Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators.

Congratulations to F.P. LaRue on the release of The Curse of Shadow Park

This book is part of a series. What are some unique challenges of writing a series?

Writing a series has advantages and challenges. In the Scary Shivers Mystery series, there are three main characters. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses. So, when I start to write another book in the series, I already know how the main characters will interact with each other.

One of the most rewarding challenges is the continuous development of these characters, making them fresh, fun, and interesting. I try to build on their strengths and allow them to grow with each book, a process that I hope keeps readers engaged and invested in the series.

Another challenge is finding different mysteries to solve and other twists and turns. While the books are part of a series, I strive to make sure each stands on its own and can be read and enjoyed in any order.

According to your Scary Shivers Mystery website, you've traveled to 54 countries and visited all 50 states. Are any of your stories inspired by your travel, and if so, please share.

While I can’t point to a specific story inspired by my travels, I am happy that you asked this question. Travel opens up my imagination to the magical world out there. Seeing castles and mist-covered forests and learning about local scary legends has shown me that the unbelievable is possible.

Reading is very much like travel. The more one reads, the more they open their horizons. It doesn’t matter what you read. Reading increases your knowledge, experience, and thought processes. I write these books to show children that reading can be fun. There are many benefits to having children reading more.

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book?

I hope that readers, particularly children readers, will take away from my book that it was a fun read. The National Literary Trust finds that less than half (43%) of children between 8-18 enjoy reading in their free time. Many children only read by assignment. If children enjoy reading my book, I hope they are encouraged to read another book. I want children to read more.

What are your marketing plans for the book and where can we find it?

I will be promoting it on my websites FPLaRue.com and ScaryShivers.com, and on my Facebook page F.P. LaRue.

With this being the second book in the Scary Shivers Mystery series, and with the first book, The Weeping House, winning First Place for Juvenile Mysteries and Juvenile Fantasy & Magic in the Spring 2024 BookFest Awards, I am hoping that I will get some opportunities for some interviews in media or podcasts.

I also participate in craft shows in Southeast Michigan.

What's next for you?

The third book in the Scary Shivers Mystery series, The Legend of the Serpent Witch, will be released in September 2024. And I am currently working on the fourth book in the series. It should be released in 2025. All of the books are being published by Mascot Books.

More about the book . . .

A hiker vanishes in Shadow Park. Ollie and his two best friends, Mellie and Scotty, strive to find out what happened to him. As they search for the missing hiker, they must enter the Forbidden Zone of the park. Legend has it that the notorious Captain Jacques LaMal and his vicious crew of pirates buried gold treasure there.

As they venture deeper into the Forbidden Zone, the three friends find themselves in a series of harrowing encounters. They come face to face with restless spirits, cunning thieves, and horrifying creatures. The air is thick with tension as dark forces, sworn to protect the cursed gold at all costs, close in on them. Together, they must conquer their fears as they confront evil, dark magic, and other terrifying surprises.

Will Ollie, Mellie, and Scotty solve the mystery of the missing hiker and uncover the truth about the curse of Shadow Park?

Publisher: Mascot Books

More about the author . . .

F.P. LaRue is the award-winning author of the Scary Shivers Mystery series. The Weeping House won First Place Awards for Best Juvenile Mysteries and Best Juvenile Fantasy & Magic. The Curse of Shadow Park will launch on July 9, 2024, and The Legend of the Serpent Witch is scheduled to be released in September 2024.

These adventure mysteries are written for middle-grade children and are designed to show them that reading is fun! F.P. is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Before writing children’s books, F.P.’s career was in education. She progressed from being a teacher to the dean of academic affairs for a small Michigan college. When not writing, F.P. loves to travel, having visited all fifty states and fifty-four countries worldwide. F.P. hopes her stories inspire children to discover the wondrous adventures reading can bring―no matter their age.

https://www.fplarue.com/

https://www.scaryshivers.com/

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