts over and over again. And now they’re helping me as I work through the process all over again in writing books two and three in the series.

As far as tips on how to create an amazing story, you already have a strong gift for words. I would like to invite to you participate in our writers’ group that meets once a month in Georgetown. Delmarva Christian Writers’ Fellowship is free and would be a great encouragement to you. Check out our website at www.delmarvawriters.com. We have some other young people who have been coming lately who are writing fantasy, so when you’re ready to do some creative writing, you’ll fit right in. Our group can help give you a sense of direction.

Thanks again for your amazing letter, Bethany!

Writing, writing, writing

candy — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:44:08 +0000

Like you, I can’t wait until the next Gavin book comes out! Gavin is learning all sorts of new things about the armor that God has given him. I would be interested in hearing what you have to say about the armor of God.

As for when the book will be ready, I can only say that Gavin has a big adventure to sort through. After he does that, we’ll all know when the book will be published. Please keep us in your prayers as we uncover Burnt Swamp’s secrets.

Eagles Nest Christian School - 6th Graders

candy — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:54:04 +0000

I had the most wonderful visit with two sixth grade classes at Eagles Nest Christian School on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Both classes were awesome, with questions coming from all corners. And, although I gave each student a personalized “Gavin Fan Club” packet with certificate, map, membership card, and dog tag, they wanted me to sign everything from blank sheets of paper to the palms of their hands and arms to sneakers. The only request I refused was to write my name on their forehead. A warm and enthusiastic thanks to Jessica Hague for inviting me to visit with her students.

6th grade students at Eagles Nest Christian School

Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference

candy — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:57:34 +0000

This year, I was only able to attend a half day at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference instead of the full three days, but what a power-packed time it was! Nancy Rue and thehe Writeen Crue (writing mentors who have been helping with Gavin since the beginning) had a big table together for lunch, and the workshop on marketing that Diane Cook and I presented together was energized and interactive. One of the conferees, Debi Davies, is a national educational consultant for Christian schools, so that was a real God-connection for Gavin.

Blog Interview - “Tea & Traditions”

candy — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:26:54 +0000

Mari Helms, of Tea and Traditions, Atlanta, GA, is featuring a blog interview about Gavin this week. I hope you’ll find it informative . . . if you post a comment, you may even win a free book! Visit http://teaandtraditions.blogspot.com/.