The next Secret Teddy Society book is underway and is delving deeper into the teddy world. Corruption and greed has found its way into the Teddy Council for the first time. Power struggles are something that teddies never had to deal with before. Theodore has always been the number one bear on the Council and is now being tested by Ballinger.
The tone of the second book is darker with more political overtones. Without making it feel like a spy novel, creating the struggle for power is my challenge at this point. I love a feel-good story and want STS to always be that. However, I do love a book filled with intrigue and mystery. A good villain is essential for this style of book and I hope Ballinger is just what this plot needs.
I've made a list of the best fiction books and the best fantasy books to get a feel for a common connection. It was enlightening to find an incredible amount of common themes of character and story. Some not as obvious, which is what made these stories more intriguing. Copying a style of writing can be unavoidable at times because of the influence it creates on the individual.
With a loose understanding of what makes or creates interest in a story, writing a fantasy teddy bear book that is more for a general audience such as adults, young-adults and older children has been the easy part . . . it's the marketing or selling the book that becomes difficult.
The reviews for the first Secret Teddy Society book, Breaking The Code, have far exceeded my expectations. George Ibarra, an independent book reviewer, was the first review on Amazon and Goodreads. Wow! What he said about this fantasy book that was seemingly for children was amazing.
His review listed below:
"The best fantasy tale I've read in a long time.
On the surface the book comes across as a silly, cute adolescent fantasy about teddy bears. It is that and a morality tale.
SECRET TEDDY SOCIETY: BREAKING THE CODE is about love, honor, loyalty, respect, and friendship. It is the teddy bears own Lord of the Rings, but with more excitement and stronger ties.
STS captured me from the beginning with a daring escape of one bear through the help of another. It builds itself upon intrigue and conspiracy within the teddy bear world before focusing on two teddies, Waldo and Bobby, and their human family. I found myself rooting for the bears as they discovered all about our world, and also about ice cream, tastysquishes, Kage Kuma (shadow bears), were-bears, and zombie bears.
This book is great for the young and for adults. It is well written and well plotted, with plenty of foreshadowing. STS deserves a major publisher and I hope it finds one."
Are you kidding me?!
Who could ask for a better review? AND, I don't even know this person. Not a relative. Not a childhood friend. Not my next door neighbor. George found the book on his own and read it. What made him decide to read it? I truly don't know. I'm just glad he did.
Having STS make the list of best fantasy tales for children or adults is not necessarily the goal but it sure would help.
I'll keep you posted on how the next book is going, uh, without giving too much away.
