Title: The Super Twins
Author: Andy Slinger
Genre: Middle Grade
Book Blurb:
Why have one superhero when you can have two?
Ryan and Jake suffer a heart-breaking tragedy, their world is falling apart at the seams. One disaster leads to another until a freak incident transforms them beyond their wildest imagination, giving the identical twins incredible Superpowers.
But this isn't the only change in the sleepy town of Trincaster, a series of crimes leave the local police baffled. Can the vegetable hating duo discover who the mysterious villain behind the incidents is and defeat them in the ultimate battle?
The Super Twins is the debut novel in the soon to be expanded series. If you like, action-packed fight scenes, side-splitting humour, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then you'll love Andy Slinger's hilariously entertaining first installment.
Excerpt:
Torrential rain bounced on the roof of the car; the windscreen wipers swished on overdrive.
Jake was sure at any moment they would fly off into the dark woodland that flanked either side of the road, as Ryan slept soundly beside him. How he could sleep through this Jake couldn’t fathom out: their connection only seemed to function in waking hours. He wished Ryan would wake up to share this burden – he couldn’t cope without him. He needed his best friend to annoy, poke, make fun of and laugh at, despite the fact that the glint in his eye had vanished. Jake felt numb, lonelier than he had ever felt in his life.
The death of their mother had hit them both hard. A sudden heart attack had shocked the family deeply and the boys were now lost. Doctors said the warning signs had been there: the high cholesterol, the lack of exercise, the junk food and the excessive drinking had all contributed to her demise. Jake wondered what he could have done to stop it happening. They had pretty much fended for themselves as she had never really been there for them, so their focus had been on survival.
As a result, everything had suffered: they were failing at school, had a bad diet, were dirty, unkempt and lucky to have one bath a month between them. They did have each other, though, and that had got them through life up to now. They could always rely on one another. The twins had a wicked sense of humour, constantly pranking just about anybody and regularly pretending to be one another, to keep everyone guessing. Even so, they hated it when people got their names wrong when they weren’t playing a practical joke.
Despite the fact they were identical, they couldn’t have been more like chalk and cheese in terms of personality. Ryan was the thinker, and loved to mull over schemes and consider ideas. He often provided moments of genius. Jake, on the other hand, was a real live wire. He was sporty and confident to the point of being cocky. He was the brawn to Ryan’s brains.
In terms of looks, there was very little to separate them, aside from Jake having a dimple when he smiled. They both had longish, straw-like, scraggly brown hair and dazzling blue eyes. They were so slim they were verging on malnutrition – that’s what years of missing meals had done to them. They had thick lips and a cheeky smile that had enabled them to get away with murder.
Although they had such different personalities, they had three things in common. They hated vegetables with a passion: anything green was a massive no-no. Ryan once got detention for flooding the school toilets with a concoction of broccoli and Brussel sprouts. Alongside this, they could never understand why after spending their whole day at school they should have to work in the evenings too, and consequently hated any form of homework. Not that either of them ever bothered to do their homework anyway. Their final bugbear was early nights. They had always been used to going to bed at whatever time they wanted to as Mum had never bothered. Most of the time she wasn’t there to enforce it, even if she did care.
The only time they had to face these problems, though, was when they spent the weekend at their dad’s. He was a tall, well-built man in his mid-forties, with a strong jaw, bald head and a constant stern expression that had etched permanent lines in his forehead over the years. He was incredibly strict: everything was to a schedule and done with precision. From 5:00pm till 6:00pm: Reading, 6:00pm till 7:00pm: Maths. Dad’s house was such a well-oiled machine, he even forced them to bath. It was the only time they ever did! He was a true man’s man after his time in the military had taught him how to hide his emotions, yet the boys knew he loved them to bits.
Yet here they were on the long journey from their Grandma’s to spend the rest of their lives with their dad. How were they going to cope?! They both knew he loved them dearly, but to live over at his pokey, minimalist semi-detached house, with the only picture on his wall a schedule of jobs, was going to be tough.
As Grandma pulled up outside the house and mounted the curb in the process, Jake wondered if this was how criminals felt when they arrived outside prison for a life sentence. At least they had their uncle’s farm and their grandma’s to escape to. Dad was standing to attention, bolt upright at the front door, tapping on his watch, staring straight ahead, a slight smirk forming in the corner of his mouth. He knew that life would never be the same again: it was all one big nightmare. He gave Ryan a quick jab in the ribs, which woke him up with a grunt and a splutter.
“We’re here! Prepare yourself and look like you’re awake,” Jake announced.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3oR3d5R
Amazon US https://amzn.to/321yYiJ
Why is your featured book a must-read?
If a child's book can make an adult laugh then it's found the winning formula. These cheeky, mischievous twins can bring a smile to anyone's face. A brilliant short story, won't give any of the plot away but this is so well written. One that younger children can listen to and older ones can read. The characters brought to life, loveable and very much likeable. If you love David Walliams style of books, you will love this.
Giveaway –
Enter to win an e-book bundle of all 40 books featured in the Kindle Unlimited Bookish Event:
Open Internationally.
Runs November 10 – 15, 2020.
Winner will be drawn on November 18, 2020.
Author Biography:
Andy Slinger (1983-present) was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, UK and grew up living in various different places including Germany before returning to Clitheroe to settle down. After gaining a Bachelors degree in Media Production in 2004 he forged a highly successful career in Retail Management before he launched his foray into Children's books. Andy writes in a humorous, fun and exciting style, whilst addressing hard hitting topics in his books. His first book The Super Twins was released on 4th September and has already become an Amazon best-seller.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.twindad.uk/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/twindad.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/andyslingeruk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndySlinger