Gabe 5 is coming SOON!

Hello to all of you series readers. I am excited about the new Gabe book.

The title is Gabe and the Bait Shop Gang - Stories From A Summer Camp Bunk.

Summer Camp was a special place in my childhood and I was one of those kids who totally embraced it and enjoyed every minute of it. Many of my friends, especially my brother, were homesick and didn't want to be there. I was the opposite. I liked my family a lot, but I missed my dogs the most. 

The freedom I felt in the Colorado mountains, the horseback riding, the gun range where we shot 22 rifles, the archery, the lake to swim and one of the most delicious things, the nighttime storytelling. A camp counselor decided to terrify us with a story about a mythical man in the woods. I walked away from the campfire feeling like I could have told it better. My friends were so scared, while I worked feverishly on the plot line to make it actually terrifying instead of just kind of. At long last, I have brought the man out of the woods and he is here to stay (more on that later).

This book series has been an interesting journey to say the least. I started it with an illustrator who bowed out when the third book needed to be illustrated. Then an illustrator I had worked with on another picture book took the series on and completed the first four (republished the first two with his art and design) and then too bowed out.

NOW book five and six will be completed by the very talented John Woods Jr., who had illustrated many of my books, including picture books, poetry books, a fractured fairy tale and soon to be announced some graphic novel and other new styled books that we are cooking up.

John and I began our journey together in 1997 and enjoyed working together immensely. We had a hiatus for various personal and professional reasons, but we are BACK to show the world our combined talents and we certainly have some great ideas a'comic'!  Stay tuned, I think we are going to be a DYNAMIC DUO!

Presently the fifth book in the series is complete with edited text and really, really cool illustrations.

It is in the "design shop" and will be shipping at the end of this summer. I am SO excited for my readers to go on these adventures I can hardly stand it.

THIS was my favorite book to write in the series and I think it is patchily because THE MAN IN THE WOODS is FINALLY making his appearance. Many of my school student audience have been asking for it for some time and the time is NOW!

I am now at work on the final book in the series and truly enjoying it. However, when I am done with the last paragraph in the epilogue I know it is going to be hard to say goodbye to my characters and stories. Fortunately, though the series will end with book 6, there will be more. So much more. But I will leave that for another day. 

Please stay tuned for the announcement of the fifth book! It is going to be worth the wait!