Author Archives: Joe

06.27.20
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Coming Soon!

Coming Soon—Children’s Chapter Book (Ages 8-12)

Famous Last Work Series—Book 1 

If We’Re Really Quiet, It Won’t Find Us

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Something strange is going on in the woods around Camp Calamity.  It started with the disappearance of the Davison’s chickens; then it was Mrs. Nussbaum’s cat, and now the Albertson’s dog has gone missing, too. Some say the disappearances are just a coincidence. Others say it’s something more sinister: a large wolf-like creature called the Hollow Howler that is rumored to roam the woods near Camp Calamity. When the mysterious disappearances threaten to close their beloved summer camp, four young friends, George, John, Peter, and Abby, devise a plan to find out the truth. They’re sure if they stick to their plan, they’ll be safe. The creature is said to have extremely poor eyesight from spending most of its existence in dark hibernation, but it is also said to have an acute sense of hearing, which it uses to home in on its unsuspecting prey. Rumor has it, if you’re really quiet, it won’t find you, but sometimes rumors are wrong, and sometimes your words can come back to haunt you.

If We’re Really Quiet, It Won’t Find Us is the first book in a series for kids ages 8-12 called Famous Last Words.  Famous Last Words is an idiom used to describe an ironic comment that is made in a seemingly sure situation that is proven wrong by events (sometimes fatally).  In this series, one of the main characters’ words always comes back to haunt them, thus explaining the book’s title.

06.22.20
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We walked by the light of the storefront windows…

“We walked by the light of the storefront windows, listening to the sounds of the easy moving traffic and pedestrians along Main Street. The heat of the day escaped from the sidewalk in wispy vapors. I stole a couple of glimpses at Summer while we walked. She seemed to radiate a glow all of her own…Am I really falling for her? I thought. I didn’t know how I could be. I had never been in love before, and I wasn’t sure why I would be with a girl like Summer. She was curious and peculiar, unlike any girl I knew. But there was also something magical about her. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew that I wanted to get to the bottom of it…We were stopped by the crowd at the ice cream shop as soon as we entered the door. The ethereal strains of Paramore’s “You Are the Only Exception” drifted from an unseen radio in the back.” #SummerChangesEverything #DylansPlaylist

 

06.18.20
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Summer Changes Everything

Coming Soon!  We’re getting closer!

Summer Changes Everything (Young Adult Fiction)

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As sure as the seasons dissolve from one into the next, things will change. But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing…

Dylan Martin is a street-hardened teen and top-notch skateboarder from Philadelphia. When he’s on his board, he’s in the Zone and can master tricks that others envy, but off his board, he’s often flailing and fighting just to stay grounded. Now he has hit rock bottom. A string of poor choices has placed him on a collision course with his parents and the police. He faces a looming court date and worse—he’s now being forced to spend the summer with his grandparents in the sleepy, backwater town of Russell, Pennsylvania.

Summer Changes Everything is a coming of age novel that explores the struggles that many teens face: addiction, family crisis, and identity. But it’s also a story of how unconditional love can make all the difference in a person’s life. When Dylan unexpectedly meets his first love, what he once called a death sentence turns out to be the summer that changes everything. With the help of this extraordinary girl, Dylan rediscovers his love of skateboarding and channels it into a positive force in his own life and the lives of those around him. But as old demons re-emerge, Dylan must come to grips with the person he once was and fight to overcome his past before it finally catches up with him.

 

10.25.17
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Fall Writing Camps!

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Building on our successful camps this summer,  the Hellertown Area Library has graciously agreed to host a second round of fiction writing workshops.  On Wednesday, November 15, I’ll be teaching an after-school workshop from 3:45 to 4:45 for students in Grades 4-8., and on Monday, November 13, I’ll be leading an evening workshop from 6:00-8:00  for teens and adults.  Both new students and repeats are welcome!  Please email me at joe@joeharvey.net for more information, or contact the Hellertown Library to reserve your spot!  Email:  eclavier@hellertownlibrary.org or Phone:  610-838-8381.

 

10.13.17
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Our Next Endeavor—a plea!

Dear Reader,

These past few years have been a whirlwind!  Since Sunbury Press published From Blue Ground in December 2015, I’ve gotten to experience many things I never imagined I’d do.  From attending conferences, book fairs, and book signings (one with the former Lt. Governor of Pennsylvania) to speaking at school author visits and writing workshops, it’s been quite a learning experience, to say the least!

One of the things I’ve learned over the past couple of years is that writing a book is the easy (and fun) part!  Promoting and selling it is hard!  I’m not a natural salesperson, and I generally dislike self-promotion.  I’d rather sit on my deck by the pool (or, better yet, next to the ocean) and listen to the trees sway (or the waves crash) and write!  But, one of the best things about getting out there and promoting From Blue Ground has been all the supportive people I’ve met both in person and online.  I want to thank you for your support, for buying and reading my book, and for recommending it to your friends and family.  What your support means to me is beyond words.

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Summer Changes Everything.

As many of you know, this coming February 2018, Sunbury Press will release my second book, a novel for young adults called Summer Changes Everything.  It tells the story of troubled teen Dylan Martin, and how one person can make all the difference in someone’s life.  For Dylan, meeting his first love becomes a life-changing experience for him.  The book is dedicated to my wife, Kara.  I hope you’ll read it and enjoy it as much as I did writing it.

Now comes the hard part:  getting the book into the hands of people who’ll read it!  I know that all of you, my steadfast supporters, will be among the first to buy a copy, and I thank you for that in advance from the bottom of my heart.  Now I’d like to humbly ask if you wouldn’t mind going a step further?

One of the best things you can do to support me is to recommend my books to a friend or to others who you think might enjoy them.  In today’s digital world, that means going online.  More and more, people rely on recommendations from websites like Amazon and Goodreads to help them decide what to read and buy next.  The more reviews, the better.  On Amazon, it takes 50 reviews in order for Amazon to recommend that book to shoppers browsing for products online.

I’ve learned a lot since Sunbury Press released From Blue Ground, and I’d like to build on what I’ve learned in kicking off my second book.  Here’s how you can help:

I’m looking for a group of dedicated supporters to read an advanced copy of my next book, Summer Changes Everything, in the hopes that you will show your support and submit an honest review.

My publisher, Sunbury Press, uses a website called NetGalley to help kickstart and manage these coveted reviews.  NetGalley is a service that promotes and publicizes forthcoming titles to readers of influence, like you.  Once you’re a member of NetGalley, you’ll be able to request, read, and recommend my book before its published, which will create a buzz and encourage others to buy it.  Since NetGalley works in a digital format, you’ll be able to download the book onto any major reading device or tablet (Kindle, iPad, Nook, iPhone, or Android device).   The best part about it is it’s free.  You’ll receive a free digital copy of the book before it’s even published!  

Now, I hope you’ll still support me, your struggling author friend, and purchase a paper copy as well.  (I’ll even sign it for you lol!)  I would be forever grateful!

If you’re interested in helping me in this endeavor, please click here, fill out the information, and I’ll get you started!  Thank you so much for your support!

Happy Reading!

Joe

10.05.17
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KSRA—Hershey Event!

Come visit Sunbury Press authors Joe Harvey and Tory Gates at the 50th Annual Keystone State Reading Association Conference on October 9!  They’ll be signing books at Table 36!

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