I just self-published a book - The Adventures of Leo & Henry - The Quest for the Lost Sword. This is a boys' book, I suspect for around ages 8+, and a quick read (under 80 pages). It is also my first book and was born out of the bedtime stories I make up for my sons.
Yes, their names are Leo and Henry.. and yes, they are the heroes!
This project is also an homage to a pastiche of things I enjoyed when I was their age, satiating my own nostalgia for unabashed boys’ stuff. It’s The Hardy Boys, Tom Swift Jr, and imagining what it may have been like if a young Indiana Jones were Catholic.
This particular story is a fairly straightforward adventure. When a medieval heirloom, the Sword of St. Henry (I made it up), is stolen from its rightful caretaker, the boys embark on a quest to recover it. They encounter mystery, legend, and a sinister SECRET ORDER.
The book is now available for purchase on Amazon and Gumroad (digital version only).
I am also giving away the PDF for free for those who want the bootleg version (see below).
..but wait, why is Flattery larping as an author now? Great question. The answer is that it seems kids pull unlikely things out of Dads in our desire to thrill them. So I had a lot of fun doing this and will likely be doing more, (if my audience of two demands it).
This looks delightful! I have two tween boys so I'm looking forward to reading this with them.