Guest Post: Sean McCartney, Author of - The Treasure Hunters Club: Secrets of the Magical Medallions

I first want to thank Lisa for allowing me to talk with all of you today.

Let me introduce myself, my name is Sean McCartney and I am the author of the new young adult action adventure series entitled The Treasure Hunters Club: Secrets of the Magical Medallions. The story is about 13-year-old Tommy Reed who is sent a medallion by his famous treasure hunting uncle “Diamond” Jack Reed and Tommy and his treasure hunting club friends must find the secret behind the medallion before an ancient evil hunts them down.

I have been asked numerous times on what it is like to write for young adults. I usually stick with five basic points throughout any story for this group.

1. A Fast Pace. Kids don’t have a governor on their minds and the faster your story the more likely they are to become engaged by it. Remember they are being bombarded by things that make noises and are bright and shiny, not a book. Give them a fast paced story, short chapters and they will stick around.

2. Believable Characters. The characters from The Treasure Hunters Club are made up from kids I grew up with and students I have had in class. The idea is to find what makes the character unique so they can connect with the reader. I made the club members hard workers who have to study to do well, with the exception of Jackson, because that is most of us.

3. Adventure. Take the kids to places they have never been and do things they only dream about. For example, Tommy dreams of being a famous treasure hunter like his uncle but it isn’t until he is on the run from the ancient evil that he comes to understand how difficult treasure hunting can be.

4. Be Realistic. This is important even when writing fiction. The story has to be something that the kids can believe will and could happen. All of the treasure that the club goes after is based in reality. For Secrets of the Magical Medallions, there were many hurricanes that blew through Port Royal Harbor, Jamaica and wrecked many merchant ships leaving gold and jewels on the ocean floor.

5. Make it Fun. The story has to hold their attention and the more fun it is the more kids are going to read it. That is the most important thing.

Thank you so much for allowing me to talk with all of you today and I hope you all go out and buy Secrets of the Magical Medallions and let me know what you think.

About the Author:

Sean Paul McCartney (he’s not related to the Beatle) was born in 1971. He graduated from Alfred University in upstate New York with a Bachelor’s in Communications in 1993. From there he played two exciting season traveling around the world with the Washington Generals playing against the world famous Harlem Globetrotters. In 1996 Sean earned his Masters in Education and embarked on a career as a teacher. He is employed by Plain Local Schools in Canton , OH . The first book in the series The Treasure Hunters Club: Secrets of the Magical Medallions introduces the four teens Tommy Reed, Jackson Miller, Shannon McDougal and Chris Henderson. The series is a cross between The Hardy Boys and Indiana Jones with a touch of National Treasure. You can visit Sean’s web site at http://www.treasurehuntersclubbook.com/ or e-mail him at seancoach at juno dot com. Visit his The Treasure Hunters Club: Secrets of the Magic Medallions Facebook Fan Page by clicking here!

Thanks so much for stopping by today Sean. It was great having you here to share with us your 5 key ingredients to writing for young adults.