Welcome, dear readers, to our second Book of the Month feature! This time, we’re diving back into the magical world of Clifton Chase with the thrilling sequel.
Clifton Chase on Castle Rock by Jaimie Engle
History tends to repeat itself…sort of.
Clifton Chase just wanted life to go back to “normal” again. But things were starting to happen. Two kids at his school were being bullied, and they just happened to look like the princes from 1485. That couldn’t be possible. A hobthrush popped up in his closet and stole the Arrows of Light for his master Prince John of Nottingham. What in the world was going on? Clifton wanted no part in this adventure through time to help Robin Hood save the people of Sherwood Forest from the bully Sheriff of Nottingham. Until he learned that Dane the dwarf was a teenager in the eleventh century. He was still alive! Could Clifton make things right by warning Dane of what was to come?
The second in the Clifton Chase Adventure Series full of danger, magic, love, and friendship.
Why you should read it:
- A continuation of Clifton’s adventures with new challenges and magical elements.
- Engaging themes of friendship, bravery, and standing up against bullies.
- Perfect for young readers and fans of historical fantasy.
Rave Reviews: 5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the wait!
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2020
We were so happy to return to the story of Clifton Chase, his time travels, and his magical arrows. The second book in the series gave us some new characters as well as a happy return of some of the old ones. Jamie Engle does an excellent job portraying the mind of a middle-school boy. Once again, she managed to tell a great story that realistically handled moral lessons without it seeming too “in your face”. Clifton’s woes and triumphs kept my 9-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter engaged and wanting more during our family read-a-loud time (I’ll even admit to being caught up in it myself). Well done Jamie Engle!
So, dear adventurers, grab your copies of Clifton Chase on Castle Rock and join Clifton in his quest through time and magic. Happy reading! 😊📚✨
📚 Excerpts & Teasers
Welcome back, adventurers! In this section, I’ll dive into some exciting excerpts and teasers from the Book of the Month to give you a taste of the magic and adventure that awaits.
The Return of Adventure
In this thrilling opening chapter, I reintroduce Clifton Chase, now dealing with the strange occurrences that disrupt his quest for a “normal” life. As two students at his school are bullied, Clifton realizes that history might be repeating itself in unexpected ways. Little does he know, his journey through time is far from over. Get ready to embark on an adventure filled with danger, magic, and the timeless struggle against bullies.
Chapter One: Normal
There is no way of knowing, when the day begins like any other, that something extraordinary lies on the horizon. On a normal morning in a normal town, Clifton Chase opened his eyes. He had no reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary. No warning by woodland creature, no March wind whispering he remain vigilant on this particular day. In fact, it began in the same predictable manner as every other morning.
And Clifton was glad.
He dressed in jeans and a T-shirt that read Rainault Plumbing: Our Pipes Hit the Mark in big block letters. His stomach grumbled, a bloodhound sniffing for breakfast, and led him to the kitchen.
“Clifton,” his mother called from her bedroom. “We’re leaving for archery club in five minutes.”
“That’s today?” he called back.
“Yes, and we’re running late.”
Clifton scarfed down cereal, slurped milk, and placed his dish in the sink. Skidding in tube socks down the hardwood floor, he rushed into his bedroom. He liked his room. It was warm and comfortable with a stained oak bed, matching dresser, and end table.
Over the years, he’d grown an impressive collection of medieval relics, from antique stores, estate sales, and by wealthy relatives vacationing in Europe. His two prize possessions were his lucky iron horseshoe lamp and a wooden plank with hilts and pommels screwed in for hanging his backpack and coats. His closet door glided across the thick rug. Clifton reached for his sneakers but stopped. Beside the bookcase packed with boardgames and novels, wedged behind art supplies and science equipment, he spotted the copper feather, one that unquestionably took residence while he slept, as the space had been vacant when he tossed his sneakers in the night before.
He’d hidden the three arrows in the back of his closet, out of sight, out of mind. Beautifully crafted, the first arrow ushered him through time to 1485 England, where he’d rescued two princes from their tyrant uncle, fought in an epic battle, and witnessed his good friend, a dwarf named Dane, die before his eyes. Forced amnesia fed his denial of any adventure through time. A centuries old oil painting, depicting Clifton with the notched arrow on a battlefield, evidenced the proof that it had happened.
He passed his fingers through the barbs of the fletching, like the feathers from nesting birds that floated to his porch in the spring. Only these gleamed in a striking copper flecked with gold, shades he’d never seen on the wings of any Florida birds. The wood shaft, he remembered, was forged from the Tree of Knowledge, where Simurgh the all-knowing bird of reason nested before Time herself existed on Earth.
He knew these things, but he wanted to forget.
Except for Pearl, the beautiful Siren who rescued him from an evil Mer King. Her memory was locked away from the rest. Why, just the thought of Pearl and the lightweight shaft heated in his hand as the Arrow of Light brightened and the fletching shimmered.
Then a pair of glowing eyes, at the rear of the closet, shone like spotlights. Clifton blinked hard and shook his head. The eyes were gone. It had to be something else. He stepped closer. Something jutted out from between his coats like a witch’s nose. He leaned in closer still. Was his jacket moving?
Clifton took in a sharp breath. Someone else was in his closet.
With all the bravery he could muster, Clifton reached a shaky hand toward the nose, relieved when he palmed the hard wood hanger instead. He smacked it and scolded himself for letting his fear paint such vivid pictures in his mind. As he stepped back, the Arrow of Light snagged on something that tugged it, nearly yanking it from his grip.
Clifton twisted around and pulled hard, expecting a tug-of-war but getting no tension from whatever had held the arrow captive. His own force sent him sailing into a stack of boardgames, which toppled to the floor. Pieces flew across the rug and Clifton smacked the ground at the base of his bookshelf, now with no doubt in his mind that someone else was in his closet. He jumped up, plunged back into darkness, and flung his clothes aside to find nothing but the wall. No escape into Narnia for Clifton. He ran his fingers through his hair.
What was the matter with him? But he knew.
The Arrows of Light held magic. Many beings would endure the impossible to unearth them for personal gain. No matter how desperately Clifton wished life would return to normal, as long as he possessed the arrows, it never would.
Then an eerie feeling, as if on cue, struck him, and he worried someone was tiptoeing behind him. Clifton jumped around half-expecting to catch the glowing-eyed monster, but instead found his mom in the doorway.
“What are you doing? It’s time to go. Never mind, just…grab Grandpa Samuel’s archery set if you want. You can try it out today on the field.”
“Do I have to?”
Mom scoffed. “Seriously? I figured you’d be dying to shoot those arrows. Is something wrong with them? You haven’t shot them once since Dad and I gave them to you.”
“I know,” Clifton said. “I just don’t think I’m ready yet. They’re really old, Mom.”
“That’s kind of the point,” Mom’s voice trailed. “We’re late. Let’s go!”
He was about to stash the arrow in the back of his closet with the other two, when he decided he’d place them all in his backpack for safekeeping. Just in case someone really was after them. He threw on shoes without tying the laces and deserted the room unable to see the creature in his closet, eclipsed in darkness.
*Stay tuned for more excerpts and teasers as I continue to explore the enchanting world of Clifton Chase on Castle Rock! 😊📚✨
✨ Behind-the-Scenes Insights
I never planned on writing book 2. Honestly, I was petrified. How do you take a story and continue it with the same voice, style, tone, etc., when you’ve allowed half a decade to pass? Surely, I’d become a better writer along the way. Naturally, my craft had improved dramatically. Or did that matter? Was my storytelling voice just my storyteller style no matter what new tips and tricks I learned along the way?
I felt inspired by the fact that Avatar had a nearly ten-year span between films one and two. I mean, why couldn’t I release book 2 in the series? Who says you have to release a book a year for it to work? I had to try to find out.
I remember spending hours at the local Dunkin’ Donuts in Rockledge, Florida, writing this book. I would drop my youngest son, Ezra, at a nearby hip-hop dance class (taught by the runner-up of So You Think You Can Dance, how cool is that?) and then I would grab a decaf and write one chapter at a time. I also had earned my real estate license and spent hours in the office leading up to the 9 AM open working on the novel.
It was fun, once I realized I wanted to introduce some of the best characters from book one, namely Dane and Liv, and tell their stories using concepts from Back to the Future, where Marty and his father/mother are the same age. It’s such a fun concept seeing this juxtaposition as well as watching beloved characters from book one meet and have their own origin story. It also allows the timeline to expand for Clifton Chase, allowing more intertwining of other titles in the Engleverse.
One of the other elements in this book was when I learned of the origin of “Castle Rock,” the infamous Stephen King locale. It is actually a medieval castle and the perfect place to set a tale of Robin Hood, who is portrayed in a different light than the typical “hero” tale that his compilation is usually granted.
The book does end on another cliffhanger, leaving it open to perhaps another tale in ten years? Only time will tell…😊📚✨
🎉 Interactive Elements
I’d love your feedback in the comments on what future adventures Clifton Chase and his crew should embark on!
One thought is to have Clifton and his two friends go back to the early Indian settlements and meet the Native American Ais Indians. They could become part of the hunter-gatherer culture in the Brevard County (my hometown) area during one of their many battles with Spanish and French explorers. Perhaps Clifton saves a princess from enemy lines, sparking a love triangle with Ava, and maybe even arriving to rescue his best friend after the Arrow of Light sends him there by accident.
One of the benefits of this storyline is that the Ais didn’t track their history or culture extensively, so there’s a lot of creative freedom. Plus, there are several cultural specialists in my area who could offer insight and truth to this historical moment in time.
What do you think? Should I write book 3 with the Ais Indian storyline or should Clifton adventure somewhere else on the timeline? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments! 😊📚✨
💸 Exclusive Discounts and Offers
Get the most out of the Book of the Month with exclusive discount codes and special offers available through my website or Amazon.
February 2025: Special Offer
- Discount: $5 off the purchase of both books in the Clifton Chase adventure series.
- Code: 5OFF2
- Link: Website Shop
- Additional Option: Choose “local pickup” in the shipping area to donate the two books to a local school in Brevard County.
📥 Downloadable Content
Enhance your reading experience with exclusive downloadable content like wallpapers, bookmarks, and printable character profiles:
📚 Book of the Month – Quick Summary
Clifton Chase on Castle Rock by Jaimie Engle
History tends to repeat itself…sort of.
Clifton Chase just wanted life to go back to “normal” again. But things were starting to happen. Two kids at his school were being bullied, and they just happened to look like the princes from 1485. That couldn’t be possible. A hobthrush popped up in his closet and stole the Arrows of Light for his master Prince John of Nottingham. What in the world was going on? Clifton wanted no part in this adventure through time to help Robin Hood save the people of Sherwood Forest from the bully Sheriff of Nottingham. Until he learned that Dane the dwarf was a teenager in the eleventh century. He was still alive! Could Clifton make things right by warning Dane of what was to come?
The second in the Clifton Chase Adventure Series full of danger, magic, love, and friendship.
Purchase Links:
Request for Reviews:
👋 Closing Statement
Thank you for joining me on this magical journey through the Book of the Month! Your enthusiasm and participation mean the world to me. If you have any questions, thoughts, or just want to share your experience, feel free to reach out. I’d love to hear from you!
Don’t forget to grab your copy of Clifton Chase on Castle Rock on Amazon or through my website to dive into the adventure.
Special thanks to everyone who is following and supporting my work. I’m available to speak to students in schools, summer programs, and libraries. Let’s inspire the next generation of readers and writers together.
Happy reading!
😊📚✨
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