CURSE OF MONKEY-SKULL TEMPLE

Very entertaining. Has a cozy feeling to it-like a Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew meets Indiana Jones/The Librarian kind of thing. Great job. Highly recommended.
Dina of Halo of the Damned and Last Degree

Like the look of this. Will come back for more. Backed
Nick Baker
The Stone of Madness

Backed Showdown on Monkey Skull Mountain. Saw it on another author's shelf . Took a look and found it very entertaining! good Luck.
CC Brown
Dark side

Entertaining stuff in the tradition (not style) of the traditional Boys' Own annual adventures!
Backed
Stewart

I enjoyed your exquisite descriptions in Showdown on Monkey Skull Mountain. For some reason your main characters reminded me of Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet on a ship that sank in the middle of the North Atlantic. Backed with enthusiasm.

The attention to detail here is beyond impressive and your descriptions are painted with passion and beauty. I was most taken by the relationship that grows so obviously but so subtly. Excellent.


BACKED

Dear A.G. Hardy,

"There's gonna be a showdown..." (New York Dolls) and we ain't talking Hardy boys from a New Jersey salt marsh -- hilarious and not just for kids, but kids will love this sushi giant clam of a squid stew -- serve it up, A.G., very, very imaginative and big FUN.

Why do children's writers seldom return my comments?

Best wishes for Showdown on Monkey Skull Mountain and backed.

GK Stritch
CBGB Was My High School

Evening A.G.Hardy.
Well, what a fun story. I read the first half dozen chapters and met lots of well described characters and had lots of action. In a good way the story reminds my of the good-old adventures of an era when books like Tintin were written.
Excellent fun reading forchildren/young adults. BACKED.
I would really appreciate you thoughts on my short childrens' book called Adventures of the Paperbats. It is for slightly ounger kids, and would have more illustrations.
Thanks if you could reciprocate.
Jerry [paperbat]

A.G., your first two chapters went down well. Good creativity in those sections. Nothing to nitpick there.

Backed with pleasure.

Joffrey (The Silver Spoon Effect)

Hi A. G., Bright, almost euphoric telling with these inventions from an exciting age. I suppose there weren’t any rules for the flying machines then and since Jack is privileged, his adventures have an eclectic feel. The oriental-influenced household, the monkey rice, and the diving into the speedboat point to protagonists who could be surprised at being caught into something. Uncle Esteban promises to direct Jack! A quirky, interesting read. Happy to shelve – Katherine (The Swan Bonnet)

Showdown on Monkey Skull Mountain
A. G. Hardy

AG,
I was happy to back this about a week ago on the basis of your pitches which I found very interesting. Also, you have a lovely cover which is striking. Only had time today to read some more and was happy to do so. Exciting, unique plot and I thought the writing was strong, entertaining and convincing. Best in finding a publisher.

A tongue-in-cheek spoof that allows the reader to enjoy the action, too. Maintaining your tone must have been tricky--poking fun and derring-do at the same time. I've put on my leather bomber jacket and backed this with pleasure.
Tom Kepler
The Stone Dragon

Old-fashioned and for that reason totally new. YA must be fed up of vampires. THIS
is what excitement and suspense is though it can hardly keep pace with your vibrant writing style. Excellent. Backed. Lynn

Your book is well written and well paced, Your use of imagery coupled with your descriptive writing style insures that your book will be well received by the YA audience. Backed

Andrew Burans
The Reluctant Warrior: The Beginning

The style and feel reminded me so much of those great comics of the past; the Magnet, Gem, Lion and The N.L.L. staring Nelson Lee and Nipper...really enjoyed it.
Backed with pleasure! Good Luck!!
A look at Sicilian Shadows would be greatly appreciated.
Frank.
If you back my work, you may also want to approach BJD (a big supporter of Sicilian Shadows) for a further possible backing of your book
Could you also have a read (if you haven't done so) of 'Moonbeam Highway' by Tim Chambers, a wonderful book that at present sits on the Ed's desk.

Jack and Rose both come off as nice strong characters within this narrative. You open with the clear sense that Jack is longing for adventure i.e. wanted to be an Indian Jones type archaeologist/ love of small flying crafts etc. I like the lively nature of his personality and the way the narrative reminds me of some of the cartoons I used to watch as a kid. This is a believable set up for a young adults’ adventure book and I can see it being a real big hit with young teenagers.


One little note though. You do not need all the brackets. This might be more because I have a personal dislike for dashed or bracketed asides when I’m reading fiction. Either what you’re saying is part of the narrative or its not. And the way you’ve constructed it I’d say most of the longer bracketed sections are part of the narrative so don’t be afraid to include them :P If you must set them apart then italicize them. But then it’s your choice. If you like the way they look feel free to ignore me. It was just something I noted as I was reading through.

Anyway this is a good read. Well done.

~ ILA ~

What a wonderful sense of style and character. Rose and Jack are wonderful: real, believable and immediately engaging - yet not disturbingly idealised as many YA protagonists appear to be these days. The level of detail added to the strength of this piece, perfectly balanced to enhance the work rather than swamp it.

Backed with pleasure.
Abi xxx

'oy vey'; great line. i should back on that alone...watchlist for now...
su dan...read SEASONS...

I really like the style this is written in. It's fun, imaginative and engaging and kids would really enjoy it. I think you could do with shortening some of your long paragraphs, these are the only areas that are kind of hard to get through for me. Also, the paragraphs in parentheses threw me off a little bit. But the rest was fantastic. I think you really have something here!

Oh, and a better word for hari-kiri might be seppuku. That's the more formal word associated with samurai, anyway!

I love this...the details, the way that your words just seem to pop out at me from the screen...the imagery is so unique, and yes the children are different, amazingly different and that is what makes this a fun read.
I did find a typo..."Jack looked and Rose" instead of at...It was hilarious to read Rose's interjection and explanation of her master, and then the part where you wrote how you were bad with transitions....so funny...loved chapter six (and all previous) it keeps you on the edge of your computer seat..I'm serious!! This is the best, most original writing I've read in a LONG time...it was such refreshing, a fast read. My son would eat this up for supper, I'm serious! You are so very talented. For some reason, the movie The Series of Unfortunate Events came to my mind, how the children are portrayed. Your writing style is so comical, electric...I envy you, truly...and I do pray for your success with this novel. I'm sure it wll be a hit! Shelved happily!!! (Oh and thanks for letting me know what Domo Arigato means..always wondered that in the song...

Backed with confidence! Tom Ryerson (Carnal Wreckage)

Descriptive, polished and a damn good read. I shall, indeed, be reading more.

Backed with enormous pleasure.

Hope you get the chance to take a little peek at The Russian Hat

Sincerly
Brendan Doherty
The Russian Hat

I’ve added your book to my watchlist. Best of luck with it!

A.G. the writing is stellar and the story amazing. Your writing style is interesting and I found that your strengths lie ing your descriptive writing.
I wish you the best
Scott
The Esrevinu Chronicles/Secrets of the Elephant Rocks

A charming beginning, with interesting characters and a humorous tone. I have a feeling that Jack and Rose will endear themselves to many readers. Their lives and exploits are original and full of adventure. You have a talent for dialogue and definitely do humor well. I really enjoyed this.
---Mary
The Qualities of Wood

It will be a best of interest to return my my favor and back my book as I backed yours already.

This is a cross between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Bobbsey Twins. And it works. (But, I didn't like the Oy vey at the end of the first chapter, either.) Backed this a couple of days ago and wanted to post a comment of support. Intriguing and punchy and a throwback to the thrilling days of yesteryear on the radio. Marianne (Saint Paddy and the Sundial)

Immense imagination, absolutely fantastic subtle humour, in a story that has everything. To me a book that starts making movies in my head is a sign of a very good book. This created a movies and scenes by the bucket load!
Don’t know where you were in the line when they were handing out imagination, but you’re streets ahead of me!! – Good luck

Showdown and everything about it - cover, pitch, title - took me back to the dim and distant days when I used to devour Hardy Boy stories. The author's name being Hardy furthers this association. The action here is relentless. It's well written and interesting and should easily appeal to young adult readers and plenty of not so young adults too.
John O'Brien - Other Face

Great story gor YA and one that is quite exciting. Not many know what an atuto gyro is and i thought maybe you could have said. A little hard on the reader to grasp the aviator jacket and aviator goggles all in one sentence which sadly puts a drag into the gracious story.
Aviator jacket and googles should work instead of repeating the whole thing. A few lines of description of the proximity of Ellis Island as it comes into the story early so i imagine it is quite important. Remember your reader.
Backed with great pleasure
best

This was so much fun to read. I could almost see an entire franchise out of this. The characters are just great and the sense of adventure is so contagious, you have to keep reading. Children and adults are going to love this, you've written it well enough to attract both. I couldn't find anything wrong with this, of course I was too caught up in the story!

Missy
Mark of Eternity

Simply, this is a lot of fun. What young kid wouldn't like this? "Jeepers. Peru?" Yeah, Peru. Of course, "I dreamt I was in a cave of vampire monkeys . . . I had to fight them off with my Kid Miracle folding machete." I want one of those. Backed with pleasure.

the evil magic to create an army of vampire monkeys. This is really FUNNY. I like to watch or read anybook that is related to the monkeys because it makes me laugh my tail off. Yours is my dream comes true. I have to read this. I want to back your book and I hope my small comment will help your book to climb up.
A look at Bamboo Promise is appreciated,
Backed,
Bamboo Promise

This is the greatest fun. As a child I would have loved all the deliciously exotic names and food and places. the way you use words is a delight.
The little twists and turns of history are very clever, they would promote lots of conversation between reader and teacher or parent.
I am convinced your target audience will love this and if they don't, I do.

Showdown on Monkey Skull Mountain has it all.. adventure, intrique and lots of villains.. brilliant stuff! Backed and best wishes
Diane
Good Blood

Dear A.G., I love your adventure & "bottomless pit," vampire monkeys & happy ending which will lead to another adventure & another book or more. :) Before I began to read your book, I was prepared by your recappitch,which was very well done. Your story is good because you create interest by having short paragraphs & lots of dialogue, which makes me want to keep reading to find out what's going to happen next. I'm "commenting & backing" your book to help it advance - this will help your & mine move up on the charts. :) Could you please return the favor by taking a moment to "comment & back" my TWO memoir books, "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not" & my unedited version? "Tell Me True Love Stories," which tells at the end my illness now/6th abusive marraiage." Thanks, Susie :)
p.s. Remember: every "comment" & "backing" you do moves you book & the other person's book closer to the top. :)

Listen, this is why I came to Authonomy - to read how other children's writers dealt with their material. And I love this. I think we have a very similar attitude when it comes to the stories that we love to write - grand adventure, great heroes, fantastic villains, secrets, lost treasure. What's not to love? This boys-own fantasy with a modern sensibility brings out everything I love about great children's fiction.
Backed with utter joy
Carl
The Time Hunters
(I seriously hope you look at it. It might be up your street)

MONKEY SKULL MOUNTAIN
This book has a little bit of everything: cute kids, an evil fake uncle, a submarine, vampire monkeys . . . and made me think of a Disney movie all the while I read it. It has just enough magic to make it appeal to the Harry Potter crowd so I think you’ll find a wide audience for this. I’m adding this to my shelf. Burgio (Grain of Salt).

Hi AG
First of all -what a great title for a book! I liked the idea behind it and there is lots of mystery and action. You obviously have a great imagination and have drawn this nicely into your story. I think the intended age group will like this and the sublte humour is done well.
DP Walker
Five Dares

Showdown at Monkey Skull Mountain

Hi AG,

A great idea and imagination but you desperately need to do something about your first chapter. Socialites are not interesting things to children (and even some adults) and the history of their family and their place in New York, cut it all out. Not sure what the parentheses are doing, are they meant to make it funny or clever. They seem to do neither actually and I would cut them out too. Tongue-in-cheek irony is great in children's books, Dav Pilkey in Captain Underpants has got it off to a tea but this seems to stray into taking the mickey sometimes. The premise is good, the writing in good, but the story needs some serious surgery in my opinion to make it an accessible and enticing read for its target audience. Your characters don't take themselves too seriously and in the great tradition of children's books are a little like superheroes, no worries there, but I do think you need to major on the action from the off.

Best wishes and good luck, give me a shout and I would happily come back and read re-drafts.

Andrew W.
(Sanctuary's Loss)

I really like this story and writing. Think you have your audience in mind perfectly. Not a fan of the title, if only because it's too much like the Michael Chabon book.

The short pitch needs to be rewritten. The long pitch is spot on though.

Also, do answer someone comments in the Comment section. Send them a Message instead.

SHELVED! I could use your comments on my book when you get a chance. Cheers!

JC
The Obergemau File

Hello A.G., You might call this a children's story, but this 75 year old man hasn't read anything so funny in as Long as I can remember! I haven't finished yet, but I had to stop because the tears were streaming down my face and preventing a clear view of the computer screen. Seriously, I wish I could shelve you five times, but once will have to do. Oh, lordy, if you ever give writing lessons, i want to take some. Best Regards, Jedward

I grant you that Chapter One is sort of tangled and dense. I shall have to cut through this jungle with my Kid Miracle machete. I thank you for backing my novel anyway! (Jack is a sometimes too- recondite writer. But the action picks up. Really.).

section "one" both boggled and bored me to no end. the words in parenthesis at the beginning explain the chapter of jack's book is omitted, yet that does not seem to be the case. Also, Jack doesn't seem to be that great of a writer because there is a huge feeling of being 'told' the story rather then watching it unfold. It reads like a non-fiction, historical recount. Now I realize this is likely due to no fault of your own, and possibly what you were aiming for, but it does not change the fact that the beginning of the book thus suffers. I cannot tell you whether the actual story is good or not because I could not bring myself to read all the way through Jack's retelling of events. If I do not have the patience to read through it, how is an even younger audiance supposed to? I think your book's quality would greatly increase if that section was either cut out entirely or moved to a different place.
The starting of the book is where you are supposed to catch the reader's attention after all.

section "one" both boggled and bored me to no end. the words in parenthesis at the beginning explain the chapter of jack's book is omitted, yet that does not seem to be the case. Also, Jack doesn't seem to be that great of a writer because there is a huge feeling of being 'told' the story rather then watching it unfold. It reads like a non-fiction, historical recount. Now I realize this is likely due to no fault of your own, and possibly what you were aiming for, but it does not change the fact that the beginning of the book thus suffers. I cannot tell you whether the actual story is good or not because I could not bring myself to read all the way through Jack's retelling of events. If I do not have the patience to read through it, how is an even younger audiance supposed to? I think your book's quality would greatly increase if that section was either cut out entirely or moved to a different place.
The starting of the book is where you are supposed to catch the reader's attention after all.

There is alot of charm in this story. I like the way you have given it the old fashion flavour by making it a letter from Jack to his sister, Rose. (I like those names. I have four daughters with Rose somewhere in each name and the name of my character in the book I have on here is Jack!) I think one error (or potentially just needs wording reworked) was right at the beginning of chapter one. Rose and Jack were offsprings of....... but then you go say that Evan gave up archaelogy for Diane--but Jack wanted to be an archaelogist like his dad-till his dad gave it up to be a world jet setting socialite and then he want to be a ...... confusing.
Anyway. Fun fun and a great read for kids with a bit of a polish up.
Barbara
The Sea Pillow