The post My Top 10 List of Cool Things I Did in 2025 first appeared on Blake Hoena.
]]>I am a bit late getting this out, but a lot happened last year, especially on the personal side of things, so this list is less about my writing projects and more about life in general.
10. Daufuskie Island Marathon: That’s now marathons in 8 states! My running continues to send me on various adventures, places near as far (as you’ll see later in the list). My middle brother also lives in South Carolina, so the trip gave me an opportunity to hang out with him and his family—it’s been too long!
9. Fostering: We fostered several pups this year. And while I’m usually set in my role in the process:
8. Robots on the Moon: The paperback version of this picture book was released in March, just in time for Savannah (the illustrator) and me to do a reading at one of my hometown bookstores—Bound to Happen Books. The fun part: we conscripted her boyfriend (now fiancé) Alek to be the narrator during our reading. And boy, did he have the deep, resonating voice for it.
7. Graphic Novels: I’ve had a few new titles come out this year, but one of my favorite series to write for of late has been Capstone’s History Tipsters, where I can flex my funny bone and add a little comedic flair to the telling of historic events. In Spill the Tea on the U.S. Revolution, I used a boxing ring as the backdrop for the the battle between King George III and General George Washington, and each has his posse of generals.
Also … and this is supper exciting news … book 1 in the series, A Hero Awakens, is now available in audiobook.
5. A Year in Art: Because of a couple international trips, I was able to see some amazing art this year, from visiting the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam to seeing Klimt’s The Kiss at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna. My running adventures may help determine our destinations, but we do our best to to experience the food and beer and culture of the places we visit. While in Europe, we visited museums full of Renoirs, Rembrandts, Rubens, and Raphaels. It was beyond amazing.
3. London Marathon: My running adventures have now taken us overseas! W
2. Berlin Marathon: Yes! That’s two international marathons, and I’ve now run 4 of the major marathons. This trip included four cities in three countries: Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, and Vienna. Along with all the good food and beer, the incredible art, and the many amazing sights, revisiting Vienna meant I was able to see some old friends, people I met on my very first trip to Europe during my semester abroad in Poland.
1. Tattoo: It’s been ages since my last tattoo. But last year, I resolved to fix that lapse on my part. I’ve wanted one of Smaug wrapping around my left arm, for sentimental reasons involving The Hobbit, the book that set me on the path to being a reader and writer, and my step-dad who passed away a few years ago. While I had been keeping my eyes out for an artist, it wasn’t until I saw a tattoo of the Eye of Sauron by Alex at Northenbelle Tattoo that I decided to pull the trigger. Now, I am already thinking of my next tat.
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]]>The post Do I Write Stories About Skateboarding? first appeared on Blake Hoena.
]]>A fun little coincidence … I turned in the draft of my latest skateboard story (title TBD) just as I received comp copies of a skateboarding graphic novel I wrapped up a bit ago. From my first ever published book: Skateboard Designs & Equipment to the just-released Skateboards: A Graphic History, I’ve written numerous titles on the sport.
Admittedly, I was never much much of a skater. Yeah, I had a yellow penny board as a kid, which was great for bombing down hills—until you hit a pebble. I still have my cruiser that I’d ride around my old neighborhood (sometimes pulled crazy-fast by my dog Ty—she loved it), and I even own a 1960s Surfer skateboard—one that I don’t ride for antique reasons. But I was only ever a causal skater. I’m better at shredding it on the page than the concrete. Less chance of road rash that way.
And yeah, I have the vans to prove my love of the sport.
In case you were wondering, here’s a list of some of my skateboarding stories:
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]]>The post Two New Ghostly Graphic Novels first appeared on Blake Hoena.
]]>Because I just received comp copies of my latest graphic novels, and they fit perfectly into that scariest time of year.
The Deadly Bell Witch Ghost is a classic ghost story that dips back into the early 1800s. John Bell moved his family to the Red River area of Tennessee. Not long after, a strange apparition began to haunt them. At first the specter’s antics, from appearing as phantom shapes to making strange noises, seemed harmless. But over time, the ghost’s actions grew more and more sinister.
The Voyage of the Flying Dutchman is a spooky tale that dives even further back in history—to the 1600s. According to legend, Captain Hendrick van der Decken attempted to sail around the Cape of Good Hope during a storm. His ship, the Flying Dutchman did not survive the squall—or did it? There have since been reports of a ghost ship sailing the Seven Seas. Many who have crossed paths with the ghoulish Flying Dutchman have suffered horrible fates.
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]]>— School Library Journal
The post Miracle On Ice first appeared on Blake Hoena.
]]>Back on this date in 1980, one of the greatest moments in American sports occurred—the miracle on ice! The U.S. Olympic hockey team beat the Russians to move onto the gold medal game. The Russian team had won gold in the last four Olympics, so were heavily favored, but U.S. team captain Mike Eruzione scored on a power play with minutes left in the game to put the Americans up 4-3.
In my graphic novel Lake Placid Miracle, I capture the story leading up to the U.S. Olympic team winning gold.
The post Miracle On Ice first appeared on Blake Hoena.
]]>The post The Amazing Journey from Comets to Ocean first appeared on Blake Hoena.
]]>My latest graphic novel, The Shocking Journey from Comets to Oceans, was a hoot write. It gave me an opportunity to flex my funny bone, poking fun at Pluto and making Uranus jokes, while also presenting a scientific theory about how water ended up on our big blue home—it was comets!
Summary: Discover the origins of water on Earth . . . with a talking comet! In this full-color graphic novel, an enthusiastic comet speeds through the universe, from the far reaches of space to planet Earth. Along the way, this rocketing rock reveals how our precious blue planet became, well, blue!
The post The Amazing Journey from Comets to Ocean first appeared on Blake Hoena.
]]>Yesterday I was invited to Cumberland Middle School in my home state of Wisconsin. Must admit, it was heartwarming walking into the cafeteria to see Fuel to Play 60 posters featuring one of my favorite Green Bay Packers— Kicker Mason Crosby.
I was there to talk to students about creating graphic novels. It was fun introducing them to Eek & Ack, characters from my first graphic novel series. I used these space aliens brothers to show my writing process and some of the steps artists go through to illustrate graphic novels. Then we created our own one-page comics.
Quite an enjoyable day!
The post Cumberland Middle School first appeared on Blake Hoena.
]]>The post Bucket List Guides to Summer and Food first appeared on Blake Hoena.
]]>—The Bucket List Guide to Summer
—The Bucket List Guide to Food
These titles are for both thrill seekers and foodies. They aim to help young readers come up with ideas for fun activities, whether they are looking to fill their summer with thrills or tickle their taste buds with something yummy.
These guides are easy-reading and encourage young readers to create a bucket list of activities they would like to try. Then, each new experience can be checked off when complete. They will have a record of their achievements—something they can look back on fondly.
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]]>The post Jólabókaflóð first appeared on Blake Hoena.
]]>Jólabókaflóð is an Icelandic tradition of gifting books on Christmas Eve and then spending the night reading. Hot chocolate is often thrown into the mix as it’s cold outside.
What I’m reading? The Ogress and the Orphan by MN author Kelly Barnhill. Her book was a finalist for the National Book Awards in young’s people literature. It’s a wonderful tale very analogous to our world today.
My dog Ty also is fond of this new tradition we’ve discovered.
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]]>The post Hello from Iceland first appeared on Blake Hoena.
]]>Brimketill means “white-water cauldron,” which is understandable from the picture. Well, the troll Oddny and her family lived near this pool. One night, she took a dip in the water, but she stayed too long. The sun rose and turned her to stone. The crashing waves of the ocean eventually washed her away. Brimketill is called Oddynyjarlaug, or Oddyny pool.
Suddenly, I am inspired to write stories about trolls!
The post Hello from Iceland first appeared on Blake Hoena.
]]>The post Books 2 & 1 to Halloween first appeared on Blake Hoena.
]]>These interactive books I wrote were released just this summer. And both focus on American cryptids.
The legend of the Jersey Devil was born back in the 1700s when Mother Leeds cursed her 13th child, saying, “Let this one be the devil.” To this day it lurks about the Pine Barrens in NJ.
The Mothman was first rumored to have been seen in the fall of 1966, near Point Pleasant, WV. Since then, people have claimed to have seen the winged monster around the world, most often just before a tragic event.
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