Spotlight on Bonnie Doerr

I am very excited to welcome Bonnie Doerr, author of Island Sting. Bonnie's novel is the first book published by Leap Books and I am tickled to have her on the blog today! Get to know a little more about this fascinating lady by reading on...

You have lived in a number of different places. How do you feel your many surroundings have impacted your writing?

It’s true. I’ve lived in eight widespread states and sometimes in several places within the same state. You wouldn’t believe the number of accents I hear when I’m writing! I work to silence them on the page so readers don’t

get confused about where they are and who’s talking. So far I’ve kept the Texas twang and Georgia drawl quiet. But they’re itching to come out.

What has been the most exciting or most nerve wrecking thing about being the first author published by Leap Books?

I don’t really feel like the first author because I have two close Leap sisters, Kitty Keswick and Judith Graves. We’ve all been thrilled and nervous together. Bless them. Speaking for myself, it’s an amazing honor. It has been a tad hairy launching so soon after the holidays when businesses slowed down and some work deadlines had to stretch. But Leap Books is an amazing new publisher and their personnel really care about us as individuals, not bottom line numbers.

How much of Island Sting came from your personal experiences? What other research did you complete to make the novel an accurate representation of ecology in the Florida Keys?

Researching Island Sting was so much fun. Any scene where Kenzie and Angelo explore the island environment was probably based on personal experience. I enjoyed many days on the water as well as under it. There were days when I took notes while I observed the deer and their antics, as well as when I interviewed people living in national refuge neighborhoods. I also spent time with the National Key Deer Refuge personnel and contacted Texas researchers by phone and email.

Environmental thrillers are very rare in the YA genre. Why do you feel it was important to get Island Sting into the hands of readers?

I know it’s true that these books are rare, and I just don’t get that. After Carl Hiassen’s Hoot won the Newbery Honor I attended an SCBWI conference where I asked an editor if she thought this “new” genre was a trend. She said, “No, it’s just a fluke.” Well, that kind of slowed me down. Thank goodness it didn’t slow Carl! But why are historical novels popular and environmental ones not? In one the reader has fun while accidentally learning history. In the other the fun sneaks in environmental science. And that sneaking in environmental awareness is the answer to your second question.

What advice do you have for teens who, like you, love nature and want to become more proactive in saving the environment?

I don’t want to get all preachy here. There are many green teen organizations popping up and environmental clubs at schools. I’d say start by joining one of these social organizations so that anything you do is fun as well as relevant. Many schools require community service. Earn your hours outdoors. Volunteer at an animal shelter or zoo. Is there a therapeutic horseback riding school near you? Volunteer there. Clean up streets and streams. The more time you spend with green teens outdoors, the more proactive ideas come your way. It’s like you begin to hear Mother Nature call your name.

Fill in the blanks:

If I could have dinner with a famous person, I would dine with First Lady, Michelle Obama. Maybe some of her grace, wisdom, and intelligence would rub off on me.

People would be surprised to know that I just remarried my ex- husband after twenty years of marriage to a different man. I can no longer refer to him as my “once and future husband.”

The animal I share the most characteristics with is the mule. This was the immediate response of my husband because I’m hard-working and stubborn. If only he’d said Clydesdale…

In my opinion, the most important word in the human language is hope. Think of all its usages: trust, expectation, optimism, dream, faith. If we could prevent the attachment of the suffix less to it we’d have the perfect word.

Lovers of YA should read Island Sting because it’s an inexpensive trip to paradise, and it won’t give you nightmares, just sweet dreams. You’ll hang out with intriguing, intrepid, fun-loving teens who successfully tackle challenges adults haven’t been able to master. Oh, and you just might experience your first crush while you’re at it.

Thank you so much for participating, Bonnie! You can find out more out Bonnie at her website or on the LeapBooks site.

Above photo is from Bonnie's website.