It's been in my mind for over a year now, but I wanted to write a new series about Andi Carter's good friend, Jenny Grant. But I just never got around to it. Well, this summer, I suddenly felt "ready to go." I wrote three chapters the beginning of July and thought, Okay, maybe I'll ask my publisher if they'd like to see a book/series proposal.

So, I put a proposal together and tentatively named the series Timberland Trails. And lest you think this is simply a Circle C spin-off (well, it is actually), Jenny Grant's older brother Micah and younger brother Gideon play major roles, so boys might certainly like to give it a try! I even created a fun logo. (Whether it ends up as the final logo is up to my publisher. But whatever they create, I know it will be fun!)

As you can probably guess from the image, this new series will be set in the Pacific Northwest in 1880: logging, landslides, logjams, saw mills, mountains, Puget Sound sealife, and . . . maybe even a "Sasquatch," a legend of the Salish Tribes in the area. So many ideas! So little time!

THE GOOD NEWS: Kregel Publications accepted my proposal! They love the idea of a new series for middle-grade. They contracted the first two books. Book One, Trouble in Tacoma, will release May 2027 (not-so-good news, since that seems like forever to me). Book Two will release only three months later, in August 2027. I have no idea which of my many book ideas to use for the second book.

MORE GOOD NEWS: Book One, Trouble in Tacoma (working title) is finished. At least the first draft. Since my favorite part of writing is revision, I'll have lot of fun in the coming months to make it shine.

GOOD NEWS FOR YOU: You can visit my new website (a design makeover). The new look highlights all three series rather than just the Circle C books. You can get access to a special page and read the first chapter of Trouble in Tacoma (working title). You can also see a few of the fun illustrations I hope Kregel will include in the book.

Read an Excerpt

Call to action: If you have any ideas for a fun adventure in the wild woods of the Pacific Northwest (my stomping ground), please, please reply and tell me all about them!

My New Website

I'm excited about revealing my new website. Feel free to click the image and explore everything. The SHOP sells instant downloads to all of the Circle C and Goldtown enrichment materials (lapbooks and study guides). I also sell instant downloads of every audiobook individually at super-good prices.

The Enrichment tab takes you to all of the free online enrichment for every series. I think this new site is way simpler and easier to navigate than the old one. I'd love to hear what you think of it.

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