Only 29 More Days

Less Than 30 Days

Coming March 1, 2011

Why count sheep when you can read about their adventures?

The Quest of the Warrior Sheep

Authors: Christine & Christopher Russell
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
(February 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 140225511X
ISBN-13: 978-1402255113

Synopsis



A silver object falls mysteriously from the sky and lands on Sal, a matronly Southdown ewe who lives happily with her sheep friends on Eppingham Farm. The sheep are convinced that an ancient ovine prophecy is being fulfilled. They must go North (so to Scotland, perhaps?), on a mission to aid Lord Aries, Sheep of all Sheepdom, Ram of Rams, in his battle against the powers of darkness in the shape of Lambad the Bad. Thus the Eppingham Posse of Rare Breed Warriors is born. In fact, the silver object is a mobile phone, dropped from a hot air balloon by Luke and Neil, who have been stealing bank money over the Internet. They need that phone back to hide the evidence. And a couple of woolbags aren't going to stand in their way! The chase is on...

After reading this book, you'll never look at sheep in the same way again.

Comments from readers:
 
"I loved this book from the first chapter to the last." -John Lloyd, The Bookbag
"Hilarious crime caper involving a gang of sheep and a mobile phone...what more could you ask for?" -Books Monthly


"...The most unlikely of all epic adventure novels you will ever come across." -James, Kid's Compass


About the Author



Christopher Russell was a mail man when he had his first radio play broadcast in 1975, having given up a job in the civil service to do shift work and have more daytime hours for writing. Since 1980, he has been a full-time television and radio script writer, and, more recently a children's novelist. His wife Christine has always been closely involved with his work, storylining and script editing, and has television credits of her own. High Hooves is the first book they have written together. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

I received an uncorrected advance copy from the publisher for this post

A Unique Aviation & Space Museum

Today I’m excited to introduce you to a unique air and space museum that you may never have heard about. The only reason I know of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is because my brother Donn lives in the area and volunteers as a guide each week.

The museum is located in McMinnville, Oregon and is rapidly becoming a destination attraction that will have it’s own lodge, water park, IMAX Theater, air museum, space museum, and much, much more.

For example, the original Spruce Goose, built entirely of wood due to wartime restrictions on metals, is located at the museum. It was built by the famous Howard Hughes.
(Photo from their web site)


The planned water park will include a variety of aquatic features, from play fountains for the little ones to a scream-inducing 62-foot slide out of the belly of a 747.

And the museum campus is hard to miss…it has the building with a full sized Boeing 747 on the roof!!!
(Photo from their web site)
Evergreen is an excellent place to learn about aviation, space exploration, and the history of America; all the way from the Wright Brothers to the Space Shuttle.
You can learn more on their web site at http://www.evergreenmuseum.org/


It's an education in aviation even if you only do it online.

Location:
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
500 Northeast Captain Michael King Smith Way,
McMinnville, OR 97128
(503) 434-4180


If you visit, and are lucky enough that it’s on a day when Donn Anderson is guiding tours, you’re in for an extra great experience. And Donn is a person who has always loved to read.

Barney and the Runaway releases on March 1

Pre-order NOW on Amazon

Barney and the Runaway is my next book to be published. it's the first book that will be released by Comfort Publishing and many, many more are planned. Several of these will be rleased in time for the ICRS trade show this July in Atlanta.

"Max Elliot Anderson brings a lifetime of dramatic film and video production to the pages of his action adventures and mysteries." 

Author Jerry B. Jenkins

Synopsis____________________

Barney and the Runaway
Author: Max Elliot Anderson
Audience: 8 – 12; especially boys
130 pages

Barney and the Runaway tells the story of Michael Ellis, who has recently told his parents to start calling him Mike from now on. He especially hated the way they were always telling him what to do. Mike decides to teach his parents a lesson by pretending to run away for a day with his dog Barney.


The plan gets a bit more complicated than planned when Mike and Barney hide in a railroad boxcar, fall asleep, and end up in Georgia with a circus in the middle of the night. Fortunately for the runaways, Big Bob the Clown takes Mike and Barney to safety in his wagon. Mike decides that living and performing with the circus might be a good idea until Big Bob opens Mike’s eyes to his unfortunate past.


Mike’s encounter with this grown up runaway, in the circus, helps him to understand that his parents truly love him. Then Mike and Barney save the circus. Through it all, Mike learns the importance of family.


Parents often punish their children, but only because they love and want what is best for them, not because they don’t care. Even though the life of a circus performer with a circus family may appear fun, if given a choice, most would agree that living in a warm home with loving, caring parents is the preferred choice. As the saying goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” After Mike overhears some unsettling news and both he and Barney are involved in a scary and dangerous crime, Mike learns his lesson before it’s too late.

Reviews

Barney and the Runaway - March 2011



Did you ever want to run away and join the circus? Did you ever actually try it? Michael Ellis lives in Independence, MO, is waiting for his twelfth birthday, and has recently told his dad and mom that he wants to be called Mike from now on. But he has problems in school with not doing his work, and his parents always seem to be correcting him and telling him what to do, so he decides to teach them all a lesson by pretending to run away with his dog Barney. The two sneak out one night, intending to stay only long enough to scare his parents and make them appreciate him more, but the plan goes awry.


Mike and Barney climb into a railroad boxcar full of hay to spend the night, but they fall asleep and end up in Georgia with a circus. Fortunately, they are discovered by Big Bob the Clown and are taken to safety in his wagon. Big Bob tries to encourage the boy to get in touch with his parents, but Mike refuses. Barney is a smart dog, and his tricks earn him and Mike a part in the clown show at the circus. Mike begins to think that living and performing with the circus might be the answer to his problems. Meanwhile, someone is trying to sabotage the circus, and their plans might hurt Mike and Barney. Is there anything that they can do to thwart the plot? And will Mike learn anything from the story of Big Bob’s own unfortunate past that will help him understand that his parents truly love him?


Author Max Elliot Anderson grew up as a struggling, reluctant reader and knows exactly what will grab the attention of “tween” boys. I did this book as a read aloud for our fourteen-year-old son who said that it is great. There is much to commend it. Of course, it is filled with action, mystery, and excitement that will keep both boys and girls turning the pages to see what happens next. But there are also important lessons that children will be able to discern along with Mike, such as the importance of family and the fact that we often don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone. One thing which I especially like is Big Bob's belief that God brought Mike to him so that he could explain what had happened to him as a young boy and help the boy understand his own situation better. Barney and the Runaway is a marvelous adventure book for young people that gets kudos from me.


Homeschool Book Review

 ********************


This is the story of Michael Ellis' protest against his parents for always telling him what to do and punishing him all the time. His parents and teachers are threatening summer school if he doesn't shape up. Mike feels like everyone is against him, so he will just teach them a lesson and run away.


Mike's scruffy little mutt, Barney, tags along with him as they sneak out at night. They climb into a railroad boxcar that is parked on the track and fall asleep. When Mike wakes up to jerking and clanging, he realizes the train is moving, and the door is locked. No one can hear him yelling and banging to get out. Oh boy, now what? Mike didn't really mean to run away but when the train finally stops, he is many miles from home. How did he end up in Georgia with a circus? Fortunately, Big Bob, the Clown, takes Mike and Barney under his wing and gives them a spot to sleep in his wagon.


Big Bob is sure that God brought Mike to him so he could relate what happened to him as a young boy. An old clown named Arnold rescued him, gave him a place to live, and taught him how to be a clown. Bob had no parents, but Mike has loving Christian parents to guide him.


Mike thinks being in a circus will be great fun even though Bob explains to him that a clown sometimes paints on a happy face to cover a broken heart. The show must go on, and a clown's job is to make the customers laugh so Mike and Barney both get into the act.


Someone has been trying to cause the circus to close down, and Mike and Barney overhear robbers planning to rob the circus and burn it to the ground. He must help save his new friends and the wonderful circus that he has come to love.


Max Elliot Anderson is a master at giving us exceptional characters and fast moving, exciting adventures that are inspirational and still encourage reluctant readers to enjoy books that teach them the importance of doing what is right. The very special relationships of a boy and his dog, and then an old clown and a young boy, make this a heartwarming story along with conversation starter ideas about the love of parents you will want to share with your family.


Reviewer Beverly J. Rowe © MyShelf.com

*********************************

Michael W. Ellis has a new ideal to live by, the Declaration of Independence. He's tired of doing what everyone else wants, and so he decides to run away. It seems like an adventure at first when he and his dog, Barney, wind up on a railroad car and then with a traveling circus. Big Bob takes to Mike and wants to make Barney part of the circus, since he has a very special talent that could draw crowds and make money.


The plot thickens, however, when some evil characters have other plans for Barney. When the threat grows, Mike thinks of all the times "if that hadn't happened" that have added up to one big mess. Big Bob, however, comes to the rescue but also tells Mike a story that changes everything. The bottom line is that plans go crazy and one must realize the consequences might not turn out for the best after all is said and done.


Barney and The Runaway is a great adventure story that is unpredictable and fascinating on every page. It's a great addition to the already terrific novels written by this very talented YA fiction author!!!


Posted by Viviane Crystal


*********************************


Reviewed by Kelli Glesige for Reader Views


Michael Ellis is a young man who lives in the city of Independence in the “Show Me” state, Missouri. Lately however, Mike acts as if he lives in the “Make Me” state. Michael dislikes that his parents are always telling him what to do and punishing him all the time when he disobeys. Even Mrs. Whitlock, Mike’s teacher, thinks he needs to be more disciplined and accountable for his assignments. Summer school is imminent if something doesn’t change.


Mike decides to teach everyone a lesson by running off with his best friend Barney, the scruffiest, little, mixed-breed mutt alive. Barney is believed to be a cross between an alley dog and a junkyard dog, and he often misbehaves, so perhaps this is why the boy and his dog get along so fittingly.


The plan of running away gets a bit more complicated than planned when Mike and Barney hide in a railroad boxcar, fall asleep, and end up in Georgia with a circus in the middle of the night. Luckily for the runaways, Big Bob the Clown takes Mike and Barney to safety in his wagon. Mike decides that living and performing with the circus might be a good idea until Big Bob opens Mike’s eyes to his unfortunate past. Bob tells Mike that a clown paints on a happy face to sometimes cover sadness. A clown may not always be as carefree as he appears, but the show must go on. It is Big Bob’s belief that God brought Mike to him so he could explain what happened to him as a young boy. Big Bob had to depend on an old clown named Arnold to rescue him, but Mike has loving Christian parents to guide him.


“Barney and the Runaway” is a meaningful story about doing what one is told to do. Parents often punish their children, but only because they love and want what is best for them, not because they don’t care. Even though the life of a circus performer with a circus family may appear fun, if given a choice, most would agree that living within the confines of a warm home with loving, caring parents is the preferred choice. As the saying goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.” After Mike overhears some unsettling news and both he and Barney are involved in a scary and dangerous crime, Mike learns his lesson before it’s too late.


I enjoyed this moving piece by Max Elliot Anderson and can highly recommend it. Although written for the younger reader (age 10-12), everyone should enjoy it. The very special relationships of a boy and his dog, and then an old clown and a young boy, make this a tenderhearted tale.

Ever seen a jet that could land on WATER?

The following video is of a Russian jet that can land and take off on water. A plane like this, used by international wildlife poachers in the story, is featured in my children's adventure book,
North Woods Poachers. 

North Woods Poachers is due to be republished soon by Comfort Publishing.


Enjoy this amazing video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5i7qb2dl8s

Max Elliot Anderson: Adventures and mysteries -
you can trust - for your kids.

Audio Book of Lost Island Smugglers is Now in Production

Late last year I signed a contract with Guess Who Multimedia in Glendale, California, for an audiobook to be produced from
Lost Island Smugglers.

This audiobook will be available on CD, and as a downloadable file, and is expected to be finished in February.

Check back for details or watch for it on Amazon.com soon. And watch for more announcements concerning additional releases of new books, audiobooks, and
                               e-books.

Author Web Site http://www.maxbooks.9k.com/  

Boys VS today's classroom

The following video was sent by my brother. Someone in his circle of friends sent it to him. I post it because my daughter and I have had similar discussions concerning boys, the classroom, and education. That's because she teaches 2nd grade in a public school.

Since I grew up hating to read, I now write adventures & mysteries for readers 8 and up, especially boys.

The video runs about 12 minutes. I'd be very interested in your comments after you view it.

http://www.ted.com/talks/ali_carr_chellman_gaming_to_re_engage_boys_in_learning.html

Max Elliot Anderson

PS. My new book, Barney and the Runaway, comes out on March 1

North Woods Poachers is now in production for re-publishing soon.

Newspaper Caper is also in production for

re-Publishing.

Also planned for re-publishing soon are Terror at Wolf Lake, Mountain Cabin Mystery, and The Secret of Abbott's Cave.

A contract is coming next week for a new book called When the Lights go Out. This book will help children, who were not old enough at the time, to know why 9/11 is so important to our country. The book will be released for the 10th anniversary of 9/11 this  
                              September.

Book # 2 in the Sam Cooper Adventure Series, Captain Jack's Treasure, is now in production. Check back here for details.

I'm planning to be at ICRS in Atlanta this summer signing books. Return to this blog for developments.

Author Web Site http://www.maxbooks.9k.com  

When The Lights Go Out - A book dedicated to the memory of 9/11 for kids

My name is Max Elliot Anderson. I write action-adventures and mysteries for readers 8 and up, especially boys. It is in that context that I discovered something over recent months. Part of what I do is to speak in elementary schools. A couple of my previous books - Secret of Abbott's Cave, and Mountain Cabin Mystery - touched on what happened on 9/11, but only in passing, as part of a larger plot.

As I’ve spoken to students who are 9, 10, and even 11 years old, I've found that they know little or nothing about what happened on 9/11. Parents have written to tell me it's the same where they live.

So I decided to write a book with the purpose of not letting the next generation forget what happened.

The title of this book is,

When the Lights go Out.

Here is how the dedication reads at the front of this book:

To the memory of 9/11,

and the people who lost their lives that day,

so we never forget.

I’ve just received confirmation from my agent that When The Lights Go Out will in fact be published so that it will be released in time for the 10th anniversary of 9/11, which was my goal when I intentionally began writing it on 9/11 of 2010.

This information is being posted with the hope that you will become interested in When the Lights go Out, and will let others with whom you communicate know about it, too.
If you have any questions, my contact information follows.

Sincerely,
Max Elliot Anderson

Synopsis_________________________________

When the Lights go Out

Author: Max Elliot Anderson
Audience: 8 and Up; especially boys
Words: About 36,500

Peyton Aldrich has just moved to a new army base with his parents and younger sister. He doesn’t understand why his father was sent to such a run down place in the middle of nowhere. After all, his father was a colonel, with top security clearance, who had completed the elite Ranger school. And his training had been in Army Intelligence. Yet, here they were.

Peyton was never allowed to ask his father anything about what he did in the army. Nor was he allowed to ever get in the way. There were many secrets that he couldn’t even tell his own family.

Peyton idolized his father. One day, he hoped to grow up to be just like him. His father had told him that the army may not be for everyone, but after what happened on 9/11, somebody had to help keep the country safe.

Peyton finds two friends. Gill is the son of the base’s motor pool sergeant, and Dave’s father is the base chaplain. Together they decide to train like Rangers, and search for some kind of mission they could go on. Little did they know that a mission was about to put the boys right in the crosshairs, of a dangerous terrorist plot, when a secret weapon would be delivered to the base, on its way across the country.

There was no way he could tell his father what he knew. After all, it could cost him his job. Peyton, Gill, and Dave had to take matters into their own hands, and they do.

Will the terrorists find out who is trying to expose their evil plan? Will the boys be able to stop them? And what will happen to Peyton’s father when the general finds out what the boys did?

When the Lights go Out. A story for kids, and their parents, so we never forget.

Max Elliot Anderson P O Box 4126 Rockford, IL 61110 (815) 877-1514 mander8813@aol.com
Author Web Site http://www.maxbooks.9k.com/  
Books for Boys Blog http://booksandboys.blogspot.com/  

To the best of my knowledge, the pictures used are in the public domain.

NEWS - NEW Cover - NEW Publisher for NEWspaper Caper

I'm happy to announce the soon to be republished Newspaper Caper.

Newspaper Caper is the first book to be republished by Comfort Publishing. Come back often to find additional updates about the other books to be republished as well as all the new titles that are planned for 2011 and beyond. One of those you will be especially interested in as it relates to the 10th anniversary of 9/11. A contract is expected soon and I'll post more information then.

I don't have a release date for Newspaper Caper yet, but will post that information here when I do.

New Cover

Old Cover










Newspaper Caper has received excellent reviews which you can find at http://maxbookreviews.blogspot.com/2005/11/latest-book-reviews-for-max-elliot.html  along with reviews for some of my other titles.

What do you think of the cover changes? 

Leave a comment.

Synopsis: Newspaper Caper

Tom Stevens was a super salesman. He and his friends delivered newspapers early every morning. Along their route, the boys often saw some pretty strange things. Then one day they actually became the story in the papers they delivered.

Early in the morning, while it was still dark, the three boys stumbled across some suspicious activity. A tow truck begins to hook up an expensive car in someone’s driveway along their paper route. Tom sees the name Jake embroidered on one guy's pocket. But when the tow truck driver sees the boys, he drives off in the truck, leaving the car behind.


Tom reads in the paper the next morning about a string of car thefts around the area. He begins to see a connection between a local car repair shop and the thefts. The same Jake turns out to be a mechanic at a relative's garage, and he acts very secretive when the boys are around.


The boys’ adventures begin as they take matters into their own hands and investigate the car thefts. They befriend an elderly widow whose car was stolen, and encounter vicious watchdogs and the thieves themselves at the chop-shop, in an abandoned warehouse used by the crooks.


But it’s Tom who proves to be the one who carries this mystery to its dangerous conclusion. Will his investigating skills be enough to help him to solve the crimes. 

March 1, 2011 - Comfort Publishing Preorder on Amazon NOW!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be republished in 2011 by Comfort Publishing

Smugglers Pie

I’m not exactly sure why, but several of my books make a big deal about various kinds of foods that I like, or that other members of my family enjoy. Out of seven children, I’m the slimmest. You see, I’m one of those people who doesn’t live to eat, but only eats to live. Often when I was more involved in film and video production, my crew members had to remind me it was time to take a lunch break.

When I’m writing, I often include elements from experience. So the following recipe is one that our son especially liked as he grew up. I think it’s still a favorite of his. Coincidentally, it was a favorite of Sam Cooper, too, who is the main character in Lost Island Smugglers…imagine that.


In Lost Island Smugglers, the dessert is described and the recipe is included in the back of the book on page 257. There, it’s called Chocolate Dessert, but I’ve renamed it Smugglers Pie.


If you try this dessert, I’m sure you and your family will enjoy it as much as we do. I hate cream cheese, and can usually detect even the smallest amount in foods. But you don’t taste it at all in this dessert.

Smugglers Pie

1 ½ sticks of butter (softened)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups chopped pecans


Mix butter, flour, and pecans. Press into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown. Let cool to room temperature.


Mix (8-ounce) cream cheese (softened), 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1 cup Cool Whip and spread over cooled crust

Beat at low speed 2 packages of instant chocolate pudding with 3 cups of milk for 2 minutes and quickly pour over the cream cheese layer. When the pudding is firm, spread the rest of the Cool Whip over the top.

Refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours.

Yield: 12 servings - Only 2 or 3 servings if you’re a little piggy : ))

Coming March 1, 2011

Barney and the Runaway

Also in 2011, Watch For

Captain Jack's Treasure
Newspaper Caper
Terror at Wolf Lake
The Secret of Abbott's Cave
Mountain Cabin Mystery
North Woods Poachers
When The Lights Go Out

What are some of your favorite family recipes?

HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW - Barney and the Runaway

HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW - Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker - Rating: 5 stars (EXCELLENT)


Barney and the Runaway - March 2011

Did you ever want to run away and join the circus? Did you ever actually try it? Michael Ellis lives in Independence, MO, is waiting for his twelfth birthday, and has recently told his dad and mom that he wants to be called Mike from now on. But he has problems in school with not doing his work, and his parents always seem to be correcting him and telling him what to do, so he decides to teach them all a lesson by pretending to run away with his dog Barney. The two sneak out one night, intending to stay only long enough to scare his parents and make them appreciate him more, but the plan goes awry.


Mike and Barney climb into a railroad boxcar full of hay to spend the night, but they fall asleep and end up in Georgia with a circus. Fortunately, they are discovered by Big Bob the Clown and are taken to safety in his wagon. Big Bob tries to encourage the boy to get in touch with his parents, but Mike refuses. Barney is a smart dog, and his tricks earn him and Mike a part in the clown show at the circus. Mike begins to think that living and performing with the circus might be the answer to his problems. Meanwhile, someone is trying to sabotage the circus, and their plans might hurt Mike and Barney. Is there anything that they can do to thwart the plot? And will Mike learn anything from the story of Big Bob’s own unfortunate past that will help him understand that his parents truly love him?

Author Max Elliot Anderson grew up as a struggling, reluctant reader and knows exactly what will grab the attention of “tween” boys. I did this book as a read aloud for our fourteen-year-old son who said that it is great. There is much to commend it. Of course, it is filled with action, mystery, and excitement that will keep both boys and girls turning the pages to see what happens next. But there are also important lessons that children will be able to discern along with Mike, such as the importance of family and the fact that we often don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone. One thing which I especially like is Big Bob's belief that God brought Mike to him so that he could explain what had happened to him as a young boy and help the boy understand his own situation better. Barney and the Runaway is a marvelous adventure book for young people that gets kudos from me.

Book: Barney and the Runaway

Author: Max Elliot Anderson
Cover Illustrator: Colin Kernes
Publisher: Comfort Publishing, March 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0-9845598-4-8
For more information e-mail homeschoolbookreview@gmail.com

Don’t Judge THIS Exciting Book By It’s Cover

SPECIAL OFFER! SPECIAL OFFER! SPECIAL OFFER!


When people first see the cover on my book, Big Rig Rustlers, they think it’s an old, dusty Western with cattle, horses, and cowboys.

Well...it does have cattle, horses, and cowboys in the story, but this book is anything but old or dusty.


The book’s cover will undergo a makeover next year, and be re-released by a new publisher. But I have about 30 copies of the original. Think of it as a collectible. In addition to that, I’ll sign all copies ordered directly from me until they’re gone. If I run out of books, I’ll just return your check.


The price is $9 and I’ll pay shipping/handling. But you must order before February 1. After that, the offer is withdrawn. And make sure to tell me who I should sign your copy to.


The Story

Todd and Amanda live with their parents in a Midwestern city.  The children are invited to visit their uncle, aunt, and Cousin Drew, on their Wyoming ranch over spring break. Todd learns, in a unique way, why stealing is wrong. He decides to choose a new path for his life because of his uncle’s positive example. A band of high-tech cattle rustlers are caught, revealing that Todd was also wrong about Travis, a shadowy character. Read about the round up, police helicopter, satellite phone, rattlesnake, and high-tech rustlers.


You can also find reviews for this exciting book on Amazon, or go to http://maxbookreviews.blogspot.com  


Hurry! Send your check By February 1 for $9 to:


Max Elliot Anderson
P O Box 4126
Rockford, IL 61110

More books for boys...More books for boys...More books for boys!

NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!

NEWS! NEWS! NEWS! 12/7/10

Keep watching this blog for an announcement about a very important NEW book, coming soon in 2011. Can't give any more details yet but will as soon as I can.

Christmas Interview: 
http://theborrowedbook.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-interview-max-anderson.html



More books for boys...More books for boys...More books for boys!

That’s the cry I hear from parents, librarians, teachers, and boys. I grew up hating to read. So for the past nine years I’ve been working to address this issue. Here’s what you can expect in 2011 and beyond.

Thirty-six manuscripts for readers 8 and up, especially boys, have been completed. Girls like these action-adventures & and mysteries just as much.

In August, 2010, Lost Island Smugglers was published by Port Yonder Press. It’s the first in the new Sam Cooper Adventure Series. This is to be followed by Captain Jack’s Treasure and River Rampage. This would make a great Christmas present for the boys in your life.


Lost Island Smugglers


Sam, Tony, and Tyler took scuba lessons together. Tony’s father owned a marina, so Tony got them in for free. After the boys completed the course, they decided to try their new skills in the ocean. The only problem was, none of them had permission to go, or to take one of the sailboats out for their diving adventure. Everything went well until the biggest storm the boys had ever seen, blew up from out of nowhere, and they found themselves stranded on Lost Island. But, if they thought the worst had happened, they were wrong. What about those high-powered speedboats that mysteriously disappeared? And what were they going to tell their parents, even if they did get off the island?


In 2011, a company in California will produce an audiobook of
Lost Island Smugglers.


In 2011, an ebook will be produced from Lost Island Smugglers.

In 2011, the following books are planned for release by  Comfort Publishing:

Barney and the Runaway March 1, 2011

Summer had no appeal to Mike Ellis. But neither did homework, or class assignments, or self-discipline. He especially disliked his parents always telling him what to do and punishing him when he didn’t. Wanting to teach his parents a lesson, he decides to pretend to run away from home for a day with his dog Barney. His plans go terribly wrong when a day later he finds himself halfway across the country and very lost. Meeting an old clown who also ran away as a child teaches Mike the importance of home, family, and doing what’s right. But can Mike and Barney save the circus in time?


Newspaper Caper


Tom Stevens was a super salesman. He and his friends delivered newspapers early every morning. Along their route, the boys often saw some pretty strange things. Then one day they actually became the story. Readers will like the humor, attack dogs, car thieves, and the chop shop Tom and the others uncover. This story reminds us of how important friendship is. It also teaches God isn't just for emergencies.

 Terror at Wolf Lake


Eddy Thompson was known for one thing and one thing only. Eddy was a cheater. He cheated on anything, anytime, anywhere, until something happened up at Wolf Lake. It wasn’t the brutal cold. It wasn’t when he fell through the ice. It wasn’t even when two scary men arrived at their remote cabin. What happened would change Eddy’s life…forever.


Mountain Cabin Mystery


Scott and his friends had dreamed and prepared for their first wilderness camping adventure. When they become separated from their group in a mountain fog, trouble begins. There was that bear, the decrepit suspension bridge over a bottomless gorge, the sheer cliff in the dark, those terrorists in the remote cabin, the Army, the helicopter ride, and…

 The Secret of Abbott’s Cave


A detective, a police scanner, and a cave offered possibilities for danger and excitement. Who are the real heroes in America? Randy and his friends pooled their resources to go cave exploring, discovered the hidden loot from a bank robbery, and learned they weren't heroes at all.


North Woods Poachers

The Washburn families have been coming to the same cabins, on the same lake, catching the same fish, for about as long as Andy can remember. And he's sick of it. This summer would be different he decided. Only he never imagined how different. The story is filled with excitement, danger, humor, and drama. In the end, Andy learns the concepts of family tradition, that God loves justice while He hates injustice, and it is important to follow the rules. Readers will enjoy the gigantic, jet-powered floatplane, computers, home made radio transmitter, and naturally, no one will ever forget Big Wally. He’s a fish of course.


That’s quite a list, and most of it should be accomplished in time for the ICRS convention in Atlanta in July, 2011.


You can expect additional news in the coming months concerning more books for boys that girls enjoy reading just as much. Stay tuned for that. As new opportunities emerge, I’ll be sure to stay in touch with you.


Thank you,


Max Elliot Anderson

A Christmas Reminder

Just a reminder that I have a true story included in two special volumes of Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas books. The story is called No Christmas Presents and it took place when I was six or eight years old. What happened in our family that year is something we will never forget, proving that it's far more blessed to give than to receive.

These books are sold exclusively this season at Wal-Mart and Barnes and Noble. Look for the book on the left at Wal-Mart, and the book on the right at Barnes and Noble.

And, from our family to yours, have a Merry Christmas this year.


Max Elliot Anderson

True Survival Adventure Including Pictures

A reoccurring question I hear often concerns a variation of, “Where do you get the ideas for your mystery and adventure books for kids?” This is an area where I feel particularly blessed because my life has included more than its share of adventure.


Much of it came from how I grew up, in a family of seven children. We lived in an idyllic place called Wolf Lake, Michigan. Our house was located on the grounds of the original Youth Haven where we had no end of woods to explore, lakes to swim in, and several colorful characters who lived nearby.

It was later, through my film production experiences, that more serious adventures occurred. Like going to Vietnam to shoot a film just after getting out of the army. Or the project in Belfast, Northern Ireland, while the bombings were still frequent.

This post is about another one of those projects. In 2005, the story originally appeared in Guideposts and was called, “An Unexpected Song.” At the time, I had no idea that my father had put together a book of photographs from our ordeal. On a recent trip, to visit my mother, I found it. Some of the pictures I remember my dad shooting but not all of them. I had even shot a few of them, but completely forgot about it after all these years.

Here, in pictures, is a true adventure story.

“Living Legends” is the title of a film we were shooting. It documented what happens in a Native American family when the father becomes a Christian and leads his family.

Our final family interview was shot on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. We finished early, allowing us to begin our trip back home sooner than expected. One of the local people gave us directions including a shortcut, right through the reservation, which would cut fifteen to twenty miles off the trip.

We set out on the course we thought would take us to the main highway, but things went very, very wrong.

Oh, the scenery was beautiful, so long as we were sitting in a moving car, on a good road. But things deteriorated quickly after our tires left the pavement and we continued on a gravel surface.

With my military training, I should have known better and turned back the way we had come. We didn’t do that and soon I was stopping the car in order to jump out to remove jagged rocks from our path so our car didn’t bottom out and cause damage.

We reached a place called Seven Mile Wash. It looked like I could just drive across the dry sand, and continue where the road started up again on the other side. Immediately our tires became mired in what I can only describe as a powdery dust that resembled talcum powder. It took hours to jack the car up, dig out the tires, place logs under them, and inch the car forward, only to repeat the process over and over again.


Eventually, as I drove over a rise, with the sun in my eyes, the car started down the next hill and we hit a patch of those jagged rocks, tearing a hole in the transmission pan. As the fluid gushed out, gears began to slip until the car couldn’t travel any further. Our car was disabled and we were hopelessly lost.

As my dad stood next to it, I wrote down the numbers on a marker so we could try and explain to someone where our car was, after we hiked out of that wilderness. Well, that didn’t go as planned either. After several hours of hiking, we found that we’d gone in a full circle, in the dark, and wound up right back at our car. At about 2 AM, we were at 5000 feet of elevation, it was freezing out, so we spent the night sleeping in the car.

At daylight, we decided to try hiking out again. It wasn’t long until we discovered what a hostile environment we were stranded in. We walked for most of that day, lost touch with each other a couple of times, and my father fell and split his head open. Both of us became pretty discouraged. We were hungry, thirsty, and very lost. That’s when I hiked to the top of a rugged hill, to try and find out where we should go. As I sat on the ground, beneath a small tree, a sparrow landed on a branch just above my head. He began singing his lungs out as if to remind me that if God’s eye is on the sparrow surely he knows where I am and what I need. In the distance I could see the reflection of a car on a straight road. It was miles away, but there was no mistake that help was in that direction. So on and on we trudged through gullies, across ice-covered streams, through brush and rocks.

It was almost cruel when we reached the area of the road because, from where we stood, it was a climb nearly straight up and our strength was gone. Somehow, with super-human strength, we made it to the top.

I took a roll of camera tape out of my jacket pocket and quickly made a sign that said, “Help!” The first car that saw it stopped and took us to the nearest town where we arranged to retrieve the car in the morning, and then slept for what felt like days.

Because I had written down the marker number, our tow truck driver knew exactly where our car was located. We piled in with him and drove off.

Our car was hooked up and taken into town where repairs were made. Finally we were on our way home after one of the greatest survival adventures of my life.

But before we left the area, we decided to drivew back to the place where we were rescued and take one last look.
Humm. Maybe I’ll have to write a book about that some day.


Max Elliot Anderson
Author Web Site

http://www.maxbooks.9k.com

Watch for Barney and the Runaway
January 1, 2011,
from Comfort Publishing,
Another great kid's adventure.

Available now for Christmas 
Lost Island Smugglers
from Port Yonder Press, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and in stores.