ABOUT THE BOOK
Elijah Goes to Cleveland
Written by Mark Darden
Illustrated by Anh Bui
Ages 4+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Buckeye Muscle Media | 9871736703007
Publisher’s Synopsis: Elijah is in Cleveland visiting his grandparents when he finds out that his favorite music band will be performing at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The tickets are free, but there is a catch: You have to do a scavenger hunt to find band members at various landmarks throughout Cleveland. With the help of his grandparents, will Elijah be able to secure tickets to see his favorite band perform? Pick up a copy of Elijah Goes to Cleveland to find out.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Darden is an author, sports travel blogger, and Chief Content Creator for Buckeye Muscle Media, LLC. Since 2017, Mark has documented his sports travel adventures on his blog, buckeyemuscle.com. Originally from Cleveland, Mark’s first book is IT’S GAME TIME FOLKS!: Quest for 30, a travelogue of his journey visiting all 30 MLB ballparks during the 2017 season. He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA).
For more information, visit https://buckeyemuscle.com.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
GIVEAWAY
Life Is What It's Called - Why did you decide to use Cleveland as a setting?
Mark Darden - Cleveland, Ohio, is my hometown. I believe that it was a good city for Buckeye Muscle Media's first children's book as it's not too large and it has great landmarks.
Life Is What It's Called - What inspired you to write this story?
Mark Darden - I was inspired to write this book as a challenge to see if I could write a children's book. I looked online and at the library to see what books were out there about cities in the United States. The inspiration for the scavenger hunt style of the book was based on a contest that Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, used to run. They would give out free tickets to events by sending one of their interns to a landmark in the city. If you arrived at the landmark where the intern was located first, you would get tickets.
Mark Darden - Cleveland, Ohio, is my hometown. I believe that it was a good city for Buckeye Muscle Media's first children's book as it's not too large and it has great landmarks.
Life Is What It's Called - What inspired you to write this story?
Mark Darden - I was inspired to write this book as a challenge to see if I could write a children's book. I looked online and at the library to see what books were out there about cities in the United States. The inspiration for the scavenger hunt style of the book was based on a contest that Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, used to run. They would give out free tickets to events by sending one of their interns to a landmark in the city. If you arrived at the landmark where the intern was located first, you would get tickets.
Life Is What It's Called - What do you think readers will find most appealing about this book?
Mark Darden - I believe that all readers will find educational and entertainment value while reading the book. You will learn about various landmarks that make Cleveland great while simultaneously going on an amazing adventure with drama, suspense, and humor.
Life Is What It's Called - Were any of the characters in the book inspired by real people?
Mark Darden - Almost all of the characters were inspired by real people from the entertainment world. Elijah is based on a younger version of myself, while the remaining characters were based on the following celebrities: Tim Reid, Phylicia Rashad, Carlos Santana, Travis Barker, Yolanda Brown, and Jon Batiste.
Life Is What It's Called - What sets this book apart from others on the market?
Mark Darden - I take great pride in informing potential customers that this book is independently published. The team that came together invested months in creating a book that could rival any book from a major publisher.
Life Is What It's Called - What do you want readers to learn from this book?
Mark Darden - The main goal of the book is for children to learn about the city of Cleveland and inspire them to explore the world. Travel can broaden your horizons, discover new cultures, and introduce fascinating people.
Life Is What It's Called - What have you learned from writing this book?
Mark Darden - The biggest lesson I learned is that you are only as good as the team surrounding you. This book had many talented people invest their time, energy, and talents to create the best possible product. Also, proofreading is essential to having a great book. One of the mistakes I made was not thoroughly going over the text in the draft copy, allowing some punctuation and spelling errors to slip through the cracks in the first batch of books. I did get those errors corrected for the next shipment of books.
Mark Darden - I believe that all readers will find educational and entertainment value while reading the book. You will learn about various landmarks that make Cleveland great while simultaneously going on an amazing adventure with drama, suspense, and humor.
Life Is What It's Called - Were any of the characters in the book inspired by real people?
Mark Darden - Almost all of the characters were inspired by real people from the entertainment world. Elijah is based on a younger version of myself, while the remaining characters were based on the following celebrities: Tim Reid, Phylicia Rashad, Carlos Santana, Travis Barker, Yolanda Brown, and Jon Batiste.
Life Is What It's Called - What sets this book apart from others on the market?
Mark Darden - I take great pride in informing potential customers that this book is independently published. The team that came together invested months in creating a book that could rival any book from a major publisher.
Life Is What It's Called - What do you want readers to learn from this book?
Mark Darden - The main goal of the book is for children to learn about the city of Cleveland and inspire them to explore the world. Travel can broaden your horizons, discover new cultures, and introduce fascinating people.
Life Is What It's Called - What have you learned from writing this book?
Mark Darden - The biggest lesson I learned is that you are only as good as the team surrounding you. This book had many talented people invest their time, energy, and talents to create the best possible product. Also, proofreading is essential to having a great book. One of the mistakes I made was not thoroughly going over the text in the draft copy, allowing some punctuation and spelling errors to slip through the cracks in the first batch of books. I did get those errors corrected for the next shipment of books.
Life Is What It's Called - What are your favorite landmarks in Cleveland?
Mark Darden - Some of my favorite landmarks in Cleveland are Edgewater Park, Progressive Field, Cleveland Museum of Art, and the USS Cod World War II submarine.
Mark Darden - Some of my favorite landmarks in Cleveland are Edgewater Park, Progressive Field, Cleveland Museum of Art, and the USS Cod World War II submarine.
Life Is What It's Called - What are some of your next writing projects?
Mark Darden - Some of my next writing projects include expanding the "Elijah Goes to…" series to other cities in the U.S. and several sports-related works.
Mark Darden - Some of my next writing projects include expanding the "Elijah Goes to…" series to other cities in the U.S. and several sports-related works.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for a chance to win one of ten autographed copies of Elijah Goes to Cleveland—5 books will have a gift card to one of the following places: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Museum of Art, West Side Market, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Karamu House!
Five (5) winners receive:
Five (5) winners receive:
Elijah Goes to Cleveland: Book Giveaway
Five (5) winners receive:
- A signed copy of Elijah Goes to Cleveland
- A gift card to one of the following places: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Museum of Art, West Side Market, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, or Karamu House!
Five (5) winners receive:
- A signed copy of Elijah Goes to Cleveland
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