Book Birthday Blog with F.P. LaRue

 

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 Pet Shop Nightmare

 

This is your fourth book in the award-winning Scary Shivers Mystery Series. What was the inspiration for this new story?

I heard several stories about animals that were found, and no one knew who they belonged to. That, along with the compassionate actions of some friends of mine, who are constantly taking in and feeding animals they come across, gave me the idea for the story. I wanted to write about helping animals in some way. The main characters of the book like to solve mysteries, so a story developed.  

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

I hope kids will realize that reading can be fun. This book and all of the books in the Scary Shiver Mystery series are fast-paced and easy to read. They have short chapters, 3-7 pages, and I strive to end each chapter on a cliffhanger. This keeps the story engaging and leaves kids eager to find out what happens next. 

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

I am active on Facebook. People can follow me at https://www.facebook.com/FPLaRue. I will be doing personal appearances and book signings. The book is available at Amazon.com and can be ordered at any bookstore. 

What's next for you? Any events coming up or new books in the works? 

Upcoming events include: 

• Funky Ferndale, September 19-21, 2025, Ferndale, MI
•  Michigan Trail of Authors, September 27, 2025, Muskegon, MI
•  Shipshewana on the Road, October 18-19, 2025, Jackson, MI
•  A2 Community BookFest, November 9, 2025, Ann Arbor, MI
•  Motor City Comic Con, November 14-16, 2025, Novi, MI – Featured MI Author
•  Shipshewana on the Road, November 22-23, Waterford, MI

I am just starting to gather my thoughts for a fifth book in the Scary Shivers Mystery series, but do not have a timetable yet.  

More about the book . . . 

Ollie receives a frantic call from his cousin, Claire, who is in a state of panic. Her best friend, McKenna, has disappeared without a trace. She has not been seen for days, and all attempts to contact her have failed. When Claire recruits the help of Ollie and his friends, she receives a mysterious note telling her to mind her own business and gets the feeling she is being followed. 
 
As Ollie, Mellie, and Scotty delve deeper into the mystery of McKenna’s disappearance, they uncover strange activities and dark secrets connected with the pet shop. With the disappearance of animals from the pet shop, they soon realize that something sinister is at play, and the evil forces involved will stop at nothing to protect their ominous plans. Just when things seem hopeless, Ollie receives assistance from an unexpected ally, a twist that leaves the trio astounded and intrigued. 
 
In The Pet Shop Nightmare, Ollie, Mellie, and Scotty find themselves navigating a thick fog of danger and mystery. Will they survive long enough to find McKenna and unravel the mystery of the shop before they become the next ones to disappear?  

Publisher: Mascot Books 

More about the author . . . 

F.P. LaRue is the award-winning author of the Scary Shivers Mystery series, a collection of spooky and thrilling stories that captivate young readers. There are currently three books in the Scary Shivers Mystery series. The Weeping House won First Place Awards for Juvenile Mysteries and Juvenile Fantasy & Magic in the Spring 2024 BookFest Awards. The Curse of Shadow Park won a First Place Award for Juvenile Action & Adventure in the Fall 2024 BookFest Awards. The Legend of the Serpent Witch won a Second Place Award in the Mystery category in the 2025 Purple Dragonfly Awards. The fourth book of the Scary Shivers Mystery series, The Pet Shop Nightmare, will be released on September 9, 2025. F.P. is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. 
 
Before writing children’s books, F.P.’s career had been in education, where she progressed from a teacher to the Dean of Academic Affairs for a small Michigan college. She also authored an article titled Ten Tips to Get Children Reading More, filled with practical advice to foster a love for reading in children. For more information, visit FPLaRue.com.   

https://www.fplarue.com/

https://www.scaryshivers.com/

https://www.facebook.com/FPLaRue

 

 

Book Birthday Blog with F.P. LaRue

 

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 Legend of the Serpent Witch

 

 

This is your second book release this year. What are some unique challenges of multiple releases and how do you stay organized?

One challenge is to space the new releases far enough apart, so there’s no confusion regarding the order of the books. I make it very clear as to which is the second book and which is the third book. This way there’s enough time for readers to see the press kit and to find out what the story is about. I try to make the release process easy so readers can purchase the books for themselves or give them as gifts.
 
I stay organized by focusing on one book at a time. This way, I can do interviews, podcasts, and presentations and provide all the information necessary for readers. As I focus on one book, I do mention when the next one is coming out. 

What was the inspiration for your story? 

One day, while driving down a rural road, I saw a knit cap hanging on a tree limb. The tree was close to the road. I thought a child may have lost their hat, and someone placed it on the tree in case the child returned looking for it. As I continued down the road, I wondered, what if the hat was placed there deliberately by a person who wanted to get a child’s attention? The story that became The Legend of the Serpent Witch came from that idea. In this book, the main character, Ollie, finds items that belong to children. He brings in his friends to find out who these items belonged to. Then, the mystery begins. 

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

I want readers to take away that reading can be fun! I want readers to see that whatever problems come their way, they can successfully find solutions. Also, I want to show that we can strengthen each other through friendship and working together. 

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

 My marketing plan includes doing:

• Promotions on my websites, www.FPLaRue.com and www.ScaryShivers.com

• Promotions on social media, including my Facebook account: FPLaRue

• Interviews

• Podcasts

• Presentations

• Participation in local craft and art shows and book signings

 
The book is available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and BooksaMillion.com. It is available at select retail bookstores and can be ordered through any bookstore. 

What's next for you? 

The fourth book in the Scary Shivers Mystery series will be coming out next year, 2025. 

More about the book . . . 

When Ollie walks through the woods on his way back from school one day, he notices a scarf and a baseball cap caught on a bush on the side of the path. Ollie thinks nothing of them and walks on. But then he finds a pair of gloves under a rock the next day. This isn’t right, he reasons with himself. Who could have left their belongings in the woods? And why?
 
In The Legend of the Serpent Witch, Ollie, Mellie, and Scotty stumble upon a new mystery when they learn that the clothes belong to two boys who mysteriously vanished. Nothing is as it seems when the trio confronts an evil witch with snakes as pets who cast scary spells and wicked curses, trying to stop them from finding the missing boys. Delving deeper, they realize the witch may not be acting alone and there could be a larger, more sinister plot at play.
 
Ollie, Mellie, and Scotty know that they must act quickly to save not only themselves but the entire town. Will they survive long enough to solve a mystery centuries in the making? 

Publisher: Mascot Books

More about the author . . .

F.P. LaRue is the award-winning author of the Scary Shivers Mystery series. Her book, The Weeping House, won First Place Awards for Juvenile Mysteries and Juvenile Fantasy & Magic at the Spring 2024 BookFest Awards. The Curse of Shadow Park was released on July 9, 2024, while The Legend of the Serpent Witch will be released September 10, 2024.
 
The Scary Shivers Mystery series are adventure mysteries written for middle-grade children and are designed to show them that reading can be fun! She loves scary stories and particularly sharing her own frightening tales. 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.

Facebook: FPLaRue

 

 

Book Birthday Blog With F.P. LaRue

 

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/ 

Facebook 

 

 

Book Birthday Blog with F.P. LaRue

 

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 Legend of the Serpent Witch

 

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

I wondered what Ollie, Mellie, and Scotty would do if they came face to face with an evil witch. Now I know.

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

I hope the readers will enjoy Ollie, Mellie, and Scotty’s adventure. I also hope that they enjoy the friendship that Ollie, Mellie, and Scotty have. They are committed to helping each other, no matter what the circumstances are. 

What inspires you to write?

I want to encourage children to read and to show them reading can be fun!

What are your marketing plans for the book?

My marketing plans are to use my website, social media, school visits, library visits, and interviews to promote my book.

What's next for you?

I am writing a third book in the Scary Shivers series. This book will also involve Ollie, Mellie, and Scotty. It will be out in 2023.     

A little bit about the book . . .

Two boys have gone missing. Ollie, Mellie, and Scotty set out to determine what happened to them. As they do, they are forced to confront an evil witch with snakes as pets, scary spells and wicked curses. They discover nothing is as it seems. They come face to face with pure evil and don’t know if they’ll survive long enough to solve a mystery centuries in the making.

A little bit about the author . . .

The Legend of the Serpent Witch is the second adventure in the Scary Shivers series by F.P. LaRue. Her career has been in education, where she progressed from a teacher to the Dean of Academic Affairs for a small Michigan college. During that time, she authored Stalking: Surviving the Hidden Terror and co-authored Discover Your Inner Strength, both adult non-fiction books.

When not writing, F.P. LaRue loves to travel, having visited all 50 states in the U.S.A. and 53 countries worldwide. When COVID hit, F.P. took to writing again. She loves a scary story and looks forward to sharing her own scary stories. She is hoping her stories encourage children to discover the wondrous adventures reading can bring…no matter what their age.

https://www.fplarue.com/

https://www.scaryshivers.com/ 

 

 

 

Book Birthday Blog with F.P. LaRue

 

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

 

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

 

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

When I was growing up there were thick creepy woods near my home. My friends and I always made-up stories about monsters in those woods. That inspired me to write this story.

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

 

I would like readers to take away that reading can be fun! I would like readers to experience what the characters are going through and have fun with it.

What inspires you to write?

 

I loved reading as a child. I read many fun and exciting books. I know there are many adventures for kids to enjoy and mysteries to solve.

 

What was the most difficult part of writing this book?

 

Writing the book was fun and easy. Editing the book was time consuming.

 

What are your marketing plans for the book?

 

My marketing plans will consist of sending books to schools and libraries, school presentations, website, Facebook, Instagram, and Kindle/Amazon.

A little bit about the book . . .

 

Oliver calls himself the Evil Destroyer. He and his two best friends, Mellie and Scotty set out to solve the mystery of a hiker that went missing in Shadow Park. As they search for the missing hiker, they encounter more than they ever expected in the Forbidden Zone of the park. They confront ghosts, pirates, and other scary beings. They must conquer their fears as they deal with evil characters, voodoo spells, and a man-eating creature. In the end, they not only solve the mystery of the missing hiker, but they confirm the legend of The Curse of Shadow Park.

 

 A little bit about the author . . .

The Curse of Shadow Park is F.P. LaRue’s debut to the middle grade book genre. Her career has been in education, where she progressed from teacher to Dean of Academic Affairs at a small Michigan College. During that time, she authored Stalking: Surviving the Hidden Terror and co-authored Discover Your Inner Strength, both adult non-fiction books. She has been a regular guest on a weekly radio show on Safety and Security, including a show on “Back to School Safety.” 

F.P. LaRue is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.  When not writing, F.P. loves to travel, having visited all 50 states in the USA and 53 countries worldwide. When COVID hit, F.P. took to writing again. She loves a scary story and looks forward to sharing her own scary stories. She is hoping her stories encourage all children to discover the wondrous adventures reading can bring … no matter their age.