Hope you’ll all welcome Lynn Kelley and her debut Middle Grade novel, Curse of the Double Digits. Here’s what it’s about.
Becky turns 10 on the 10th day of the 10th month!
She expects it to be magical. The whole class is invited to her party, including Chad, the cutest boy in the fifth grade. So is Darlenie-the-Meanie.
Becky wants to look cute for her big day, but all her plans go wrong. Really wrong. The magic of turning ten disappears before she even has a chance to blow out her birthday candles.
Things get so bad, she refuses to go to her own party. Becky wonders if the Curse of the Double Digits will jinx her forever.
* * *
Hello, Lee. Thanks so much for inviting me to guest post today. I thought it might be fun to talk about the real life incident that sparked the idea for Curse of the Double Digits.
My niece was about six and her bangs were way too long to look presentable for a family event. My sister-in-law tried to trim them, but the scissors were too dull, so my brother had a light bulb moment and grabbed his electric razor. . .
To avoid a spoiler here, let’s just say the event made me wonder how a ten-year-old would react. And of course I left the parents out of the scene and had Becky, the main character, ask her best friend Jenna to do the trimming with the electric razor.
Remember when the saying, “I’m having a bad hair day” was popular? I used to paint these little folk art dolls back then.
It seems everyone and her sister has a disastrous hair story, such as:
- Bangs cut to only an inch long the day before First Holy Communion
- A pin curl permanent on the wedding day
- Bouffants of the ‘60s and rumors that spiders made nests in some of them
All those scenarios supplied me with endless possibilities for scenes in Curse of the Double Digits. Hair problems are just one issue Becky has to deal with during a string of bad luck that begins on her magical birthday.
My own children also inspired many scenes. During the years my middle daughter attended kindergarten through 2nd grade, she insisted on wearing a tight ponytail everyday. A couple times it was too loose and we were running late, so I had to send her off to school in tears, and then I felt guilty all day.
My youngest was Little Miss Tender Scalp, whose tangles were a daily battle. I think she was born with a megaphone built into her voice box, so every time I combed through her hair, her shrieks rattled my nerves.
Hair disasters don’t apply to girls only. When my son was about ten years old, his hair looked wet several days in a row. I wondered why he kept dunking his hair under the faucet. Finally, I took a long look and realized something was up. I felt his hair. It wasn’t wet. It was stiff, sticky, and gross. “What the heck is in your hair?”
“I used mustache wax, and it won’t come out.”
Now, I’m not saying these incidents are in Curse of the Double Digits, but these are a few of the many situations I had to pick and choose from.
How about you? Have you ever had a bad hair day, one that you’ll never forget? Then you know how Becky feels and why she doesn’t want to go to her own birthday party!
Don’t miss out on your own free copy.
Lynn’s giving you a copy of Curse of the Double Digits if you leave a comment on this blog. You might also check out her BLOG , too. She’ll announce winners Friday, Nov. 2
Anyone who leaves a comment is entered. You just have to say whether you prefer a paperback or eBook. (Sorry, but paperbacks are for the U.S. only.)
Here’s a bit about the author:
Children’s author Lynn Kelley worked as a court reporter for 25 years while she and her husband, George, raised their four children. Her first chapter book, Curse of the Double Digits, for ages 7 to 10, debuted on October 10, 2012. She also coauthors the spooky, fun Monster Moon mystery series for ages 8 to 12 under the pen name BBH McChiller. The highlight of her life are days spent with her grandchildren. Most of her time involves books: either writing books, reading books, or making altered art books. She tries her best to keep her overactive imagination in check.
To buy your copy of Curse of the Double Digits:
Smashwords (formats for all eReaders)
Hope you’ll visit Lynn’s WEBSITE and follow her delightfully funny BLOG if you don’t already. And thanks for the visit. Here’s to the success of your book, Lynn.
Great posts. My hair seems to know when I have something important going on. Those are always my worst hair days.
Tali – Thank you! Ah, crimping! Great hair subject. This deserves a whole post of its own!
Christine – Thank you! It seems you were in good company because there are so many people who tell me they had a bowl cut, too! LOL!
Angela – Thank you! Yes, the good old picture day hair disaster! It always happens on a day that's important to us, doesn't it? Haha!
this sounds like a great little story! I have a hair story too. Someone dared me to cut it…on picture day.
And I did, lol!
Angela ackerman
Fantastic post! Love the sound of the book. Ah, the fun hair styles of the past. I grew up with a mushroom or bowl cut. Frightening.
What a cute post – the book looks fab, too. Congrats to Lynn. And don't even get me started on bad hair days. One word: crimping.
Elizabeth – Yes, Sweet 16 should be a special birthday. So sorry it bombed. 🙁
Alarna – That's funny, your whole childhood was a bad hair day. I think mine was, too. And I'm terrible at styling my hair, so I still have plenty of bad hair days!
Susan – Oh, I would love to read what you wrote about your bad hair day!
Trisha – Going in for a trim and coming out with a bob, that would be quite upsetting, and I bet this has happened to a lot of us. And coloring our hair is always tricky, especially blonde hair. Thank you for sharing your bad hair days!
This read sounds like a fun one! and yeah, um, I've had two memorable bad hair days. One was when I went in for a "trim" and came out with a bit of a bob. The other was for my high school dance when I attempted to go blonder, but ended up even darker than usual (I was naturally a dark blonde at that time)!
I love the premise! Yes, I also have a bad hair story and wrote about it.
I need to check this book out. It sounds fabulous!
Hey there Lynn, I think my whole childhood was one big bad hair day!
You've definitely tapped into that with Becky's story. Especially that feeling of doom we all had as kids, when faced with the possibility of public humiliation! Well done and congrats again. I hope it's doing well for you 🙂
I thought my 16th would be magical, but it was a bomb. I feel her pain.
Rilla -Thank you! Did you see the other comment from Bish saying she got a fried hair permanent days before her wedding? I can't imagine dealing with that! I'd have a permanent meltdown (pardon the pun)!
Emily – I love your sense of humor, too! I don't know why we all wanted those perms in the 80s/90s, but I had one, too, for a while!
Melody – I always have bad hair days, too. That's why I won't cut my hair so short that I can't pull it up into a ponytail!
SA – Thank you! So nice to meet you, too!
Susie – No kidding. I never got into 'product' until my girls grew up and told me to use blah, blah, blah. Another nice thing about ponytails – don't need product! LOL! Okay, I've got you down for a paperback, Susie.
Congrats again Lynn!
I remember my curly fine hair mop and no conditioner. There was very little product back in the day!
I hope I win the hard copy!
What a sweet sounding story! It's great to meet Lynn!
I know Marisa will enjoy reading your book when she gets older 🙂
Lynn, I love your sense of humor. I think we've all had our share of bad hair cuts, but my worst was actually a perm. Why did everyone in the 80's/early 90's think it was cool to have frizzy, damaged hair? Ick.
I look forward to reading your book, Lynn!
Hi Lynn, I remember those days of bad hair day and having a curly hair I still have those days LOL
Hey Lynn, so great to see your post! And to be included in it…;) hah! I know Curse of the Double Digits will be a hit. Everyone's had bad hair and can relate to poor Becky's hilarious (but sad for her) situation. Good luck!
Medeia – You must have thick hair. Good thing you got those tangles out! An hour is a long time, and a whole bottle of conditioner? Wow! Thanks for sharing your memories with us. Okay, I'm marking you down for an eBook!
Oh, I forgot…ebook.
Welcome back, Lee.
I remember some time in middle school I'd wash my hair everyday, but I wouldn't comb it, only brush it. One day it took a whole hour and an entire bottle of conditioner to untangle it. Yikes. Never again.
M Pax – They sure are more sophisticated. I didn't do anything with my hair at that age and I didn't care! I sure remember when shag haircuts were in style! Haha!
Pat – That's so funny! My mom used to cut our bangs really short, too!
Jemi – LOL! That seems to happen a lot on picture day, so you're in good company! I think the older the child, the more embarrassed they are about it!
Sounds like a fabulous book!
In kindergarten my mom did the famous 'your bangs aren't quite sttraight' routine on picture day. *sigh* NOT a good look!
My mother convinced me and my sisters that one-inch bangs were the height of fashion. Her power of persuasion was such that we felt SORRY for girls with bangs that grazed their eyebrows.
Wow, 5th graders must be much more sophisticated. I don't think it occurred to any of us to do much with our hair. We were thrilled to finally be able to wear pants to school, and the shag was all the rage in haircuts.
Carrie – What a coincidence! That's something! I hope your nephew has a wonderful double digits birthday!
Bish – That perm sounds like a nightmare. So sorry to hear that. Are you able to laugh about it now?
Joy – Thank you!
Hi, Lee,
Glad you're back in circulation. Congrats to Lynn on the release of her novel!
YEAH Lynn! I'm so excited for you. Oh yes, I've had my share of bad-hair days. A perm that fried my hair days before my wedding… that was probably the worst.
Perfect timing! My nephew turns 10 this week, and we've been teasing him about the double digits. 🙂
As for my bad hair day, well, it involved bangs. That's all I will say about that. LOL
Lisa – Oh my gosh, four is so young! I bet she gave herself a doozie of a cut! Thanks for sharing that!
I'm answering your comments by email if you have that feature turned on, but have to jump in and say I'm loving all of these. Who knew what a important topic hair could be?
Lynn's book is a hit!
It sounds like the kind of book my daughter would LOVE to win. She was four when she snuck the scissors into her room to give herself a haircut. *sigh*
Mark – LOL! Thanks for the chuckles!
Southpaw – Thank you! Yes, ten-year-olds can be super sensitive about these things!
Hey,
Welcome back, Lee, and thanks for hosting Lynn… it's nice to hear stories that remind me of when I had hair to cut 🙂
Old Kitty – No kidding, never let a sister or brother cut your hair!
Angela – I can sympathize with your hair combing sessions with your daughter. Those aren't fun times. Thank you so much for getting the book now! You rock, girl!
Golden Eagle – I think lots of little girls can relate to how painful tangled hair is when trying to comb/brush it out. I've heard some pretty funny stories about some people who let it go for too long and paid a price!
Oh my, that would be a devastating day and at 10 it is so hard to put it all in perspective. It sounds like a marvelous read.
I used to get horribly tangled hair when I was little. I hated brushing (and loathed combs).
Oh goodness lol!! I can just imagine the hair disaster that happens in the book.
Having a young girl myself, we've only recently gotten to where hair combing sessions don't consist of me apologizing repeatedly because of her tender scalp.
This has to be a great book. Got to get me a copy so please don't enter me in the giveaway.
One lesson I learnt was this: never let your sister cut your hair! LOL!!
I cried for days after she had a go at my locks! never again!
Take care
x
Rhonda – Hysterical! Thanks for the laughs. I almost bust a gut reading your comment!
Christine – OMG – that's such a funny story (but not at the time, I'm sure)! I would love to see that picture of you, and I'm looking forward to reading the blog post you write!
Jess – Thank you for your enthusiasm. You have a lot of entries in the contest now, so good luck to you and to all the other entrants, too!
This book sounds hilarious- but then again Lynn is so funny, so that isn't a surprise. I can't get over the razor story and it did make me even more curious to read this one. I love that she got ideas from her own family. If I win I would love a paperback copy. 😉
~Thanks!!
~Jess
Hilarious!
When I was pregnant with my first child. For some reason I decided to have a perm. Now, I have thick wavy hair but I'd seen this photo of a girl in a magazine and I wanted my hair just like that. Four hours later, my husband came to pick me up. I'll never forget him sitting in the car park, his eyes bugging out of his head. Then his head hit the steering wheel and he was shaking with laughter.
For weeks every time he looked at me he laughed. Over that summer I sat in the garden with my dog. A red chow chow called Leo. And we actually have a photo of a pregnant me with the dog. They say owners look like their dogs and we absolutely did have matching fur/hair.
After daughter was born I had it all cut off and my hair was really dark underneath the fuzz bomb of my hair. Never did have another perm. I've had many disasters since and this has given me the idea for a blog post. Thanks for that, Lyn, you crazy woman!
Too funny! When I was about 8, my aunt decided to trim my bangs. Not only were they nearly to the top of my scalp but they were cut at an angle. I cried and cried. Once my nieces were old enough to understand I'd tell them "If Aunt Dell ever tries to cut your hair, run screaming and tell another adult." One day, I heard this yelling and my oldest niece came running and jumped in my lap screaming that Aunt Dell was trying to cut her bangs. I thought I was going to bust a gut laughing so hard. Good thing my aunt has a sense of humor. 😀
Lee – Thank you! See, those hair stories are endless. I'm giggling as I read these comments!
Samantha – A tender scalp and long, thick hair is hard to deal with for a little kid! I'm glad you've got it under control now. I think long, thick hair is pretty!
Stephen – Thanks so much!
Kelly – Thank you!
Rose – Oh, yes, those wild hairstyles of the eighties! Haha! I'm glad the mustache wax story made you laugh. I still chuckle about that!
That mustache wax story had me laughing! I lived through the eighties so I have my fair share of bad hair stories 🙂
Love the concept.
I know Lynn, but didn;t know she has a book out. Best wishes to her and Curse of the Double Digits!
e-book please 🙂
I'm extremely tender headed and I had obscenely long AND thick hair when I was younger. It's still long but I've just learned to suck it up 😛
I think we all have these stories, so Lynn's tapped into a childhood universal with her story! Thanks all for stopping by. Here's to winning a copy of a super new book.
Hello Lee! Happy Monday morning to you! Thank you for your hospitality.
Alex – Those bowl cuts seem to have been around a long time, and I've heard a lot of bad haircut stories from bowl cuts, where a bowl was literally used! Sheesh!
Ruth – Aw, thanks. I enjoy your blog, too!
Jennette – Oh my gosh, that's a funny hair story, but of course it wasn't funny at the time. And I agree, that's not fair that you didn't get to cut your friend's hair. Okay, I've got you down for a paperback!
When I was four, my best friend and I played beauty shop, and – you guessed it. I wound up with the inch-long bangs. My mom was more freaked than I was. Mostly, I was mad that I never got a chance to cut my friend's hair!
Oh, and paperback if I win, please! 🙂
I always enjoy Lynn's blog posts, they're so much fun. I'm sure this book is too. Thanks for hosting Lynn, here, Lee, and giving us a peek at the story behind the story.
When I was a kid, a lot of us boys had the cut that looked like a bowl was stuck on our heads before the cut. Or it was the Prince Valiant cut. Both were awful!