The stories are available at Amazon.com for .99 each. They are occassionally offered for FREE, so be sure to LIKE The Time Card on Facebook to stay informed!

As English teachers, we are always on the lookout for stories that our students (middle/high school) are interested in reading. We’ve found that most young readers who are reluctant to read balk at long stories. We really wanted to offer them short, engaging fiction stories, so we created The Time Card series. Kids enjoy the stories while learning about history, dealing with social situations, and improving their vocabulary and reading skills. We hope you and your children enjoy these stories as much as we are enjoying writing them!

The Time Card series follows the adventures and fortunes of three friends – Blue, Jesse, and Ellie – as they use the contents of their newly found case to travel to diverse and exotic places. Their middle school studies come alive as they interact with historical figures of their country and the world, while at the same time struggling to not change the time-line or upset the course of history. Trying to hide the case from present day bullies, the friends try to stay one step ahead of their arch enemies Ryan Johnson and Jake Barker, not to mention the otherworld forces determined to find the time card.

Join the kids as they explore new worlds, battle bullies, deal with family issues, and ultimately try to save the world. Each week we offer a new installment of The Time Card aimed at young readers as short stories that can be read in a single sitting.

June 27, 2012 – Episode One: The Mysterious Case
July 4, 2012 – Episode Two: Declaration Time

Reviews

“Perfect for reluctant readers! My son read The Mysterious Case in one day and is looking forward to the next book.”

“The book was the perfect size for beach reading. Ready to read the next book!”

“My kids enjoyed the story, the girls are in love with Blue, and the boys think Jesse is hysterical.”

Sample

Chapter 6 – The Case

They fished for an hour at the spot without so much as a bite when Blue suggested they move.

“Where to? If there ain’t no fish here, there won’t be no fish anywheres else,” Jesse said.

Ellie punched her brother in the arm. “There’s no such word as ‘ain’t’ or ‘anywheres’. Talk right!”

“Oww!” Jesse yelled. “That wasn’t very nice!” he said, rubbing his now sore arm.

Ellie ignored him. “You guys ever wonder what’s upstream closer to Old Man Johnson’s place?” She pointed upstream, “There are no fish to catch so we might as well explore a bit.”

“I dunno about this, guys. That fence line up there is Johnson’s land, he walks around it with a gun, you know,” Jesse said.

“Oh Jess, you worry wart, he’s not going to shoot a couple of kids, I think we should go have a look, I always wondered what his house is like, ever since he was bragging about how his daddy used to own most of St Andrews back in the old days.”

Blue shrugged. “Why not?”

They packed their fishing gear and stowed it safely where they could retrieve it on their way home and started making their way up stream. Other than the narrow stream becoming narrower, they saw no fish or anything of note, just more and thicker bushes and trees around the clear water of the creek.

They came to a barbed-wire fence strung across the creek which marked the Johnson property line. The fence wasn’t stopping the water at all but because the creek was a little steeper and narrower at that point, the water was flowing a bit faster than where they had been fishing.

“Hey look over there, in the water,” Jesse said, pointing to where the water was flowing under the barbed-wire and around the fence posts.

“Yeah,” agreed Blue, “I see it too, looks like an aluminum suitcase, what’s it doing out here?” He waded into the water and reached down where it had become wedged between a rock and old log with water flowing over it, making small waves.

“Give me a hand, Jesse,” he asked his friend, and they both levered the case until Blue could grasp it and carry it out of the water and onto the creek bank to examine it.

“Well,” he said after looking it over, “It’s not like any suitcase I have ever seen…like…where’s the handle, and there are no hinges or latches.” He turned the case over and over looking at it, trying to figure it out.