BLOG TOUR of Ronda's Gang and the Stolen Wallet by Brenton Cullen

It is Saturday and Brenton Cullen has just arrived to chat with me about his book: Ronda‘s Gang and the Stolen Wallet, published by I-Proclaim Press March 2008. He has been on Blog Road since Wednesday so if you'd like to follow his tour from the beginning , visit

Stop 1: 18 March with Dee White regional Victoria http://www.tips4youngwriters.wordpress.com/

Stop 2: 19 March with Sally Odgers Tasmania http://spinningpearls.blogspot.com/

Stop 3: 20 March with Sally Murphy rural WA http://www.sallymurphy.blogspot.com/

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And here we are at Stop 4:

Hello Brenton,
Thank you for visiting my blog spot today. I can see you’ve had a very busy week stretching across the continent to tour blogs all around Australia ... and today we’re still in the Western Australia

Thank you Mabel. Yes, so far I’ve visited Victoria, Tasmania and WA, …. All via computer!

Mabel: I’m intrigued by your title: Ronda’s Gang and the Stolen Wallet. Tell me about your book.

Brenton: My book, Ronda's Gang and the Stolen Wallet, is the first book in a series of just three books. It is about a mystery solving gang of 11 year olds, with the leader of the gang, a 12 year old girl named Ronda. The gang are worried that they will get no more cases and their mystery days are over, when they put an advertisement in their local newspaper and get a phone call from a Mrs Kratzman, a teacher at a local elementary school whose wallet has been robbed from her classroom. The Gang go to investigate and find some startling clues that might just lead to the suspect ...

Mabel: Thank you, Benton. Would you tell me more about the gang? I must say (that as you are a boy of about the same age as Ronda) I was surprised that you chose a girl to be the gang leader. Are all the gang members girls?

Brenton: No, there are two girl members and three boy ones, and I chose to have the leader a girl because she was the oldest and it was also a fun experience to try writing her.

Mabel: Can you tell me about cases have they solved before?

Brenton: I can't answer what other cases they've solved as it gives something away in the second book.

Mabel: Well that should keep my blog readers intrigued. What about the first starling clue?

Brenton: I don't want to answer about the first startling clue as not to give it away


Mabel: Aha! You’re really going to make us read the book, aren’t you? Right! Let me back track a little. You said earlier, you chose a girl leader because it was a fun experience trying to write her. Tell me a bit about how you went about developing Ronda as a person

Brenton: Well, she is sort of a universal character, but her attitude and means and antics are real, based on that of one of my friends. I can really understand Ronda as if she’s a real person, living and breathing. She’s my favourite character.

Mabel: I like that. And now to conclude. Is there a segment of description, action or dialogue you would like to share to tempt our readers with.

Brenton: Yes! This piece:
"I have an announcement to make. Yesterday I got a phone call from this lady named Mrs. Kratzman. She would like us to solve a mystery, because her wallet was stolen from her desk. She's a teacher at Murray Elementary School."The buzz of chatter rose but quieted down a fair bit when Ronda raised her hand, as a signal for them to shush."Now, tomorrow afternoon we have to be at her classroom at the school at 3 PM. All right? Now, we're all going to meet there. Her classroom number is 6K. Everyone got that?""Yep", they chorused."All right, meeting dismissed."

Mabel: Thank you, Brenton. Will it be alright if I record a short sound file of that section and include it on this blog?

Brenton: Yes, its OK for a recorded reading, as long as you put the copyright Brenton Cullen, author and my publisher I-Proclaim Press For sure!

Mabel: I’ve enjoyed chatting with you and I will certainly be reading more of your work. You’ve made an impressive start with your writing and I am eager to see in what directions your writing career may develop.

Brenton: All right, Mabel, thank you very much! And remember, if you want to find out those startling clues, pick up a copy …. www.lulu.com/content/2343053

Click the on play button below to listen to an excerpt from Ronda's Gang and the Stolen Wallet


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