Sands Hetherington was born in New York City in 1939
and moved to Greensboro, NC, two years later. Except for schools and some
months in California, Sands never left. He
now lives by a small lake in North
Carolina with his Saint Bernards, Dudley and Maggie. Sands didn't finish tenth
grade but got into North Carolina State University by the back door. He has two
advanced degrees, two children, has been a hod carrier, a laborer at a
newspaper, a mutual fund counselor, and a sporadic storyteller.
Night
Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare is the first in
a series featuring John, a young city kid who isn't ready for bed yet, and
Crosley, a bright-red crocodile who shows up in his room to rescue him and take
him on an adventure. Both of them are fond of pineapple cheesecakes, especially
Crosley, and it so happens that the world's supply of pineapple cheesecakes is mysteriously
disappearing. Major emergency, so our
Night Buddies' "program" for tonight is to find out what the problem
is and set things to rights. They sneak past John's parents with Crosley's
invisibility doodad and ride the subway to the great (and only) pineapple
cheesecake factory across town. On the way Crosley explains why he is red. He
is red because he is allergic to water. In a roundabout way, that is. If he
gets wet he breaks out doing the Black Bottom dance for hours and hours. Unless
he takes his antidote pills. The pills stop the Black Bottoming well enough,
but (you got it!) they turn him red. They get to the pineapple cheesecake
factory and meet Big Foot Mae the gigantic manager. Crosley discovers what's
been happening to the pineapple cheesecakes, and that's when the scare and all
the crazy stuff really get started!
The idea for Night Buddies came from Sands
Hetherington’s six-year-old son (whose name happens to be John). They always
had bedtime stories and one night Sands’ son presented him with a red crocodile
named Crosley that he had invented for an after-lights-out companion. Sands
started making up John-and-Crosley episodes, and Crosley got to be a regular
member of the family. About a year later, it got into Sands’ old head that this
stuff might be decent fodder for a book. “I think I started writing stuff down
a few months later,” shared Sands.
Night
Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare by Sands Hetherington
is an after
lights-out adventure story that will delight young readers and middle graders
who relish roller coaster fantasy and fun, filled with unforgettable characters
and an astonishing and inventive collection of magical whatchamacallits.
Night
Buddies is an astonishing and inventive adventure with unforgettable cast of
characters that will make you laugh and win over your heart. The book has lots
of thoughtful, multi-layered twists, giggles, and perils -- things kids can
relate to and enjoy. ~ Night Buddies News Release June 2012
Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare
Written by Sands Hetherington
Illustrations by Jessica Love
List
$7.99
Paperback
128 pages Also available in Kindle and Nook
Publisher:
Dune Buggy Press; One edition (June 1, 2012)
ISBN-10:
0984741712
ISBN-13: 978-0984741717
Available
wherever books are sold and online.
For more information visit www.nightbuddiesadventures.com
Night
Buddies, Imposters, and One Far-Out Flying Machine
is the second book in the series and comes out this fall. It starts the same
way: It's been awhile and John is wide-awake at bedtime again. Crosley shows up
per their Night Buddies contract and they sneak out of the house. They borrow a
really fantastic flying machine and fly off to investigate the vandalism that's
been happening all over town. Vandalism by a red crocodile! This book is much
longer than the first one.
Readers can contact Sands
Hetherington at
The World of Ink Network will be
touring author Sands Hetherington’s nighttime adventure for kids,
Night Buddies and the Pineapple Cheesecake Scare published by Dune Buggy Press
all through July and August 2012.
You can find out more about Sands Hetherington’s
World of Ink Author/Book Tour
This book sounds like a fun read. I can't wait to come back for the interview!
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