Friends and family know that while I was growing up, I loved fantasy stories—still do! I read tons of stories about dragons and knights, heroes and monsters. Reading those types of books actually inspired me to start writing my own stories. So I was more than excited to team up with fellow author and friend Sean Tulien… Continue reading Thud & Blunder
Author: Blake Hoena
STEM songs
My wife is a STEAM specialist. That’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) with an Art component. And one of my publishers, Cantata Learning, was looking for some science type songs. I thought that would be a great opportunity for me to collaborate with Katie as she also has a music degree and is a… Continue reading STEM songs
Monster Heroes
Last fall was a busy, busy time for me, and so it’s looking like August and September are the months that all my hard work will come to fruition. I have many, many books being released, starting with my Monster Heroes series. These books are a mashup of two of my favorite things to write about: monsters… Continue reading Monster Heroes
The Muffin Man—Review
From the Tangled Tunes series of Cantata Learning, “The Muffin Man” is a delightful storybook/music/CD combo package that sets the scene for the song story about “The Muffin Man,” who bakes and sells delicious muffins, and lives on Drury Lane. Bright, comical, stylized illustrations reminiscent of the 50’s and 60’s decorate each page of treasured… Continue reading The Muffin Man—Review
Magic E
Recently, I’ve been working on a series of books involving Magic E, an owlish wizard who knows a little word trickery. With a wave of his wand and a flick of his wrist, he changes the vowels sounds of words like pin, tub, can, and cap by adding an E to the end of them.… Continue reading Magic E
The Muffin Man — Review
Most adults know the muffin man by now, but many will have never heard the story in quite this way! Author Blake Hoena has given the intrepid baker and his beloved Drury Lane bakery a new daily routine, turning the Muffin Man into an early riser who makes a wide variety of muffins to tempt… Continue reading The Muffin Man — Review
Can You Survive a Supervolcano Eruption?
Taking a trip to Yellowstone National Park? Well, here’s a must read. Not because a supervolcano is ever likely to happen there again, but because it’s my newest title to hit the bookshelves. Summary: A supervolcano has erupted! Its eruption is thousands of times larger than a normal volcano. Huge amounts of lava and ash… Continue reading Can You Survive a Supervolcano Eruption?
Ballpark Eats: Recipes Inspired by America’s Baseball Stadiums
Baseball is just around the corner, and that means ballpark food: hot dogs, nachos, and cheese curds. The recipes in this new cookbook aren’t mine, though, I plan to try several of them. But I provided the write ups on each of the ballparks. Summary: Forget peanuts and Cracker Jacks! Americas Ballparks now offer a… Continue reading Ballpark Eats: Recipes Inspired by America’s Baseball Stadiums
The Adventures of Big Blue and the Capt’n
A project I had been working on this summer has finally come to fruition, and just in time for Christmas! The Adventures of Big Blue and the Capt’n, with Hari the Tiger, is a picture book I cowrote with Ben Young, a worldwide adventurer who has a deep desire to help educate people about the… Continue reading The Adventures of Big Blue and the Capt’n
What I’m Reading
So, for a third month in a row I have a “What I’m Reading” post. That’s a record, and I credit it with my recent use of public transportation. I won’t bother with all the cost and environmental benefits of taking the city bus, but I will say that my rides to the studio provide… Continue reading What I’m Reading