Authorpreneur Dashboard – Roxanne Smolen
The Amazing Wolf Boy
Teens
A nerd-turned-werewolf must call upon his untried superpowers to save his almost-girlfriend from a pack of crazed, bloodthirsty lycanthropes. This humorous, coming-of-age story is available in print, eBook, and audiobook.
Book Bubbles from The Amazing Wolf Boy
Nerds and Jocks
There has always been divisions between kids in high school. Quite often it's between the athletes and the academic kids. In this excerpt, I introduce the football team clique and show their antagonistic attitudes toward Cody, the newcomer. Cody is confused by his own reactions. He has always been the nerd of his class, and his new inclination to fight for his rights is unprecedented.
Comic Relief
This excerpt introduces Howard, the Navajo medicine man who mentors my young werewolf. Howard figures prominently throughout the series, not only for his sage advice but for his humorous, undecipherable sayings. A lot of research went into the creation of the character to make it both likable and authentic.
Get a Haircut
Vice-Principal Overhill is inspired by the vice-principal at my own high school. He was strict and cold but ultimately supportive. In retrospect, I can see how much he cared about the students, but at the time he was rather scary. I chose this excerpt to show Cody's first encounter with the vice-principal. They never become friends, but as time goes on, they learn to appreciate one another.
Love at First Sight
This is where Cody meets Brittany for the first time. I wanted to play up his nervousness and show that he is both a nerd and a klutz. By doing this, I hope to make him like-able and relate-able, even though most of us have never known a werewolf. But the underlying reason for this is character growth. As Cody learns to accept his inner wolf, he becomes more confident and decisive. His relationship with Brittany grows as a result.
Young Love
Ahh. I remember falling in love. Feeling insecure and embarrassed and enchanted all at once. This excerpt shows Cody falling in love with Brittany in a very teenagerish sort of way. But it also sets up a few problems. Cody is a burgeoning werewolf. He has physical abilities no mere human can match. By running around the track faster than anyone else, he has brought his abilities to the attention of the football coach. More than that, he has shown up the three gorillas who have already put him on their dis list. This short excerpt has far-reaching consequences. #werewolf #teenromance #younglove #youngadult
Trouble Maker
This excerpt shows the mounting problems Cody has to face. Not only is he turning into a wolf (a fact he still can't quite believe) but now he is the new kid in a new school that isn't welcoming or supportive. As a writer, my intention was to heap more problems on the poor boy to see how he handled them. In the end, I think he rose to the challenge most spectacularly.
Disconnect
This excerpt shows the growing chasm between Cody and his parents. He's afraid and needs their guidance, but they aren't there for him. I wanted him to hit rock bottom so he would realize he could still rely upon himself and, thus, rebuild his life. As the story is told from Cody's point of view, this scene is one-sided. The reader is not privy to his parents' thoughts, although they will be able to ascertain what is happening with them later in the book.
An Impossible Nightmare
In this excerpt, I try to show the depth of Cody's denial. If werewolves were impossible, he couldn't be changing into a wolf night after night. Part of him believes he will awaken back in his old life. But a larger part fears he is trapped in a nightmare.
Becoming the Wolf
In this excerpt, I wanted to show the internal struggle between wolf and boy playing out in Cody's head. At this point, the reader should wonder if he'll ever accept being a werewolf.
The Adventure Begins
This excerpt introduces Cody just as his comfortable life is turned upside down. I wanted to show him at a bleak point in his life so the reader could watch him grow and overcome his problems.
