Overhaul of Bubblegum Princess

Get Bubblegum Princess

Ok, it's time to shake things up. Over the next few weeks, I will be adding new chapters to Bubblegum Princess (the new Pinkberry Patch adventure), starting today. Chapter 4 has been submitted to Amazon, and you should see it by this evening or early tomorrow morning.

Now for the part where I shake things up: I'm unhappy with the original Bubblegum Princess. I never intended for it to just be a dedication between parent and daughter, but that's what came out.

Let's change that, shall we?

Consider the picture book in its current form as an extended dedication. The real adventure is being added now and will be available to anyone who purchased it in the past. I will not sell it separately. You get both the current picture book and the new adventure for the same price, no strings attached.

Once I figure out my schedule (I'm planning on writing a chapter or more each week), I'll post it. Until then, enjoy chapters 1-4 of Pinkberry Patch. Beyond that, more adventures are in store for Alyssa Alexander (another Alyssa?) and her bubblegum-induced powers. It may even become a serial along with Aveline, and the two at one point will definitely cross paths.

It's an exciting time to be both an author and a reader, and you are in for quite an adventure.

Update: Chapter 5 has also been added. Enjoy!

Scott Gordon

Bubblegum Princess: Pinkberry Patch - Chapter 3: No Problem At All

The strange shade of her bubblegum hair made Alyssa increasingly uncomfortable. Typically, she chewed on something when she felt nervous: gum, fingernails, even the ends of her hair. Without thinking, she grabbed another piece of bubblegum and threw it in her mouth. “What am I doing?” She started to spit it out, but the pink pearl was cool and sweet and seemed to calm her nerves.

“I can’t keep doing this. I should throw away the rest of the pack right now,” she told herself, but it all seemed a tad ridiculous. Besides, who had ever heard of a piece of bubblegum changing one’s hair? “Absurd.” She shook her head at the ridiculous notion. There had to be another explanation for this.

She opened her locker door, grabbed her coat, and jumped back. Inside, a gray mouse nibbled on half of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “Good morning, your highness.” The rodent bowed. “I didn’t realize this was yours. Forgive me, my queen.”

“Ahh!” Alyssa slammed the door shut.

Edna Ginny, the school counselor, heard her screams and walked briskly around the corner. “Is everything all right? What seems to be the problem?”

Suddenly a pair of pink, translucent wings sprung out of Alyssa’s back. “No problem. No problem at all.” She threw on her coat.

“Wow, you look like a fairy princess.” Mrs. Ginny adjusted her glasses. “Is what you’re wearing for Halloween? It’s only September, you know.”

“Huh?” As Alyssa zipped up her coat, she noticed her sparkling dress. It was pink and glittery and just a bit short. It felt as if she were walking around in her nighty. Involuntarily, she swallowed her gum.

“Oh no, not another piece!” Alyssa gasped. At this rate, she wouldn’t need lunch or dinner. She tucked her wings in her coat and finished zipping it up. “Well, look at the time. I think mom’s waiting for me outside.” Alyssa hurried out of the locker room.

“I’m here if you want to talk,” Mrs. Ginny shouted as Alyssa exited.

Suddenly the little girl’s wings popped out of her coat and began beating rapidly. In the blink of an eye, Alyssa was out the door and down the hallway in a trail of sparkling dust. Before she knew it, she was at the school entrance.

Everything was a blur. “Where’s my coat?” She looked around. Fortunately, she still had her backpack, but again felt like she were standing around in her underwear. Then there was the minor inconvenience of those wings. She reached for another piece of bubblegum and stopped herself. “Not a stick more!” She shook her head defiantly.

Abruptly, something came thundering down the hall. A thousand squeaks filled the corridor, followed by the rumble of tiny feet. An army of mice came from every corner of the school to greet her. “Hail, my beloved queen!” they shouted.

“Eek!” Alyssa was out the door in a flash. She gazed down as the dark horde of mice poured out of the building. The air smelled different now: crisp and clean, allowing her thoughts to be more precise. It took a few moments before she realized that she was gliding high above the school on her new wings.

“If I can fly by the aid of a stick of gum, anything’s possible.” She surged forward on a whim. “Anything’s possible!”

Bubblegum Princess: Pinkberry Patch - Chapter 2: Peculiar

“What seems to be the problem, Miss Alexander?” Nurse Betty Larkin greeted her with a warm smile.

“I’m not sure.” Alyssa looked at the gray tile floor. “My hair suddenly turned pink.”

“Yes, I see.” She investigated a lock of the girl’s hair. “Well, that’s a new one. I’ve never had anyone visit me because their hair changed colors. It’s quite beautiful, actually. So bright and sparkly, it looks like it came right out of a spray can. Are you sure that you didn’t color it yourself?”

 “No, Mrs. Larkin.”

“Do you have any allergies?” The nurse clicked on a penlight and examined Alyssa’s eyes.

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“How peculiar. Let me check your scalp.” Nurse Larkin searched through her strawberry patches, but the scalp was clean and healthy. “Whoever did this did a marvelous job. The color goes right down to the roots. When did this happen?”

“Today, during class.”

“Really? Just now?”

“Yes, ma’am.” The little girl avoided eye contact. Sooner or later, Alyssa knew that Betty would find out about the bubblegum. She chose her next words carefully. “Ms. Blunt was about to give us a test when I suddenly felt this strange tingle and my hair turned pink.”

“Ms. Blunt saw this?”

“The entire class did, ma’am.”

“Unbelievable.” The nurse checked Alyssa’s heart rate and blood pressure, but everything came back normal. “Well, at least your hair didn’t turn white like mine,” she cracked another smile. “You seem normal enough, but you probably should go see a doctor. Do you need to submit any homework before leaving for the day?”

Alyssa knew that the moment her classmates saw her, she’d be accused of staging the whole thing. “No, Mrs. Larkin. I’d like to check out as soon as possible if that’s ok. Can I call my mother myself?” she asked.

“Certainly, dear. Just have a seat and I’ll get my cell phone. Oh drat, where did I put it?” The nurse stepped away.

Although Alyssa knew that her mommy was right in the middle of delivering an important design project, this could not wait. She needed a shower. Perhaps a little water was all she needed to strip away the funny shade. And if it needed more coaxing, her mother could buy one of those hair products she’d seen on TV to dye her hair a different color.

“Here you are, dear.” Nurse Larkin handed her a cell phone.

Alyssa paused for a few moments and then keyed in her mother’s number. Typically, all she had to do was select her mother’s profile and click Ok, but this wasn’t her cell phone and she could barely remember the ten-digit number. When she finally got through, it wasn’t her mother at all. Abruptly the strange tingle coursed through her body. “Hey mom, can you come pick me up? Thanks, bye.” She quickly ended the call.

“Thank you, Mrs. Larkin.” She handed the phone back. “Would it be all right if I waited at the front of the school?”

“Usually when a student gets sick, we keep them here in the infirmary just to be safe. But I highly doubt that you’re contagious. Have a nice day, Miss Alexander. Come back and see me tomorrow and let me know what happened.” She showed Alyssa to the door.

“You bet.” The cool tingle raced up Alyssa’s spine again.

Bubblegum Princess: Pinkberry Patch - Chapter 1: Tingle

Alyssa Alexander knew something was amiss the moment she slipped a piece of bubblegum in her mouth. Although the package said Pinkberry Patch, BubbleBop Girls' brand new flavor, it had a minty aftertaste that sent tingles down her spine. As she rubbed her arms to keep from freezing, her pearl skin began to glow.

"What's happening to me?" She noticed her unblemished skin. Years ago, when she was just a wee thing, she cut her hand on a glass, leaving behind a one inch scar that she would carry for the rest of her days. But as she passed her fingers over it, the mortal mark rubbed off--as if all she needed was a fine polishing. "No way." She gawked at her perfect skin.

"Miss Alexander, are you chewing gum in class?" said Beatris Blunt, a middle-aged woman with thick brown hair pulled back in a bun.

"Uh...no, ma'am," she replied.

The entire class turned and stared at her, a pair of girls snickering in the far corner.

"Really? Then what's that in your mouth?" The teacher tapped her foot.

"Oh, that. I was just chewing my nails." Alyssa tried her best to hide the gum.

"Those must be some really big nails."

"Yes, ma'am." Although mommy and daddy frowned whenever she talked with food in her mouth--even gum--Alyssa could carry on entire conversations without exposing the contents of her mouth.

"You really have a thing for eating fingernails. Is this part of some bizarre new health craze?" The old maid raised an eyebrow, evoking a fresh round of giggles.

"No, I just chew them whenever I get nervous."

"And what on earth could you possibly be nervous about?" Beatris stepped closer and crossed her arms.

Alyssa shrugged, but no words came out.

"Great heavens, child. What have you done to your hair?" said Ms. Blunt.

"What's wrong with my hair?" Alyssa grabbed a handful and gasped. No longer was it golden brown like her mother's; instead, it was strawberry pink, the very shade of bubblegum that she was trying to hide. As she caught her breath, she accidentally gulped down the minty morsel. "I think I'd better see the nurse."

"Yes...perhaps you should..." The teacher eyed her suspiciously.

Aveline & The Great Pumpkin Bash - Chapter 2: Abomination

Chapter 2: Abomination

At first, she mistook his rasp for the snickering of little girls just a short distance away. But strange sounds swirled through the abomination’s rotting lungs, its exhalation culminating with a mangled whistle.

Aveline surged forward, not questioning the wings sprouting from her back. She didn’t have the slightest notion how large they were or at what velocity she was flying. All she knew was that she needed to get out of there fast, even if it meant delving deeper into the void. “Light as a feather-”

“Hasten thy demise!” The creature roared.

The little girl shot through the chasm with renewed vigor. “Please mother, deliver me from this pit of ruin.”

“Only in ruin shall you find her. Now that I have come for you, your reunion is all but certain.” The beast’s putrid stench filled her nostrils.

His booming voice echoed through her, striking a familiar cord. “I know you. You were in my backyard with the fairies just a short while ago.”

“Are you certain of that?”

Though she did not see him through the dense thicket in her backyard, she could feel his presence. On the journey over he slipped in behind her, waiting patiently for his opportunity when she swept past the gates of the netherfaery.

His glowing eyes snapped open before her, dull and glassy like chunks of dusty ice. “There is no sense running any longer. Accept your fate as any primitive should.” Blue fire erupted from his mouth, causing his teeth to glow as well.  Rows and rows of hideous teeth snapped down at her, each about the size of her abbreviated form.

“Anabelle, Anaia, Amorina!” she cried, swerving aside at the last instant.

“They cannot help you here.” The monster unleashed its volcanic breath again, singeing Aveline’s wings.

It was a dragon, here in the darkness with her! And it wasn’t a cute little pet dragon as found in children’s books, but a demon born of nightmares.

“Mommy….daddy…please!” She knifed through the air.

“Yesss…cry for mommy and daddy…” The dragon illuminated the void with its white-hot breath. Before Aveline knew it, the winged serpent was on top of her.

As he snapped down, the little girl cried out, “No, stop!” And suddenly all was still in that dark, dank place. “Stop,” she repeated, and turned to face the beast. Though its jaws were extended and fiery breath gushing from its mouth, the dragon was held there, suspended in time. “You did what I asked of you,” Aveline gasped.

Aveline & the Great Pumpkin Patch is Coming Soon!

Coming Soon to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Itunes & Kobo!

Aveline is Now Available!

Buy It Now for your Amazon Kindle!

Little Aveline has no idea what to expect when she wakes up one October morning. Suddenly she finds herself talking to fairies and watching her dog Milo dancing to music. Of course, nothing's ever what it seems with fairies, and there are plenty of surprises in store for Aveline and her loved ones.

This book is approximately 3,000 words, and includes over 15 pieces of colorful artwork.