The Bearded Dude in the Puzzle|Penny Estelle

Author Penny Estelle has written about 15 novellas that hold the interest of kids and adults alike. The Bearded Dude in the Puzzle is Estelle’s newest creation.

Blurb

Many years ago, in the land of kings and knights, Dozer, a powerful wizard, casts a spell over Scartin, and changes him into a tiny toy wizard and puts him inside the box of a puzzle.

Centuries later, Shelly Taylor, and her two kids, Bobby and Andrea, find their lives in turmoil. They are uprooted from their home and friends and moved to a small town in Idaho.  Their parents’ marriage falls apart, and to make matters worse, for some reason the kids at their schools are shunning them.

Shelly, once an advertising executive, starts cleaning houses to make ends meet.  It is in one of these old homes where the ancient puzzle is found.

As the family works on the puzzle, strange things start to happen.  An evil presence is making its way to the Taylor house, intent on making sure that puzzle never gets put together, no matter the cost, and it’s up to Bobby and Andrea to make sure that it does! 

Excerpt

“Bobby,” Shelly knocked as she opened his bedroom door, “it’s raining. I have to leave early today, so I’ll drop you off at school.”

“Okay, Mom.” Bobby rolled over on his side covering his head with his blankets.

 “I believe your mother wants you to arise.” Scartin’s muffled voice came to Bobby.

 Throwing his covers off Bobby sat up in bed, scratching his head, yawning.

 “You look weary, young Bobby.”

 The boy jumped up and locked his bedroom door. “Ya think?” he asked trying to use his best sarcasm. More than once, during the night, thunder had crashed, rattling the windows. “A few times the thunder had woke me up and I find Rip Van Winkle staring down at me scaring the..the..you know what out of me.”

 Scartin sat down on the chair, eyes wide with wonder. “I think you might have been dreaming. I didn’t see Rip here last night.”

 “Ugh,” Bobby groaned. He pushed himself off the bed and got clothes out of his drawers. “I was talking about you.”

 After a few minutes a smile lit up the wizard’s face and then a deep belly laugh escaped from deep inside. “You are jesting. Now I understand!”

 “SHHHHH!” Bobby whispered urgently waving his hands.

 Andi pounded on the bedroom door. “Who are you talking to?”

 “Uhm…nobody. I’m singing!” Bobby pushed Scartin toward the closet door. “Joey and I will be here after school to work on the puzzle. Stay hidden.”

 Scartin was still smiling as he put up a hand to stop the closet door from shutting

 “What?” Bobby asked.

 “Rip and I don’t resemble each other very much. He’s much shorter than I am.”

 Stunned with the realization there really was a Rip Van Winkle, Bobby stuttered, “O..okay. Dude, just stay out of sight.”

About the Author

Penny Estelle was an elementary school secretary for over two decades. Once retired, she decided to write stories about and for kids. Some of her favorites are Hike Up Devil’s Mountain, A Float Down the Canal, and The Wickware Sagas, which are time travel stories including Billy Cooper’s Awesome Nightmare, Ride of a Lifetime, and Bumped Back in Time. I’ve read a few and loved every one of them.

Estelle lives on a 54-acre ranch in Arizona with her hubby. She’s thinking about writing an erotic novel, but her husband forbids the prerequisite affairs needed for research. Go figure!