Gina Rae Mitchell

I am pleased to share my review of Foiled by Carey Fessler with you. This is such an entertaining book, I couldn’t wait to share it with you. Foiled is listed as a children’s middle-grade book but it is certainly entertaining for all ages.

Foiled by Carey Fessler

Amazon Synopsis:

Two best friends. A Top Secret incident. A souvenir. A wild cross-state adventure.

It’s 1947 on a U.S. Army base near Roswell, New Mexico, and eleven-year-old Kate’s friend and neighbor, Billy, shows her a secret. A CIA agent arrives at Billy’s house, to recover the Top Secret items, and threatens the family, warning them to never talk about the incident—ever! Special Agent Falco informs them of their sudden reassignment to Germany. Billy, not wanting to move to Germany or return his treasures, begs Kate for help. Feisty and fiercely loyal, she agrees to hide him.

Thus begins a most unusual road trip in which the two friends use their wits, their knowledge of the terrain and geography around the base, and sheer determination to evade capture. Kate must also reach her grandfather, more than two hundred miles away, and warn him of a dangerous threat … to anyone involved. Their race has begun, and there’s no turning back.

Paperback details

My review of Foiled by Carey Fessler

Start with two precocious kids, set them on a military base in 1947 Roswell NM and you have the makings of a fabulous adventure story. This book is marketed as a children’s middle-grade story, but I have to disagree. I found it immensely entertaining. I do love a book with a strong female lead character even if she is only eleven years old.

Carey Fessler captured the heart and behavior of the children perfectly in his story. They are brave, fearless, reckless, loyal and have an overwhelming sense of right and wrong. Do they make mistakes while taking on the evil government agent? Absolutely, but it is so entertaining to watch them foil the adults while protecting their piece of alien “memory foil” on a cross-state adventure to save their families. Pun intended 😉  

Several characters stand out besides Kate and Billy. My favorite adult was Grandpa Clyde. He was the perfect adult accomplice to help the kids complete their mission.

Please give this book a try, no matter your age. I think you will find it a quick, enjoyable read.

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Interview with Carey Fessler author of Foiled and many more

How long have you been writing?

I first started writing mini-stories for my son when he was very young. I made him the MC of each story, which featured his favorite toys as sidekicks. The stories were an instant hit … with him anyway. That was enough to keep me at it.

What inspired you to write in this genre?

The ages between nine and twelve are the years when children still have innocence and compassion, and the only thing they care about is having fun with their family and friends. I enjoyed these years of being a kid and forged countless enjoyable memories between the ages of nine to twelve. I wanted to share these feelings and write books that I’d want to read at this age.

Which genre would your story belong in if your life was fictionalized?

Since I’m more than twenty years old, it’d have to be: Historical, with elements of Action, Adventure, Road Trip, Military, and Suspense.

Do you have a set writing schedule?

I walk the dog at dawn, share a bit of my peanut butter, honey, and banana toast with her, and then I write until around noon while she sleeps.

Do you need silence to write or can you work in any environment?

Whether writing from a desk in the study or the kitchen table, I quickly immerse into the zone, and I don’t take much notice of my surroundings. I write while listening to either Classical or New Age music. Yes, I love Mozart and Enya.

If you could set up your perfect writing scenario, what would it involve?

Maybe riding on the back of an elephant in one of those fancy riding rigs with a shade canopy and a portable eating tray with legs to write on, while
sauntering through new and exotic places. I’d hope the pachyderm had Wi-Fi or I’d have to pack a few writing pads and a pencil sharpener.

Were you an avid reader growing up?

I liked reading as a kid and visited the local library during summer school vacation whenever I got tired of watching reruns on TV of Gilligan’s Island and McHale’s Navy. I didn’t start reading regularly until I joined the US Navy and served on board nuclear submarines, spending three months at a time underwater on patrol.

Is there anything you would like my readers to know about you and your book?

I use the pen name Carey Fessler to honor the two people who encouraged me to read as a kid—my grandparents: My G’ma’s maiden name is Carey, and my G’pa’s last name is Fessler … Carey Fessler worked perfectly.

Where do I get the ideas for a book?

Ideas can come from everywhere, which is why I’m open to trying new things. The more experiences I have in life, the more I have to draw from to inspire my writing. Coming up with the seed for a scene (remember, a story is just a series of scenes you weave together) idea is easy for me.

All I do is say these three words: “What happens if …? (I brainstorm the worst-case scenario, then dig a bit deeper and drop my MCs into the hole) For example, the seed for my book Foiled came after my brother-in-law had shown me his three photographs of a UFO near Roswell, New Mexico. As an author, I didn’t care if the photos were real or not. I just asked myself, “What happens if … in 1947, two Roswell kids obtain a piece of alien technology and become fugitives?”

One thing I like to do as an author is, name a minor character after a person who has helped me by being a test reader. I do this as a way of saying ‘Thanks.’ Plus, people think it’s cool to have a character in a book with their namesake. Ex: In Foiled, I named Agent Bradford after a friend who read an early draft of the story and gave me some useful feedback. I find sharing my work with others is a great way to improve my writing.

Find Carey Fessler in the following places:

Website            Amazon        Goodreads            Barnes & Noble          Wordery          Booktopia

 

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If you enjoy this review of Foiled by Carey Fessler, you can find more reviews here: GinaRaeMitchell Reviews

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Little Bit & Big Byte series by Craig T. Feigh

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