Book Title
“At the Corner of Magnetic and Main”Book Genre
Speculative Fiction/Paranormal/Spiritual
Page Numbers
TBA
Publisher
Pen-L Publishing, Fayetteville, Arkansas (indie)
Jake did not take the news well, but he did better than some. Penny and the others waited without comment while reality sunk in.
Penny had been through this hundreds of times—stood at this counter, witnessed them suddenly arrive, served up a bowl of ice cream, and helped as best she could. Sometimes they moved on quickly, gone before saying a word. Other times, like with Jake and so many young ones, the transition didn’t go so smoothly. It probably didn’t help that this boy was handsome and still filled with adventure and life.
From the look of him he couldn’t be much more than twenty years old. He was going to cling to what he had with all his might. It was written on every inch of him from his wild, brown hair to his black riding boots. Clinging and resisting would be dangerous. Even more dangerous than speeding along Highway 62 on a motorcycle.
Jake was different from anyone else who had passed through the diner. Penny could sense it the minute he appeared. Every individual has a life-force. If you are paying attention, you can feel it in the air around them. Jake had more of a life-tsunami.
Blam! His arrival had sent out a shock wave that vibrated right through Penny’s whole being. She was grateful that he had been disoriented for a minute because it took her that long to regain her composure. From the startled looks they had shot in her direction, Katie and Silas felt it too.
Jake emanated freshness, vitality, and an overwhelming sense of masculine rebellion. No one would dispute the fact that the young biker was ridiculously handsome. There was no denying it. Penny had noticed it when he had visited the diner before. He may not have been able to see her then, but she had most certainly seen him. His charisma and charm enveloped a room the minute he swaggered in, and even a ghost sitting on the sidelines couldn’t help but be impressed.
But now that she was faced with his presence on the verge of moving on to whatever lay ahead, all of that was more of a liability than an asset.
Penny had a job to do. The anger and resistant energy bouncing off the walls of the diner had to be controlled and contained. A dish of ice cream, even the deliciousness of chocolate Bluebell Ice Cream, might not be enough to get the job done this time. Penny needed to be calm and firm and clear. Jake had been given a window of opportunity to adjust to his death, but she doubted it would last for long. This young man was going to need all the help she could muster.
Meg Welch Dendler is a best-selling, award-winning author and a former teacher who celebrated publishing her first book, “Why Kimba Saved The World,” on February 23, 2013. This story is based on her true-life crazy cat and the other cats in her home…and the idea that they are all really part of an alien race from another planet. In October of 2013, “Why Kimba Saved The World” was honored with a Moonbeam Children’s Book Award as “Best First Book — Chapter Book,” Bronze Medal. Both “Why Kimba Saved The World” and the sequel “Vacation Hiro” were honored with Silver Mom’s Choice Awards for excellence in products for children in February of 2014. Books 1 & 2 are also “Story Monster Approved.” Book 3 in the Cats in the Mirror series, “Miss Fatty Cat’s Revenge,” came out in September of 2014, followed by the companion book, “Max’s Wild Night,” in May 2015. “Slinky Steps Out” (Book 4) and “Kimba’s Christmas” (Book 5) are also in the planning stages for 2016 and 2017.In the Fall of 2015, Meg is looking forward to publishing a very different book, “At The Corner of Magnetic and Main.” Set where she lives in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, this story follows several people no-longer living on this plane of existence but still stuck here (aka, ghosts) as they figure out what is holding them here and what is next in their lives. It will be available through Pen-L Publishing. Pen-L will also publish her YA and teen-focused biography of her hero, actress and philanthropist Betty White, in 2016.
For over 10 years, Meg worked as a freelance writer, including a year as a columnist for www.religionandspirituality.com, where she wrote movie commentaries and interviews. She has had over 100 articles published in newspapers, magazines, and on web sites and has had the chance to interview Sylvester Stallone, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kirk Douglas, as well as Anita Roddick and the Archbishop of Cape Town. She is a huge movie fan and prefers watching a new movie over most of what is on television.
Meg is a proud member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Ozark Writer’s League. Meg is also an editor for Pen-L Publishing, handling several new books each month.
A Texas native, Meg grew up in the mid-west area of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, and then moved to the Metro Detroit suburbs when she was 13. She earned her undergraduate degree in Public Relations at Eastern Michigan University and returned to school there to earn her teaching certification and Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. After decades in Michigan, she and her family moved to Houston, Texas, in 2005. Making a total life and career change, in 2012 they bought seven acres of Ozark mountain paradise, opened a rental guest house business, and focused on allowing Meg time to write and publish. She loves the opportunity to perform wedding ceremonies in their pavilion and be a part of special events for families from all over the United States–as well as getting her books into your hands.
A supporter of Character Education, Meg served as a teacher and community trainer for CHARACTER COUNTS! and has spoken about the integration of literature in character education programs at MiAEYC conferences and for the Arkansas Association of School Librarians. A trained and experienced public speaker, Meg would love to visit your school or book store to share her books, have a read-aloud session, and promote reading and literacy for elementary school children. Call Serenity Mountain Publishing at 479-363-6017 to chat or send Meg an email at meg@megdendler.com.
Twitter
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The Ramblings Of Me 