Monthly Archives: March 2015

New Clue!

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Secret Agents: Please help Skylar solve the Mystery of the Missing Heiress (2016) by deciphering the clues in this poem. Skylar located Xandra Collins’s diary and it was bursting with hidden clues. What could this one mean? Please post your guesses by leaving a reply, and sign using your Secret Agent code name.

To become a Skylar Robbins Secret Agent and receive a code name and Identikit, fill out the S.A.A.F. on this site.

White foam sprays and seagulls cry.

Bleached, white planks toast in the sun.

The children laugh and still I cry.

My life has come undone.

 

Family ties unravel fast.

Money burns our sordid past.

Jewels do tempt my nephews three;

Afraid of what will become of me.

 

Three in line to inherit mine:

Will Richard cook me a poison stew?

Will Herman prescribe a pill to kill?

Will Frederick make me laugh until I cry?

Until I die?

 

Beneath the pier is dark and deep.

Water cold and still I weep.

Secrets locked inside a box.

Seven rocks by seven rocks.

 

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Join my mailing list and you’ll get a FREE copy of Gwendolyn’s Revenge: a Skylar Robbins Fantasy Novella! Sign up below to receive new Skylar Robbins mystery announcements, free spy tips, and the chance to win a personally autographed copy of a Skylar Robbins mystery. Your address will never be shared or sold, and will only be used for Skylar Robbins announcements.

If you would like to become a secret agent and help Skylar solve her next mystery, fill out the Secret Agent Application Form (S.A.A.F.). If you have the necessary detective skills to sleuth with Skylar, you will be able to find it. If you are already a Skylar Robbins Secret Agent, remember to include your code name and badge number in any comments you make on my posts.

If you do not receive your Identikit within three days, it is because you emailed from an address that I cannot reply to, and I respect the parental control that may have blocked me from responding. Carrie Cross is very protective of her readers! Parents: please email me at Carrie at skylarrobbins dot com and I will send the Identikit to the address of your choice.

Fans can follow Carrie Cross on Facebook and Twitter and on Instagram: #secretagentskylar. All Skylar Robbins mysteries are available on Amazon.

Skylar Robbins book 2: Synopsis

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BoM 2014 December Skylar Robbins

A deserted mansion perches on a steep hillside, overlooking a rocky canyon. Tattered curtains hang behind broken windows, and a turret stretches toward the sky. Three years ago the wealthy owner disappeared suddenly, leaving behind a house full of secrets: A mysterious note, tantalizing clues, a hidden floor, one piece of a treasure map, and a missing fortune in diamonds.

Thirteen-year-old sleuth Skylar Robbins moves into the mansion with her parents and embarks on a new and dangerous mission. Armed with her detective kit, and with the support of her BFF Alexa and a team of secret agents, Skylar sets out to decipher the clues and find the diamonds. Can she outwit a gang of aggressive bikers and find the hidden jewels before they do? Or will the perils of middle school–like battling ruthless bully Emelyn Peters for the attention of class hottie Dustin Coles–get in her way?

The Mystery of the Hidden Jewels is available now on Amazon.

The Publishing Experience

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THE PUBLISHING EXPERIENCE: GUEST POST BY CARRIE CROSS

from Stories Unfolded

My experience getting published has been a long, winding, bumpy road. I had been writing for many years when I finally submitted my first manuscript, an adult novel called The Dark File, to several agents. While many had positive things to say, or provided constructive criticism and an invitation to resubmit, none of them ever offered to represent me.

I’ve always loved to read Middle Grade and Young Adult, so while The Dark File was being shopped (it takes months for agents to reply) I started to write my first draft of a Skylar Robbins MG mystery. This early version of Skylar Robbins: The Mystery of Shadow Hills was called Magic Summer, and while I tried patiently to land an agent, I started writing the sequel, entitled Skylar Robbins: Secret Agent. Magic Summer never got a bite, but Secret Agent landed me…an agent.

I was picked up by Writers House, and had high hopes of getting a deal with a traditional publisher. However, after months of shopping my manuscript, all I had was a pile of apologetic rejection letters. Some were complimentary but said their house had another teen detective series which was too similar, and didn’t want to bring in a competing novel. Others contained excellent constructive criticism, which I implemented in my revision. This novel ultimately became The Mystery of the Hidden Jewels.

Most agents specify that authors should not “simultaneously submit” to more than one agent. They don’t want to waste their time reading a manuscript that might get snapped up by a competitor. It was my experience that agents typically take three months to read a submission and respond. So I did the math. If I wanted to try to get another agent, and then wait for that agent to submit my manuscript to various publishers (who also take months to reply) it could take many, many years before my books were ever in print. So I decided to self-publish.

My experience with Amazon’s Createspace has been excellent. Skylar Robbins: The Mystery of Shadow Hills and The Mystery of the Hidden Jewels are now in print, and have gotten excellent reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I would heartily recommend aspiring authors to self-publish, as long as they are willing to do their own marketing. Traditional publishing houses no longer have the budget to spend on advertising, so authors will end up doing their own publicity anyway. I offer more Advice for Aspiring Writers on my blog: https://www.skylarrobbins.com/

Thanks so much for the opportunity to talk about my experience as an author. I hope this helps fellow writers complete their journey to publication.

THE MYSTERY OF SHADOW HILLS BUY LINKS:

AMAZON

THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN JEWELS BUY LINKS:

AMAZON

ABOUT CARRIE CROSS

WEBSITE | TWITTER

A Clue in a Poem

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under the pier

Calling all secret agents! Skylar needs your help to solve her next case: The Mystery of the Missing Heiress. Three years ago, millionaire Xandra Collins disappeared “without a trace.” Detective Skylar knows that everyone leaves trace evidence, and sets out to solve the mysterious disappearance.

After deciphering a series of complicated clues, Skylar locates Xandra’s diary, which is filled with riddles and poems. Skylar realizes these poems contain clues and needs your help to decode them. What could this mean? Please post your guess in the comments using your Secret Agent code name.

Beneath the pier is dark and deep.

Water cold and still I weep.

Secrets locked inside a box.

Seven rocks by seven rocks.

Secret Agents: If you don’t get a quick reply…

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Agents: if you are not getting an Identikit email within a week, it is because you are emailing from an address that can not receive emails. I have had repeated requests from prospective agents and have replied to the address they emailed me from, and my return emails did not go through. Some schools, home computers, and libraries have blocks on their computers and can not receive incoming emails. This is for the students’ safety and I respect this!

Skylar responds to every Secret Agent request and fan letter. If you don’t get a response, it is because of your computer’s settings. Please ask your mom or dad to email me from an address I can reply to.

Happy sleuthing!

Love,
Skylar

WITCHES’ COVEN WORD SEARCH

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WITCHES’ COVEN WORD SEARCH

All of the words hidden in this puzzle are items found in the witchcraft references in The Mystery of Shadow Hills.

First, decode the words found in this word search by using Skylar’s basic secret code:

A=1, B=2, C=3, D=4, E=5, F=6, G=7, H=8, I=9, J=10, K=11, L=12, M=13, N=14, O=15, P=16, Q=17, R=18, S=19, T=20, U=21, V=22, W=23, X=24, Y=25, Z=26

3-5-14-20-5-18  16-15-23-5-18

1-13-21-12-5-20

3-1-14-4-12-5

3-8-1-12-9-3-5

9-14-3-5-14-19-5

23-9-20-3-8

15-22-1-12

5-22-9-12

3-15-22-5-14

3-9-18-3-12-5

9-14-11

19-20-1-18

4-18-21-13

15-21-9-10-1

16-15-20-9-15-14

19-16-1-18-11

1-12-20-1-18

13-1-6-9-3

11-5-25

3-1-14-4-12-5

23-9-3-11

 

Locate 1-4 words: You’re a junior sleuth’s assistant detective

Locate 5-8 words: On your way to becoming a junior sleuth

Locate 9-12 words: Now you’re a junior sleuth!

Locate 13-16 words: You’re Skylar’s next Assistant Detective!

Locate 17-20 words: Watch out Skylar, there’s a new Detective in town!

Post your score on www.skylarrobbins.com by leaving a comment below the jumble. Sign it using your Secret Agent code name from your Identikit. Don’t have a code name or Identikit yet? Read SKYLAR ROBBINS: THE MYSTERY OF SHADOW HILLS to learn the secret code, then fill out the Secret Agent Application Form (S.A.A.F.) .

C C O V E N S O U I J A
H E I M C E R M A G I C
A I N R P O T I O N X E
L O C T C N V S E K L A
I I E I E L I E T C E M
C N N V L R E M N A D U
E K S Z I O P L A N R L
K I E P N L W O L D U E
E A L T A R E V W L M T
Y S D I B R L A P E S A
W I T C H E K L A I R D