So...About Hoopla

Draft2Digital and Smashwords merged a couple of years ago, and this past month I’ve been getting notification that two middle-grade books I self-published are now available on Hoopla.

With Hoopla I borrow a lot of eBooks and audiobooks using my library card so I’m excited that the series I’ve had on Smashword will now be out to a wider audience. If your library subscribes to Hoopla, kids—even grownups—can read these for free. To tempt you, here’s what Kirkus Reviews has to say:

With fresh language, loads of perky dialogue and unpredictable characters such as witches and talking alligators, McKenzie spins a tale that isn’t just entertaining; it also offers valuable lessons, as the cast of strange characters bond around common goals: save their swampland and deter a crisis. The folksy diction and lyrical, verb-heavy storytelling will leave readers turning the pages all the way to the end, where big surprises await and the real villains are revealed.

A short, fun story that will excite both young and old imaginations.https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/c-lee-mckenzie/alligators-overhead/

ALLIGATORS OVERHEAD . THE GREAT TIME LOCK DISASTER

I’ve been playing with another book in the series to see if I have one more Pete and Weasel adventure in me. Here are the first few lines.

Chapter 1

Two dark shapes—one a bit taller and a tad skinnier than the other—crept along the chain link fence. The soft crunch of a twig brought them both to a halt.

Weasel swiveled to look back and kept his voice low. “I told you no noise.” He can be bossy, but that usually happens when he’s scared or there’s something really important happening. Tonight it’s both of these things.

“Sorry,” Pete whispered, and he crouched lower, putting a finger to his lips. 

Weasel signaled for Pete to stay close, and the two went on until they reached the entrance. This was going to be the hard part. The lab was guarded day and night, and only someone with the right badge got past the man in uniform. 

But they had a plan. It required magic, of course, and it required that Pete get that magic right. His track record was not the best, but they didn’t have a choice. They had to get inside, and they had to do it tonight. Besides, as Weasel—among others—often pointed out, Pete needed the practice.

Weasel pressed his finger against his nose, the signal they’d agreed on. It was time for Weasel to confront the guard.

Pete nodded. He had this. Or he hoped he did. He crossed his fingers behind his back and waited in the shadows.

Weasel stood where he was for a moment squaring his shoulders before walking toward the lighted gatehouse. 

A few things might happen. The guard might be talking on the phone and miss seeing Weasel altogether. If they were somewhat lucky, the guard might see Weasel and recognize the skinny, geeky son of two important scientists that worked here, and let him through. 

Of course, that meant the guard was 

1. A rotten guard, or

2. Really dumb because he hadn’t heard about what happened in the lab last night, or 

3. Asleep.

Pete crossed his fingers, hoping for number three.

Nope.

The guard’s voice was very clear. “I don’t care whose son you are. You do not have clearance, and you are not going inside.”

Dang, Pete thought. He’s not a rotten guard, he’s not dumb, and he’s not asleep.

Wish me luck. I only have ten chapters so far, and I keep being distracted.