A quick update from the island

Dear Adventurers:

It’s been a long week, but the past few days have zipped by. That’s because for most of those days I was out on a boat above the wreckage of an old pirate ship. The ship is actually inside an underwater cave and to get to it I had to stuff myself into a “stinger suit” and strap on a scuba tank. The water around the island I’m at is warm, and it attracts a lot of jellyfish — BIG jellyfish with poisonous stingers that are longer than I am tall — so I gladly wore the stinger suit, even though it was tight and extremely hot. But enough about that. I’m rambling on and on about an adventure that you won’t be able to read until “Adventure Three: . . .”. Let me focus on the adventure that’s about to hit the bookshelves this summer — Adventure One: The Castle Tower Lighthouse.

I’m so excited. A lot of hours have been spent this past year and a half to make sure that Edgar Font’s story gets out to you and fellow adventurers. I know he, Audrey, and Garrett will be proud when their adventures are in your hands. Until that day I’ll keep you informed and up to date with what’s going on. If you have any questions, send them to: house2haunt@yahoo.com

I have to get back in the water now, but when I write next I’ll tell you more about me. Until then, make everyday of your life an adventure.

Your friend & storyteller,
patrick

Thank you Armadillo Books

Hello Adventurers,

This is a quick note before I catch my boat. So much has happened in the past year, and it makes my head spin with excitement knowing that the first adventure in the Edgar Font series is about to go to press. None of this would have been possible without my publisher. They're a new company and it's an honor to be a part of their team. Big thanks to everyone at Armadillo books for young readers for their hard work and support. They take care of all the business and paper work (stuff I know nothing about) which allows me to travel and explore the houses that Edgar, Audrey, and Garrett wrote about in the journal. Like now, I’m on my way out to a small island in... Opps. There’s the boat whistle. I have to go.

Your friend & storyteller,
Patrick

Edgar Font wallpaper #1

The EDGAR FONT website

Hello adventures,

If you click on the “Edgar Font” link you’ll discover that Mr. Font's room (the site) is still under construction. I just got off the satellite phone with my friend Paulo who’s building the site, and he told me that it should be ready in late May. Keep checking back here and I’ll let you know the second it’s ready for your visit. Until then please explore the other links listed. They should be names you already know. All three reflect the spirit of adventure that drove Edgar Font though life, and he considers them his friends.

If you send me an email addressed to house2haunt@yahoo.com I’ll send you a message when the site is open and the first adventure is out.

Make everyday of your life an adventure.

Your friend & storyteller,
Patrick

Britni's Question

So now that you all know how to get a hold of me, let me answer Britni’s question. She wrote:

“What happens in the first Edgar Font adventure? And are there any drawings from the journal that I could see?”

Well, Britni, I don’t want to spoil the adventure for you, but I will tell you a little bit more.

The first entry in the journal introduces Audrey and her younger brother Garrett Font. They were looking forward to an uneventful Summer break after what seemed like an endless school year. Garrett had a bag full of new puzzle book he was looking too start and Audrey had planned on rereading a few of her favorite books. That was until Aunt Dolores told them that they would be spending the entire three months with their Grandpa Edgar while she and their father dealt with some business overseas.

From what Audrey and Garrett’s father had told them in the past, Grandpa Edgar was an extraordinary man—a traveler, adventurer, and fearless explore. He had done what others have only dreamt of, and seen things that most only believe as fantasy. But those days were long gone. Grandpa Edgar hung up his dusty leather jacket and moved into The Sterling Oaks Retirement Village. It’s a place where strange smells and the bored ghosts of past residents wander the halls.

Within a few minutes of Audrey and Garrett’s stay, Grandpa Edgar shares with them a story of an elephant graveyard and shows them a photo journal full of picture that Grandpa Edgar claims to be ghosts. Grandpa Edgar, who has lived every minute of his life in search of adventure, doesn’t plan on joining these bored spirits and will do whatever it takes to make sure that he doesn’t end up just like them. His plan, as he describes it to Audrey and Garrett, is to hunt for a house that is as unique, exciting, and unusual as he is to haunt.

And from that moment, with the help of Audrey and Garrett, he sets out to explore the first house on his list. An abandoned lighthouse full of puzzles, ghosts, and adventure. It’s the beginning of a Summer none of them will ever forget.

I don’t want to tell you too much, so I’ll stop there. In future posting I’ll tell you more about Grandpa Edgar, Audrey, and Garrett. I might even hint to what’s coming up in the upcoming adventures.

I’ll conclude with some of the drawings in Garrett’s journal. Enjoy.

Your friend & storyteller,
Patrick

Adventure One Illustrations

All images and content © 2006 by Armadillo Books for Young Readers

How to find me.

Hello Adventurers,

I am writing you from... I’m afraid I can’t tell you where I am at the moment. I’ll just say that it’s the house spotlighted in Adventure Two, and the town’s people here wish for it to remain a secret. You’ll have to wait for the release of that book in 2007 to understand their special request.

I received my first e-mail from Britni, a young adventurer in Ohio. I’m sorry it took so long to respond, Britni. I rarely check the mailbox that you sent it to. But my friends at Armadillo Books, knowing that I’m hard to find sometimes, forwarded your e-mail to me and has set up an address just in case you or anyone else has a question about the Edgar Font Adventure Series. Here it is:

house2haunt@yahoo.com

I’ll be checking this mailbox from time to time, and depending on if the area I am in has internet or not, will answer your questions in the order I receive them. In following the adventures of Edgar, Audrey, and Garrett Font I sometimes find myself in a town, village, or country that doesn’t even have a TV, so please be patient if days go by without an answer. I promise to answer all your questions when I’m able.

Bienvenue! Benvenuto! Willkommen! Welcome!

Dear Adventurer,

Let me introduce myself. My name is Patrick and I would like to prepare you for the Edgar Font adventure series with the tale of its origin.

Two years ago I bought a beautiful, old house with a rich history. It still needs some fixing up and there are rooms in the upper floors that could use a good cleaning, but it was exactly what I was looking for. There is a fantastic library full of books, a beautiful fountain in the backyard, countless secret passageways that lead from one room to another (great for playing tricks on my friends when they visit), and a very special and playful ghost that haunts its halls.

I was exploring the attic during my first week in the house, and discovered a hidden room—a small office. In it was a large desk that had on it countless artifacts from all over the world. The walls were covered with old maps, framed fossils, and photographs of a Mr. Edgar Font at places like Stonehenge, Easter Island, and the Great Wall of China. But what I found most interesting was an old leather bag on top of a beautiful chess board. There was a hole in the front flap of the bag, and inside was a leather-bound journal. The pages were full of pencil drawings and the amazing adventures had by, Audrey and Garrett during a Summer with their grandfather, Mr. Font.

Soon, the first of their many adventures will be released*. It tells of the ghosts, traps, and puzzles that challenged them inside The Castle Tower Lighthouse. I have included with all the stories, to help you understand the clues and mysteries that they uncovered, the actual sketches from the journal. All were drawn by Garrett Font as they explored the many houses all over the world.

I proudly present the stories of Edgar, Audrey, and Garrett Font with the hope that you enjoy them, share it with your friends, and make every day of your life an adventure.

Your friend & storyteller,
Patrick


* Adventure One: The Castle Tower Lighthouse, in the Patrick Doyle presents, EDGAR FONT'S Hunt for a House to Haunt will be available at www.edgarfont.com and major online bookstores in mid-June, 2006. Check this site from time to time for updates.