Question: Who is the intended audience?
Answer: This is the first book in a series of magical adventures for ages 9-12.

Q: What is the book about?
A: When Grandma Emma signed up for cooking school, she never realized that she was actually learning magic. Her first recipe, to clean the dog, turns her small black and white dog, Domino, pink and green. When she tries a recipe for more days in the week, the formula expands and spills onto the kitchen rug. As she bends to clean up the mess, her pink and green dog jumps up onto her, causing her to fall through the rug.

Q: Why are you the best person to write this book?
A: I am a grandmother of six, who enjoys going on adventures with my own grandchildren. Although the adventures in Through the Rug have come from my imagination, Alyssa is my granddaughter and she is the star of her own adventure.

Q: How is this book different from other books on this topic?
A: The main difference between Through the Rug and other magical adventures is my character, Grandma Emma. It is unusual for a visit to Grandma’s house to turn into an adventure. Adventures in Wishville are a shared secret between Alyssa and her grandmother.

Q: Is there anything else we should know about this book?
A: Come along with Grandma Emma, her ten-year-old granddaughter Alyssa, and her dog Domino as they fall through the rug. They find themselves in the land of Wishville, where all wishes are granted. They encounter fish that dance, an amusement park where they can ride every ride for free, a reception where they can eat as much as they wish, without getting full, and every kind of adventure you can imagine.

Through the Rug is available on Amazon.com. A portion of this books proceeds have been donated to The Literacy Action Center.

Through the Rug 2: Follow that Dog is also available on Amazon.
Look for my Through the Rug 2: Follow that Dog video trailer on YouTube and Metecafe.

Question: Who is the intended audience?
Answer: The publisher places The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley in the 8-13 age category; Amazon places it in 9-12 category because they have no 8-13.

I actually wrote it for young adults but geared it for adults, too, as Harry Potter was written. It’s proving to be quite popular with adults––men and women alike––so the book is spanning the generations. Children from all cultures will love the good TOONIES for their fun-loving natures and the bad TOONIES for the excitement and havoc they create. In fact, children around the world will enjoy the entire book because in this computer-generated age everyone wants to learn more about Silicon Valley.

Q: What is the book about?
A: Toonies is a sci-fi fantasy adventure about cartoon characters who reside inside a Silicon Valley boy’s computer. The good TOONIES escape into our world and are soon followed by the bad TOONIES (ape-bird characters with an evil leader who wants to take over computer companies for their ink supplies which is their food source). They lay seige to “Orange Computer” (satire of Apple, of course), but the Valley is saved by the boy, his friends and parents. Steve “The Woz” Wozniak, the real-life co-founder of Apple Computer, gets involved and helps rid the world of the bad TOONIES. 

Q: Why are you the best person to write this book?
A: I’m the only person who could write this book because the characters sprang to life through my imagination. There are no other characters like them in any book.

My experience with computers helps too; I’ve used computers since 1984 when I bought one of the first Macintoshes. Other reasons I am the “best one” to write this book: because I had a “romp” creating the characters and I love them; I understand children, having six myself; I know Silicon Valley well, having lived there for forty years; and because, as a career journalist, I grew tired of writing “facts,” so I welcomed the opportunity to write fiction and to give my imagination full rein. To learn more about me, visit my website (now under construction): http://bettydravisauthor.googlepages.com/

Q: How is this book different from other books on this topic?
A: This is a unique book with no others like it on the market; to my knowledge it’s the first where cartoon characters come to life and escape into our world. Readers will be surprised at how these ingenious “humanoid” kids use “good old chicken-noodle soup” to round-up the rogue TOONIES in order to send them back inside the computer. Another first is that Steve “The Woz” Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer, graciously gave permission for me to use him as a speaking character in this book.

Here is why Jennifer Wardrip, owner of TeensReadToo.com, thinks TOONIES is so “different.”:

” … This is a great science-fiction fantasy story for kids of all ages, or for those who are young at heart. Although the story of good versus evil has been told thousands of time, it’s never been told quite like this. You’ll appreciate Ms. Dravis’ insight into the behind-the-scenes workings of a young teenager’s mind, and laugh-out-loud at the humorous scenarios her humans and Toonies find themselves in. This story is a real winner!”

Q: Is there anything else we should know about this book?
A: TOONIES is in many libraries across the country and has five-star reviews from MidWest Book Review, Kids Read Too and many other prestigious reviewers. One mainstream author wrote that TOONIES is “already a cult classic”; many reviewers suggest that TOONIES would make a “great animated movie”; and one well-respected reviewer had this to say about my book:

” … Between the unique description of the Mischief Makers, and the distinctive “good guys,” it was reminiscent of some of Baum’s magnificent creations in his classic Oz series. … “ – T. Burger, Top 500 Amazon Reviewer

Also, this is the first in a series; I’m currently working on the second book, titled The Toonies Invade New York.

Question: Who is the intended audience?
Answer: Ages sixteen to infinity: this is a book which can superficially capture readers from ages sixteen up with fast action and suspense, but clings to an older audience with humor.

Q: What is the book about?
A: This book ranges from a tale of aliens living concealed on Earth, to brainwashed alien assassins who don’t realize they’re aliens, to lost royals having to decide whether it’s better to go back and claim their rather stagnant heritage, or continue to flounder—but have fun—on Earth.

Q: Why are you the best person to write this book?
A: I trained in science, and consider life a fantasy. Gilded Folly negotiates the weaving path in-between. I’ve written quite a bit of fantasy, action, and suspense, always with a scientific edge. Chills and thrills are what I enjoy creating most.

Q: How is this book different from other books on this topic?
A: I don’t believe there are other books on this topic. It is unique.

Q: Is there anything else we should know about this book?
A: Gilded Folly is neither deep, nor thought-provoking. It is, however, most enjoyable for those with a sharp mind and keen wit. GF was my eighteenth published novel.