Sunday, September 15, 2019

Julian Michael Carver and his book "A Raptor Ate My Homework,"


What a glorious Sunday morning. I feel very blessed to spend another day on this world. Today I am introducing my readers to an author and their book. I hope you enjoy reading about him as I did. Meet Joey Kelly who goes by the pen name Julian Michael Carver and his book "A Raptor Ate My Homework," which is available on Amazon.

ABOUT THE BOOK



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It's the first day of fourth-grade for twins Andy and Anna. Andy is a shy boy obsessed with dinosaurs and Anna is an adventurous girl willing to take risks. One day when they step off the school bus, Anna suggests taking a shortcut through a dark alley to get home.
As they navigate through the abandoned alley, they find a mysterious large egg tucked under a bush. They take it home and try to hatch it, careful not to tell their parents who are strict about pets. After building a makeshift nest in the attic, the egg hatches into a friendly baby velociraptor, whom they later name Tennyson, due to his infatuation with destroying tennis balls.
Now they must convince their parents to keep the little dinosaur, while overcoming bad grades and the school bully.



  1. Tell your readers a little about yourself, where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them get to know the personal you.
    Hello everyone! My name is Joey Kelly (Pen name Julian Michael Carver). Growing up I was completely obsessed with dinosaurs - everything from Jurassic Park and The Lost World to A Land Before Time. I was raised in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, where I spent a great amount of time fossil hunting and building a further appreciation for our ancient past and prehistory.
  2. What inspired you to author this book?
    The Backpack Dinosaur series is a fun little read for kids, especially ones who love dinosaurs! The book heavily stemmed from my appreciation of dinosaurs (especially velociraptors) and wanting to bring a fun and safe read for children who want a fun, campy read.
  3. Where did you get the inspiration for your book’s cover?
    The covers were modeled after the popular vibrant covers from the '90s that I grew up with (like Goosebumps, Choose Your Own Adventure, Encyclopedia Brown and Frindle). I used to love those eye-catching covers from back then when I was growing up. The artist who did the illustration (who does fantastic work), Pantelis Politakos, is available for hire through Fiverr.
  4. Who has been the most significant influence on you personally and as a writer?
    Probably Michael Crichton - author of Jurassic Park and the sequel, The Lost World.
  5. What were your struggles or obstacles you had to overcome to get this book written?
    My biggest obstacle was probably finding the time to perfect the story. In addition to working a full-time job, I also run a night business as a freelance video content producer, so things can be hard to juggle. Thankfully, my skills in video advertising help me produce my book trailers!
  6. Tell your readers about your book.
    "A Raptor Ate My Homework!" is a fun, campy read about two fourth-grade siblings, Andy and Anna, who find a dinosaur egg in an alley. They bring it home, where it hatches into a velociraptor, and that's where the fun begins! The sequel, "Camp Raptor" will be made available as of October 1, 2019.
  7. Who is your target audience, and why?
    The target audience would be children in grades 2-5. The reading level would suit them the best as the story is cartoony and fun! Other readers who love dinosaurs of all ages might also love the story!
  8. What do you consider your greatest success in life?
    My greatest success so far would be my marriage to my wife, Cloey! She is always supportive of my endeavors and greatly supports The Backpack Dinosaur series.
  9. What one unique thing sets you apart from other writers in your genre?
    Well, I can't say this with certainty, but it seems that children's chapter books (for the most part) don't feature dinosaurs at all. For the most part, the genre is now dominated by elves, dragons, vampires, cats, dogs etc. My book series brings dinosaurs back into kidlit in a safe, fun way. Please buy my book for your child if your kid loves dinosaurs, and you want a cute gift for them :)