What Lurks Around the Corner
at the Sylvan Spy
Here at the Vanderhorst school for young stunt athletes, the summer has passed in a hot, humid rush of pickleball, basketball, spikeball, hiking, paddleboarding, and trampoline tricks. The kids have also been playing something in the backyard they call “oddball,” but I haven’t got to the bottom of this new sport yet. Here we are doing some of those things.
Do anything cool yourself?
My wife Lindsay and I have taken a lot of walks, which I recommend because it is a great way to unwind. Although…
We live in a subdivision a lot like the one at the beginning of Dark Sky’s Ashes. This means our walks are over asphalt roads with great views of cookie cutter houses. We also have nosy neighbors who complain about us to the HOA for things like climbing trees, leaving the garden hose unwound, and driving too fast on scooters.
Think I’m kidding? I’m not. The takeaway is, truth can become fiction pretty easily with a little imagination, which is why some of the best advice I can give to young writers is pay attention to what’s going on around you. Some of it will end up in your books.
Even the unpleasant stuff.
Ok, on to the future of the Sylvan Spy. Perceptive readers like you have noticed the Spy now appears on a cool dedicated site, spy.ajvanderhorst.com. You can read past updates, like and comment on posts, and scan my Notes feed for extra thoughts, quotes and photos.
In addition, you’ve probably noticed some new features: Sylvan Sketches, Behind the Scene, and The Sylvan Spy Answers Your Questions. We’ve got more of this insider content on the way.
You’ll also continue to get posts like this one where I tell you what’s going on at the Vanderhorst academy for young renegades and what’s coming next in the Casey Grimes world. Of course.
But we also have some big surprises ahead. And I’ve decided to announce one of them right now. When I write book manuscripts, it’s not uncommon to have extra scenes. Like out takes in a movie—you get it. They can be funny or serious. They add something to the story, but they didn’t work in the flow of the finished book. With a little extra work, these scenes can be polished up. They work great as short stories.
And that’s our announcement. Exclusive Casey Grimes short stories will be coming to the Sylvan Spy. Available nowhere else. Hope you enjoy them!
And that brings us to another announcement.
The Sylvan Spy will soon have a paid subscription option. This may not be a surprise, since I talked about it a month or so ago. It especially won’t be a surprise to you if you were one of the people who encouraged me to think about this idea. (Thank you.)
For a couple years, it’s been my pleasure to offer the Sylvan Spy to readers like you absolutely free, as a thank you. I’ll continue to do this—and I’ll also be creating more content and extra stories as a paid option.
I hope this will be a Win-Win. Want to keep getting the Spy for free? Do nothing. And if you want to upgrade and support the Casey Grimes world, that will be exciting.
Why would you want to upgrade? The simple answer is to enjoy extra content from an alternate USA where monsters stalk the suburbs. Ideal for sharing with a kid. It will be a lot of fun.
The more complicated answer is to support a world where Strength and Honor matter, where characters face real danger and go on real adventures. To make it possible for the Casey Grimes books to keep on coming, without permission from the kidlit industry—who acts like a monster these days, doing their best to control every author.
I’m not interested in checking boxes for editors and interns with an agenda. What I like to do is write stories that kids and parents and grandparents love to read. Stories where boys and girls fight monsters and battle for courage, tenacity and hope. You are my audience—not some focus group in Los Angeles.
I’d like to keep it that way.
That’s the big reason for a paid subscription.
If you’re ready to upgrade, you can do that right now. If not, no worries, the option will be available later. I know some readers are on a fixed income, and if that’s the case, and you’d like the upgraded Spy, please send me a note.
Let’s end with a warning.
On many of the walks I’ve taken around my fairly boring, sunbaked neighborhood, I’ve had to detour around flocks of Canada Geese. The geese show up in droves, poop everywhere, and act like they own the place. If you get too close to them, they will charge at you, hissing. It’s almost as if they know it’s illegal to fight back.
Maybe you have them where you live. If so, I’m sorry. But this survival tip is not about geese.
Unlike us humans, Razor Wings don’t care about wildlife laws. And if they do know about the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, they take a special delight in violating it. Canada Geese—big, dumb, and juicy—are one of their favorite meals.
That’s why you’ve got to be extra careful when you see a flock of geese. You’ll be tempted to watch the geese, to make sure they don’t attack you. Or watch the ground, to be sure you don’t step in squishy green poop. But that’s where things get dangerous.
Razor Wings are masters of blending in. With their long, spidery legs and knife-like beaks, they sometimes pose as herons as they edge closer to their prey. They aren’t stupid either—sometimes they’ll tuck their legs, hide their beaks behind a wing, and tiptoe into striking distance.
Unlike geese, Razor Wings can take a chunk out of you with one snip of their bills. They’ll do it, too—these monsters will eat anything, and they love new tastes. Believe me, you don’t want a Razor Wing to abandon the goose it’s stalking and put you on the menu instead.
Stay vigilant.