Inside the Book:
Title: In the Forest
When two young brothers, Archibald and Jockabeb, find and old leather map hidden in the forest just beyond their backyard, they can’t help but sneak out one night to follow its path. So begins the first of the boys’ amazing adventures. After a terrifying encounter with supernatural creatures, the boys meet a young Indian brave, Haktu, who shares with them the tragic story of how he was separated from his tribe and placed under an evil spell. The saga leads the two boys into Haktu’s secret world behind the forest mist, the power of the blue feather, and teaches them the importance of friendship and loyalty in the face of untold evil.
Inside the Book:
Inside the Book:
Inside the Book:
In the first two books, Archibald and Jockabeb make a number of wonderful friends while battling unearthly foes that possess supernatural powers. In a dark forest close to home, they escape almost certain death with the aid of a young Indian brave, Haktu, and his pony, Uno. Later, in a distant mountain range, they come to know the kindness of Gran, Ben, Tommy Two Feathers, and their four-legged companions, Champ and Ghost Rider. Stalked relentlessly by the blood-thirsty wolf-crows in the forest, and then by the cunning devil cat in the mountains, the two brothers manage to barely escape with their lives. However, when they accept their uncle’s invitation to visit him in Brazil, little do they know that their most terrifying adventure is about to unfold — an amazing adventure that will again test the magical power of Haktu’s blue feather. So, as you prepare to read In the Amazon, get ready for an unforgettable journey into the dark recesses that lie between the crevices of reality and fantasy!
Inside the Book:
Inside the Book:
Thank you for your time in answering our questions Let’s begin by having you explain to us why you decided to write a book?
When I retired as chairman & CEO of a Fortune 500 company, many people expected me to write a book on leadership or corporate strategy. I thought that this would be boring and not much fun. Instead, at the urging of my two daughters, I wrote down some of the stories I told them when they were young girls. That started the ball rolling, and eight years later there are nine books in The Adventures of Archibald & Jockabeb series.
Is this your first book?
Yes, In the Forest is the first book in the nine-book series.
Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?
Many trials and errors over eight years, but smiles on kids faces when they talk about my books and the characters makes it all worthwhile.
What lessons do you feel you learned about the publishing industry?
Never give up!
If you had the chance to change something regarding how you got published, what would you change?
Get more advice from kids and parents at the beginning—I did later on and it was invaluable.
Did you credit any person or organization with helping you get published?
Yes, my brother, Geoff.
What’s the best advice you can give to aspiring authors?
Write, write, write!
Meet the Author:
When Art Collins retired as a highly successful chairman and CEO of a Fortune 500 company, he didn’t write the book on leadership that many had expected. Instead, he decided that penning adventure stories that could be enjoyed by young and old would be far more interesting, not to mention much more fun. Borrowing two characters, Archibald and Jockabeb, from tales told by his father many years before, and drawing upon his own rich imagination, Art introduces the two young brothers to an incredible cast of characters—some human, some otherworldly—in locations that range from the mysterious forest behind the boys’ house to the lush and exotic Amazon. The nine book series reflects his love of the mountains and ocean, as well as his extensive travels that have taken him to every continent except Antarctica. Art currently divides his time between Chicago and the Vail Valley in Colorado.
