BookElves Anthology Volume 1 / Princelings Publications (ePub)

the age of ten, I entertained my three younger brothers and their friends with serialized tales of children undertaking dangerous and exciting exploits, which they survived through courage and ingenuity (of course!). Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and skeletons leaping out of coffins were hot favourites in the cast of characters that populated “Gruesome Gables” where all these adventures were played out. We also acted out the stories for my long-suffering parents, whom I see now were remarkably tolerant of my budding thespian and script-writing talents!

I graduated from the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, with a double first in my B.A. (French & Drama). After completing my Honors in Drama at Natal, I then went to the University of the Witwatersrand to do my Masters degree in French-African literature. I also studied drama at The Drama Studio in London and mime at L’Ecole Jacques le Coq in Paris. Upon my return to South Africa, I immersed myself in teaching drama at community centres, and became involved in producing community and grassroots theatre with local playwrights and performers in Natal for several years.

A move to Johannesburg took me in a new direction—that of journalism. I have written freelance for the last fifteen years on everything from serial killers to relationship advice (making me a popular dinner guest to revive any flagging conversations). Writing a children’s book— The Secret of the Sacred Scarab—-was an unexpected step, inspired by a trip to Egypt. The tale of the sacred scarab began life as a little anecdotal tale for my 2 nephews (then 10 and 12), who had accompanied me on the Egyptian trip. We had a marvellous time and it truly was the catalyst in changing my career. This short story grew into a children’s book, the first in the adventure series, Chronicles of the Stone. The book has done well, even though the young heroes are South African, and has already garnered impressive indie award nominations.

I've already finished in the next book in the series—-The Search for the Stone of Excalibur-—a huge treat for young King Arthur fans (and older ones as well). Look out for Book 3: The Search Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper.

I became a writer in the third grade, when my best friend started the illustrious Cat Courier and needed reporters to capture feline news around the Jeffersonville, Indiana neighborhoods where we lived. We sold copies up and down the block for 5 cents each.

I've held a few jobs since then. I've been a camp counselor, ESL instructor in Japan, and a registered nurse who has worked critical care, transplant, and surgical recovery. The only job I've ever been fired from was my brief stint as a short order breakfast cook -- I've never been able flip fried eggs over easy without breaking the yolks.

Now I live in Texas with my husband and two sons, a Labrador named Bowzer and a cat named Mews, who all keep me laughing. We spend a lot of time looking for homework and lost keys under the books that clutter our house.

Wendy Leighton-Porter devotes her time to writing books for children after 20 years of teaching French, Latin and Classical studies. Shadows from the Past is a series of time-travel adventure stories, featuring three children and a rather special Tonkinese cat. She is currently working on the ninth book in the series, The Shadow of the Two Princes.

Sandra Smith grew up on a farm with a tremendously large garden. She maintains that if you can't taste the soil on a carrot, it's not fresh enough. Although she now lives with her husband and two elderly cats in the city, she still manages to grow fruit and vegetables on their lot, as well as tend to a couple of egg-laying and friendly hens.

Smith has been writing since she could hold a pencil, although the lettering she left on her grandmother's books sometimes contained a reverse capital R. In high school, she won awards for her poetry and short stories, and later was an editor on her college newspaper. Upon graduating with a degree in Communication Arts, Smith accepted a job at a small newspaper in eastern Oregon. She later declined the offer, choosing instead to teach English in China. Though she had an idea for a novel or memoir back then, the only writing produced were the many letters home detailing her exploits to friends and relatives.

After China, Smith spent many years teaching in private and public schools, filling hoards of notebooks with her writing--though mostly lesson plans. Along the way, she has written essays, newspaper articles, children's books, and poetry, very little of which she bothered to publish.

Smith is the author of the Seed Savers series, a middle grade/YA series set in a future where gardening is illegal and real food unknown. She gardens and writes at her home in the beautiful and green Pacific Northwest.

Ben’s storytelling adventures started as a Production Assistant on the set of the film, A River Runs Throught It. After forgetting to bring the crew’s walkie talkies, losing Robert Redford’s jacket and asking Brad Pitt if he was related to Paul Newman (in front of Paul Newman) he decided that film production didn’t “speak” to him. Since no one else on the set would speak to him either he knew he needed to find work that required minimal human contact.

Writing.

THAT he could do.

So he wrote Film and TV scripts for a few years, saw a couple produced and then made a lateral leap, which looked more like a clumsy stumble, into videogames (this was back when they’d take anyone who could say “joystick” without laughing).
He enjoyed it. But even with millions of people playing his games online, he yearned for the writing life and so abandoned lateral leaps and clumsy stumbles and decided to belly flop into the life of an Auror. Wait, that’s not right. Author.

His two series, Shirley Link and The Camelot Kids appeal to young and old alike. Emily Neuburger of Parents.com says, “[Shirley Link] is an amazing series!” and Julie Ann Grasso (author of the Adventure of Caramel Cardamom books) says The Camelot Kids will “leave you clutching onto your Kindle.” Stephen King says, “I’m not providing blurbs at this time,” but Ben is chipping away at King’s resolve.

Ben is currently working on the next Shirley Link story (Shirley Link & The Party Poopers), The Camelot Kids: Book Two and a new Sci-Fi series titled Atticus. He's taken up the writerly life in the Forbidden Forest at 42.5098° N, 72.6995° W.

He's about to begin teaching classes in digital marketing at New York's School of Visual Arts MFA Visual Narrative program in Summer, 2015.

Sign up for Ben Zackheim's newsletter and enjoy peeks at his upcoming releases at http://www.benzackheim.com