Mike Edgecomb
To Fly on a Cloud Book Series
Parenting NH , August 2018
Local author pens kid’s book of sights
For a little over a year, Michael Edgecomb of Northwood has been making stops across the state with his book, To Fly on a Cloud: New Hampshire.
The children’s story is about the adventure of fourth-graders Jacob (named after Edgecomb’s son) and Max, a character created by Edgecomb, and a magical cloud. When the boys see threatening storm clouds rolling in, they are caught by surprise when Bandit the magical cloud picks them up and carries them away. The three take off on an adventure to explore and learn about New Hampshire.
Having always been creative, Edgecomb imagined his own world starting when he was a little boy. Today, he brings others into his fantasies by writing stories for a young audience. He is a lifelong resident of New England, and has spent the last 21 years living with his wife and four children in New Hampshire.
As a child growing up in Maine, Edgecomb said there was a gully in his backyard. There was a stream, sand and clay pit, and lots of trees, he recalled.
“All of my friends would just go there and use our imaginations,” he said.
As an adult, Edgecomb found the inspiration to write when he saw a cloud in front of an otherwise clear blue sky. To take a break from a bad day at work about 20 years ago, he said he had gone outside and seen the cloud, wishing he could float away with it.
During the years before he published his book, he kept the idea at the back of his mind until finally deciding to sit down and start writing. His tip for beginners and aspiring authors, “The most important thing I could say is just, get it down on paper.”
Edgecomb plans to publish more books. This book is not only a fun adventure story, but also educational for young readers. Edgecomb said he wants to turn To Fly On a Cloud into a series about all 50 states.
Edgecomb said he would like to start with New England and teach young audiences about the states they live in. From there, he plans to write books for a child in every state.
To Fly on a Cloud: New Hampshire is available from most major book retailers. For anyone wanting a signed copy of his book, contact Michael Edgecomb at toflyonacloud@gmail.com. You can also visit toflyonacloud.com.
By LAUREN MARCELLINO
Monitor staff
Concord Monitor February 22, 2018
To Fly on a Cloud: New Hampshire
NHTI Techie Publishes Children's Book
Eighteen years ago, Mike Edgecomb looked up at a cloud and had an idea. What if a kid flew away on a cloud? What if a cloud took a kid on an adventure, so he could see things only a cloud can see?
Thirteen years passed, but Mike never forgot the idea; in fact, he expanded on it. Eventually he found himself writing a story for 3rd thru 5th graders about two New Hampshire children who are rescued from a storm by a cloud named "Bandit." Determined to make the book educational as well as exciting, Mike had Bandit fly the kids all over the state, so that they would learn things about New Hampshire in the course of their adventures.
By now Mike was a tech specialist at NHTI, which gave him access to resources he might otherwise not have had. Lois Ambra edited the first draft of his book. Dan Tavis, a former Visual Arts major, did the illustrations.
To Fly on a Cloud: NH is now available at outskirtspress.com/toflyonacloud, and from major book outlets. Meanwhile, Mike is hard at work on To Fly on a Cloud: Maine. In his dreams, the franchise will eventually include books covering all fifty states. And who knows? A lot can happen when you start looking up at the clouds.
NHTI Campus Comments
January 20, 2017