Suzanne Selfors lives on an island near Seattle where it rains all the time, which is why she tends to write about cloudy, moss-covered, green places.
She's married, has two kids, and writes full time.
Her favorite writers are Kurt Vonnegut, Charles Dickens, and most especially, Roald Dahl.
Please visit her at www.suzanneselfors.com to learn more about her books.
When Ben Silverstein is sent to the rundown town of Buttonville to spend the summer with his grandfather, he's certain it will be the most boring vacation ever. That is, until his grandfather's cat brings home what looks like . . . a baby dragon?
Amazed, Ben enlists the help of Pearl Petal, a local girl with an eye for adventure. They take the wounded dragon to the only veterinarian's office in town -- Dr. Woo's Worm Hospital. But as Ben and Pearl discover once they are inside, Dr. Woo's isn't a worm hospital at all -- it's actually a secret hospital for imaginary creatures.
After Ben accidentally leaves the hospital's front door unlocked, a rather large, rather stinky, andvery hairy beast escapes into Buttonville. Ben and Pearl are tasked with retrieving the runaway creature, and what started out as an ordinary summer becomes the story of a lifetime.
Suzanne Selfors delivers a wild journey filled with mythical creatures and zany adventures that are anything but imaginary.
This book includes bonus writing, art, and science activities that will help readers discover more about the mythological creatures featured in The Sasquatch Escape. These activities are designed for the home and the classroom. Enjoy doing them on your own or with friends!
REVIEW:
| This is the first book in the Imaginary Veterinarians Series. This is where you are introduced the trouble making Pearl and the story telling Ben. My boys and I loved this book so much. The characters are well developed, there is humor, mystery and imagination. This is a new favorite series and one we will continue to read and adore! I highly recommend it as do both my boys, ages 5 and 7! 5 stars. |
Pearl Petal and Ben Silverstein can't wait for their first official day as apprentices of Dr. Woo, veterinarian for imaginary creatures. That is, until they are tasked with clipping the sasquatch's toenails. Gross!
Then Pearl spots a monster in the lake behind the hospital. Even though they were told not to leave the building for any reason, Pearl sets off for a closer look, with Ben trailing cautiously behind.
The outing goes awry when Ben is captured by the creature and held hostage on an island in the middle of the lake. It's up to Pearl to hatch a rescue mission. Will she save the day or cement her reputation as the town troublemaker? And will the hospital's secret patient be able to help?
Suzanne Selfors takes readers on an incredible adventure full of mythical creatures and astonishing discoveries that are anything but imaginary.
This book includes bonus writing, art, and science activities that will help readers discover more about the mythological creatures featured in The Lonely Lake Monster. These activities are designed for the home and the classroom. Enjoy doing them on your own or with friends!
REVIEW:
| This is a quirky and fun book (the second in the series). This book sparks imagination and mystery in your young reader. There are some great elements to this book; fun creatures, mystery and some nice lessons. They have such an engaging story...my boys and I cannot get enough of this series. Pearl and Ben are such great characters that any child can relate to. This is the best of this genre. Clean, great story, great characters and a series that keep you wanting more. 5 stars |
Someone or something is stealing from the peaceful residents of Buttonville. But is the thief from the real world...or the imaginary one? Ben and Pearl are about to find out. When they report for duty at Dr. Woo's, Mr. Tabby hands them a bucket and a shovel -- for the collection and proper disposal of dragon droppings -- and directs the apprentices to the hospital's roof. Soon, they come face-to-snout with the dragon that lives there and find a pile of proof that he is the thief.
Before Ben and Pearl can persuade the dragon to stop stealing, an emergency call comes in from the Imaginary World. The rain dragon has been injured! But with Dr. Woo out of town and Mr. Tabby busy with percolating pixies, time is running out.
Will Ben and Pearl finally get a chance to travel to the Imaginary World? Even if it means breaking Dr. Woo's rules? Even if it means they might never come back?
Suzanne Selfors delivers a wild journey filled with mythical creatures and zany adventures that are anything but imaginary.
This book includes bonus writing, art, and science activities that will help readers discover more about the mythological creatures featured in The Rain Dragon Rescue. These activities are designed for the home and the classroom. Enjoy doing them on your own or with friends!
REVIEW:
The books just keep getting better and better. I just love watching Ben and Pearl grow during their adventures. These books are so full of imagination! I love the adventures that await us in the imaginary world. I love it even more when the imaginary world clashes with the real world...because adventures happen! These books bring me and my boys together every night to snuggle and enter the town of Buttonville with Ben and Pearl...such a gift! There is mystery, suspense and fun within the pages and we can't wait for the next book. 5 stars!
At Dr. Woo's Worm Hospital, Pearl and Ben are greeted with some bad news. A human has been spotted in the Imaginary World! Dr. Woo suspects it might be Maximus Steele -- a poacher with his sights set on prized animal horns. What creature will he attack next? Will it be a unicorn?
Together, Pearl, Ben, and Dr. Woo travel to the Tangled Forest. It's an amazing, colorful, and wild place. Ultimately, the responsibility falls to Pearl to find the lost unicorn. But in a land of fire-breathing insects and flesh-eating flora, is she up for the challenge?
Suzanne Selfors delivers a wild journey filled with mythical creatures and zany adventures that are anything but imaginary.
This book includes bonus writing, art, and science activities that will help readers discover more about the mythological creatures featured in The Order of the Unicorn. These activities are designed for the home and the classroom. Enjoy doing them on your own or with friends!
Releases on July 22nd!!!
Braden: How did you start you writing career?
A. I've spent my whole life writing stories. But I never thought of myself as a "writer", and I never thought I could actually do this as a career. So I went in another direction. But when I turned 39 and my youngest child started school, I realized that I really wanted to give writing a serious try. So I started my very first novel about ten minutes after the school bus drove away.
Braden: I like to write, do you have any advice for me?
A. I think the most important thing to remember is that, first and foremost, write about something you love. Don't be tempted to write a vampire book just because everyone else is writing one. There are lots of fairy tale books right now but don't jump on that bandwagon if your passion is for realistic fiction. You will spend a lot of time with your story, you will carry it around in your head all day long, so choose your subject as if you're choosing your new best friend.
MMB: What inspires your writing?
A. My children. I wrote my first book, To Catch a Mermaid, for them. My rainy Pacific NW environment inspired the book, Fortune's Magic Farm. My dog, Skylos, inspired Smells Like Dog. There's a little bit of my own life in every one of my books.
MMB: What is your favorite thing about being an writer?
A. I love, love, love getting letters from readers, especially handwritten letters. Written in crayon, pen, pencil or typed, they come in all shapes and sizes and they are like little gifts. I love opening them. Sometimes readers will send photos, or drawings. Going to my post office box has become my favorite time of the day.
MMB: What is the toughest part of being an writer?
A. The solitude. While I need to be alone to get the bulk of my work done, sometimes I start to feel lonely, so I make sure to meet with other writers as much as possible for coffee and lunch. And I make sure to take long walks with friends, just to get away from my laptop.
MMB If you could not be writer, what would you do/be?
A.I think I'd be a movie director. Which I guess is just another form of story-telling. :)
Braden: What would the story of your life be entitled?
A. Island Girl. (Because I've lived on the same island most of my life and people say I'm like a barnacle - you'll have to scrape me off this rock to get me to leave.)
JD: What is your favorite book of all time?
A. I'm a huge Roald Dahl fan. I love everything he wrote. Matilda is one of my favorite characters ever.
MMB: Which character from ANY book are you most like?
A. Well, I wrote a book called Coffeehouse Angel, and the main character, Katrina, is very much like me. I didn't realize that I'd basically written about myself until after I'd written the book.
JD: Which book would you love to take a weekend vacation inside of?
A. Wow, what a great question. I'd love to go to Hogwarts for a weekend. Wouldn't that be fun? Well, as long as Voldemort wasn't visiting.
MMB: What is your favorite season?
A.I love fall, mostly because I love the crisp days, the colors of the leaves, and hot apple cider.
MMB: What inspired your book cover(s)? Or what is your favorite book cover and why?
A. Many people don't realize that authors don't usually choose their covers. It's a decision made by the publisher. I really love the covers for my new series, The Imaginary Veterinary. Dan Santat is an amazing illustrator. I'm very lucky to have him.
MMB: Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.
A. It's always an adventure. The most embarrassing moments are when I get asked a question by a reader about a specific character and I can't remember who the character is. Seriously. It happens all the time. I've written so many books, and have so many details crammed in my head, I forget things.
When I was touring for Smells Like Dog, lots of kids showed up with their basset hounds, which is great except when the dog takes a piddle in the bookstore, or tries to eat someone's sock. I hope no one brings a sasquatch to my next tour.
MMB: Are you working on something new?
A. Yes indeed. I'm working on a new Imaginary Veterinary book and a whole new series that will be announced and released in 2015. (Shhhh, it's a secret.)
JD: What made you want to create a story with a sasquatch in it?
A. I came up with the idea for The Imaginary Veterinary while sitting in the veterinary clinic with my dog. I looked at the cat poster on the wall and thought, what if that was a poster of a dragon? And I looked at the bowl of dog treats and thought, what if those were chunks of raw meat? And what if the thermometer was three feet long? The story began to take shape that day.
I chose sasquatch as one of my first creatures because I live in the PNW where the sasquatch legend was born. Sasquatch is everywhere up here--on keychains, umbrellas, coffee mugs, bumper stickers, etc. It seemed a natural fit for me.
JD: Where did you come up with the name Buttonville for the city?
A. That's from a story I wrote as a kid, called Conrad Moonbeam and the Buttonville Boas. About a boy who lives in Alaska and wants to help save some boa constrictors who've lost their habitat in the amazon rainforest. So he ships them up to Alaska, but has a whole lot of trouble trying to take care of them. I liked the name Buttonville so I used it again.
Braden: Can we expect many books in this series? I sure hope so, because we LOVE them.
A. I just finished writing the fifth book, about a griffin, and I'll begin working on the sixth book this summer, about fairies. I hope to write more!!!
Q. Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?
A. One of the things I love about The Imaginary Veterinary series is that I've included additional art, creative writing, history, and science lessons and activities at the back of each book. So readers and their parents/teachers can take the stories to another level. I hope the creative writing prompts help encourage kids to write their own stories!
And be sure to visit me at http://www.suzanneselfors.com/ I love to hear from readers and you can join my mailing list to get sneek peeks at new covers and details about my appearances.
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Afterparty by Daryl Gregory (April 22, 2014, Tor Books) is part science fiction, part thriller and completely mind-bending.
