Monster or Die Book 1
From the Grave
Monster is as monster does, but Frankenstein Frightface Gordon is totally the wrong shade of ghastly green—pale, baby blue, in fact—and he’s more concerned with keeping his pants neat and tidy than scaring the pants off his victims. But when a new law is passed to rid Uggarland of misfits such as Frank, he must decide if he will become the monster his parents can be proud of or be the monster he can be proud of. Trusting the most monsterly monster he knows, Frank looks to the grave and his dead grandmother to make his choice, entering into an adventure that most likely will seal his doom.
Or prove he is truly monster enough.
"Kids will love the little details and plays on words throughout the story, but also encounter some important ideas about being different, bullying, and being comfortable in your own skin."
Lee Malone, author of The Last Boys at St. Edith's
Monster or Die Book 2
Into the Shadowlands
Troll Malcolm McNastee and misfit Frankenstein Frightface Gordon—middle school monsters at Fiendful Fiends Academy and long-time enemies—venture into the infamous Shadowlands to prove their monster worthiness.
Too quickly they discover that the mysterious world between Uggarland and the humans holds horrors worse than any nightmare, and if they make it out alive, they’ll undoubtedly not emerge unscathed!
"There’s a little something for everyone here; suspense, adventure, a blossoming romance, and some truly corny humor from a two-headed gargoyle."
Praised by School Library Journal
Featured News
Cynthia recently signed with an agent, Ritu Anand, who has her latest Middle Grade spooky title PAPER NIGHTMARES out on submission.
A look into the book:
In a world where weird often finds middle schooler Elli, she’s shoved her possible psychic powers aside to concentrate on her beloved basketball, friends, and family. But with her family’s latest disruptive move to a (mostly dead) witch’s enchanted house in a historic St. Louis suburb, Elli must quickly contend with the evil and mystery hidden within the house’s magic wallpaper or risk great harm coming to her loved ones.
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Meet Cynthia
As an intrepid librarian, I dared to venture from behind the book stacks and jump into the delightful dilemmas found in my very own picture books and middle grade novels. Fearlessly, I’ve befriended quirky characters, battled monsters from the beyond, and belly-laughed when hilarity reigned. Armed with degrees in English Literature, Education, and a Master of Library Science, I’ve entertained and educated children in both school and public libraries—always eager to enflame in them a transformative love of reading, writing, and a quest for knowledge.
My works have appeared in such publications as FACES, LADYBUG, and HIGHLIGHTS. I was the recipient of the Missouri SCBWI Mentorship Award for my middle grade fantasy, THE SLIGHTLY TANGLED TALES OF JIM-BO BAXTER. My debut middle grade novel, FROM THE GRAVE, won the 2017 New Mexico Press Women’s Zia Award for outstanding children’s literature. Its sequel, INTO THE SHADOWLANDS, was praised by School Library Journal: There’s a little something for everyone here; suspense, adventure, a blossoming romance, and some truly corny humor from a two-headed gargoyle.
While I have had my share of worldly adventures—fishing for piranhas in the Amazon, climbing the Great Wall of China, and white-water rafting in New Zealand—I grew up on the enchanted Midwest plains of Kansas, where the wide blue sky reaches nearly to the ends of the earth. It was there, with my beloved library books in hand, that my own story first expanded. Now I split my time between the rolling hills of Missouri, the sweeping New Mexico mountains, and the classic California desert. When I’m not reading, I love tennis, painting, and hanging out with my family. I am a member of the SCBWI, ALA, and the Writing Barn’s Courage to Create.
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