Today we are thrilled to have Janet Tashijian with us to talk about her Derek Fallon Series!
In my new book, MY LIFE AS A CARTOONIST, the main character,
Derek, draws a comic strip where his pet monkey transforms into a hero called
SUPER FRANK. This made me wonder what
kind of super powers I’D like to have - not to vanquish bad guys and evildoers
- but to help me with my writing.
Like Derek, it didn’t take long for me to get into super-hero mode –
here are some features I’d love to have on my tool belt of gadgets:
THE CRANIUM SHIELD – this protective covering stops all new
and fabulous ideas in their tracks as they try to interrupt me while I finish another
project. Every You-Have-To-Work-On-This-Immediately
scheme will be overpowered by this deluxe shield, not to appear again until the
original project is completely, 100% done. So the next time a tiny part of my brain asks, “Are you SURE
you don’t want to hear this amazing idea for the Next Giant Bestseller?” I know
the Cranium Shield has me covered.
Unless the idea is REALLY astonishing….NO! There, it just stopped another one. Whew!
NINJA SHINY STARS – unlike the throwing stars Ninjas use, my
throwing stars only target Kirkus, Booklist, Horn Book, and School Library
Journal – turning an everyday positive review into a sparkly, glittery Starred
Review. (When they’re not being
used to accessorize reviews, these stars make great earrings.)
CONVERSION RAY GUN – its powerful rays convert an entire
book from any language around the world to English so I can see for myself how
accurate the translations of my novels are. MY LIFE AS A…PODIATRIST? No! It’s
CARTOONIST! CARTOONIST!
TELEKINETIC FLIPPING – this amazing super power
automatically flips my books 45 degrees on a bookstore shelf as soon as I enter
the store so the books go from spine out (boo!) to cover out (yay!) The telekinesis is thwarted, however,
if any of my books are placed on the same shelf as Stephen King’s CARRIE.
PONCHO OF PATIENCE – this magical cloak guards me during the
interminable time that I wait for my editor to read one
of my manuscripts. The poncho is
safe and comforting, fighting off self-doubt and what-if’s during this
vulnerable period. An optional
feature lets the security of the poncho extend through the entire rewriting
process.
TECHNO THWARTER – this is actually a sidekick of the CRANIUM
SHIELD, but instead of obstructing my own ideas, the TECHNO THWARTER zaps my
laptop so it can’t access the Internet during my writing time. This handy feature also blocks all
tweets, phone calls, and emails as I work. Oh wait, there are REAL techno thwarters to block ALL of
these things. Maybe it’s time to stop
making up super powers and just get back to work….
Her latest book, My Life as a Cartoonist releases April 30!

There’s a new kid in Derek Fallon’s class. His name is Umberto and he uses a wheelchair. Derek’s family is still fostering Frank the monkey, and Derek thinks it would be great to train Frank to assist Umberto. But Derek quickly realizes that Umberto is definitely not looking for any help. Derek soon becomes the butt of Umberto’s jokes. On top of that, Umberto starts stealing Derek’s cartoon ideas and claiming them as his own. How did Derek get himself into this mess, and how can he find a way out before he is the laughingstock of school? The answer may very well be his cartoon strip—SUPER FRANK!
Janet Tashjian’s Website:
http://janettashjian.com/
Janet Tashjian’s Tour Schedule: http://mackidsbooks.com/janet-
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Great post. These books look and sound really fun too!! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI think they sound like really good, fun reads!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win!
Cool!
ReplyDeleteMy 8 year old son loved My Life as a Stunt Boy, he read it in 2 days. Would love to win this for him!
ReplyDeleteGood ideas! When you get the techno-thwarter perfected please send one to me so I can concentrate on my work too. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteI think these book are great!! I have the first two in my classroom library and they a perfect for my younger students!
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ReplyDeleteI fall in love with these books, they would be the perfect way to plant the seed and love of reading in my little brothers.
ReplyDeleteCool idea
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a great series to get my early and reluctant readers buried in books! Thanks for the giveaway.
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