Exciting Chapter Book for Kids

About the Author

Jeffrey Hope

Jeffrey Hope claims he grew up, but we are not convinced. It’s more accurate to say he’s originally from mid-coast Maine, and now lives with his wife in central Maine. He teaches journalism and other media full time at a university. While he always wanted to write a fictional book for kids, Real Spies Don't Use Rowboats is his first published novel. A literary agent literally laughed at one of his previous attempts, so he started from scratch and "dove deep" into the world of middle grade writing, deciding to write about a rowboat he both loved and despised as a kid.

A graduate told us he has high standards for student work, but will also stop an entire class and reward fake points on a white board to clever students who can make a point using humor. “Don’t publish that,” he told us. “I don’t want to get in trouble or anything.”

“No problem,” we lied.

Unhelpful photo submitted by the author

Jeffrey has a deep love for the ocean, or as he told us, nearly all things boaty. That means future books will most likely have an ocean theme.

He’s a fan of comedy, story telling of all kinds and has a bunch of hobbies, some are rather high on the geekiness scale.

For instance, it’s not clear how may unicycles he owns. He rides both on the campus where he works, and at his home, much to the delight of a small percentage of his neighbors. Very small. The rest politely ignore him and can’t believe he lives in their neighborhood. Who let this guy in?

Despite being woefully out of practice, he still plays drums and can be heard playing on the audio version of this book, along with his best friend since high school, Richard Hollis, a professional musician.

Frequently Asked Questions

Jeffrey gets emails on a wide range of issues from students, fans and friends asking about his writing and his life. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions.

Please reach us at authorjeffreyhope@gmail.com if you have your own question.

Where did you get the idea for Real Spies Don’t Use Rowboats?

John Hassenfuss, while a fictional character, has a history with our family. I read a lot to our two kids when they were young, but I also enjoyed creating my own stories. I loved the challenge of creating a story from scratch, right then and there, on the corner of a bed, or at the kitchen table. Then, as the story progressed, I had to come up with a moral for the story. One day I decided the hero’s name was John, who I based loosely on a college roommate I am still great friends with. I don’t know how I came up with his last name, it happened in an instant and I stuck with it. The kids would say, “dad, can you tell us a John Hassenfuss story?” and I would. So it started from that.

I had started to write a book in my 20s but I found the experience to be overwhelming, there was too much to learn, so I gave up.

The idea of writing resurfaced in recent years and John was my obvious choice on how to tell it. I remember how much fun my brother and I had as kids, trying to be James Bond, so I added that. And as all good stories need a conflict, I wanted to write about something that would be important to John, and getting an outboard motor he could use without his parents watching over his shoulder topped my list.

Who is the target audience for this book?

I started out just wanting to write a story about two young brothers in coastal Maine who love James Bond and want to be just like him. I wanted my story to be fun, silly, creative and as real as possible. When I was finally done I was surprised to learn I had written what is referred to in the book industry as a middle grade book. That means it is aimed at 8 to 12 year olds, kids from third to sixth grade.

How long is the book?

The paperback is a 214 pages, the ebook is about 130 pages.

What in the book is real, versus fiction?

None of the main characters or towns are real. However, there are many things in the book that are quite real and you can learn more about them, or in some cases, visit them yourself.

Acadia National Park Acadia National Park is a treasure, one of 63 national parks in the US.

Anne Bonny is the real name of a famous pirate. In the book, the family named their 24-foot Friendship Sloop after her.

Bay Lady is a real sailboat based in Boothbay Harbor, Maine and used with permission. https://balmydayscruises.com/bay-lady/

The Empire State Building is obviously a real place, but I wanted you to know I tried to make the family’s visit as accurate as I could. https://www.esbnyc.com

Ian Fleming worked in British naval intelligence during World War II and is the creator of James Bond. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Fleming

Gem II

While seldom mentioned, the Gem 11 is a rowboat owned by the boy’s grandfather. The rowboat in the story is rebuilt based on a real boat, the Gem, which you can visit in the Herreshoff Marine Museum. The original boat was built in 1885. https://herreshoff.org

Hesper and the Luther Little were two schooners seen by countless Mainers and tourists for years, stuck in the mud in Wiscasset, Maine. In the book John and Sam can see them as they pass through town. At one point, they were impossible to miss and are in books and photo albums all over the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesper_and_Luther_Little

Marine VHF Radio is used in the book, just as it is used today, even with the invention of smart phones. https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Boating/Safety/Marine-VHF-Radio--The-Basics

The Tub was a real boat and she was nearly the exact same as in the book.

Governor’s Restaurant is a real restaurant chain in Maine and used with permission. Governor’s has a real model train, just like in the book and inspires kids of all ages to this day. https://www.governorsrestaurant.com

All comic books, comic book characters and references to Mad Magazine are references from real issues.

Reverend Thomas Bastard was a real person, a clergyman who wrote epigrams in the 1500’s. In the story, his work is exactly the kind of thing Mary, the mother of the family, would have in her personal library.

Will there be another book with John and Sam?

Yes and thanks for asking! I have all kinds of ideas and would love to hear from you. What do you think Sam and John should do next?

Will there be an audio book?

Yes! The opening music will be an original composition written for me by Bob Colwell, of Hallowell, Maine. He is a talented musician and a joy to work with. The bass guitar and drums are played by Richard Hollis, who I first met in high school. Richard and I went to music school together and have been best friends ever since.

I'm also planning to introduce each chapter with a few bars of either music or just percussion and drums. Everything that sounds really good is probably Richard...anything that sounds fairly average...is my drumming!

It was a joy to work with these two professionals.

For years, every time Richard and I got together, I wrote about it in a Captain’s Log. I filled three books. Some of the best adventures included his father, Frank, a fellow sailor, dear friend and fellow prankster.

In the audio book, why do you have drums playing between the chapters?

In the audio book world, there is no agreement on whether adding music between chapters is needed. Plenty of audio books do not add music and let the writing stand on its own.

As a musician, I thought it might be a fun addition, but I was on the fence. Then one day I was watching a television comedy from Australia. The show brilliantly used short drum riffs between scenes and that was it for me. I loved it and immediately called my best friend.

Do you have any advice on writing?

The first piece of advice is that you need to be a reader. If you are not reading, you will never be a good writer. Read as much as you can.

If you happen to know what genre you want to write in, then be sure read everything from that genre you can find. As a kid, Stephen King immersed himself in horror, whether it was reading or television or movies. To this day, he reads more than many of us.

My second piece of advice would be create a writing habit. If you can find a time that works best for you, stick to it. Find a spot that works. It can be anywhere. Have a goal. Maybe it is as simple as “every day I will write 100 words.”

If you did that for 230 days, you’d have the same amount of words as many of R.L Stine’s books. But if you got good at it, and changed it to 500 words a day, you would have written more than enough for a novel in less than two months.

And my last piece of advice, get help from someone who can edit. A first draft of any story is only a beginning and is not ready for the world. Not yet.

Where were you born?

I was born in Bangor, Maine.

Where did you grow up and go to school?

In second grade we moved to Pemaquid, in mid-coast Maine. I went to school in Bristol and later high school in Newcastle, Maine.

Where do you live?

I live in Bangor, Maine, which is famous for the Penobscot River, Paul Bunyan and Stephen and Tabitha King.

Do you have a day job?

I do, I run a sports journalism program at a university and teach a number of media related classes.

If you weren’t a writer and teacher, what would you be doing?

I would be learning new things, trying new foods and meeting new people. And if possible, using my time to aid in ocean conservation, such as helping to save coral reefs. And like now, I would also be keeping a close eye on new movies, music and books, as I love a good story, however it is told.

Do you have any hobbies?

A bunch! I enjoy travel and like to ski, unicycle, skate, bike, snorkel, scuba dive, kayak and sail. I would probably still windsurf and body surf if I lived somewhere warmer. A perfect vacation is one where I get both a boat ride and scuba dive. I play drums, but not as much as I should. And I would say being a lifelong learner is a hobby. I love learning new things, especially about the ocean, boats, ships and Disney. I am a bit of a Disney geek.

Who were your favorite authors and books as a kid?

Stuart Little by E. B. White and The Grinch by Dr. Seuss would have to be first. That’s because on rare occasions when us kids got to spend the night at our grandparents, my grandmother would read those two books and voice each character. It brings me great joy even thinking about that.

I devoured the entire Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown books, I absolutely loved them.

Then someone gave me the Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis and I was entranced.

Judy Blume is on my list and now an important writer to more than one generation.

Other favorites by E.B. White include The Trumpet of the Swan and everything by Farley Mowat, who I first discovered with Never Cry Wolf.

You worked as a television journalist in Maine and Alaska. Do you have a favorite story?

I don’t. I have a ton of favorites. Being a journalist means learning something new every day and meeting new people. That has led to some life-long friendships I otherwise would not have. So those stories are deeply important to me.

But if a story involved wildlife or the ocean, that too would be considered a favorite. The news business allowed me to tell stories while scuba diving in Maine and Alaska. I loved whale watching stories in both states, but a highlight would be the trip where we went scuba diving and saw killer whales in the same weekend. I’ve held baby black bears, seen wild wolves and visited some of America’s most remote places. And loved it.

John and Sam just want to be James Bond. How hard can it be?

Author Interview on WABI-TV

About the Author

Jeffrey Hope

Unhelpful photo submitted by the author

Take A Trip: Behind the Scenes of Real Spies Don't Use Rowboats

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Frequently Asked Questions

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John and Sam just want to be James Bond. How hard can it be?

Author Interview on WABI-TV

About the Author

Jeffrey Hope

Unhelpful photo submitted by the author

Take A Trip: Behind the Scenes of Real Spies Don't Use Rowboats

The Real Midcoast Maine

MEDIA

Bangor Daily News

Frequently Asked Questions

See Maine, Learn More on Our Youtube channel

Contact Me

Questions or Comments?

Get in Touch

Join My Reader List

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