SIGN OF THE GREEN DRAGON at Meilori's!

The ghost of Mark Twain rose from his table at the haunted jazz club, Meilori's,  and drew back the chair for C. Lee McKenzie with a flourish.

Lee sat down gracefully and frowned, "Where is Roland?"

"Oh, the boy is a gad-about.  He is somewhere.  I thought I would conduct the interview, don't you know?"

Lee cocked her head.  "Do you hear that?  It sounds as if there were a struggle close-by."

Mark Twain shook his head.  "Nope.  Didn't hear a thing."

Lee said, "I am so grateful for you and Roland doing this interview for me.  SIGN OF THE GREEN DRAGON comes out August 3rd."

The ghost of Mark Twain nodded.  "I like the way you write, Madam.  You get right to the point and say it as it is.  

Folks who write using foreign and flowery words are impudent and supercilious.  It's as if they say: 

"Translate for yourself, sluggard.  I am not writing for the ignorant masses."

Lee said, "I am writing for teenagers, Mr. Twain."

Mark laughed, "In mass those critters are more ignorant than most I would say!"

"Mark!"

Mark feigned uncomprehending innocence.  "Just what is this here of book of yours about anyway?"

"A crumbling map from 1859, found clutched in the bony grip of the long dead, sends three young boys on a dangerous adventure 

where an unsolved murder, a modern crime, some lost ancestors and ancient Chinese dragons reveal the true meaning of treasure."
  
Mark turned pale even for a ghost.  "This occurs in San Francisco?"

"Yes, Mr. Twain.  Why do you ask?"

"I fell in love in old San Francisco as a young lad in 1851.  She was a Chinese gal, the prettiest thing I ever laid eyes on. There were dragons in that adventure, too."

Though a ghost, his eyes filled with tears.  "It did not end well.  When two innocent hearts love, there can be no happy end to it."

Lee placed a gentle hand upon his ghostly one.  "I am so sorry.  What happened?"

Mark Twain cleared his throat.  "The story will be at the end of THE NOT-SO-INNOCENTS AT LARGE.  But only if Roland finishes it."

He sniffed and forced a smile.  "Now enough about me. What do you think of me?"

Lee slapped his arm, and Mark smiled for real.  "I meant -- what about you, Ma'am?  What's your story?"

"I love to write for young readers. Sign of the Green Dragon is my third Middle Grade novel. Alligators Overhead and the sequel, The Great Time Lock Disaster were my first two.

 I’m proud to be a hybrid author with three Indie books out along with four traditionally published young adult novels: 

Sliding on the Edge, The Princess of Las Pulgas, Double Negative and Sudden Secrets. It’s fun to know both sides of this writing business."

Mark Twain made a face.  "Writing for me was like passing kidney stones.  I had to do it but it t'weren't no fun!"

Suddenly, there was a shuffling under the table which rocked as Roland emerged, slipping off the ropes which had held him.

"Eek!" went Lee.  She turned to Mark.  "How could you do that to Roland?"

The ghost of Mark Twain shrugged, "When a ghost asks a fella not to write about his first love, he ought to pay the ghost some attention."

Roland grumbled, "We'll talk about this later, Mark."

He turned to Lee.  "Where can people get your book once it is published."

Lee wrote the links down for Roland.

http://www.amazon.com/Sign-Green-Dragon-Lee-McKenzie/dp/1532721250 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/619550

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sign-of-the-green-dragon-c-lee-mckenzie/1123482000 

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/sign-of-the-green-dragon

Lee took a long drink from her ice tea, found it was whisky and soda, coughed, and hurriedly left Meilori's.

The ghost of Mark Twain smiled broadly, "Another satisfied customer!" 

"No," sighed Roland. "Another fine myth you've gotten me into!"