Read the introduction, prologue, and chapter one.
George and Lee looked at John, who shrugged and said, “That’s probably fair.” He took a breath, and this is the story John told:
Continue readingAuthor Archives: shadengk
Speakers’ Club First Day Back 2019: Welcome Back
Let’s set up the rules. We had four last year. Do we need to change them, add to them, subtract from them, or do they work?
What did you do this summer? Let’s talk about our great summer activities or our not so great ones.
Let’s talk songs: Which would you like to sing? I’m suggesting:
Ducktales:
Gummi Bears:
Chip N Dale’s Rescue Rangers:
Scooby-Do:
Kids Incorporated:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer:
Spider-Man:
Cheeseburger in Paradise
Sweet Caroline
Possible topics and activities: What do you want to talk about this year? Suggest topics and let’s see what you want to know about the U.S., its culture and language. (Or we can just learn things like “Why does this dog smell? Because it’s wet and dirty” if that’s helpful to you.)
Vote and weighting: We have a limited amount of time hanging out together this year, so let’s vote on the topics and cover the most important ones first.
Word Game: Everyone gets letters. The first decision is if the person can make a word of three-letters or more. If so, take the word and keep the letters. Then place a tile in the playing area. If not, place a tile from your hand into the playing area. Each letter is worth a certain number of points. The person with the highest number of points when all the letters are used, wins.
Stories from an Alaskan Cabin: Chapter One
You can read the preface here and the prologue here if you would like a better orientation to what this is about. Be sure to subscribe to our Patreon to continue the story beyond the first chapter.
Day One
Chapter One: The First Story
When they arrived at the cabin, they set their bags on the porch and opened the door. Inside, the last people who were there had left some firewood. Otherwise, everything was clean. The men claimed their bunks, lit a fire in the stove, and started preparing dinner. After dinner, there was card game, jokes, and beverages. It had been a long day for everyone, and the short trip to the cabin was enough to tire them out. They decided to call it a night.
Continue readingWhy Did Richard Paul Evans Write the Michael Vey Series?
Upon release of his fourth installation in the Michael Vey series, Author Richard Paul Evans wrote a letter in response to some fans asking why he would write young adult fiction when they want to read something else. In spite of these protests, the number of comic con attendees that call themselves Veyniacs attests to the popularity of Vey and his adventures.
Evans says that Vey bucks the trend of dystopia and pride that much of young adult fiction subscribes to. Vey himself experiences Tourette’s syndrome, but doesn’t allow his disability to define him. He offers a character that others who experience disabilities can relate to.
This positivity combined with the moral aesthetic of Vey conveys hope that the world needs right now. Rather than focusing on the possible outcomes that lead to dystopia, Evans has created a place where people value loyalty and friendship while trying to make the world better.
While the Vey series doesn’t lack for strong female characters, Evans says that he has come under fire for making a male hero at a time when Hollywood has focused on female heroes of The Hunger Games, Divergent and Twilight. Yet, male role models, even fictional ones, are important to help keep boys reading and involved in life.
Evans makes an appeal in his letter to all of his fans:
“So even if you don’t think Michael Vey is for you, the cause may be. I invite you to join the cause, because this is one where we can make a difference shaping culture. Introduce Michael Vey to your children, your grandchildren, to a neighbor. Purchase a copy or two and donate it to your school or church. Many schools have library waiting lists for Michael Vey numbering in the hundreds. (Trust me, if you’re 300 on the waiting list, you’re not going to get to read it.)”
By buying the books that deliver a message that is uplifting and important to others, readers can make a difference not only in the lives of others but in culture itself. The success of a certain book will prompt the creation of other stories that are along the same lines. For anyone who wants not only more from a certain author but also more of the same type of story, voting with dollars and social media support is a good way to ensure that publishers and movie makers listen to the demand.
This article was originally published at examiner.com. The links have been updated September 2019.
Pear Penguin comes to Penguinate!
If you haven’t met Pear Penguin, yet, be ready for a dose of cuteness. Pear Penguin loves fall weather, colored leaves, and fresh fruit – (and fish!) Pear made me type that last part. Pear’s puffy belly always looks full, but it’s really Pear’s heart that is full of love for you.
Pear is looking for a forever family. As one of the few plush black and white penguins available for adoption, Pear is sure to add joy and friendship to your life or the life of someone you care about. Once the adoption fees are taken care of, Pear can be shipped worldwide.
Pear has been listening to Patch and taking Patch’s advice to heart. At about 6 and ¾ inches, Pear is the perfect size to take with you wherever you go.
Pear may be our newest penguin, but we have plenty of other penguins waiting for adoption. For every penguin adopted, $1 goes to the Global Penguin Society. Order your penguin today and have it in time for the holidays. (Only good through October 15 and while supplies last.)
Pear Penguin with Yarn (Yarn not included) 
Pear Penguin in the forest
‘Polly Penguin Wants to Fly’ available now!
We’re so excited because “Polly Penguin Wants to Fly” is available on Amazon, right now! You can get it in paperback or on Kindle! This is my 10th book.
When Polly hatches, she sees her father first and then she looks up into the sky and sees the terns. She’s immediately fascinated. Polly Penguin wants to fly, but she’s a penguin. Penguins can’t fly, can they?
I wrote this for parents to read to their older children ages four and above. It’s also for children who are beginning to read. If your child loves penguins, Polly Penguin is a good introduction to reading without pictures. The pictures are formed in your mind.
Check out “Polly Penguin Wants to Fly” now.
Changes to Penguinate.com Publishing Schedule
This post will mark my 251st consecutive day of publishing on Penguinate.com. For the last 8+ months, I have posted at least one article. I didn’t take any weekends off, and some days I posted more than one article. All of that work, plus what came from the beginning of November 2018, has created less than $2 worth of revenue, and August was the worst month for income, even though views were the third highest. So, I must be doing something wrong.
With this information, I have decided that I probably need to step back from publishing so much on Penguinate.com and start concentrating on the places where I can bring in more money. To that end, a lot more of what I publish here will be accessible by Penguinators (those who are a part of my wifes and my Patreon campaign) only. Not everything, just much of it.
Obviously, I’m not going to try to keep my streak alive. I may or may not publish anything tomorrow. Those 251 articles represent enough material to make a book if it had been written as such. So, I urge you to join my wife’s and my Patreon to help me continue writing and to read all the great content you get here. No matter what level you join at, you’ll have access to everything on Penguinate.com.
If you have a better idea of how to overcome this discrepancy in work versus pay, let me know. Leave your content. Otherwise, thanks so much for reading and through that supporting our creative endeavors.
‘Stories from an Alaskan Cabin’ Prologue
If you haven’t read the introduction yet, you can do so here. The first chapter to the story will be posted on Friday Sep. 6, 2019. I’ll add a link when it comes on line. The series will then become a Patreon exclusive weekly story until it becomes a book. Join our Patreon, and don’t miss a story, get access to other great content, and find your favorite penguins.
Continue readingIntroduction to ‘Stories from an Alaskan Cabin’
Preface
As Boccaccio’s “Decameron,” Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur,” and Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” can attest, our forebears were, much as they were in everything, better at telling stories. For what else was there to do in times before the Internet, television, movies, and radio? While modern man finds the need and the capacity to tell stories, the ability and opportunity is much diminished.
Continue readingHow Does the Emperor Penguin Launch Itself from Sea to Ice?
This was interesting on how penguins fly through the air when they leave the sea to get on the ice. Emperors can weigh up to 89 pounds, “the same weight as a baby hippo.” So how does it get out of the water? Based on a new study, it could be preening that allows them to get so high in the air to make it over the ice shelf. Check out the video to see the details.
Polly is a newly hatched chick who wants to fly, but penguins can’t fly, can they? If you want your name in “Polly Penguin Wants to Fly,” sign up for our Patreon at any level before August 30, 2019. You’ll get a mention in the acknowledgements.
