Dear ,

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

And, for my American friends, HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY on July 4th!

And, for those in the Northern Hemisphere, HAPPY SUMMER BREAK!

And, for the Southern Hemisphere: yes, we love you, too! :)

Gosh, there's a lot to celebrate!

I think that deserves something special... :)

THE LOST SPACE TREASURE SERIES

My next project, The Lost Space Treasure Series, is growing in size. This science-fiction series is aimed at young girls because, guess what!, girls are going to colonize Mars, too!

I've got the world-building pretty much worked out, but still need some time to figure out the following:

1. I need to figure out what my reader's target age will be. Will this series appeal to 8 to 12-year-olds, or 10 to 14-year-olds? At first glance, this doesn't sound like a big deal, but it actually is. Whether I write for one or the other, this will affect the vocabulary, length, character development etc. This is something I will ultimately figure out with the invaluable help of my editor, Cristy Watson.
2. Also, as I wrote the story, I came to realize that my main character, Trin, has a prosthetic leg. And, as it turns out, this carbon fiber leg is becoming quite a big deal! So, I will need to find sensitivity readers to guide me and make sure I do a good job.

That said, I'm happy to share with you the first chapter of:

• The Lost Space Treasure, Prequel and
• Exostar (book 1 in the series).

WARNING: This is raw, first draft material, so you'll find mistakes and inconsistencies. The final draft may look completely different, but, as my special newsletter followers, I wanted to give you a glimpse into my writing process.

So, go ahead and take a peek by clicking on the two images here:

Summer playlist

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen my post where I asked for music recommendations from 2012-2022. Based on everyone's answers, I created the following playlist for you to enjoy:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSoJ7KB0riLmjsqD8LNtyizW9aJWnPGo7

To respect the musician's work, I only added tracks that were directly linked to the singers/groups themselves, which might explain why I wasn't able to add everyone's suggestions.

Feel free to email me if you want me to add your recommendation: raeknightly@gmail.com .

Enjoy! :)

What's up in the neighbourhood?

My "neighbourhood" is about to expand massively over the summer! You see, I'm travelling to my birth country, Belgium, where I'll finally be able to give my parents, family and friends the hugs I've been yearning to give them since the pandemic started.

I've been extremely busy organizing this special trip, and I'm not entirely sure if I will have time to write an August newsletter, but we'll see.

In any case, I promise to share pictures and show you around!

July 2022 reading list

Journey to Zentobia by Stacy d'Alessandro

The Chronicles of Narnia meets The Land of Stories in this fast-paced fantasy adventure that will hook you until the very end.

Every morning, ten-year-old Maggie Miller and her older brother Peter follow their new neighbor to try and uncover his secret. Then one day, they discover he comes from another world.

When Maggie stumbles into a rainbow portal, Peter follows, transporting them to the mysterious world of Zentobia, where animals talk, the rain is orange and enchanted underground tunnels house magical creatures. But not everything is as peaceful as it seems in Zentobia.

The use of magic has been banished, and a villain is determined to bring back dark magic and gain control of the land. Maggie and Peter have to find a way stop him and save new friends. Their only option—team up with the villain’s daughter and hatch a plan to derail his power. If they succeed, Zentobia will be safe. If they fail, then dark magic will destroy Zentobia and Maggie and Peter will be stuck there forever. Can they trust their new friendship and carry out the plan before it’s too late?

With an endearing cast of characters, non-stop action, and a hint of humor, Journey to Zentobia is poised to become one of your favorite new middle-grade stories.

Dino Rift by Derek Borne

The Rift.

A gateway to a prehistoric world.

For years, SauraCorps has kept its existence confidential while touting themselves as a run-of-the-mill dinosaur museum.

For two Utah teens, Kamren and Vivienne, a care-free night to themselves quickly turns into a daunting trek through an exotic, unfamiliar time.

Not only do they stumble upon SauraCorps’ nefarious agenda, they also encounter major discrepancies concerning the past that would rewrite history books as we know them.

Kam and Viv’s reliance on each other through the primeval environment also tests their friendship in unexpected ways.

Will they survive and make it home…together?

Haunted, The Cursed Lake by Mahtab Narsimhan

Summer camp. A haunted lake. A vengeful ghost.

12-year-old Jonah and his mother have just reopened Camp Sunny Acres after a horrific tragedy drove the last owners away. They’re desperate to make it a success, but new camper, Dexter, won’t stop breaking the rules. To make matters worse, Jonah suspects that the mysterious disturbance in the lake might be a restless ghost.

Jonah’s worst fears come to life during a freak storm when the malevolent ghost captures his mother. Can Jonah and his friends find a way to appease the ghost and rescue her—or is he going to lose his mother to the vengeful ghost?

Eerie Tales from the East brings you scary stories from around the world. Ordinary characters must rise to extraordinary challenges or risk losing the ones they love in these chilling, fast-paced novels with heart for 8-12+ year old fans of Coraline, Goosebumps, and Small Spaces.

Harriet Hall and the Kaiser's Curse by Sonia Garrett

Trapped in the middle of nowhere. Chomping at the bit for thrills. Accused of the worst crime in the region’s history…

Canada, 1941. Harriet Hall still feels out of place. Homesick for London and stuck in a small town, the thirteen-year-old aspiring journalist jumps at the opportunity for a headline when precious personal items mysteriously go missing. But she’s stunned when her snooping catches the wrong kind of attention and she gets pegged as the primary suspect.

Embarrassed to have put her family’s name in danger, Harriet flees into the woods with her sasquatch pal to dig up some exonerating evidence. But as she battles bee stings, a broken arm, and the ire of all the official investigators, she fears this scoop may have sunk her career before it even began.

Can she write the criminals into a corner before she’s forced to take the fall?

Harriet Hall and the Kaiser's Curse is the intriguing second book in the Harriet Hall children’s adventure series. If you like brave amateur sleuths, Canadian mythology-inspired escapades, and hair-raising page-turners, then you’ll love Sonia Garrett’s return to the forest.

Happy reading!

Rae Knightly