Raymond C. Perkins Jr.

Retired Social Studies teacher who grew up in the wilds of the Northeast Kingdom and now lives in Derby, VT.

About Raymond C. Perkins Jr.

Ray is a retired middle school Social Studies teacher who began writing along with his students early on in his teaching career. He has written and published three books for young readers in the B.T. and Jimmy Adventure Series. Spychip Armageddon is his first attempt at adult fiction. Growing up in the wilds of northern Vermont has had a tremendous influence on his writing. His teaching experiences and knowledge of the area helps him craft characters unique to this part of New England.

 

BOOKS:

The Mystery of the Silver Statue (2010)

The Mystery of the Brick Kingdom (2012)

The Mystery of the Haunted Opera House (2017)

Spychip Armageddon (2020)

Your biggest literary influences:

James Patterson, John Jakes, and Jack Higgins

Last book read:

The Store by James Patterson

The book that changed your life:

I fell in love with the John Jakes’ series, The Kent Family Chronicles, back in the 1970s. His storytelling made me realize that, just possibly, I could write historical fiction. As a teacher of 4th-8th graders and living in a high-poverty area, I observed that many young boys simply were not active readers. I decided that I would focus on writing stories that incorporated mystery, history and adventure to see if I could motivate these young readers. The reception to these books has been overwhelmingly positive.         

Your favorite literary character:

My favorite literary character is Patterson’s detective extraordinaire, Alex Cross. Patterson has created a realistic character that his readers, myself included, can relate to and can even live their lives through vicariously.    

Currently working on:

I am working on the second book in the Jackson LaPointe Series as well as the fourth book in the B.T. and Jimmy Adventure Series. 

Words to live by:

“Never take what you have for granted. It might not be there tomorrow.”

Advice for aspiring authors:

Keep working to improve your craft and read, read, read!

Testimonials

” "Now there’s a new series for the millenials to enjoy: The B.T. and Jimmy Adventure Series!"
- — Beeb Ashcroft, Owner: Contest Corner
” "Also entertaining for adults, The Mystery of the Brick Kingdom captures the exuberance of youth, and is a great book for an early teen audience. Focusing on heroes, gaining confidence, overcoming adversity, while being clearly non-violent, it would easily meet parental approval.”
- — J. Curran, www.themysterysite.com
” "Captivation from the initial capital letter in Chapter One to the final period. A fictional journey that begs the question, 'could this be real?' Ray Perkins has a visual way with words like no other — THIS IS A WINNER!!!”
- — Wayne Warner, Nashville recording artist and author of Backstage Nashville
” "OMG! I couldn’t stop reading last night. Your descriptions are incredible. It’s so good, and not my typical genre, but I couldn’t stop reading!”
- — Ann K.