Reaching Your Dreams

Leap is drawn to authors who lead creative lives. We strongly believe that authors who are involved, engaged, and giving bring something extra to the pages of their work. When Leap Books opened, we sent out the following opening to our press release:

Once in blue moon, a publisher comes along who does things in an innovative way. Leap Books opened their doors on the night of the blue moon, expecting something magical to happen. And it did.

We launched our debut authors in the direction of their dreams. Now we invite you to take a Leap with us. You’ll be glad you did...

Not only have we launched several first-time authors, but we've been lucky enough to help one teen author reach her dream of publication.

For all of our authors, though, publication isn't their only dream. We've found that creative people tend to dream big, so for the next week or so, we'll be featuring some of the ways are authors are living their dreams. We hope it will inspire you to reach for the stars...

But the Contests Continue...

Our authors are finding their way around the globe. Watch for posts in Finland, the UK, Japan... More about those later.

Right now we're highlighting blogger Kate at READ THIS BOOK!, who's been featuring Island Sting this week. She's shared some excerpts and done interviews with the main characters--Kenzie and Angelo--so she has plenty of information that you won't find in the book. She's also posted a scene from Angelo's point of view. So even if you've already read the book, you won't have seen any of this. Check out these exclusives at:

http://readthisbook.wordpress.com/2010/01/16/island-sting-excerpt-and-contest/

But best of all, Kate's running a contest. Win a necklace! If you've read Island Sting, you'll know the meaning behind this special necklace. And if you haven't read it, now's your chance. Check out our online store and take advantage of the BLUE MOON special (see below) for a special price.

Get Ready...

Our first author is about to Leap.

We're counting down the days until author Bonnie J. Doerr's book, Island Sting, releases. Bet you are too. Here's a sneak peek at the first page:

 Splash!

Ripples circled across the dark water farther down the canal. Kenzie scrambled through the mangrove thicket, stumbling over tangled roots toward the disturbance. Branches caught her hair and scratched her face. When she thought she’d reached the spot, she crept to the water’s edge, but the surface was calm. Had she miscalculated?

No. There. Something broke the surface. It swam in jerky circles. Round and round. Over and over. She shielded her eyes from the sun. A long nose cut through the water, leaving a little wake in its path. It circled closer. Nose, two eyes, and long ears.

A dog!

It paddled away, floundered, and went under.

Does Kenzie save the drowning animal? Find out by picking up your copy of Island Sting. Be the first to get your copy by pre-ordering the book here. Or watch for it in a few weeks at Amazon.com and all other major distributors. Booksellers and teachers can get special discounts by contacting Cathleen Cartwright, Public Relations Assistant, at marketing@leapbks.com.

And don't forget to take advantage of our BLUE MOON special. See below.