Otter and Arthur Books...and Other Titles by Dave Whitaker

Otter and Arthur and the Sword in the Stone (2012) available at: OtterandArthur.com Amazon Barnes & Noble Kindle

Otter and Arthur and the Round Table (2013) available at: OtterandArthur.com Amazon

Check out other titles by Dave Whitaker at WritByWhit.com or at David L. Whitaker's Amazon author page.

Book: Otter and Arthur and the Round Table

The adventures of King Arthur and his best friend - a mouse nicknamed Otter - continue in this sequel to Otter and Arthur and the Sword in the Stone. Arthur’s sword, Excalibur, is stolen, and Otter must get it back. His journey involves a visit to Stonehenge, a confrontation with the evil sorceress Morgan, falling in love, and magically turning a pack of mice into a flock of invisible swallows. Otter also inspires Arthur’s vision of a new Britain, one ruled by peaceful discussions at a Round Table instead of with swords on the battlefield. However, it will never happen unless Otter can save Camelot from an impending dragon attack. 178 pages. Catalog number: RTBK1013; Price: $12.00

You can buy signed copies directly from me by clicking on the button below. Copies are $12.00 each with NO postage & handling charges or taxes. The book is also available from Amazon, but is priced at $12.95 and will still having postage & handling and taxes added to the price.

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Upcoming Book Signing: May 18

Event: Author Dave Whitaker will be signing copies of Otter and Arthur and the Sword in the Stone.

Date: May 18, 2013
Time: 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Place: Shawnee Books & Toys
Address: 7311 Quivira Rd, Shawnee, Kansas 66216

You can sign up for the event on Facebook at Book Signing - Dave Whitaker - Otter and Arthur.

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Otter's Going to RenFest!

image from kcrenfest.com

I will be appearing at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival doing readings and selling my book, Otter and Arthur and the Sword in the Stone. I will be appearing the following weekends:

• September 1, 2, & 3, 2012
• September 8 & 9, 2012
• September 22 & 23, 2012
• September 29 & 30, 2012
• October, 6, 7, & 8, 2012

You can find my vendor booth in the Trade Wind Pirates' Adventure Cove children's area. Check kcrenfest.com for full details about the festival and times for my readings.

Kansas City Renaissance Festival
633 North 130th St
Bonner Springs, KS 66012

The Origin of Otter and Arthur

early sketch of Otter done by Gen Goering

The seeds for Otter and Arthur and the Sword in the Stone were planted in the spring of 2011. My oldest son, 8 at the time, loved Harry Potter and Peter Pan. My youngest, then 5, was a fan of stories with mice such as Beverly Cleary's The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

In my teen years I was a big fan of Arthurian legend. I was eager to share my passion with my children, but was discouraged by the absence of age-appropriate versions of the tales. While there is no shortage of books about King Arthur, they are generally the equivalent of R-rated movies.

I was also dismayed by how little attention was typically given to Arthur's youth. Most accounts glossed over those years, quickly get to the point when Arthur pulls the sword from the stone, and then focused the brunt of the attention on his years as king.

I had published more than a dozen non-fiction books, many focused on activities for children. It seemed time to take a stab at children's fiction - and tell this story which had sadly been shortchanged.

I hatched the idea of a mouse nicknamed Otter who lived in Merlin's cottage. He secretly watches Merlin tutor Arthur learning jousting, archery, magic, and more. Most importantly, though, he eventually becomes friends with Arthur - and helps him become king.

I owe my gratitude to my kids and my writers' group for the excellent feedback they gave me on early drafts of this book. It is because of their wonderful suggestions that this book exists.