Joining me today is Renée Hand, author of the new children’s mystery series, The Crypto-Capers. I’m going to talk to Renée about this new series and how parents can encourage even the most reluctant reader to pick up a book.
CM: Welcome, Renée. It’s great to have you with me today.
RH: Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate the opportunity.
CM: Please tell readers a bit about yourself.
RH: I have been writing for over twenty years. At a young age, my writing became an outlet for my feelings. I was able to express them. After a while, my creativity flowed rapidly and my thoughts soon developed into making great stories. I have four books to my credit—two romance novels and two books for my children’s series. I am an award-winning author and have won two awards: one Best Book Award and one National Literary Award for best romance. I am married and have two children.
CM: When did you decide to start writing for children?
RH: I started writing for children a year or so ago. My children love books and we spend a fair amount of time reading and talking about them. Whenever we read stories, I always think of great ways to make the story fun and in so doing, my children remember it. When I created this series, I realized that the ideas that were forming in my mind were going to allow me to have fun with my writing. Writing for children allows me to feel young and free. Most of all, I am creating a story that children will benefit from. They will have fun and be entertained while unknowingly working on their reading comprehension skills. My writing is all about having fun and being creative.
CM: Where did the idea for The Crypto-Capers come from?
RH: There were two reasons why I wrote this book. One, I love reading mysteries. I also love to figure out cryptograms, I am a cryptogram junky. So I thought what a great idea it would be to combine the two things I love to do and make it into a story where kids could interact with it. Two, I wanted children to be involved with what they were reading. This series is fun and entertaining, always keeping the reader’s attention. Not only does the series challenge the avid reader, but also keeps the reluctant readers attention. As soon as the reader picks up the book, they have instantly joined the team as a detective. The reader will be asked to look up different things and to participate in the story on different occasions. My goal was to have kids remember what they were reading because they are learning information with value, yet having fun at the same time. I am all about having fun in my stories and the activities I create for it.
CM: There have been two books released in this series. Can you tell us about The Case of the Missing Sock and The Case of Red Rock Canyon?
RH: In The Case of the Missing Sock, siblings Max and Mia Holmes, along with their good friend Morris, and their flamboyant Granny Holmes, are known as The Crypto-Capers. They are a group of detectives who unravel crimes by solving cryptograms that criminals leave behind. Mia is an expert puzzle solver. Max is great at deduction and reasoning. Morris is a computer genius, while Granny ... well, Granny is the muscle of the group. Don’t let her size or age fool you ... she is quite handy. The Case of The Missing Sock leads the Crypto-Capers to Florida where they are hired by a man named Mr. Delacomb. The mystery leads the team to different locations. Clues flourish throughout the mystery. Suspects by the handful seem to be popping up at every turn, but who committed the crime? Help the detectives solve the case by solving the cryptograms and puzzles.
The Case of Red Rock Canyon leads the team to Las Vegas, Nevada, where they are thrown into the dramatic world of theater to solve their next mystery. A week before the opening night of one of the most talked about plays on the Strip. It’s main attraction—a one-of-a-kind Orchid Ruby Necklace—goes missing. The detectives soon become ensnared in a plot that could destroy them all. They must sift through the clues to figure out what is truth, and what are lies. One of their lives will be in the balance. Can they be saved? Only you can control the answer to that question. Join the Crypto-Capers on their adventure of self discovery and courage. Help them by solving the cryptograms and participating in the various activities. They are not for the faint of heart, but for the bravest and most confident of souls. Can you do it? We are counting on you. Good luck!
CM: Tell me about your main characters. Why will readers relate to them? What will they like about them?
RH: The one thing I know is that each child is different. Each one of my characters has talents that well suit the team and is relatable to a variety of people. Maxwell Holmes is great at detail, as well as observation and reasoning. He misses nothing. When he sees someone, he can tell everything about them without them even saying a word. He is also a perfectionist—failure is never an option, and no problem is unsolvable.
Mia Holmes is my cryptogrammer, or puzzle solver. She solves all of the puzzles and cryptograms in the story, however, the reader will never see her answers because her job is what the reader must do. She shows them the way. She also takes notes on just about anything and can come up with clever ideas on how to solve a problem. Mia likes to think outside of the box.
Morris is the computer genius of the group and though he stays out of the field most of the time because of his many phobias, the reader will see Morris do things that they never would expect. He will evolve and change because he will realize the strength he has inside of himself. He strives to do more. He is also very clever and uses his talents wisely to help the team.
Granny is a fun and energetic character. She is also a master of languages. She constantly brushes up on them. She is clever and smart and yet sometimes silly. The great thing about Granny is that you never quite know what she is going to do or say. She is unpredictable.
Each character in my story has a role to play and they know it well. When you are a part of a team, the team does not function if it is all about one person and what they alone can do. The Crypto-Capers respect each other and are open to listening to each other’s ideas. There is no “I” in team. The characters are not perfect and at times, they will make mistakes. But it is not their mistakes that will make them who they are as the series develops; it is how they rise after they fall. And that, my friends, is what my readers will learn from my stories. You never give up, you always stay strong, and you overcome every obstacle no matter how big and life changing it may be.