On July 11, 2010, I completed the first draft of Book Three in the Ethan Sparks Adventures Series! At this time, its working title is Chase of the Mummies: An Ethan Sparks Adventure.

July the 11th happens to be a benchmark date because it was Ethan Sparks’ 14th birthday. In Books One, Two and Three in the series, Ethan was 13. In Books Four and Five, he will be 14. Book Six, the last book, Ethan will turn 15 years old.

With the publication of Book Three (scheduled for November 2010), I will be halfway through the series. At this point in my career, Ethan Sparks Adventures is reaching its critical mass stage. By this, I mean that the series is really starting to catch on.

On July the 1st, my interview in the Kernersville News came out. It was featured on the first page of the Lifestyles section, complete with a photo of me and a prominent picture of Book One, Escape of the Terra-Cotta Soldiers.

When I first saw this published interview in my local paper, I realized that critical mass had begun. It was gratifying to see that my writer’s journey had reached this benchmark.

On August the 28th, I will be performing my 40th book signing at one of my local Barnes & Noble bookstores. This one is in Burlington, NC.

I am so grateful to Becky Carnigan, the Community Relations Manager at the Greensboro Barnes & Noble for her continuous support in scheduling book fairs and book signings. Also, Renee Johnson in High Point, Susan Ellington in Burlington, and Jane Derian in Winston-Salem.

I was also privileged to perform a “China presentation” at the Northwest Middle School in Greensboro on June the 9th.

My presentation, which I gave to 300 7th graders, was a lot of fun for both the kids and myself. I told the kids stories about my China experience with a Powerpoint that featured actual photographs of my China trip. Afterwards, the 300 7th graders and I had an invigorating Q&A. What a rush that was!

My heartfelt thanks go out to Ms. Tammy Balser, who is in charge of Social Studies for the 7th grade at Northwest Middle. My presentation was part of her seventh grade curriculum about Asia.

I would also like to thank my publicist, Ellen Berry, for all of her insight and expertise in putting together such a phenomenal Powerpoint presentation. Thanks to her, it was a major success!

My next step in my writer’s journey is for Book Three to go through its editorial process. I anticipate that this round will go much more smoothly than Book One and Two, now that I’m in my groove. I’ll let you know!