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    Ashlynn's Dreams Shorts: Helping Mr. Blairington and Other Misadventures
    Ashlynn's Dreams Shorts: Helping Mr. Blairington and Other Misadventures
    Ashlynn's Dreams Shorts: Helping Mr. Blairington and Other Misadventures
    Ebook67 pages47 minutes

    Ashlynn's Dreams Shorts: Helping Mr. Blairington and Other Misadventures

    By Julie C. Gilbert

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    About this ebook

    Growing up is hard, especially when one's parents get divorced.

    Jillian doesn't seek trouble, but it has a habit of finding her. She's bold, brave, and not afraid to stand up for her friends, even if that means tackling bullies.

    Jillian never knows what each day holds for her. One day has her exploring a creepy old house and the next has her trying to find a home for some sweet little puppies. The important part is the many lessons she learns along the way.

    Interview with the Author:

    Q: What makes the Devya's Children series special?

    A: At the heart, this series is about family and friendship as well as the ethical questions surrounding genetic engineering. It's been likened to the Orphan Black TV show. I like to think of it as a more family-friendly take on those themes. The premise is that a brilliant scientist and his team created several genetically altered children who have special Gifts, such as telepathy, healing, and dream shaping.

    The journal/letters style is not unique to this series, but I believe ultimately it suits my need to get in these people's heads. I've worked very hard to fill the books with relatable characters. Some of them happen to have superpowers, but as Jillian points out, everybody has gifts, if not Gifts. It's just a matter of finding out what those gifts are and how they can be applied for the good of the world.

    Q: What order should I read them in?

    A: I suggest the traditional order of:

    - Ashlynn's Dreams

    - Nadia's Tears

    - Malia's Miracles

    - Varick's Quest

    … before jumping into the prequel—The Dark Side of Science—or the Ashlynn's Dreams Shorts.

    The prequel and the short stories can certainly be read as standalones, but they may be more enjoyable once the reader's already familiar with some of the characters.

    Q: Where does this book fit in the series? What theme(s) make it special?

    A: This is the original collection of short stories that introduced me to Jillian. I fell in love with her voice and attitude. She's definitely an opinionated kid. Right and wrong have very clear meanings to her, even if they're not the same meanings most adults would hold.

    Although it's meant to be a light-hearted exploration of some daily life events, it does bring up some heavy-hitting topics some kids are forced to deal with: divorce and bullying.

    Q: Why should readers check out this series?

    A: Because Devya's Children will introduce you to a charming cast of characters dealing with some big issues. Right or wrong, the children exist, so now what? If you have the power to change the world, should you? What are the personal cost and consequences of shaping the world? These are all questions explored by the series.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJulie C. Gilbert
    Release dateJul 30, 2016
    ISBN9781533711939
    Ashlynn's Dreams Shorts: Helping Mr. Blairington and Other Misadventures
    Author

    Julie C. Gilbert

    Writer, chemistry teacher, Christian

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      Book preview

      Ashlynn's Dreams Shorts - Julie C. Gilbert

      Love Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Mystery?

      ––––––––

      ––––––––

      Choose your adventure!

      Visit: http://www.juliecgilbert.com/

      For details on getting

      Free ebooks

      Dedication:

      For readers who want to know Jillian better.

      For readers who are just meeting Jillian.

      ––––––––

      Side Note: The dialect is significantly heavier than in most of Ashlynn’s Dreams. These are the pre-kidnapping journal entries penned a few years before Jillian moves to New Jersey and discovers her Dream Shaping Gift.

      1

      Helping Mr. Blairington

      ITEM 2: Jillian’s first pre-kidnapping journal entry

      Item Source: Dr. Carla M. Wittier

      I’m Jillian, and Momma says I’m smart as a whip. I saw a picture of a whip once; it didn’t look too smart. But I’ve learned to nod and smile, even if I don’t understand. Ain’t no better accomplisher than me in all of Atlanta or Georgia or these here sweet Southern states, as Nana likes to call ’em, and that’s a fact. Momma says it’s not nice to say such things, but I never get no good idears about what she means when she scolds like that.

      Momma’s been lonesome ever since Daddy up and left us two years ago. Well, that ain’t all true, and Nana and Momma would get real loud if they heard me telling fibbers. Honest, I don’t know the whole story ’cause Momma won’t tell me, but Daddy musta done something real rotten to get run off like he did. I’ll tell all about that another time, but for now, I wanted to tell ya about Momma and Mr. Blairington.

      As I was saying, Momma and Daddy had loud words, including some Momma said I ain’t never to repeat to nobody under no conditions, unless I want the whupping of a lifetime. A long, long time after this, uh, I think it was seven months ago, Momma met this real neat old man. His name’s Mr. Blairington. I don’t mind that he’s thirty-three, a whole three years older than Momma, ’cause he’s a good man. He brings gifts for me and Momma lots, and he speaks all soft and mushy to Momma when it’s late at night and they think I’m tucked up safe in bed. Only problem with Mr. Blairington is that he’s uncommon shy, almost to what Nana calls the shameful point, when it comes to big matters.

      One day, about four months into their special kinda friendship, while Mr. Blairington and I was setting there waiting for Momma to fix her face, he told me he was waiting for a special moment to pop the question. I’d never heard a question could be popped and told him so. He laughed and said that it was a secret he wouldn’t tell me ’cause little girls can’t keep secrets. This made me mad. I cried and cried, partly ’cause I couldn’t help it and partly ’cause I knowd he’d tell me how a question could be popped, if I cried long and loud enough. Poor Mr. Blairington didn’t know what to do. It took him forever to give in. He’s a rather stubborn man, but I still like him. Finally, he said he wanted to marry Momma but that I couldn’t tell nobody.

      I kept that huge secret for a whole week, but time was getting on and I was fit to burst with the news that Mr. Blairington wanted to marry Momma. He even took Momma to a fine dinner. That means you gotta dress up all uncomfortable before they let you in. Still, Momma didn’t tell me he’d popped the question, and she surely would’ve if he had.

      One day, when Nana was watching me for Momma, we got to talking about Momma and Mr. Blairington. She said, Someone needs to give that boy a good kick. I musta looked at her funny ’cause she said, Not a real kick, Pudding Cake; it means help. Someone needs to help that boy find his courage.

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