About the Book:
Title: HEARTWOOD
HOTEL, A TRUE HOME (Book 1)
Author: by Kallie George,
illustrated by Stephanie Graegin
Release Date: July 3, 2017
Pages: 176
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Formats: Hardcover, paperback,
eBook
When Mona the Mouse stumbles
across the wondrous world of the Heartwood Hotel in the middle of a storm, she
desperately hopes they'll let her stay. As it turns out, Mona is precisely the
maid they need at the grandest hotel in Fernwood Forest, where animals come
from far and wide for safety, luxury, and comfort. But the Heartwood Hotel is
not all acorn souffl and soft moss-lined beds. Danger lurks, and as it
approaches, Mona finds that this hotel is more than a warm place to spend the
night. It might also be a home.
This delightfully enticing
start of a new chapter book series tells a tale of friendship, courage, and
community, with exquisite black-and-white illustrations throughout..
About Kallie:
KALLIE GEORGE is the author of the Magical Animal Adoption Agency series.
She works as an author and speaker in Vancouver, Canada, and has a master’s in
children’s literature from the University of British Columbia. She also leads
workshops for aspiring writers. Kallie happened across the Heartwood Hotel on a
hike with her husband. Visit her online at kalliegeorge.com.
About Stephanie:
STEPHANIE GRAEGIN received her BFA in Fine Arts from the Maryland
Institute College of Art. She later attended Pratt Institute, obtaining a
Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking. Stephanie now lives in Brooklyn. Visit her
online at graegin.com or on Twitter @Steph_Graegin.
Aren't these charming?
A letter from the author:
Most of my ideas come to me while hiking in the woods. I
grew up and still live on the West Coast of Canada, in Vancouver. I spend a lot
of my time either writing or outdoors.
Hiking, for me, is one of the best ways to come up with
ideas. Especially if you’re hiking with my husband. He likes to go on REALLY
hard hikes.
For example, when we visited Greece, we hiked Mount Olympus.
(All in one day, I might add, because he didn’t want to stop at the half-way
hut, which everyone stops at to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms. Yes, we got
caught in a Zeus-like thunderstorm.) When we went to Las Vegas, we climbed
Mount Charleston, the highest mountain around. (It snowed; I nearly died,
enough said.)
The good thing about going on these crazy hikes is that
(other than seeing the amazing nature) I’m forced to come up with new ideas.
After all, there are no devices to distract you. You have to use your
imagination.
That’s how I came up with the Heartwood Hotel series.
We were hiking Garibaldi mountain in Squamish, BC, a few
years ago. We were under a time-crunch because we were due back for a family
supper with my grandparents. That meant we had to rush. Rushing up a mountain
is not fun. On the way back down, my legs were killing me. All I wanted to do
was rest.
That’s when I saw the Heartwood. It was a giant tree that
seemed to touch the clouds, with moss hanging from its limbs, and a little
hollow near its roots. What a wonderful
place to sleep, I thought. What if it was a resting spot for animals? I
wondered. A hotel even? And so the idea for this series was born.
I instantly told the idea to my husband, who loved it. He
grew up in Jasper, Alberta, a destination stop for many tourists, and worked at
a lodge when he was younger. He had lots of great stories to share about the
inner-workings of a hotel. I also thought back to my love of Eloise by Kay Thompson, about the little
girl who lived in a hotel. I’d always wanted to write my very own hotel story.
A hotel story is perfect for my style of writing. I love chapter books that
tell a mini story in each chapter, with one more major narrative woven
throughout. Because hotels have so many characters and mini stories going on, I
could easily do this in my books.
By the end of the hike, I had forgotten my pain completely.
I was so excited! We rushed off to supper, but I could barely concentrate on
the conversation. I was in story-mode, day-dreaming about a hotel with
moss-beds, and a little maid mouse that worked there.
I believe in my heart and soul that getting outside is the
best way to inspire the imagination. I hope you read the Heartwood Hotel and
see my love of nature there, and maybe even go on a hike and find your very own
Heartwood.
Happy exploring,
Kallie
Doesn't that sounds fun? (I mean, not the crazy hikes, but the cute hotel) I'm so looking forward to this book! And if you are too, check out the contest and good luck!
Giveaway Details:
3 winners will receive a finished copy of HEARTWOOD HOTEL, US Only.
Week One:
6/29/2017- BookHounds YA- Author Post
Week Two:
I enjoyed reading about how this story was formed from a tiring hike in the woods and love the hotel ties that your husband could give.
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