Background
Robert Elmer was born on January 17, 1958 in Berkeley, California, United States, into the family of Knud and Evy Elmer.
Elmer received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication at Simpson College in San Francisco in 1980.
1928 St Marys Rd, Moraga, CA 94575, United States
Elmer earned a post-graduate teaching certificate at St. Mary’s College in Moraga in 1987.
University of California, Berkeley, California, United States
Robert attended the University of California at Berkeley during 1979 - 1980.
(For eleven-year-old Peter Andersen and his twin sister El...)
For eleven-year-old Peter Andersen and his twin sister Elise, living in the city of Helsingor, Denmark during World War 2 means German soldiers in the streets, German patrol boats in the harbor, and German fighter planes in the sky. Everyone is nervous, especially their Jewish friend Henrik and his parents. Of course, before the invasion, no one in Denmark cared whether a person was Jewish. But now the Nazis are secretly rounding up all of the Jews who live in Denmark and sending them to prison camps in Germany. Suddenly, Henrik and his family must escape! Sweden offers the only place of refuge, but with soldiers lurking the streets and Nazi boats patrolling the sea, only a miracle can get the Jews to safety!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004HO64CS/?tag=2022091-20
1994
(Rumors of missing Nazi treasure are rampant in Europe in ...)
Rumors of missing Nazi treasure are rampant in Europe in the wake of World War 2. And Denmark, home to twelve-year-old twins Peter and Elise Andersen, is no exception. Hoping to strike it rich, Peter, Elise, and their friend Henrik begin investigating the mysterious site of a recent sinking in Helsingør Harbor. But when the twins and Henrik discover they are not the only ones interested in the sunken ship, their sleuthing leads them into greater danger than they ever imagined!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006YHICI0/?tag=2022091-20
1996
(News of Peter and Elise Andersen's latest adventure has t...)
News of Peter and Elise Andersen's latest adventure has traveled fast—all the way from Helsingør to Copenhagen and King Christian. The twins are thrilled when the well-loved Danish monarch invites them to visit him at his palace. But on the train to Copenhagen, Peter and Elise have a frightening run-in with a gruff German who is extremely protective of his travel bag—and its curious-looking contents. Soon, the mysterious man begins to show up everywhere the Andersens go.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0072Z5FOW/?tag=2022091-20
1996
(Patrick McWaid and his family have safely reached Echuca,...)
Patrick McWaid and his family have safely reached Echuca, Victoria, where they hope to find his missing father, who was sent to Australia on a prison ship. But there’s a reward out for the capture of escaped prisoner John McWaid. And some of the worried townspeople are forming a search party—with dogs! When Conrad Burke, Mr. McWaid’s old enemy, shows up, Patrick knows his father is in even greater danger. Hoping to hide from unfriendly eyes, Mrs. McWaid quickly accepts an offer to let the family use a shanty outside town until things quiet down.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0092ZV5HQ/?tag=2022091-20
1997
(A morning flight over Helsingør turns dangerous when the ...)
A morning flight over Helsingør turns dangerous when the pilot, Matthias Karlsson, blacks out without warning. Almost as terrifying is the find thirteen-year-old Peter Andersen makes in the cockpit—a hidden handgun! When Matthias comes to just in time to save their plane from crashing into the sea, Peter puts the shocking discovery behind him—for the moment. Certain Matthias is hiding something, Peter persuades Henrik Melchior to join him in spying on the man, and the friends witness a suspicious nighttime meeting with a foreign ship captain. What's worse, a mysterious stranger appears to be spying on Matthias, too. Suddenly, Peter, Elise, and Henrik find themselves at the center of a dangerous plot.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0072ZLZCS/?tag=2022091-20
1997
(Peter and Elise Andersen and their friend Henrik Melchior...)
Peter and Elise Andersen and their friend Henrik Melchior are worried when Henrik's mother and a family friend, Matthias Karlsson, fail to return from a short flight to Sweden. Has something happened to Matthias's plane? Then a mysterious caller informs Peter that Ruth Melchior and Matthias are being held by the Russian forces occupying the Danish island of Bornholm. The charge: spying! But the line goes dead before Peter can ask any questions. Frantic, Peter, Elise, and Henrik set sail for the island with Uncle Morten at the helm of the Anna Marie. But their arrival is met by secretive Russian soldiers who deny keeping any prisoners. How can Peter and the others persuade the Russians to release Mrs. Melchior and Matthias when the soldiers will not even admit they are there?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0072ZF3XU/?tag=2022091-20
1997
(Book 1 in a series of 8 Alone in a wild land, thousands o...)
Book 1 in a series of 8 Alone in a wild land, thousands of miles from home… Twelve-year-old Patrick McWaid’s world is turned upside down when his father is framed for a crime and sent on the last prison ship to Australia in 1867. Desperate to keep his family together, the McWaids decide to find passage on another ship headed “down under.” But leaving Dublin, Ireland, means leaving the only home they’ve ever known. And what will they do when they reach Australia? Then Patrick learns his grandfather was sent to Australia thirty years earlier. No one has head from him in years, but perhaps the senior McWaid might help them—if only they can find him. Their hopes high, Patrick and his family set sail. What kind of new life will they find?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1520291779/?tag=2022091-20
1997
(The deadly river has them trapped… The continuing search ...)
The deadly river has them trapped… The continuing search for his missing father has Patrick McWaid discouraged. Even news of the circus coming to town fails to lift Patrick’s spirits. But when the circus barges have an accident on the river, tumbling all the animals into the water, the possibility of tigers on the loose has Patrick worried about John McWaid’s safety! Then their grandfather’s paddle steamer is chosen to give the visiting Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, a tour of the river and the famous Barmah eucalyptus forest, and Patrick and Becky ride along. But the heavy winter rains have made the river extremely dangerous, threatening to capsize the boat. Will Patrick and the others reach safety before it’s too late?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009596PD8/?tag=2022091-20
1998
(When thirteen-year-old Patrick and his family befriend a ...)
When thirteen-year-old Patrick and his family befriend a young Chinese immigrant who arrives in Australia in 1855, they face the prejudices of local miners.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0764221051/?tag=2022091-20
1999
(Final book in the series of 8 books What secrets do the g...)
Final book in the series of 8 books What secrets do the growing shadows hide? Patrick McWaid can’t understand why his friend Jefferson would leave the Lady Elisabeth to work on another ship. Sure, the Victoria is a much fancier paddle steamer, but Jeff’s new boss, First Officer York, is a tyrant and a bully. And when Jeff and the Victoria steam away from Goolwa, they leave a strange but valuable cargo behind—two crates full of ostriches! The McWaids have no choice but to take on the extra load, and when they catch up to the Victoria at Emu Flat, Patrick has a run-in with the disagreeable Officer York.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0095M6X4Q/?tag=2022091-20
1999
(Book 6 in a series of 8 books A sky-high adventure leads ...)
Book 6 in a series of 8 books A sky-high adventure leads to danger… Now that Grandfather has died, Patrick McWaid and his family must navigate the Murray River alone. Nearing the port of Wentworth, they spot a colorful hot-air balloon floating above the town. Michael, eager for a closer look, rushes from the paddle steamer as soon as chores area done. Patrick hurries after his little brother, but the balloon accidentally launches with Michael aboard, and Patrick’s split-second decision puts them both in danger! Soaring away from town, Patrick, Michael, and the balloonist spy a strange creature below. The balloonist says it’s a bunyip—the legendary half-man, half-monster the aborigines have feared for hundreds of years.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0095MCLIS/?tag=2022091-20
1999
(Book 1 in a series of 6 A search for a homeland in a worl...)
Book 1 in a series of 6 A search for a homeland in a world darkened by war… Dov Zalinski has nothing left in the ruins of World War 2—only the promise his mother made when she left him at a Warsaw orphanage: “I’ll come back for you, and together we’ll go to Jerusalem.” Seven hard years later, she still hasn’t returned. On the hope that she and the rest of his family have somehow survived the terrible Nazi death camps and went on ahead of him, the thirteen-year-old sets out alone for the Promised Land. Dov is determined to be with his family again… even if it means risking his life to do it.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007UC8L0W/?tag=2022091-20
2000
(Book one in a series of 6 books. It’s a long way back to ...)
Book one in a series of 6 books. It’s a long way back to Normal… Austin and Ashley Webster are normal 12-year-old kids, living in Normal, Illinois. But things get very abnormal when an odd digital camera transports them into the wild, wild world of the Internet. Soon they hop from website to website, searching for their Aunt Jessica’s lost prize-winning beagle, Applet. From the Titanic to the apostle Paul’s shipwreck, they’re really there! But things get really wired when they run into the mysterious Mattie Blankenskrean, who’s trying to wipe out sites she doesn’t like. And she’s not going to let the kids get in her way.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AV4YX3K/?tag=2022091-20
2004
(Four Hands. Two Hearts. One Song. When widower Gerrit App...)
Four Hands. Two Hearts. One Song. When widower Gerrit Appeldoorn takes his granddaughter to piano lessons one day, he finds himself drawn to her music teacher: a woman unlike any he has known. It’s an unlikely attraction. He’s a retired dairyman with mud on his boots; Joan Horton is a world traveler and former piano instructor at New York’s most prestigious academy of music. Not quite “beauty and the beast,” but close. Even so, Gerrit slowly begins to open his heart: to Joan, to music, to the possibilities that may be found in both. Yet as their relationship deepens, Gerrit faces crises concerning his family and farm, while Joan confronts a dark secret that threatens her future. While coping with these challenges, neither can predict how their duet will sound as they practice the music of renewed hope and second chances.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578567408/?tag=2022091-20
2004
(Berlin, spring 1948. Teenage cousins Erich and Katarina a...)
Berlin, spring 1948. Teenage cousins Erich and Katarina are just trying to survive in a city still devastated by World War 2 when the Soviets blockade the city isolating its citizens—and starving them—behind the Iron Curtain. But the Americans have food, so Erich sneaks inside a U.S. cargo plane…where he is caught by a sympathetic American sergeant who tries to befriend him. Though Erich has plenty of reasons to resent this man, in the end he must decide—should he cling to bitterness or learn to forgive?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003JH83BY/?tag=2022091-20
2006
(Wildflowers of Terezin is a sweeping historical novel set...)
Wildflowers of Terezin is a sweeping historical novel set against a backdrop of danger. A Danish Lutheran pastor's complacent faith is stretched to the breaking point during World War II when he meets a young Jewish nurse Hanne Abrahamsen and becomes deeply involved in Resistance efforts to save Denmark's Jews from the Nazi prison camp at Terezin, Czechoslovakia—also known as Theresienstadt. Challenged by his evangelical brother and swayed by his own attraction to Hanne, Pastor Steffen abandons his formerly quiet, uninvolved life and hesitantly volunteers to help smuggle Denmark's Jews out of the country before a Nazi roundup.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ES91RPU/?tag=2022091-20
2009
(This historically accurate, action-packed, three-books-in...)
This historically accurate, action-packed, three-books-in-one edition features three generations of resourceful teens living in the shadow of the Berlin Wall.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/031074265X/?tag=2022091-20
2014
Robert Elmer was born on January 17, 1958 in Berkeley, California, United States, into the family of Knud and Evy Elmer.
Robert attended University of California at Berkeley during 1979 - 1980. After that, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication at Simpson College in San Francisco in 1980. Finally, he earned a post-graduate teaching certificate at St. Mary’s College in Moraga in 1987.
Robert Elmer began his writing career as a newspaper reporter, and before that served as a pastor. He thinks he started getting serious about writing in the second grade. Robert wrote a family newspaper. He wrote about things in the neighborhood. Lots of people encouraged him, which was good, and Robert eventually became a newspaper and advertising writer.
In his first series, “Young Underground”, each book is based on a real historical event or character. The series begins with “A Way through the Sea”, which draws readers back to Denmark in 1943 and follows eleven-year-old twins Peter and Elise Anderson, who are helping their Jewish friend Henrik escape to Sweden. In the second book of the series, “Beyond the River”, the twins help rescue a British pilot who crash-lands in the Danish countryside in 1944. In the third book, “Into the Flames”, the twins find themselves cornered by Nazi soldiers and put in prison after they are caught delivering newspapers for the Danish underground. Amid these terrifying circumstances, the pair experience firsthand the importance of faith.
In Elmer's fourth "Young Underground" book, “Far from the Storm”, although World War II has now ended, someone is out to sully Uncle Morten's name due to his efforts with the Danish underground. “Chasing the Wind” finds Peter and Elise trapped on a Nazi submarine out searching for missing Nazi treasure. Word of the twins' adventures reach Denmark's King Christian, and the children are invited to meet with the monarch in “A Light in the Castle”, the sixth book of the series.
Peter and Elise find themselves coming to the aid of Henrik once again after his parents are captured by Russian soldiers and accused of espionage in the seventh book “Follow the Star.” The final series installment, “Touch the Sky”, finds the twins once again in the middle of a sinister plot, one that this time may involve their friend Matthias.
Elmer turns his attention to late-1800s Australia in his "Adventures down Under" books. The series begins in 1868 with “Escape to Murray River”, wherein twelve-year-old Patrick moves with his family to Australia after his father is charged with a crime and deported. The second book in the series, “Captive at Kangaroo Springs”, finds Patrick's family living in a mysterious riverboat captain's shanty house until Patrick and his older sister Becky are captured by bushrangers.
“Rescue at Boomerang Bend” finds Patrick continuing the search for his missing father. Elmer weaves a serious subtext into the fourth series' installment, “Dingo Creek Challenge”, wherein several circus barges crash in the river, tumbling all the animals into the water. As tensions between white settlers and the native aborigines intensifies, Patrick sides with the Aborigines in a game of cricket.
The fifth installment in Elmer's series about Australia is “Race to Wallaby Bay”, wherein Patrick and his family must help his grandfather sail his boat — currently at the bottom of the river — to Goolwa. In the sixth book, “Firestorm at Kookaburra Station”, Patrick finds himself riding in an escaped hot air balloon. From his loft perch, he spots what seems to be a bunyip, a half man, half monster that normally inhabits Aborigine legend.
The boy befriends a person who inspires prejudice from the locals, a Chinese immigrant named Jasper, in the seventh book of the series, “Koala Beach Outbreak”, while Panic at Emu Flat, the conclusion of Elmer's "Adventures down Under" series, takes place just after Patrick's fourteenth birthday. In this final volume Patrick is sure his good friend Jeff is hiding something, but when he tries to uncover the truth he runs into real trouble.
Touching on themes already explored in the "Young Underground" books, in the "Promise of Zion" books Elmer takes young readers into the deep issues surrounding the Holocaust and the birth of the nation of Israel. The six "Promise of Zion" books follow Emily Parkinson, the daughter of a British Army officer, who is introduced in Promise Breaker. Other volumes in the series include “Peace Rebel”, “Refugee Treasure”, “Brother Enemy”, “Freedom Trap”, and the concluding volume, “True Betrayer.”
Deciding to gear a series towards a younger audience than his previous books, Elmer moved on to "Astrokids", a ten-book series focusing on a group of children in outer space. Elmer's "Hyperlinkz" books deal with a more contemporary topic: the Internet. When Austin and Ashley Webber discover a strange digital camera, they are swept inside the World Wide Web, becoming the world's first "Internauts."
While his series titles address a young readership, Elmer made his break into adult fiction with the 2004 novel “The Duet.” "The Duet” is a love story about widower Gerrit Vandekamp and his daughter's piano teacher, Jessica Horton.
Nowadays Elmer works full-time writing and speaking. He is on the editorial board of the Jerry Jenkins Christian Writers Guild, and also serves as a mentor for young writers.
(Book 1 in a series of 6 A search for a homeland in a worl...)
2000(For eleven-year-old Peter Andersen and his twin sister El...)
1994(Book 1 in a series of 8 Alone in a wild land, thousands o...)
1997(Final book in the series of 8 books What secrets do the g...)
1999(Peter and Elise Andersen and their friend Henrik Melchior...)
1997(Book 6 in a series of 8 books A sky-high adventure leads ...)
1999(This historically accurate, action-packed, three-books-in...)
2014(When thirteen-year-old Patrick and his family befriend a ...)
1999(Patrick McWaid and his family have safely reached Echuca,...)
1997(News of Peter and Elise Andersen's latest adventure has t...)
1996(The deadly river has them trapped… The continuing search ...)
1998(A morning flight over Helsingør turns dangerous when the ...)
1997(Wildflowers of Terezin is a sweeping historical novel set...)
2009(Rumors of missing Nazi treasure are rampant in Europe in ...)
1996(Book one in a series of 6 books. It’s a long way back to ...)
2004(Berlin, spring 1948. Teenage cousins Erich and Katarina a...)
2006(Four Hands. Two Hearts. One Song. When widower Gerrit App...)
2004Quotations: “I think I started getting serious about writing in the second grade. Actually, serious isn’t the right word. Writing has always been fun for me. I wrote a family newspaper. I wrote about things in the neighborhood. Lots of people encouraged me, which was good, and I eventually became a newspaper and advertising writer. But one thing I especially remember was my eighth- grade English teacher, Mr. Little. He wrote in my yearbook that he expected to teach his future students from a book I had written. I never forgot that. For twenty years, what he had said was ringing in my ears. I knew I wanted to write books, I just never knew I had anything to say until my own three kids started growing up."
Robert Elmer enjoys sailing and hiking with his wife, and spending time with their three kids and grandchildren.
Robert married Ronda D. Elmer on August 9, 1980. They have three children - Kai, Danica, and Stefan.