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We love to write, mystery/suspense, teen/young adult, childrens, humor and paranormal/horror.
Every now and then we even scribble poetry or an article. While most of our books and stories are fiction, sometimes based on a pinch of truth, our articles and military stories are non-fiction.
Feel free at any time to visit or join our main-site at www.myspace.com/rbpratcher !
But now, let's get back to Matt and Spencer in Their Great Adventure!
Don't miss out on this action/adventure for children and young adults!
Matt and Spencer in Their Great Adventure is the perfect adventure for all ages and can be ordered on-line at all major bookstores. It also can be bought in many local bookstore and if it is not in stock, just go ahead and order it there!
Excerpt from the book Matt and Spencer in Their Great Adventure:
Chapter 1 (just click)
ISBN: 1-4137-6638-2
If you like to read, I strongly recommend that you check out these books, written by us, Birgit and Roger Pratcher!
Our newest release:
June Bear Adventures - The Missing Pies
Buy now at Amazon
June Bear Adventures – The Missing PiesChapter 1
He was now six years old and just had started school. He liked school and it was fun. He
could already read little books and when he showed his homework to the teacher, she always gave him a little star for it. Mrs. Pohl, that was his teacher, she had lots of stick-on labels with stars in her desk. Every time they did something well, she gave the school kids in her class a little yellow star. The stars were put inside a little book; twenty of the little yellow labels could fit on
one page. Mrs. Pohl had told them that when Christmas came, she would count everyone's stars and the kids with the most stars would receive the best Christmas surprise. She was really nice. She wore her curled hair short and loved to wear flower print dresses, her voice was soft, but clear, even when she was a little angry with one of the kids in her classroom. As long as you
did not lie to her, she would not get too mad. She had never gotten angry with June and he would try his best, that she never would find a reason to be angry with him.
He lived with his Mom and Dad and his Grandma 'Tee' in a pretty house with lots of friendly neighbors. One of his neighbors, down the street, at the end of the block, was his uncle Roggie. He was his favorite neighbor. His uncle Roggie owned an arcade with a snack bar in the city and always would let June play and eat for free.
His Mom and Dad were at work all day. Mom worked for the military and Daddy for a computer
company. That was the reason that Grandma Tee had moved in with them, so she could take care of him, until his parents came home.
As far as he was concerned, it was the best thing ever. She was full of cool ideas, always had time for him, cooked the best food and baked the best cookies and pies ever. Life with Grandma was great!
Ever since he had been a baby, people called him 'June'. He had no clue, why, but he did not mind at all. Lately they added 'Bear' to his nickname and called him 'June-Bear'.
His Mom had told him, that was, because he was strong and tough! He did not look very strong or very tough, his arms and legs seemed skinny and slinky. Often it seemed like there was only room for bones under his dark skin and no room for muscles. But Mom had very thin arms and
she was strong too, so it could very well be that his strength just did not show, but was there.
His real name was Derrick, but only if he really was in trouble, did his family call him by his real name. Of course, just like in school, he always tried to be good, most when Christmas came around. You could never be sure, if there was not a real Santa Claus somewhere, after all.
When he was little, and he remembered very well, he had seen Santa one night.
But, right now he did not have to worry about Christmas and Santa, there was still plenty time to be good.
He jumped off the big yellow school bus and ran toward the house. Grandma Tee was standing in the door, waiting for him. He gave her a big hug.
"How was school, June, did you get any stars today?" she asked.
"It was good. Mrs. Pohl told us about the 'Mayfever' and I got three stars!" he told her.
"Do you mean she told you about the 'Mayflower'?"
He looked up at her with a puzzled expression on his little face, squinting his clear brown eyes together and thought about it for a moment.
"I guess that could be too. It was a big ship with May."
"Yeah, child, that was the 'Mayflower'. After you eat something, you have to show me what you learned about it."
They went inside, where a plate with his snacks and a glass of milk were waiting for him.
Nana Tee went over to the stove, where she was working on their dinner, while he sat at the kitchen table and ate.
"I got great news, sweetie" she announced and poured some more seasoning into a pot on the stove.
He looked up, waiting on her to continue, returning her smile.
"Your Great-Grandfather is coming! Isn't that exiting?" she offered.
"Yes, Ma'am." He replied dutifully. He didn't know what else to say. To him it did not sound like
great, exiting news at all. He remembered the first time the old man had been here: very old, white hair, where he had any left, a big brown cane tightly held in his dark bony hand with yellowish finger nails. Most of the time he spent sleeping, in his bed, on the rocking chair by the fireplace, in a chair on the porch. There was really nothing exciting about this visit. Every time the old man had talked to him, he had fallen asleep before he had finished or he had forgotten about the little boy standing in front of him and stopped talking, his old eyes looking at an imagined place, somewhere far away.
"But that's not all, honey!" Grandma Tee went on, "we are going to have a big party. Cousin Miranda is getting married, and she will have the reception here, at your Mom's house! We will have to decorate, cook lots of food, bake lots of cakes, it will be so much fun!"
Now she was talking good stuff: Food! Cakes!
"Now, go on to your room and do your homework, so I can get some work done. Your Mom and Dad will pick up your Great Grandpa from the airport and I still have a lot to do until they come back." Grandma Tee ordered him and he hopped off to his room.
Sitting on his desk, doing his homework, he wondered, if he had to give up his room while his Great Grandpa was staying here. He better hurry up so he would have time to put his most valuable belongings in a safe place.
The afternoon went by, June did his homework, put all his Spiderman figurines in a backpack, along with a few other things he cherished. He placed the backpack in the hallway closet for easy access.
It was already getting dark, when his parents finally made it home with his great grandpa. June had already had his bath and was watching cartoons.
"Hi Mom, hi Dad" he called as he rushed to greet them.
"Good evening sir, welcome to our home" he greeted the old man that was shuffling across the floor, supported by a big brown cane.
"Hello child. Who are you, should you not be home at this late hour?" the old man replied and shook his hand.
June looked at him. Did he not remember that June lived here? That he was the son of his granddaughter?
"Grandpa, this is my son. You've met him before, don't you remember?" His Mom asked friendly.
"OH, oh, yes, yes, the little one. I know. He must have grown an awful lot, for me not to recognize him. How are you, young man? Are you doing well?"
"Yes, thank you, I'm fine" June replied. Then he turned to his parents. "May I go to bed, I'm tired."
"Of course, June-Bear. Are you alright?" His mother asked and touched his forehead to check for a temperature.
"I'm fine, just tired."
"Grandma has put a mattress in our room for you to sleep on. Good night." His Mom said and kissed his cheek.
June called 'Good night' and went upstairs. He went to his parents' room to lay down on the mattress his grandma had put there for him. He cuddled under his blanket and was asleep in no time at all.
Hours later his parents' and Grandma went to bed as well. And another hour or two after that, the
floorboards were slightly creaking under the weight of someone walking through the house. Green eyes glowed in the dark, peering in every corner. Hairy feet crept carefully forward, rainbow colored dust followed. Then it all was quiet again; only occasionally a slight whisper could be heard.
The next morning came quick and with it the usual rush. He got showered and dressed, ran downstairs to the kitchen to eat a quick bowl of cereal.
Mom and Grandma were already there, Mom drinking a cup of tea and going over some paperwork, Grandma was busy with peeling and cutting apples.
"Are you making pie?" June asked her, almost able to taste her delicious apple pies just by thinking about them.
"Yes, honey. By the time you get home from school, you can have some. Now hurry, the bus will be here any moment." Grandma Tee answered and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"You will turn from my June Bear into a pie monster, if you keep chasing after Grandma's pies!" his mom said and made him giggle.
Then she put her paperwork into her little briefcase. His Dad was just coming down the stairs, ready to leave the house.
"Love you, Bear" Mom said and kissed his forehead.
"Bye, big guy, see you later!" his Dad called and was out of the door, Mom close behind him.
June put his bowl in the sink and hurried to drink up his juice.
"Go, go, go, and don't miss the bus!" Grandma said and ushered him toward the door. On the way he grabbed his school bag and waved at her as he rushed down the street to catch the bus.
He found an empty seat next to his best friend Mark.
"Hey June, what's new?" Mark greeted him with a happy smile, showing the big gap where two teeth were missing.
"Hi Mark, my great-grandfather arrived yesterday. He's got my room now. No more playing at my house for a while." June sighed as he sat down.
"That sucks. How is he?"
"Who, my great grandpa?"
"Yeah, that's who you were talking about, right?"
"Old. I don't think that I've ever seen anyone this old. His skin is more gray than anything else and soooo wrinkled. Sometimes it looks as if it would just break, like old thin paper. And he is really boring. All he does is sit around and sleep." June explained and sighed.
"Maybe we can hang out at your uncle's?" Mark suggested.
"Yeah, maybe. I'm just afraid that they'll try to keep me at home to show me around to every family member they can find. Some cousin is getting married and it will be at our house."
"Yuck! The worst thing, that it brings lots of pinched cheeks and wet, sticky kisses from old aunties; trust me, nothing to look forward too. Any cool people coming, like our age?" Mark inquired.
"Don't think so. My cousin A.J is way too young, all the other cousins are old, like sixteen and over, no one cool!" June sighed again and was glad that he had started school and would be spared the pinched cheeks and wet kisses at least while he was in school.
After the short trip with the bus he finally arrived in school and enjoyed the classes, most the ones with Mrs. Pohl, his favorite teacher.
When he came home after school, grandma Tee was already waiting in the door, like every day. At least that had not changed.
"Hi sweetie how was school? Have you been good?" She asked and hugged him.
"It was good and of course I was good." June replied, sniffing the air.
"Are the pies ready, can I have some?" he asked, squeezing past his grandma into the house.
"Hey, you little pie monster, slow down!" Grandma called and chased after him. She chased him around the kitchen table and through the hallway, past the dining room and back into the kitchen. Finally she caught him and hugged him tight. Then she straightened up and, still trying to catch her breath got a plate out the refrigerator with a big slice of her delicious apple pie.
"You do know, that you are supposed to eat this for desert, not for lunch?" she asked.
"Well, if you insist, I will eat this now and then have one for desert." June giggled and put a fork full of pie in his mouth.
"Oh, you think that you are a smart little bear?" Grandma said and laughed. She got a plate out and went over to the stove where she started filling it with vegetables, rice and fish. She placed it in front of her little grandson.
"You better make sure this plate is empty when I come back. I'll go upstairs and do some laundry. If you want something from me, you'll have to come up and be quiet, your great grandpa is taking a nap."
June nodded his head and pulled the plate closer. Now he even had to be quiet, so this old man could sleep. As if he would hear anything. He already couldn't hear a thing when he was awake. He hurried up with his lunch and put his empty plate by the sink.
Then he grabbed his book bag and went upstairs to do his homework in his room. Halfway up the stairs he could hear his great grand father snore. June realized that he had to go back down and do his homework on the dining table. His room was taken.
He sighed deeply and put his books on top of the table and started his homework.
He was done when his Grandma came down the Stairs, a stack of neatly folded kitchen towels in her hands.
"Can Mark come over and play with me?" He asked.
"No, sweetheart. That would be too much for your old grandpa. He can not have kids running through the house and making noise." She answered and . .
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