Island Sting Enters the Kidlit World

Usually my posts cover at least one specific green topic. I struggled with a topic for this month's post (my brain was frozen along with the rest of me). My book's launch didn't seem an appropriate subject. But wait. It's all about green teens! See what Louise Hawes, award-winning author of Black Pearls, Waiting for Christopher, and Rosey in the Present Tense had to say about Island Sting :


"Impetuous Kenzie, dashing Angelo, and a fascinating cast of four-legged characters make green go down easy in this fast-paced eco-mystery."

Look at that. Island Sting is not just green, it's go-down-easy green! BonnieBlogsGreen is the perfect location to launch Island Sting after all. So raise your glasses high (yep, your eye glasses count) and wish the new baby smooth seas and fair winds, or as Angelo might say, "Wish her tight lines to hook schools of readers."

Those books at the top were the advanced reader copies that arrived weeks ago. No art or graphics in them yet.

But these images give you a sneak peek at Joanna Britt's drawings and Laurie J. Edwards' maps inside the published Island Sting. See what you have to look forward to?

I'll be a busy camper in the coming weeks sharing the news with one and all. I start celebrating with an artist friend, Lauren Patton and her critique group, in Asheville on Saturday, January 16. We have many things to celebrate: Lauren's graduation, the launch of Leap Books publishing company, and the launch of my debut novel, Island Sting. The festivities begin at one of my favorite bookstores, Malaprop's Books and Cafe, around 2:30 pm.

After that celebration I pack and begin my migration south to the Florida Keys, and I don't stop for long until I reach mile marker zero. That's when the fun begins. So, if you're in the Southern Most City or nearby, you can find me reading, writing, or raising a glass. Stay tuned, the schedule keeps changing.

February 4:KONK AM "Eco-centric View" with Erika Biddle 2 - 3pm, Key West
February 5: National Key Deer Visitor Center, Big Pine Key--Walk on Winn Dixie 7-9 pm
February 7: Key West Wildlife Center, 1801 White Street, Key West, Family Fun Fundraiser, 1-4 pm
February 9: Florida Keys Community College, College Road, Stock Island-- "Manuscript Makeover/What Not to Dare"-5:30
February 11: Key West Public Library, 700 Fleming St., "Evolution of a Novel/Survival of the Determined"

March 2: Books &Books, 265 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables, Florida, 7pm Program TBA

Okay, I get it. You'd love to be in the Keys or Coral Gables this time of year. But, no way. No problem. If you want to learn more about Island Sting you can find me in lots of places on the web.

Let the fun begin!
Order Island Sting from the publisher http://leapbks.com/, Amazon.com; Barnes & Noble.com, or your local bookstore.