Sean gets his chance at stardom, but a Hollywood jinx stands in his wayA movie is being filmed in Redoaks, and Sean Quinn wants to be a part of it. The movie is called New Guy in Town, and it stars famous child actors Dakota Wayne and Justin Moore. The director needs someone to serve as Justin's stand-in on the set, and when he sees Sean, he knows he's found the right boy. Sean may not end up on screen, but he is going to be part of a movie! That is, if the movie ever gets made. Hollywood insiders have been whispering from the start that New Guy in Town is jinxed. The production moved to Redoaks after fires, theft, and injuries derailed the original attempt to film in Hollywood. And as the filmmakers try to get back on track, the jinx keeps rearing its ugly head. To make sure he gets his shot at the big time, Sean and his brother Brian will have to find out who's behind the accidents before the cameras roll.

Joan Lowery Nixon (19272003) was a renowned author of children's literature, best known for series like the Orphan Train Adventures and Casebusters. Born in Los Angeles, she began dictating poems to her mother before she could read. At the University of Southern California, Nixon majored in journalism, but took a job teaching the first grade upon graduating. In 1949, she and her husband moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, and in 1964 she published her first novel, The Mystery of Hurricane Castle. Nixon became a fan of mystery fiction when she was a child, and many of her most popular series incorporate elements of sleuthing. She won four Edgar Awards for best young adult mysteries, including prizes for her novels The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore (1979) and The Name of the Game Was Murder (1993). In addition to writing more than 140 young adult novels, Nixon also co-wrote several geology texts with her scientist husband.