Hi guys!
Welcome back to round two, here on Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers...where we celebrate the insatiable reader in you!
Next up, we've got our sights set on a Young Adult Fiction novel filled with magic, mystery, and a story most curious. From the cover to the "about", it's not a book easy to forget, and really, why would you want to? The more the merrier, and this title definitely sounds like a merry sort to add to the old TBR, so KEEP READING to check out the introductions, and then READ SOME MORE as we share a special GUEST POST from the author too!
Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone
by
J.T. Michaels
9781778035203
About the book...
Author J.T. Michaels brings a fantasy tale of an ancient war, a modern-day murder mystery, mystical creatures, and memorable characters in his masterfully written young adult novel, Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone.
The Great War ended a century ago. Peace reigns across the eight countries. Epic tales of heroic men and women of those times are recounted in song and story. Yet, history seems to have forgotten a young battlefield healer, Tessa Marlise…
Sixteen-year-old Jimmy Chartron has just enrolled at the Navale Academy of Eagleon, his mind set on becoming an electrician. A chance magical encounter binds him to the trapped soul of Tessa Marlise. As Jimmy struggles to deal with this shocking development, murder and mystery unravel in the academy. Caught in the middle of everything, Jimmy realizes that a larger evil is afoot and that only two things can stop it: himself and the ghost in his head…
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~~~ GUEST POST ~~~
The Art of Combining Genres in a Novel for Kids
with Author J.T. Michaels
Is there really an art of combining genres in a children’s book? Probably. I’m still learning, but I thought I’d share some thoughts.
For me, the whole purpose of the novel is to entertain while having some semblance of realism that will keep your readers grounded. I try to remind myself that there should be a quantity of fancy for your readers to float but laced with enough truth to keep them from flying. At least, that’s what I tried to do when I wrote Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone.
There are several genres that are woven into Jimmy’s story: a fantasy adventure, a murder mystery, and a ghost story. The main thrust of the novel, though, is a boy beginning his journey from a sheltered upbringing into manhood. So, at its heart, Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone is a coming-of-age novel. Everything else serves this purpose: to form situations where Jimmy is forced to grow.
It’s a delicate balance and I often found myself rewriting scenes to make them feel suitable for Jimmy’s age. For instance, if I had overblown the mystery aspect of the novel, Jimmy would have assumed more of a detective role. The way I saw it, this would have run into two issues: either Jimmy would have to be extremely intelligent and/or street-smart, or the main villain would have to be dumbed down. Either choice didn’t feel realistic to me. I wanted Jimmy to be relatable. Really, who solves murder mysteries at sixteen years of age?
Instead, the murder simply raises an opportunity for Jimmy’s world to expand. As Jimmy attempts to solve the mystery—not quite successfully, I might add—he dives into a fantastic world of adventure where he is continuously challenged to learn and grow. Again, it’s about Jimmy’s growth. So, what about the ghost aspect of the story?
Every main character needs a mentor. Harry Potter had Dumbledore, Frodo had Gandalf—yes, he lost that one-third of the way, but still—and Percy Jackson had Chiron. The one area where Jimmy Chartron differentiates itself from the other stories is the duration that the mentor has with our protagonist. Dumbledore would phase in and out of Harry’s story, leaving Harry to deal with challenging situations himself. Same with the others. I wanted Jimmy’s relationship with Tessa, the ghost, to be different. Rather than appearing throughout the novel at random points and leaving Jimmy to amazingly overcome challenging obstacles himself, having Tessa as a ghost allowed Jimmy to have his personal guide whenever and wherever.
This not only allows Jimmy to confront challenges with a grown-up’s help (which, to me, seems more realistic), but it also gives him the opportunity to reflect on past events. Throughout the novel, Tessa constantly gives Jimmy advice and criticism at the right moments, which helps develop Jimmy as a person. And don’t we all need strong feedback from time to time?
So, if I were to give anyone advice on mashing multiple genres together, it would be this: have one main genre, and everything else must support it. And that main genre should support your protagonist’s trajectory. It’s like building a pyramid out of genres. At the end of the day, everything leads up to a single point: your protagonist.
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About the author...
Author J.T. Michaels has always loved storytelling, no matter the medium. Being immersed in a different world, whether it’s through books or video games, has also been an obsession for him. Years after writing for his school magazine, he discovered he wanted to create his own worlds for readers, and his journey to fantasy writing began with Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone, the first volume in his epic fantasy series.
J.T. gets inspiration for his books from everything around him, incorporating his friends as character ideas to make his stories as relatable and realistic as possible. He hopes his young readers come away from his stories having escaped from the real world for a bit and with a spark of magic that lasts long after the book is closed.
When he isn’t writing enchanting fantasy novels for teens, J.T. enjoys running and spending time outside in the sunshine and hunkering down in a bookstore or library on rainy days. He lives in British Columbia, Canada, where he likes to indulge in a great cup of coffee. Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone is his debut novel, the first in a planned fantasy trilogy.
For more information, visit https://www.jtmichaels.ca/.
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Enter for a chance to win a Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone prize pack!
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
The Comfy Couch Reader Prize Pack
- Two Alice in Wonderland throw covers
- A side lamp with a unique horse stencil design
-A signed copy of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
The Books and Beverage Lover Prize Pack
- A Jimmy Chartron mug
-A Magic Mug with 3 Reveal Characters
-A signed copy of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone
Three (3) winners receive:
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Special thanks to Bianca at The Children's Book Review for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the author for the guest post. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher, this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour for more bookish fun!
TOUR SCHEDULE
Monday, July 18, 2022
A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
A Growing Readers Podcast interview with author J.T. Michaels
Wednesday, July 20, 2022
A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone
Thursday, July 21, 2022
A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone
Friday, July 22, 2022
A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone
Thursday, July 28, 2022
An article by author J.T. Michaels
Friday, July 29, 2022
A book giveaway of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone
Monday, August 1, 2022
An Instagram Video Review
Tuesday, August 2, 2022
An article by author J.T. Michaels
Wednesday, August 3, 2022
A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone
Thursday, August 4, 2022
A book review of Jimmy Chartron and the Lost Keystone
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
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