KIDS DO CARE

Continue reading to learn how you can win this shirt.




Exemplifying this month's tag line:

Intrigue: What really went wrong with the gulf oil rig?

Treachery : “Our operations failed to meet our own standards and the requirements of the law,” BP said in 2007 before pledging to improve its “risk management.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/business/09bp.html)

Intrepid Teens: Young Olivia Bouler

Since the Gulf Coast oil disaster first broke, I've been mentally paralyzed. How could I post an installment on Bonnie Blogs Green when all I could see was black? My beloved gulf waters were poisoned, creatures by the thousands--members of every major animal class--were dying, good men had been killed in the disaster, and life for hundreds, maybe thousands, of people had been destroyed for a generation or more.

It didn't help the wall of depression when a book blogger wrote a review claiming that kids at her school would never pick up ISLAND STING, a book featuring an environmental club. How much of an adventure/mystery could that be?

Saving the environment? Not an adventurous mystery? On what planet?

Fast forward to a message from ISLAND STING readers who'd been inspired to start an environmental club at their school, then another and another of the same. And yesterday I received a letter from a reader stating, "I also love ISLAND STING because it really shows what a big environmental problem we have to deal with and how kids can help."

And now, in case there are more people like me whose tears have blinded them to any good news, I offer the story of young Olivia Bouler's amazing efforts to save Mother Earth. It just may be my favorite green tween story to date. After you enjoy the video interview, please visit Olivia's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-the-Gulf-Olivias-Bird-Illustrations/102196836492763 You can help no matter your age.

Thank you, Olivia. A wise person once said, "And a little child shall lead them."



I probably should end with an uplifting quote from one of ISLAND STING'S many positive reviews:

Much of the charm of this book is author Doerr's extensive research on the Keys and the deer, which she weaves seamlessly into an action-packed, engaging story. Any residents, visitors, or fans of the Florida Keys will be delighted by the setting, which is almost a character in itself. Doerr masters the "Green Teen" genre by mixing romance, suspense, and humor with current ecological issues. Her upcoming book, STAKEOUT, is sure to follow in this tradition.

In a final bit of good news, ISLAND STING has been chosen as Forsyth County, NC 's online middle school book club read for the month of September. Love it! Encouraging green teens one region at a time.

And now, a giveaway. YAY!!

In celebration of good book news, I'm giving away a class of 2k10 t-shirt (size L) from our debut middle grade and young adult author class trip to BEA (BookExpo America) in New York City. No worries--it's never been worn! Simply enter a comment below for your chance to win the shirt along with a 2k10 bookmark and postcard. Include in your comment the link to a this blog on your Facebook page or Twitter and earn a second chance to win. If no more than 20 comments are made following this post (because lots of folks are on vacation) the contest will roll over to next month. Remember, if you're the lucky winner, I'll have to email you, so if I can't click your comment to find you, please email your address to me. And if at first your comment doesn't post, click the word post a second time.

Remember you can always learn more about ISLAND STING and the Florida Keys at http://bonniedoerrbooks.com/ .

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.

And the Cover Is.... Ta Da!

There are some amazingly insightful marketers out there. Twenty three BonnieBlogsGreen readers agreed with the design and marketing departments at Leap Books. You may have already known which one was chosen if you perused this blog or my website: http://www.bonniedoerrbooks.com/.

Most readers agreed with Leap Books. These comments were pulled from emails that don't show up in the comment section below the Five Covers, One Book, You Pick post. You know who you are.

• Black against yellow is the most contrast you can get.


• I like the understated type.


• It seems to visually communicate more than the others.


• It would draw me to pick it from a shelf filled with hundreds of other books.


• The bullet holes in what looks like a road sign and the skid marks ...convey a sense of mystery and danger, with shooting definitely involved. The cover promises to put the reader in the middle of the action.


• It is the one that stays in my mind long after I leave your blog.


• I like the close up of the caution sign.


• It pulls me right into the suspense.


• It is the most graphic of the pitch.


• [It is the] most eye-catching and evocative of the pitch.

• The entire decision process was shared by one reader (paraphrasing here) who reasoned that the style of two covers resembled a vanity press, one was of a pretty scene, but didn't tell anything about the story, one looked like an adult mystery or romance instead of being geared for youth, leaving the favorite, which was eye-catching, clever, understated and would make one want to know what was inside.

Oh, gadzooks, I almost forgot. You want to know the count for the other covers. Sixteen people preferred number four and twelve people preferred number five.

And me? I'm super lucky. I agreed with Leap Books, too.

PS To the caffein-starved reader out there: I know it's difficult to tell in a small image, but no, those are not coffee beans on the cover.

Coming soon, Mr GP returns to the fall garden.

Five Covers, One Book, You Pick

Usually I post one green blog a month. This month I couldn't resist a bonus blog, and it isn't green. It's black and white--at least in overall effect. Here's why: it's about the book publishing industry--where business decisions are rarely black and white even though the pages often are.

Did you ever wonder what goes on in an editorial/marketing brainstorming session? Especially a session in which book cover art is chosen? Stick with me here. I'm taking you behind the scene at a publishing company. We're going to see the cover art that was discussed for my soon to be published novel, Island Sting. I peeked in on a secret session and I'm sharing!

Ordinarily, an author is not privy to cover art brainstorming sessions, but Leap Books, is no ordinary publisher. The company is leaping into production with bold innovative steps. One of the braver steps Leap took was in not kicking me out when I was busted as I eavesdropped on their meeting.

You wouldn't believe the cover ideas that bounced around. I'm going to share the images I managed to grab in whatever format I could as I split from the very stressful meeting. Well, it was stressful to me. I mean, I know what my plot is about and would recognize any of my characters on the street. I've practically lived in their environment for what feels like centuries. What were these people thinking? The ones I show below, at least, were offered by designers with insight. For a while I worried that Island Sting, a mystery about an authentic endangered species in an actual location (on Earth), might wind up with a casket full of endangered vampires, or maybe werewolves, on the cover... Hey, I love paranormal fiction: vampires, werewolves, and fun fantasy. But you'd be hard pressed to find those elements in Island Sting. Just got an idea though for the next book. Maybe the real reason the marsh rabbit is endangered in the Florida Keys is-- Whoa, back to the subject.

Some of these cover images are very rough, done in low resolution on a whim, others a bit more polished, and most use sample only stock images for illustrating design ideas. One suggested cover even included a title change. I was not able to make the images any larger or clearer than you see. I was sneaking them out of the building, you know. I could hardly ask, "Hey, do you have a better copy of this?" Actually, it's a minor miracle they aren't covered with pizza stains.

So, what do you think of the choices? As an author, which would you pick to wrap your baby in? As a reader, which would entice you to pick up the book and read the blurb? What factors influenced your thinking? Better yet---grab a teen or tween and ask for an opinion. That would be way cool.

Ta da! Here they are:


Number 1 (The sign reads Caution Endangered Species Area.)

Number 2

Number 3

Number 4 (The dude in the image is pointing a gun.)

Number 5


Now that you have a preliminary idea, here's the flash blurb for Island Sting.

Kenzie didn’t expect her first summer in the Florida Keys to be murder. Cute guys, awesome boats, endangered species, gun-toting thugs... In Angelo's up and down world, Kenzie needed a life jacket and Dramamine.

Still like the first one you picked best?

Please comment. Let me know your thoughts. If you can't or choose not to leave a comment, contact me. I'll compile and summarize all comments and thoughts for you next month.

You know what? Now that I think about it, this is actually a green post. Not a single piece of paper was used to create even one of these images. Yet...

Teen Seed Collector Huge Success

January has obsessed me. To the point I forgot September arrived and with it my blog duty until Mr. Green Pants (GP) made commanding eye contact with me, jolting me back into the moment.

January? What’s the big deal, you wonder? January 6, 2010 is the publication date for Island Sting, my mystery novel celebrating green teens. I thought when my book was finally contracted by a publisher, my workload would lighten. So wrong. The steps involved in publishing and marketing Island Sting have presented an unexpectedly steep learning curve for me. I’m struggling with a host of new skills, while simultaneously editing Turtle Dog, my second tale wherein green teens save an endangered species. Thank goodness for two classes of brilliant middle grade and young adult authors: the class of 2k9 authors whose experience guides me, and my own supportive class of 2k10 authors (website under construction) or I may have given up ages ago.

Enough excuses. I’m getting that GP look again. His unhappy face today may be due to the unexpected chill in the air. Though to me sixty-five degrees is a delightful change from the August nineties. Fearing both hawk and snake, GP had spent so much time in his Mr. Potato Head disguise that when he felt secure enough to remove it, the chilly air was an unpleasant surprise. Until I fashioned him a jacket, there was no way he would join me in the planting of a fall crop of peas The seedlings we planted are from the farmers’ market, but I also plant heirloom seeds. Know who else is a fan of heirloom seeds? Oprah. Yep. Oprah and me.

No kidding. Oprah is a fan of my favorite heirloom seed company, Baker Street Heirloom Seeds. What good taste I have! (A little garden humor.) Yes, Baker Street's catalog is a work of art. Yes, they are major supporters of and providers for gardeners of all ages. Yes, they've created an amazing Ozark Mountain village offering history, music, folklore and more. But here’s the really cool part of their family story: Jere Gettle, co-owner with Emilee, his wife, began collecting seeds as a teen. To quote Michele Owens’ article in the August, 2009 issue of O The Oprah Magazine, "[Jere] began collecting and trading seeds the way other kids trade baseball cards, and he printed up his first seed catalog in 1998, when he was 17, growing almost all the seeds himself."

Now that’s a green teen! The Gettles have built that business into one that involves fifty seed producing farmers and, at last count, offers 1,200 fruit and vegetable seeds. Why the Gettles’ passion for heirloom seeds? The Oprah Magazine quotes Jere: "We're saving something that Thomas Jefferson grew or that was grown by the Romans, or that was passed down in a family for 300 years, that might otherwise disappear. And it's important to maintain the genetic diversity these varieties represent. Otherwise, you have the Irish potato famine. Everybody plants the same variety and a disease comes through and wipes out the entire crop. Every one of these old-time varieties has a different flavor—and that's worth getting excited about."

I think so, too.

In this photo GP stands upon the Baker Street Heirloom Seeds Catalog with dragon tongue seeds scattered about--our favorite. He's leaning against sweet dumpling squash and holding their seed package.

To me gardening is a metaphor for writing. I begin each plot with compost--a mixed-up batch of daily life cooked and stirred until ripe. For many days or weeks both garden plot and story plot seem little more than one of two four-letter words, cr-- or the one that rhymes with flit. But eventually tiny seeds sprout and slowly grow into larger, organized living visions. Just when the creation bursts forth, pests and weeds leap forth to impede progress. After contemplation, study, and research, I counterstrike. Detractors are deleted. Destroyers are yanked. Order restored. Healthy, strong bits of the whole are salvaged. When all is said and done, my back aches from digging, sowing, and weeding, both in the garden and at the keyboard. I would have it no other way. I understand Jere Gettles' passion; gardening connects me to those who came before me. It reminds me I am of the Earth, and as such, I share responsibility for Earth's well-being.

Gardening feeds my soul. If I'm very, very lucky, my writing may do the same for a reader or two.

Read more of Michele Owens’ article in The Oprah Magazine:
http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200908-omag-heirloom-seeds
Visit the Baker Street Catalog online:
http://rareseeds.com/