Sarah and Billy Misadventures Book Series

This is Mr. Hindgrinder. He'll be a character in Sarah & Billy's next adventure: A Plane Out of Gas and a Crash With a Splash. Mr. Hindgrinder is loosely based on a gentleman that lived in my neighbourhood during my younger years. His house had the only fence around the property and his fence was very tall and pointy. His yard was immaculate, completely unsullied by the hoards of neighbourhood kids that typically tore up the subdivision, hence the fence. My friends and I lost a few frisbees over that fence and it was understood we weren't ever getting them back.

Growing up in Riverview during the 1970s, there were kids of all shapes and sizes throughout the neighbourhood. Friends my own age were plentiful and we had all kinds of fun roaming the streets and surrounding fields of Point Park and the Naval Base subdivision. Kids that were a few years older were seen as the "next tier." Being 3-4 years older, they did things like ride dirt bikes and build elaborate bike jumps. Any opportunity to "hang" with these "awe inspiring" individuals, and be included in their fun, was a privilege. However, us pre-teens often felt we had to push the limits of our abilities to keep up and maybe even impress these fearless teens. Awesome memories and some epic bicycle accidents filled those bygone days.

I smile as I remember my introduction to the world of finance. Our father started giving us an allowance around the time I was 10 years old. My sister, Lisa, and I would save our money in a plastic "piggy bank" that fortunately had an opening in the bottom through which we could dump out our growing wealth, usually unto our beds. Growing up in the '70s, a quarter was a "good chunk of change" while a dollar bill was some serious cheddar. For awhile, I was saving up for a dirt bike until I found out how much they cost. An inflatable boat was much more attainable!!

Something about growing up with a sibling close in age is that whether you would normally include them in your friend group or not, they would more than likely be your best friend when away on family vacations. My sister, Lisa, would be that one person for me when growing up. While on family vacation we would get out and explore the campground or beaches together, enjoying the independence and simply following our feet wherever they took us. I remember, life was good!!!

PEI is one of my favourite places. The beaches are so relaxing and beautiful. Many years ago, before the weight of responsibilities focused all my thoughts on adult matters, the beach was an amazing place to explore. Youthful imagination could carry you away and you could easily become lost in the moment, or maybe the entire day. Back when I was 10, I bought a yellow inflatable boat. Well, you can imagine the world of possibilities that opened.

Meet the Characters of this series 🙂

Sarah: ready to seize the day and tackle the next adventure.
Billy: can-do attitude in a world of infinite possibilities
Dad: long-suffering with infinite patience.
Mom: no nonsense, my way or the highway

Welcome to my author page!
Here I will show previews of the current and upcoming books in my Sarah and Billy children’s book series!
These are the stories read around the campfire with our children when they were small and at bedtime. I hope they inspire you to do the same and inspire your children and grandchildren to experience the joys of reading!