Allen Forthenbach's
predictable summer vacation is about to change. An innocent bike ride through
his neighborhood unexpectedly turns into an adventure he could have never
dreamt of. He finds himself away from his mom and dad for the first time in his
life, in a place that does not exist on any modern map. A foreign and mysterious place,
that appears desolate and deserted, the land of ancient magical
etchings, the land of the Giggleglyphs. Fortunately,
Allen meets Professor Alfred Xcovar Gigglestone, a renowned archeogeogigglepologist.
Together, they are thrust into a wild adventure neither had expected or
anticipated. On their journey, they will experience the power of the Giggleglyphs, ride the raging flood waters of a dry river
bed, witness warriors transform into god-like beings, sail a volcanic sea, only
to realize that they are indeed, lost in Etchitopia. For a peek at the Giggleglyphs
please visit www.giggleglyphs.com.
David Finstrom lives
in California and grew up in Colorado. The Southwest, with its many unique
people, places, and exciting adventures, is his inspiration. Imagination and
story telling seem to be a natural part of that territory. Writing Lost in Etchitopia, a Giggleglyph Adventure,
is a result of David's passion for native people's glyphs and art styles.
Combine that passion with David's creative outlook and the idea of a nine-year
old boy discovering the secrets of a lost land, through the magical drawings
left by ancient artists, seems strangely logical.
Mr. Finstrom is
currently working on the next Giggleglyph Adventure.
Allen walked quietly
to the man bent over the river of stone. He didn't want to disturb him but he
did want to speak with him. "Hello," Allen offered timidly. The man
did not move, reply, or even recognize Allen's presence. So he tried once more.
"Hello!" "Ugh," the man offered a grunt in return.
"Hello, my name is Allen," the boy muttered in an attempt to expand
the conversation. "Oh. Oh! My Goodness chap! Move your feet and watch your
step! Can't you see that you are
stepping on Giggle?!" Surprised to hear such a response from the man,
Allen jumped backwards and tripped over a medium sized rock and fell directly
on his backside. As he sat there shaking off his surprise along with a goodly
amount of dirt, Allen listened intently as the man continued. "You were
stepping on the most magnificent find of a Giggleglyph known to man!" He
stopped dusting the rock and turned to look directly at Allen. He had a round
face with a bright smile. His ears were mostly covered with wild strands of
curly hair and his right ear seemed to poke out a bit further than his left.
Half-moon thick spectacles, framing his blue eyes rested half way down his
ruddy nose. A grainy moustache and beard, evidence of a few days growth, and
sun-baked cheeks outlined his weathered face. Rings of dirt and sweat rippled
around his shirt collar. "A Giggleglyph?" Allen had never heard of
such a thing. "Yes. A Giggleglyph! I've been discovering them for some
time now and the ones I've been finding here in Hiberfiniche Valley have been
extraordinary." He took a moment to stand up. He was short, only about 4
foot 7 inches, and was thinner than his face led one to believe. He extended
his callused hand and said, " Professor Alfred Xcovar Gigglestone,
Archeogeopologist, pleasant to meet you." Hadn't we met before? Allen
wondered. Then Gigglestone began to talk in a rapid fashion, "Now a
Giggleglyph is somewhat of a mysterious creature. It is sometimes a simple
piece of art left behind by a tribesman or a warrior or person of great
importance. Although it can also be a rather complicated artwork left behind to
provide a magical key to something even greater. On the other hand, it can hold
a secret message that may take days, even years, to decode. On the other hand,
it can be a piece of a puzzle or somehow related to another Giggleglyph. Yet on
the other hand, now how many hands is that? Oh well, any way there are even a
few that hold great powers. Oh, they're quite complicated indeed and I have
been collecting them for years now. At any rate, we can't have you stepping on
one. They're quite rare and valuable you know."