Welcome To Nick (and Eddie!).
Using a young person's viewpoint, Eddie captures their doubts, questions, and suspicions of what is real and what is not. In today's world, plenty of young people are searching for faith of some sort, for answers.
We're excited to read about this opportunity for writers who want to learn about writing for the young adult age group. Read on to find out what makes Nick tick and some of his history and a bit about what Nick's adventures are about...you won't be disappointed!
Some readers have asked the guy who helps me write my stories (Mr. Jones) if I’m a Christian. I doubt that I am. I’m in my teens, which means I sort of question everything. Especially people who say they know for sure something is true.
I know Mom and Dad aren’t Christians. Neither is my sister. But then again, a lot of the people I meet who say they are Christians don’t act like it. They’re mean or rude or don’t do hardly any of the things the Bible says you’re supposed to do, like treat your neighbor like you want to be treated or (and this is a big one) treat God like he’s actually GOD.
Pop, my grandfather, is a Christian. He used to teach religion at a college in Sleepy Hollow. When I was a kid he told me every person who’s ever been born was messed up in God’s eyes. Some worse than others. But Pop said being even a little messed up is enough to send you off the road and into the ditch. Except he didn’t say ditch. He used a word I can’t repeat because Mom says it’s a cuss word. Pop said that’s how come we need God’s help to get fixed.
I know most of the boys my age don’t think a lot of stuff in the Bible actually happened. Like, how can there have been dinosaurs during the Jurassic Park era and the earth only be 6000 years old? 6000 years old! My grandfather has packing peanuts that old. My grandfather never throws away bubble wrap or packing peanuts. “Never know when I’m going to need to mail something.” By the way, my grandfather hardly ever leaves the house so I’m not sure when he thinks he’s going to mail something to someone.
But then my science teacher swears we came from some single-cell-ameba-whatever that crawled from the sea a gazillion years ago and eventually grew into a human. How’s that even possible? And where did the single-cell-ameba-whatever come from? Or the earth? Or our solar system? See what I’m saying? There had to be something or someone before there was the single-cell-ameba-whatever. I’ll be honest: I’m not sure either side knows the real facts.
Only thing I know is that the more I read in the Bible about ghosts and the “walking dead,” and “men turned into wild beasts” (that could or could not have been a “wolf-man”), the more I wonder if maybe some (maybe all) of what’s in the Bible might be true.
And if it is, then the Bible is about the scariest book I know of.
By the way, did you know that:
- According to the National Assessment of Education Progress' latest report, 64% of all eighth-grade students are unable to read proficiently.
- 82% percent of black students and 77% of Hispanic students are not reading proficiently.
- More than 30 million Americans cannot read or write above a third-grade level.
- 85% of the juveniles in the court system are functionally illiterate, as are 60% of prison inmates.
- The reading gap between boys and girls increases as they age. By 12th grade girls are two times more likely to score higher on reading tests than boys.
I wrote the 'Caden Chronicles' series with boys in mind. The 'Caden Chronicles' books are short murder mysteries with a spiritual supernatural element. For example,
Dead Man's Hand addresses the myth of ghosts.
Skull Creek Stakeout addresses the myth of vampires (it started in the Upper Room).
Dead Low Tide addresses the myth of zombies and the walking dead.
Rumor of a Werewolf deals with powerful men who refuse to honor God
and are turned into beast-like creatures (Book of Daniel).
"Immediately his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. Let him live with the animals of the earth. Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal." ~ the Bible "werewolf"
Opportunity for writers:
By the way, if you know a boy or girl who likes to make up stories and stuff, send them my way. The Cool Ghoul Gazette, at http://coolghoulgazette.com needs some new writers/reporters. No experience required. We will teach you how to write a lead, build upon the “who, what, when, where, how” reporting style, and help you improve your writing skills. Think of this like your high school newspaper, only way more fun.
The man who helps me write the Caden Chronicle series (Mr. Jones) graduated with a journalism degree back when reporters published the facts, not their opinions, and sought to present both sides of a story fairly. (Mr. Jones added that last part.) And if you’re too old to be called young (or whatever), you can still write for us. It’s just that we give kids my age first priority on the big stories.You can contact me, Nick Caden, at: mailto:editor@coolghoulgazette.com. The scarier the story, the better. If The Cool Ghoul Gazette had been around when that fellow Edgar Allan Poe was alive, he’d have probably written for us. Anyway, we need lots of scary stories so send us some strange writers.
Thank you so much for joining us Nick (and Eddie)!!
Blessings!
