Careful What You Hear by Helen Dunlap Newton is a science fiction action-adventure, middle grade novel, aimed at the 10-15 age range and it is the sequel of Do You Hear What I Hear? Careful What You Hear is due for release next week, Tuesday 18th February 2025.

Blurb

After a surgical mix-up gave 13-year-old Noah Baker mind reading powers, he becomes a spy tasked with stopping the bad guys.

Ever since he accidentally got an experimental cochlear implant, Noah and his secret agent partner, Lena, have been going on secret missions for the government. Now, they’re in for a reward for all their hard work—Space Camp!

But all is not as it seems. When Noah accidentally overhears thoughts that reveal a plot to steal top secret plans from nearby Redstone Arsenal, he must make a choice.

My stop on the tour is an author interview with prize giveaway to win a $15 IndieBound e-book card, which is open to the United States only. To enter please read the Term and Conditions after the interview and then follow the Rafflecopter link below.

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Tell us a little about yourself and the inspiration for Careful What you Hear.

While working on the craft of writing through the years, I’ve heard hundreds of authors, editors, and agents speak at writing workshops and conferences. In the last fifteen years or so, there has been more and more discussion about writing stories with diverse characters. I realized there are all kinds of diversity. I wrote in the margin of my notes at one of those workshops—deaf boy with a cochlear implant. That was the beginning of the first book in the series, Do You Hear What I Hear?

At the end of the first book, I realized Noah and Lena’s adventures were just beginning and there needed to be a sequel – Careful What You Hear.

Talk us through your writing process.

I usually begin with a character and a situation. I give that character a name and age. From there, I build the plot by focusing on what my character’s problem is and how I want them to solve it or at least grow by the end of the book.

The setting is crucial in my writing process. As a veteran sixth grade teacher, I know kids. I know that their emotions and challenges are similar. Very simply, they want friends, their parents to be proud of them, and a place to belong. The setting of a story won’t change that, but it does change the situations they find themselves.

Then I START. Usually, I find where I started is not the best place to begin but that is easy to change. The important part is to START.

What are the underlying themes of Careful What you Hear?

Friendship, forgiveness, courage, patriotism, confidence, family, trust.

Is there an aspect of writing for children you wish someone had told you when you started out?

Because of the years it has taken to learn the craft of writing for kids, I know there were things presented about the publishing world that I wasn’t ready to learn. The amount of marketing it takes to make a book successful has been a surprise to me. I knew I would need to speak and do author signings but there’s so much more than that. I heard speakers talk about this but it’s the kind of thing that didn’t soak in while I was still writing and trying to find a publisher who would give me a chance.

How did you develop your characters and develop their voices so children can identify with them?

Most of the time, my characters are not based on people I know but rather bits and pieces of everyone from my past and present. I am an empathetic person, and I work hard to identify with my character. How would I feel in the situation? Voice is a tricky thing but so important. A good writer makes the voices of their characters distinctive from one another. Those distinctions include word choice, attitudes, speech patterns, internal thoughts, and so

much more. I spend hours of thinking and writing to provide characters whose voices are unique from one another.

Do you have any writing rituals?

Yes, when I’m in the first draft and editing process of writing a book, I work best early in the morning. I only read what I worked on the day before, then work on from there.

Is there a particular place you like to write?

99% of my writing occurs on my laptop at the dining room table.

Is there anything else you would like to tell readers about your books and writing for children?

I love books and I love kids. Writing for kids is a great privilege. The only thing better than writing the books is talking to kids and adults about the books I’ve written and books by other authors. Kids ask the best questions.

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E-book Card Prize Giveaway Terms and Conditions

US entries welcome ONLY. 

Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. 

The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email.

If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner.

Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. 

Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  

I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494607/?

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Author Bio

Award-winning author Helen Dunlap Newton is a veteran middle grade language arts teacher and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Both Night of the Amber Moon and Do You Hear What I Hear? were finalists for the Oklahoma Book Award and received the Creative Women of Oklahoma Award.

In addition to writing, she enjoys reading, music, and helping her husband care for backyard chickens and an energetic Australian shepherd in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

To find out more about Helen Dunlap Newton take a look at Instagram: @newtonhelendunlap and Facebook: Helen Dunlap Newton.

You can buy copies of Careful What You Hear by Helen Dunlap Newton from the following US outlets:

• Yorkshire Publishing
• Rivendell Books & Baubles
• Best of Books
• Enchanted Children’s Book Store
• Amazon

Or in the UK at Amazon.

I would like to thank Rachel from Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me on this tour. Thank you.

To follow the rest of the tour take a look at the schedule below: