While still basking in the accomplishment of self-publishing Voyage of the Sea Dragon, I am preparing a new book for middle school readers. Kai and the Nasty Neighbor is about a Siamese cat who feels the wrongness of a human trapping and poisoning animals.  Kai takes the lead in rallying neighborhood animals to thwart the nasty neighbor's harmful traps and set an imprisoned cat free. It's a tale of bravery, friendship, and the power of standing up for what's right. 

I hope to get the book ready for publication around the middle of this year. Of course, I wanted Sea Dragon ready for publication last fall, but it didn't quite make it. This book has the added complication of added illustrations. I have begun about a half dozen. Kai, of course, several of her friends and allies, as well as the poor kitty in the trap. They are in their beginning stages, but hopefully I'll have a few ready in my next blog installment. 

 The rat is an AI generated facsimile that I will use to make a drawing. 

To kick off this exciting journey, I've come up with a special campaign name that captures the essence of Kai's mission and invites you to be a part of her first adventure: 🐾 Introducing "Paws for Justice" 🐾 I hope you join me to spread awareness about Kai's quest and the importance of protecting our animal friends. Each one of us can make a positive impact in our community and stand against any form of harm to our beloved pets. The last few paragraphs were included in my email newsletter, along with the first draft of my cover. I am hoping that Kai and the Nasty Neighbor is only the beginning of Kai's adventures. Also, Kai and the Nasty Neighbor is loosely based on actual events. Not that I had a cat that did these things, but that I knew a neighbor who did nasty things.    Let me know what you think of the cover. If you have any ideas for it, pass them along!  And by the way, If you haven't grabbed your copy of Voyage of the Sea Dragon; Into the Dream World, it's still in Kindle Unlimited. Eventually I am going to take it out of the KU so I can make it available on Smashwords and other ebook platforms. I hope to make it available in hardback as well.  Happy Spring!!