What is the book series about?

Thank you, Authors Lounge, for helping share my story.  The Tales of Scuba Steve: Honu’s Reef is a about a young boy Ben, an excited young camper as he returns to Camp Oneega at the start of summer. Ben quickly reunites with his camp friends, Oliver and Al and their counselors—ready to take on the day. As the boys catch up, they begin to wonder whether this is the year they are finally placed in Scuba Steve’s swim group.

With luck on their side, they are placed in Scuba Steve’s group and that’s when Ben and the gang are teleported to Hawaii where they undergo undersea adventures with Scuba Steve and the local turtle, Honu.

The Tales of Scuba Steve: Carcharodon Island continues the adventures of Ben and his camp friends. Arriving at Camp Oneega for the second day of summer camp, they’re still wondering if others at camp know what happened the previous day. As a matter of fact, they’re not even sure themselves! After some controversy and trouble, they finally get to the pool to swim with Scuba Steve where once again, they leave Camp Oneega to explore the depths of the ocean.

Today they travel to Carcharodon Island where they get involved in helping marine life that got “caught up” in their own different kind of trouble with some discarded fishing nets. Unfortunately, not everything goes as planned, and it’s not all fun and games. Come see where and why they go, who they meet, and what happens when they get there.

          Soon, the adventure continues and we follow Scuba Steve, Ben and his friends to a mysterious place where they experience one of the world’s most fascinating phenomena while continuing to tackle problems that face our oceans and those that call it home.

Dive right in and join the adventure!

What inspired you to write The Tales of Scuba Steve books?

My books were inspired by the children I work with every summer for the past 37 summers.  I teach swimming at a summer camp.  Knowing I’m a scuba diver, they always ask questions and want to know more about what I see and what it’s like.  Sharks, dolphins, shipwrecks, treasure and more.  While answering the questions and teaching swimming, we play games and learn at the same time; not just swimming, but they enjoy learning about science, about the environment and more.  Living in a house full of readers and a reading teacher, I was encouraged by them to write a book about my stores from summer camp. 

What is the target audience for the books?

          The books are written for elementary school-age children, 8-11 years old.

What do I hope readers could get out of the books?

          I hope the readers of my books gain a few different things.  First, I hope it encourages them to read more and find something that interests them to learn more about.  Secondly, I am hopeful they gain an appreciation for the marine environment and understand how our actions affect the oceans and in turn, our health.

What are your future plans and goals for the books?

          I hope to one day to turn the books into an animated series that will not only entertain, but will educate on environmental issues we face.  Currently, proceeds from The Tales of Scuba Steve books get donated to marine conservation organizations around the world.  Our goal is to make the oceans as healthy as possible because the health of the oceans determines the health of our planet, and by extension, us. 

Tell us more about you, Scuba Steve.

                   Well, I am a husband and proud father of two daughters and a puppy.  Family is my first priority but I have many interests that keep me as active as possible.  This includes swimming, running marathons, mountain biking and just about any activity you can think of; if I haven't tried it, it's only a matter of time!  

             Most who know me just simply call me "Scuba" and it's not hard to figure out why!  As a professional scuba diver, I have been found scuba diving on 5 continents, dozens of countries and many of the most remote islands around the world in all kinds of conditions: oceans, lakes, day or night, in warm tropical waters as well as sub-freezing temperatures under thick sheets of ice.  I have seen many things such as beautiful fish, turtles, whales, sharks, war planes and sunken ships of all kinds and sizes, but I continue to search for the ever-elusive sunken treasure!

          Of all the things I like to do, teaching swimming to children at summer camp is my favorite.  The Tales of Scuba Steve pays tribute to the children who have inspired me on a daily basis for the past 37 summers and brings the thrill and adventure of scuba diving to everyone.

          If you’d like to see the kinds of things I see while I dive, feel free to take a look at the pictures and videos on my website at www.TalesOfScubaSteve.com