Come in and sit down. A little cooler in Texas these days so you might want a cup of hot tea. I’m thrilled to have authors Anne Rothman-Hicks and Ken HIcks back for a visit. You’ll love them.
Now, let’s get to know them a little better.
When Anne Rothman was a student at Bryn Mawr College and Kenneth Hicks was a student at Haverford College, they began writing together in an independent-study course with one of Ken’s professors. A brief interlude ensued while Anne wrote wonderful poetry and Ken wrote a book about hitchhiking (The Complete Hitchhiker Tobey Publishing, Dell Distribution), but they soon got back together as writers when Ken was in law school at Columbia University and Anne was paying the rent by working in publishing. They have continued to write together for about forty years and, in that time, have published four adult novels, eleven non-fiction books for children, two fiction books for tweens, three fiction books for middle readers, and two photography books. They also produced three children whom they love even more than writing.
Their most recent book is Remembering Thomas, a sequel to Things Are Not What They Seem, both published by MuseItYoung, and available in all formats. Their three middle reader novels are Stone Faces, Brownstone Faces, and Splotch also published by MuseItYoung. Their previous adult novels are Kate and the Kid, a mainstream novel, and Weave A Murderous Web, Praise Her, Praise Diana, and Mind me, Milady, all mystery thrillers featuring Jane Larson.
Jennifer and James and their two friends, Kaytlyn and Sleepy, step through a time portal in the vicinity of modern-day Kips Bay, New York City, and find themselves in the middle of a Revolutionary War battle. Their purpose is to stop the evil Malman, who wants to change the course of history by altering an event that occurred at the Battle of Harlem Heights. Their task is complicated by a bumbling man, Arthur Whitehair, who was turned into a pigeon by the misreading of a spell many years before.
During the course of twenty-four hours, the foursome meets the genteel Mary Murray and her daughter, Susannah, credited with delaying the British and allowing the rebels to escape. They share the camp of Margaret Corbin, who fought with the rebels and was injured. Their lives are saved by swashbuckling Major Aaron Burr. They encounter Thomas Knowlton the hero of Bunker Hill who died at the battle of Harlem Heights. And, finally, Jennifer discovers the joys and pain of first love with Frederick Knowlton, the sixteen-year-old son of Thomas.
Remembering Thomas is a sequel to Things Are Not What They Seem. As in that novel, the four friends learn lessons about love, friendship, and self-sacrifice.
Links to Remembering Thomas and Things Are Not What They Seem
Remembering Thomas Amazon page: https://tinyurl.com/yavkyhyr
Things Are Not What They Seem Amazon page: https://tinyurl.com/ybhhepmy
Anne’s Amazon Page: https://tinyurl.com/y88wcdnb
Ken’s Amazon Page: https://tinyurl.com/ybkd3lw7
Our Blog: http://randh71productions.com/blog/
MuseItUp Publishing Bu Link: https://tinyurl.com/y73u3n63
The experts say that a person should write about what he or she know best, and we do that in our books for children and young adults.
We have lived in New York City for almost 45 years, and we certainly have seen our fair share of pigeons. So maybe it was inevitable that one day Anne and I should be sitting in a playground with pigeons all around searching for food, and fantasize that one of those pigeons was actually a 135-year-old man named Arthur Whitehair, who had been turned into a pigeon because he read a magic spell wrong. And if we accept that convention, Arthur might now be threatened by a man who had been turned into a hawk by Arthur’s mistake as well. For all these reasons, Arthur might have asked for the help of Jennifer, a young girl babysitting for her younger brother in that very playground. In this way, bits and pieces of the story evolved into Things Are Not What They Seem. Throughout, the point is made that appearances cannot always be trusted. Arthur was a lovable type, but somewhat selfish on occasion, who created enormous problems for Jennifer and her brother, James, and their two friends, and put them all in grave danger. Kirkus Reviews called our novel: “A learned, laugh-out-loud New York City fantasy for all ages.”
So, how about a sequel? Over the years, we had done a lot of reading for another novel we were writing that included aspects of the Revolutionary War in New York City, and the series of battles that took place in Manhattan. We decided to have Jennifer and James and their friends slip back through a time warp to find themselves in a Manhattan of centuries before, full of green fields, farms and forests. In this book, there are also scenes from the Battle of Manhattan with cannonballs flying through the air from ships anchored in the East River and British soldiers coming ashore to fight. Once again, Arthur was the cause of the problems these child heroes faced, and the fast-moving plot includes characters who actually played a part in that chapter of American history. The name of this novel is Remembering Thomas, and its major theme is the importance of remembering and honoring the people who have gone before us and who have made sacrifices on our behalf.
We hope you will read either or both of these books!
Thanks for stopping by, you guys! Enjoyed the visit.
When my husband and I first married, our Christmases were always last minute things. We didn’t plan ahead. We’d brace ourselves, dash out to the mall and be swept up in the melee along with everyone else. We were young and had lots of energy, so we didn’t mind.
Not to brag, but I used to be really good at multi-tasking. I could cook a meal, remember to switch the clothes from washer to dryer, talk on the phone, make my grocery list and keep an eye on the kids—and all at the same time.
It’s almost time for school to start. The days are getting shorter. There’s a slight change in the weather–a hint of fall perhaps. I’m so ready. 
When my sisters and I were little, sometimes my parents let us stay up late to watch an old black and white classic. Other times they took us to the drive-in. There we piled into the back seat in our pajamas with pillows and blankets, watching a double feature.
Prepare time: 30 min
If I want to be successful as a writer, I must understand what makes my characters tick. Strengths, weaknesses. Things that make them happy or sad. Whatever motivates them. Including their fears.
Susan A. Royal 