M. C. Arvanitis, writer / WORDS TOGETHER MAKE TALES: Danger waiting in Council Bluffs, Iowa.Hank and h...

M. C. Arvanitis, writer / WORDS TOGETHER MAKE TALES:  Danger waiting in Council Bluffs, Iowa.Hank and h...:  Danger waiting in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Hank and his family left their home in Buck Creek, Iowa. They followed the Missouri River ...


Danger waiting in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Hank and his family left their home in Buck Creek, Iowa. They followed the Missouri River to Council Bluffs where they would cross by ferry over the Missouri River into Nebraska.  

Why did Hank's Pa decide on homesteading in Nebraska? 

In the winter of 1853 General A. C. Dodge, one of the Iowa senators was traveling through Fremont County on horseback on a tour of investigation of the condition of western Iowa, its settlement, and the character of the country west of the Missouri. He became impressed with the importance of organizing all the country now included in Kansas and Nebraska as Nebraska Territory, and on his return to Washington he introduced such a bill. When it came back from the committee on territories, of which Senator Douglas was chairman, it was so amended as to provide for the organizing of two territories, one to be called Kansas and the other Nebraska." This movement was to be called the The Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854 and created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. Since Kansas was the scene of many bloody battles between those who wanted slavery and those who did not, and since this treaty protected the settlers from dealing in the slave traffic, it seemed to be the safest place.  

(Excerpt from Chapter 10, The Butler Brothers, where Hank decides to explore the riverfront.

A commotion from a near by saloon caught Hank's attention. He walked to the open door and looked in. The two men who had almost run him down earlier were arguing with a young Union soldier. The scar-faced man shouted, “What’d ya say, Yankee?" 

 

“I said,” replied the soldier shaking his fist at the Butler brothers, “That the northern states will never allow slavery." 

Scarface turned to his brother. “Did ya hear that, Hector?” Hector sneered his answer, “the only good Yank is a dead Yank!” At this the two men shoved the soldier out of the door. He stumbled and fell against Hank’s legs. Hank fell on top of the soldier. In an instant the scar-faced man pulled a pistol from his belt and aimed it at the soldier. 

Hank froze! The gun barrel pointed directly at him- - - -.

 Read more of Hank's adventures in this saga of pioneers of the Wild West.

(In e-reader form or print book)

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/336710

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E7NKYSY

Coming Soon - Hank of Twin Rivers Book Two: The Eagle's Nest by M.C. Arvanitis

Announcing

COMING IN 2014

Hank of Twin Rivers

 Book Two: The Eagle's Nest 

We find Hank three years later. Hank finds a perch at the top of a tall cottonwood tree where he watches as Twin Rivers grows into a trading post. Wagon trains on both the Oregon and the Mormon Trails stop for supplies. Among his many adventures are helping a family of slaves escape from bounty hunters, making friends with a Pawnee boy, tangling with a wild woman, and falling for the preacher's daughter. His conflict with his pa renews when his new stepmother insists that they send him away to an eastern school to further his education. He joins the horse wranglers passing through and learns the hard way how to break a horse. When he comes back to Twin Rivers, he fined Becca gone. 

Start reading the first book now! 

Hank of Twin Rivers, Book One: Journey of Change 
by M. C. Arvanitis 
Links: http://amzn.com/1494427001


http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/336710

Book One, 'Journey of Change' takes readers into the dangerous adventures of a pioneer boy on the first step of his journey to adulthood. Hank lives with his over-protective mother and a overly strict  father. who believes that harsh discipline will make his son into a man. When cholera takes his mother, Hank's only comforts are his wisecracking, fiddle-playing Irish uncle; and his pet cow, Clementine. He feels Pa's disappointment in him and  hides in daydreams and book reading. What else can he do? He can't make himself grow taller, and now that the cholera has weakened his leg and he finds himself limping, he feels even more inadequate. 

When Hank’s father decides to find a new home, Hank rebels. Pa’s discipline is quick and painful and Hank has to obey. Crossing sandbur-infested prairies, fording raging rivers, and eating dust while walking behind the slow wagon fill Hank's days. He withstands the unpredictable mid-western weather of hailstorms, dust storms, an early blizzard and flash floods. Stampeding buffalo, murdering claim jumpers, rattlesnakes, and a belligerent goose provide plenty of challenges.

His troubles are lightened when he finds friends along the trail: Rusty, a southern boy from Missouri, Nora, a teasing eight-year-old girl from Wisconsin, and Moses, an escaped slave who makes his living as a trapper. When an itinerant preacher and his large family join them, Hank meets the most important challenge of his life when the preacher’s daughter, Becca comes into his life

• Note from author, M. C. Arvanitis 

So many boys quit reading for pleasure at the age of 10, the phenomenon has a name — the Fourth-Grade Slump. It has been said that forty per cent of boys are “reluctant readers” in school, but the problem isn’t intelligence. Boys are simply less motivated to read. Give them a look into the exciting and dangerous world of Hank Heaton's Journey on the Oregon Trail. They'll put themselves in Hank's shoes and want to read the series. 

 

http://mcarvanitiswriter.blogspot.com/

 

COMING IN 2014: Hank of Twin Rivers, The Eagle's Nest. Book Two by M.C. Arvanitis

COMING IN 2014: Hank of Twin Rivers, The Eagle's Nest. Book Two.

 So many boys quit reading for pleasure at the age of 10, the phenomenon has a name — the Fourth-Grade Slump. It has been said that forty per cent of boys are “reluctant readers” in school, but the problem isn’t intelligence. Boys are simply less motivated to read. Give them a look into the exciting and dangerous world of Hank Heaton's Journey on the Oregon Trail. They'll put themselves in Hank's shoes and want to read the series.

 Start reading the first book now! Hank of Twin Rivers, Book One: Journey of Change (Volume 1)
by M. C. Arvanitis

 Link: http://amzn.com/1494427001

 

Hank of Twin Rivers, Book One: Journey of Change (Volume 1) now available in paperback

 

Plagued by a monster goose which nips him whenever it gets close and his shame in Pa's disappointment in him, twelve-year-old Hank Heaton hides in daydreams and book reading. What else can he do? He can't make himself grow taller and, now that the cholera has weakened his leg and he finds himself limping, he feels even more inadequate. The disease took away his mother so he doesn't have her to comfort him, to be "coddled" as Pa calls it. Hank’s only comforts are his pet cow, Clementine, and Ma's fun-loving, fiddle-playing brother, Uncle Mac. When Pa decides to homestead on land in western Nebraska, Hank rebels at leaving his school and friends. Pa’s discipline is quick and painful and Hank has to obey. Unpredictable mid-western weather, stampeding buffalo, and murdering claim jumpers make life miserable on the prairie trail. Hank finds friends in Rusty, a rich southern boy from Missouri; Nora, a teasing eight-year-old girl from Wisconsin; and Moses, an escaped slave. But life really get interesting when he meets another complication to his life, the feisty, red-haired preacher's daughter. Historically correct, this novel takes readers into the exciting and dangerous adventures of a pioneer boy.

Just in time for Christmas - pick up your copy by clicking on the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Hank-Twin-Rivers-Book-One/dp/1494427001/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1387200689&sr=8-1

If you liked Wagon Train, check out Hank of Twin Rivers by M.C. Arvanitis - sneak peek excerpt!

A little background

Twelve year old, Hank's Pa hates him. But what can he do about it, he can't make himself grow taller, and now that the cholera has weakened his leg and he finds himself limping, he feels even more inadequate. The disease took away his mother so he doesn't have her to comfort him .. to be "coddled" as Pa calls it. His only comfort is his pet cow, Clementine, and Ma's brother, Uncle Mac. Plagued by the Monster Goose, who nips his butt whenever it gets close to him, and his fear of Pa's disappointment of him, he hides in daydreaming and book reading. When Pa decides to homestead on land in western Nebraska, Hank rebels. Pa’s discipline is quick and painful and Hank has to obey. They follow the wild Platte River on the Oregon Trail crossing rattlesnake infested prairies, fording raging rivers, and eating dust while walking behind the slow wagon. He withstands the unpredictable mid-western weather of hailstorms, dust storms, an early blizzard and flash floods. Stampeding buffalo, murdering claim jumpers, unfriendly Indian Tribes forces him to face life on the wild frontierland.

His troubles are lightened when he finds friends along the trail:among them are Rusty, a rich Southern boy from Missouri; Nora, a teasing eight-year-old girl from Wisconsin; and Moses, an escaped slave. In the Platte Valley Pa sets up a trading post to service wagon trains on both the Mormon and Oregon Trails. When an itinerant preacher and his large family settle nearby, Hank meets another complication to his life, the feisty, red haired preacher's daughter, Becca,

Excerpt

They stopped beside a stack of canvas. A short, heavy man spread his hands out over the pile. “If ye be lookin’ for canvas, ‘tis the place.” Hank listened while Uncle Mac dickered with the canvas merchant. Their Irish brogue was so thick that he could barely understand them. A commotion from a nearby saloon caught his attention. He walked to the open door and looked in. The two men who had almost run him down earlier were arguing with a young Union soldier. The scar-faced man shouted, “What’d ya say, Yankee?” “I said,” replied the soldier shaking his fist at the Butler brothers, “That the northern states will never allow slavery in.” Scarface turned to his brother. “Did ya hear that, Hector?” Hector sneered his answer, “The only good Yank is a dead Yank!” At this the two men shoved the soldier out of the door. He stumbled and fell against Hank’s legs. Hank fell on top of the soldier. In an instant the scar-faced man pulled a pistol from his belt and aimed it at the soldier. Hank froze! The gun barrel pointed directly at him.  

Amazon Links

HANK OF TWIN RIVERS, Journey of Change."The story takes place in mid 1800 and tells of a twelve year old boy's often dangerous and always exciting adventures along the Oregon Trail which follows the Platte River in the Nebraska Territory.

US
 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E7NKYSY/

UK:
 http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E7NKYSY

Smashwords
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/336710