Thursday, November 24, 2016

Three Children's books by Al E. Boy



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     The Adventures of Fawn is a ‘coming of age’ series chronicling the exploits of the precocious, young daughter of legendary reindeer, Comet and Vixen. The year is 1849, and all three tales happen in the months leading up to….but ending just before Christmas. A deadly North Pole blizzard; a fierce, hungry arctic wolf;  a scheming sea captain capturing animals to take to a New York City zoo; an evil former elf princess out to destroy the pendulum that enables Santa and company to live for hundreds of years; the trials and tribulations young Kristoff Kringle faced before he became the icon of Christmas; and a conniving stranger with a magic stone determined to steal Santa’s reindeer team …all of this and more await the young reindeer and her companions.


  

Children's Books 
Date(s) Published: 
Book 1: September 21, 2014
Book 2: July 4, 2015
Book 3: August 18, 2016


BOOK EXCERPTS for Book Blogs and Reviews

Excerpt #1 from ‘Til the Last Snowflake Falls

     Today was going to be the day!

     Fawn had it all planned out. The young reindeer would wait until her dad and mum, Comet and Vixen, came home to the stable, and she was going to calmly explain how unhappy she was.

     Sure…she’d mentioned it before, (more like every other day), but each time her bad mood had gotten the better of her and she’d wound up arguing with her parents. Each time they had told her she wasn’t old enough…not mature enough…to be going out on her own.

     Fawn had often pondered over their words.

     Not mature enough?!

     She wasn’t exactly sure what that meant…but just the same she didn’t like the sound of it!

     I think it’s like saying I’m still a baby! Darnit! I’m four and a half months old!!

     Fawn was convinced fun…excitement….maybe even friends could be hers to enjoy if she was free to explore the world outside Santa’s Village.

     I blew it those other times by getting too excited. If I can plainly and calmly explain to mum and dad how bored and lonely I amhow I need some friendssurely they’ll see how much I’ve changedhow much more ‘mature’ I am nowwhatever that means! I’ll wait for them to come homeand then I’ll show them.

     Yes, indeed! She had it all planned out!

     But sometimes even the best laid plans can fall apart.



Excerpt #2 from ‘Til the Last Snowflake Falls

     How long they wandered in the blizzard, they didn’t know. Fawn slipped and hurt her injured leg. It began to throb and hurt a great deal. Walking on it was becoming more painful with every step she took.

     The falling snow was making her back very wet, and very slippery. Bunny fell off again, and again, and again. Try as she might, it became much too difficult for her to stay on for very long.

     As Bunny slipped off yet again, Fawn saw the look of fear and frustration in her eyes.

     “Let’s try this.” she shouted.

     With her teeth, Fawn gently grabbed Bunny by the scruff of her neck. She carried her that way, as they struggled through the cold, biting wind and drifting snow.

     Hanging from her friend’s mouth, Bunny watched as her leg bandage came undone. Then, it went flying off in the wind. She saw it bounce into a drift or two. Then, it disappeared in the dizzying whiteness of snow, which blew like a hurricane around them.

     “Fawn! Your bandage just came off!”

     “There’s nothing much I can do about that!” answered Fawn, doing her best not to drop Bunny as she called out. “Right now…a bandage coming off is the least of my worries!”

     A voice in Fawn’s head seemed to be shouting at her, taunting her, “Is this enough excitement for you?! Do you still not care how dangerous it is?”

     Fawn wanted to argue back, “But I’m just a kid! I was bored! Sometimes kids say stupid things! Sometimes kids say things they don’t mean!”

     But at that moment, Fawn understood words once said, cannot be unsaid. She tried her best to shut out the voice. She had enough trouble at the moment.

     “I—I—I’m freezing!” Bunny cried. “I’m s-s-sorry Fawn!!”

     “Why? What for?” Fawn mumbled as she tried to hold onto Bunny.

     “It was my idea to go out looking for clues! I made you break your promise. Now…we’re probably going to die in this blizzard.”

     Bunny almost slipped from her grasp, as Fawn scolded her, “Stop that! Don’t talk like that! Don’t even think like that! Everything is going to be fine! Just remember…together…until the last snowflake faaallll—”

     Suddenly, with Bunny still clenched in her teeth, Fawn was tumbling down a steep slope. Head over hooves she rolled and rolled. She never lost her grip on her little friend until they came to an abrupt stop at the bottom of the hill. Bunny flew from her mouth, up into the snowy air.

     “Aahh!” Fawn cried out in fear. “Bunny!”

     She was lying in the snow, unable to move, and then suddenly Fawn felt something land on her belly. It was Bunny! But, she wasn’t moving! She just lay there…silent and motionless.

     “Bunny! Bunny? Are you alright? Speak to me! Bunny!!”

     She was too weak to raise herself to check on her friend. The sound of her voice was lost in the roaring winds. Tears rolled down her cheeks, as she looked at Bunny lying helplessly on her belly.

     “Oh…Bunny!” she murmured through her tears.

     Then, she saw shadows approaching. She could hear voices…but couldn’t make out who they were

     Foddle? Snowman? 

     But, she couldn’t see…and she couldn’t stay awake any longer.



Excerpt #1 from Book 2- The Ona Pendulum

     It was at that very moment…something very strange occurred.

     Santa and Wajic suddenly became motionless, and their faces appeared in energized broken patterns…almost like shattered, electrified pieces of glass. Every angle of the fractured pattern sputtered and flashed likenesses of them……but each one different. In some they looked younger…and in others, older…….and older still.

     Fawn, Bunny, Snowboy and Doctor Weather were all quite surprised and taken aback. They had absolutely no idea what was happening…or what they should do. The only choice they had was to stand there powerlessly watching.

     Then, just as suddenly as it began, it stopped.

     Looking a bit overwhelmed, everyone just stood there…watching Santa and Wajic.

     “Are you alright?” asked Fawn.

     “Yes…perfectly fine.” Santa answered. He noticed the concerned looks on everyone’s face, and added, “Why do you ask?”

     The Doctor explained, “Well…something just happened a moment ago. Very odd! You didn’t notice? You didn’t feel anything?”

     Wajic stretched his arms and yawned.

     “Come to think of it…I am a little tired all of a sudden.”

     Santa brought a gloved hand up to cover his mouth, as he also yawned.

     “Me, too! Hmmm. That’s very strange! What was it you saw?”

     Fawn, Bunny, Snowboy and Doctor Weather gave them the details of what they’d seen, and with each piece of information, Wajic looked more and more worried.

     Santa noticed.

     “What is it, old friend?”

     “I’m not quite sure, Kris. It could be nothing…or….it could be something! When we get back to the Village, I’ll head to my workshop and look into it.”

     As he yawned a second time, Santa said, “Let’s just hope it’s nothing serious.”



Excerpt #2 from Book 2- The Ona Pendulum

     The young reindeer’s chest suddenly felt tight, and she felt she might faint as she saw a faint gasp of air escape Bunny’s lips. And then, her little chest stopped moving.

     “NO! Bunny! Bunny! Don’t…………..leave me!”

     She was frantic as she crawled across the dirt floor of the cavern to Barney and Bert.

     “Barney!! Bunny’s not—”

     But she stopped when she saw Barney and Bert were no longer breathing, as well.

     She hung her head and huge teardrops fell from her big doe eyes. Her heart was palpitating and she was quivering. She couldn’t believe it could end this way.

     Nonot like this! This isn’t fair! How could we make it this faronly to lose anyway?

     Fawn lay on her side and her body literally trembled as a flood of unstoppable tears began to fall.

     And then, a bright glow emanated from the area of the throne. Though her vision was blurred from her tears, Fawn managed to get to her feet and peered toward the light as an apparition slowly came into view. Ever-so-gradually it became clearer and clearer until she recognized who it was.

     “Atch?”

     Although he was rather transparent, and more of an outline than a true semblance of himself, he was undeniably Atch. He casually walked toward Fawn, smiling warmly and holding out his hand. As he neared her, he reached out and stroked her head.

     He spoke softly, and kindly, in his high-pitched voice.

     “Do not grieve, little one. Help is on the way this very moment.”

     Through her tears, Fawn blurted, “But….it’s….too……….late!”

     “Faith, child. Have faith! But…you’ll need to remember one word.”

     Fawn’s ears perked up, and she looked at him quizzically.

     “A word? What word?”

     Atch smiled impishly at her and answered, “Yes….just one word. Vita.”

     “Vita? That’s it?”



Excerpt #1 from Book 3-Far And Yet So Near

     “A little snow shouldn’t be a problem, eh?” Doctor Weather called out to Foddle.

     For the umpteenth time, she brushed snow off Hutch that probably measured a couple of inches thick.

     Foddle looked at a loss for words, as he flicked snow off his beard and face.

     “What can I say?” he replied. “How could I have known?”

     Bunny was completely covered in snow, and shouted angrily at Snowboy, “A little snow never hurt anybody! Isn’t that what you said?”

     Snowboy couldn’t think of anything to say, except, “I’m sorry! Really! I am!”

     He took a moment to look down at himself and then blurted out, “Hey! I think I’m getting bigger again!”

     Once again, Bunny pointed a paw at him. “Stop that!!”

     Snow was falling so heavily, it was difficult for anyone to even see the end of the dog teams.

     Perched on Fawn’s back, Bunny cleaned snow off herself as best she could, and shook her head disgustedly.

     “A drop-off into nothingness…Hangnail Pass…a Bridge with a mind of its own…playing ‘catch-up’ with a bunch of wandering reindeer…and now a heavy snowfall! What’s next? An earthquake?!”

     Fawn’s eyebrows came down heavy over her eyes as she looked at her friend.

     “Shh! Don’t say that! Don’t even think it! When folks say ‘Things could be worse!’...you’re not supposed to help things get that way!”



Excerpt #2 from Book 3-Far And Yet So Near

     Camilla seemed to be having a fairly good day, and had just finished her fourth game of checkers with Fawn.

     “Wow! We’re tied! Are you up for one more….to see who the winner is?”

     Fawn felt relieved her friend was in good spirits and accepted the challenge.

     Camilla was setting up the checker board, and was just putting the last checkers in place when she suddenly turned her head thoughtfully toward Fawn. Her emotions came to the fore, as they silently sat looking at one another, and a single teardrop escaped her eye to run down her cheek.

     In a soft, sincere voice that sounded almost pleading, she said, “Don’t forget me.”

     All at once, the young reindeer felt short of breath, and she blinked a few times. She knew what Camilla was doing…what she was saying…and she didn’t want to hear it. She would rather have been cooped up in her stable stall all day than have to face the fact her friend was dying. She’d rather be anywhere else, than here….by Camilla’s bedside….having this conversation.

     But they were having this conversation…and Fawn was her friend. Apparently…her only friend!

     It suddenly dawned on her that in the eight weeks she’d been at the Fleming’s home, Fawn had never seen one friend come to call on Camilla. She didn’t know the reason why…but for some reason, this charming little girl was friendless…save for her.

     Fawn came to Camilla’s side and nuzzled her head against her arm. Then she stepped back…unsure of what to say or do.

     What would Mum or Dad say?

     In an instant…the right words came to her.

     “If I should forget you….it would be like I have forgotten how to breathe.”

     For a long time, they stayed like that…close enough to feel each other’s love…and far enough away to not break down and cry. Camilla’s tired eyes glistened with tears, and she bit down on her bottom lip, as she beckoned Fawn nearer. All the reindeer could think of doing was lay her head in her friend’s lap, and just feel her presence.

     Fawn looked up and told her, “My friends at the North Pole and I have a saying. It always seemed rather cute and charming before. But now…it hurts me so when I think of the words.”

     Softly stroking her head, Camilla asked, “What is this saying you and your friends have?”

     “Friends…..’til the last snowflake falls.”

     The girl could feel Fawn’s head tremble as she broke down in tears, and she tried her best to fight the urge to do the same.

     “You and your friends have a wonderful saying. It really means that you’ll love each other forever.”

     Fawn lifted her head up, and stared into Camilla’s eyes.

     “You……..are my friend…too! You’ll always have a place in my heart….until the very last snowflake falls. And ever after as well!”

     As Camilla hugged Fawn tightly, she whispered, “Thank you.”

     Standing at the doorway, unnoticed, Roberta handed a clean handkerchief to Mrs. Fleming, holding one back for herself. Then, they quietly stepped back from the doorway, leaned against the corridor wall and cried.

 
     Through almost 40 years as a Santa Claus, Al E. Boy developed quite a repertoire of tales to explain and answer the many questions children ask about Santa, the North Pole, his reindeer, and his friends, the elves.
     It was this collection of tales which prompted him to begin writing The Adventures of Fawn. Through the young daughter of legendary reindeer Comet and Vixen, he's been able to weave an exciting, colorful, imaginative world which will delight readers of all ages!
     Mr. Boy not only hopes you enjoy these tales, but make reading them part of your Christmas traditions, as well.

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