Welcome to

The Curious World

of

Eddie Billings

The perfect book series for reluctant readers!

  • Quirky, lovable characters
  • Full of mystery, riddles and intrigue
  • Teaches important life lessons
  • Easy to read! Low word count & short chapters

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A hero in the making

Eddie Billings is on a journey. And if you were to ask him what journey he was on, he would probably say, “to prove that my parent’s death wasn’t an accident.” And although that is a “part” of his journey, I can tell you as the author, that he’s really on a journey to discover what it means to be a hero.

Does Eddie have what it takes to become a real hero? I think he does and I think you do to! But just in case you’re wondering what that journey might entail, I invite you to join Eddie on his.

Stefan Liner

Eddie Billings is on a journey. And if you were to ask him what journey he was on, he would probably say, “to prove that my parent’s death wasn’t an accident.” And although that is a “part” of his journey, I can tell you as the author, that he’s really on a journey to discover what it means to be a hero; a journey each person should take!

To me a hero is someone who does the right thing, even if it’s scary, unpopular or could even cost them their life. But why would someone do that? Well, I think the best reason is always love – love for friends, family and even strangers.

Does Eddie have what it takes to become a real hero? I think he does and I think you do too! But just in case you’re wondering what that journey might entail, I invite you to join Eddie on his.

– Stefan Liner

Mystery

Linemell, NC may be a small town in the Appalachian mountains, but don't let that fool you - it's got some big secrets!

Friendship

Eddie doesn't have many friends, but the ones he does have he looks out for - even his friend Dog. A dog named Dog.

Bravery

Eddie isn't your typical hero, but his desire to find the truth often pushes him to do things others wouldn't.

A treacherous world

A shape shifting alien race plots a hostile takeover of earth. Greedy politicians protect their personal interests at the expense of their constituents. And strange science seems to be turning on it’s creators. The biggest problem of all, 95% of the population has no idea it’s happening.

This is the curious world of Eddie Billings.

As Eddie stumbles into being included in the 5% of people that are aware of the storm that’s coming – he can’t help but think his parents untimely death is connected to everything that is happening. If he continues down the rabbit hole will he finally get the answers he’s been looking for?

Designed for Reluctant Readers

Designed for
Reluctant
Readers

UNDER 20,000 WORDS

Shorter books are less intimidating to a reluctant reader.

SHORT CHAPTERS

Short chapters encourage reluctant readers to keep reading.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Artwork breaks up the book and aids in contextualizing the story.

Lexile rating

900

A reading level comparable to Narnia, A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but with a fraction of the word count.

What kids are saying

Literary Reviews

Why I wrote this series

I remember how intimidating reading was for me when I was in middle school. Many of my friends had no problem getting through thick books like “Lord of the Rings” while I struggled with books like “The Box Car Children.” I wanted to read more grown-up books but they were just too long and scary. That’s why when we set out to write “The Curious World of Eddie Billings” series, we did so with the reluctant reader in mind.

What we didn’t do was dumb things down. I love stories with lots of layers where every time you read it you discover something new about a character or the plot. So, although the format of the series is fairly low-stakes for a reluctant reader, the overarching storyline is high-stakes, with the very existence of humanity hanging in the balance.
 
– Stefan Liner
Co-Author / The Curious World of Eddie Billings

I remember how intimidating reading was for me when I was in middle school. Many of my friends had no problem getting through thick books like “Lord of the Rings” while I struggled with books like “The Box Car Children.” I wanted to read more grown-up books but they were just too long and scary. That’s why when we set out to write “The Curious World of Eddie Billings” series, we did so with the reluctant reader in mind. Here’s how we accomplished that:

  • Total word count under 20,000
  • Short Chapters
  • Illustrations to give a visual break
  • Short snappy sentences
What we didn’t do was dumb things down. I love stories with lots of layers where every time you read it you discover something new about a character or the plot. So, although the format of the series is fairly low-stakes for a reluctant reader, the overarching storyline is high-stakes, with the very existence of humanity hanging in the balance.
 
– Stefan Liner
Co-Author / The Curious World of Eddie Billings

 

The Authors

Stefan Liner

Stefan Liner

Stefan is the oldest of six children and was homeschooled through all 12 grades. Although he initially struggled with learning to read as a child, it was during high school that he caught the writing bug and has been telling stories in one way or another ever since. Because of his early struggles with learning to read; when he and Robin began collaborating on The Curious World of Eddie Billings series, Stefan knew he wanted it to be a series that reluctant readers would enjoy.

Robin Liner

Robin Liner

Robin Liner is a homeschool mother of six, author, screenwriter, filmmaker and artist, who live in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Having taught several children with learning differences, it isn’t surprising she teamed up with her son, Stefan, to write books that appeal, not only to avid readers, but to reluctant readers as well. With Eddie & The Lizard Man, the writing team combines smart witty storytelling with clipped sentences and short chapters that is certain to engage all types of readers. When she isn’t writing she is usually drinking coffee and painting.

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EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 2

2

The Clock Tower

Now, what’s the best way to describe Annabelle Schmell? Well, people might say she was a bright-eyed young lady. That she was friendly and had a way of making others feel comfortable. That she usually wore cute dresses and Mary Jane shoes and loved photography. And all of that would be true. But what most people didn’t know was Annabelle Schmell saw Eddie differently from everyone else.

      Eddie had known Annabelle his entire life. When she was five, Annabelle made a habit of intentionally breaking her doll as an excuse to visit Eddie at Mr. Billings’ repair shop. She would do this to get eight-year-old Eddie to fix it for her. Why, you might ask, did she do this? Clearly, she was smitten. But Eddie always saw Annabelle as the naggy little girl his parents made him be nice to. During Eddie’s high-school years Annabelle became a bit more tolerable and even fun to be around at times. But once he graduated, he didn’t see much of her. He still thought of her as an annoying little sister.

      Eddie closed his notepad and slid it and the pencil back in his shirt pocket. Annabelle finished crossing the street and plopped down beside him on the bench. She wore a canvas backpack over her navy-blue sweater and toted a drink from the Mighty Mug. Eddie eyed the beverage enviously. The smell was unmistakable.

      A Mocha Latte.

      Annabelle smiled. “You didn’t answer me. How are you doing?”

      “Oh, sorry. I’m doing good. What are you up to?”

      “Nothing much. Just got a Mocha Latte and thought I’d work a cryptogram before heading up to The Wicked Wood.” She glanced at Eddie with mischievous eyes. Eddie faked an uninterested laugh as he tried not to take the bait.

      “Ha, ha, right, the ‘Wicked Wood.’ That’s just some old wives’ tale made up to scare schoolchildren.”

      Eddie sensed Annabelle knew he couldn’t help but wonder why she was going to The Wicked Wood. So he wasn’t surprised when she baited him further.

      “Oh, it’s much more than a story,” she said. “Lenny Baskin was snooping around up there a few days ago trying to find the old Moonshiner’s Ghost. And guess what happened?”

      Eddie tried to look disinterested. Annabelle lowered her voice to almost a whisper and leaned toward him.

      “I’ll tell you what happened. Lenny saw the ghost…right before it put a spell on him.”

      “Put a spell on him?” Eddie repeated disdainfully, as he lost interest for real.

      “Yeah. He said his head got all foggy and he felt like sleeping.” Annabelle started getting animated. “Next thing he knew, branches and leaves were grabbing him. He said if he hadn’t fought the spell the forest would have eaten him up.” She paused for effect. “Never to be found.”

      Eddie rolled his eyes. “Annabelle, high schoolers have been telling that story for years to scare the lower grades. The spell-casting part is new, but I imagine each year the legend keeps getting more ridiculous. But it isn’t real.”

      “You’re one to talk. Why is this story any different than the ones you believe?”

      “Because my stories – I mean conspiracies – have tons of data. And I seriously doubt Lenny Baskin actually went to The Wicked Wood.”

      “Well it doesn’t matter, I’m going up there anyway. My senior project is called ‘The Legend of The Wicked Wood,’ and whether the legend is true or not, I’m going to have a killer paper.”

      “It’s a waste of time. If you want to do a paper on something really interesting you should look into how the government controls people’s minds through milk and tap water. It’s why I only drink distilled water, and never drink milk.”

      Annabelle appeared somewhat deflated by Eddie’s remark. She stood up.

      “Fine. I’ll leave the conspiracies with ‘tons of data’ to you.” She turned to cross the street.

      Eddie had a sinking feeling in his stomach. Annabelle had just shared something with him she was excited about, and he shot it down. Dog moaned a disapproving moan. The kind of moan that says, “You don’t have many friends as it is, so don’t lose this one.”

      Eddie watched Annabelle approach her car. The further away she got, the greater the sinking feeling became. He’d never felt that before. Then something else rose up inside him and he called after her.

      “Annabelle.”

      She quickly turned to look at him, her eyes filled with anticipation.

      Eddie gulped.

      “Um…Your paper…It’s gonna be killer.”

      “Thanks, Eddie!” Annabelle called back across the street as a smile crept onto her face.

      “Oh, and uh…” He paused.

      “Yes?”

      “Um…be careful.”

      Her smile got even bigger. “I will.” She climbed into her car and drove off. As Eddie watched Annabelle drive away, presumably to investigate The Wicked Wood, Dog let out a bark. The kind of bark that says, “Now that’s more like it.”

(continues)

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