Amazon Exclusive: A Q&A with Jeff Kinney Question: Given all the jobs that you have--game designer, fatherhood, Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie work, etc.,--do you have a certain time that you set aside to write? Kinney: I still treat writing like a hobby, working mostly at night and sometimes on weekends. But when a deadline looms my hobby time gets extended into the wee hours of the night. It's not uncommon for me to work until 4:00 a.m., and I'm usually back at work by 9:00 a.m. Q: Did you get to choose which character you would play in the Wimpy Kid films (Mr. Hills)? What do you enjoy most about working on the movies? Kinney: I never any real desire to appear in the Wimpy Kid films, but one day my wife encouraged me to be an extra in one of the crowd scenes. So I walked onto the set, ready to ask the assistant director to put me somewhere in the back. It happened that right at that moment the director was looking for someone to play the role of Mr. Hills, Holly Hills's father. What I didn't realize was that I'd be front and center in the church scene, and in the new movie, I'm even more prominent. I'm incredibly self-conscious so appearing on-camera was a real stretch for me. Q: In 2009 Time magazine named you as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World--what’s the first thing you did after you found out? Kinney: I thought it was a practical joke, so I tried to track down the source of the joke. I eventually reached a voicemail of a reporter who said they worked for Time, and at that point I thought it was just a well-planned practical joke. It took me a while to realize it was for real. It was a big honor, but I don't take it very seriously. I'm the fourth most influential person in my own house. Q: Would you ever consider making Wimpy Kid into a newspaper comic strip or creating another one? Do you have any favorite comic strips that you currently read? Kinney: I've considered it. I set out to become a newspaper cartoonist but failed to break in. But I like the freedom books give me, so it would be tough to cram my ideas into three or four panels. Q: What is (or could be) you motto in life? Kinney: I was inspired to write by a Benjamin Franklin quote: "Well done is better than well said." But I always encourage kids to "create something great," because the tools to create something original and find an audience are available to them like never before. Q: What was your favorite year in school, and why? Kinney: Fifth grade was my favorite year. I had a great teacher, Mrs. Norton, who encouraged me to be funny and challenged me to be a better artist and joke-teller than I was. I liked it that she didn't coddle me. Q: Kids now ask for a book that is “like Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” and with this series you’ve created a whole new subset of books for young readers--how does it feel to be the person behind such massive book enjoyment, reaching reluctant readers, and spawning any number of titles that aspire to be “the next Wimpy Kid?” Kinney: I'm happy that kids are reading. I think graphical books reach kids who might otherwise see books as work. Books should be fun!

Tales From Gundarland, won a medal in a recent Readers Favorite competition in the scifi/fantasy category. Laughter is contagious. Enjoy some by reading this book It's filled with delightful entertainment. Without commercial interruption! Gundarland is populated by humans, dwarfs, elves and other races; it's the backdrop for unique adventures, brilliant heroes and cunning villains. You'll meet some of Shakespeare's most famous characters, a warrior-cook, vigilantes and beautiful, lusty princesses to mention just a few of the memorable characters in the stories. Here is a list of the stories and a brief synopsis of each. Romeo and Juliet: Romeo, a dwarf miner, and Juliet, the elfin daughter of a rich gem merchant, have a rocky courtship because Juliet's brothers are avowed enemies of Romeo's family. Chasing Dreams: This novella tells the story of twin yuk brothers on their journey from strong-armed thugs to highway robbers to bawdy house owners to politicians. The brothers are plagued and harassed by vigilantes. Boggerts Blue: A warrior-cook seeks to rescue a kidnapped princess. She refuses to be rescued by someone who isn't noble-born. The Big Bang: A wizard has to eliminate a dragon and his minions. On the way to complete his mission, he is tested by a shape-changer and a pair of trolls. The Queen's Hero: This novella is about a young tinker-warrior as he struggles to save his Queen from a pirate admiral trying to overthrow her and become king. The Queen's three beautiful daughters have their own plans for the young hero. Merchant of Venison: A dwarf butcher borrows money to help his best friend and soon regrets it. The dwelf money lender has bloody ideas about the default payments. Inter-Racial Musical Playoffs: A few greedy wizards attempt to fix a musical competition. Tactical Surprise: A general develops unusual tactics to defeat a rebel army.

*NEWLY UPDATED VERSION. IF PREVIOUSLY DOWNLOADED PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU OPT IN FOR UPDATES ON YOUR STORED BOOKS*Discover the best-selling clean young adult paranormal and urban fantasy series that everyone is talking about…The series with over 6500 5* ratings (iBooks, Amazon and Goodreads)“...the characters are complex and the storyline is amazing!” Amazon Reviewer *****“...it has everything I love in my books from forbidden love to a kickbutt fight scene...I decided halfway through that this is one of the best books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading!”Amazon Review *****Roseline Enescue didn't ask to become an immortal, to have all of the guests at her wedding slaughtered, or be forced into marriage with a man whose lust for blood would one day ignite the vampire legend. Willing to risk everything for a chance at a normal life, Roseline escapes to America, but her transition into the human world isn't easy. Mortal men flock after her while cutthroat girls plot her demise. Roseline soon discovers that cliche is sometimes based on reality, in a painful way! Yet she remains relatively unfazed by it all until she meets Gabriel Marston. As their lives entwine, Roseline realizes that he is more than he seems. His ability to grind concrete into dust pales in comparison to the glowing cross tattoo that mysteriously appears on his forearms. Despite the forbidden bond between them, Roseline can't help wondering what Gabriel is. He's not human. He's not immortal. So just what is he? Click on the link above to find out who and what Gabriel Marston REALLY is…Then don't forget to check out the rest of the books in this series when you are done.Reckoning, Book II Redemption, Book III Evermore, Book IV (novella) Or grab the Arotas Trilogy Box set and save money!Want to know how it all began? Desolate, Book I of the Immortal Rose Trilogy

From the author of the global phenomenon Ranger's Apprentice!They are outcasts. Hal, Stig, and the others - they are the boys the others want no part of. Skandians, as any reader of Ranger's Apprentice could tell you, are known for their size and strength. Not these boys. Yet that doesn't mean they don't have skills. And courage - which they will need every ounce of to do battle at sea against the other bands, the Wolves and the Sharks, in the ultimate race. The icy waters make for a treacherous playing field . . . especially when not everyone thinks of it as playing. John Flanagan, author of the international phenomenon Ranger's Apprentice, creates a new cast of characters to populate his world of Skandians and Araluens, a world millions of young readers around the world have come to know and admire. Full of seafaring adventures and epic battles, Book 1 of The Brotherband Chronicles is sure to thrill readers of Ranger's Apprentice while enticing a whole new generation just now discovering the books.Perfect for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series, and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire series.