Hi Math is Everywhere Readers,
Today is full of adventure! We have the extra special pleasure of celebratingKatie Frawley’s cover reveal for her debut picture book: Tabitha and Fritz Trade Places!
Kaitlyn: Before we get to the big reveal, can you tell us a bit about the book?
Katie: Gladly! Tabitha is a house cat who longs for adventure. Fritz is a rain forest elephant who needs a change of scenery. The two decide a vacation home-swap is just what they need! But the grass doesn’t turn out to be greener on the other side of the world.
Kaitlyn: Sounds fantastic! What inspired this story?
Katie: It was pretty early on in my writing journey, and I was reading Ann Whitford Paul’s marvelous book, Writing Picture Books. She talks about the “What-If” exercise where you just let your imagination wander to silly and improbable scenarios to inspire story ideas. I was lying in bed, playing the “What-If” game as I dozed off, and I thought to myself, What if an elephant ended up in a city? What might he do? Where might he go? What shenanigans might he stir up? That idea really tickled me pink! So I started to think of how I would get an elephant all the way from the rain forest to the other side of the world….and the vacation home-swap idea popped into my head!
Kaitlyn: Ha! I love how this story came to be and the fact that you were tickled pink by it (another awesome picture book idea ;)). And now that everyone is hopefully super duper extra excited to find out about this home swap, let’s reveal the cover…
Without further ado,
Drum roll pleeease!
… wait for it …
… just a tad more suspense…
.
.
.
TA-DA:
Book info:
Pack your bags and join Tabitha and Fritz as they journey across the world to switch lives.
Tabitha the cat is tired of her easy, coddled life. An adventure across the world might spice things up! Fritz the elephant dreams of celebrating his birthday with an exciting voyage to a faraway place. So after the two connect online via Lair-bnb, they pack their bags and head across the globe to trade places. Will Fritz love the city life? Will the rain forest be all that Tabitha has hoped for? Join this adventurous pair as they find out whether the grass really is greener…on the other side of the world!
To Pre-order:
Bookshop | Barnes and Nobel | Amazon
Kaitlyn: Please tell us what you thought when you first saw this adorable cover?
Katie: What really struck me about the cover is how beautifully Laurie Stansfield incorporated both characters, their personalities, and their worlds into a single image. There is also such warmth and joy on this cover. Tabitha and Fritz are two characters intent on seeing more of this amazing world we live in. To me, this cover shouts “JOIN US, AND EXPLORE!”
Kaitlyn: Yes! It definitely shouts “JOIN US, AND EXPLORE!” I can see so much of their personalities already. Can you tell us how this book transformed since its inception?
Katie: I think the version of the manuscript we submitted to editors was draft number 17. So my critique partners read this manuscript MANY times before I sent it to my agent. (Thanks, girls!) And my editor, Marilyn Brigham, actually asked for a “Revise and Resubmit” before taking this to acquisitions. After it was acquired, it went through more rounds of revisions. And finally, after the art was finalized, Marilyn and I tweaked the text here and there to make sure it paired perfectly with the art. As I used to tell my high school English students, writing is never finished!
Kaitlyn: I love that you and Marilyn tweaked the text to match with the text, that is so awesome! What is your hope for this book?
Katie: I hope this book will make kids smile. I hope they’ll get lost in the art (there are TONS of adorable details hidden in the illustrations), I hope they’ll imagine adventures of their own, and I hope they will come away from the story appreciating what makes their own home special.
Kaitlyn: Those are beautiful hopes, and it sure sounds like they will get them out of this sweet book. Also, I think it’s super interesting that you do freelance professional critiquing too, can you tell us about your services?
Katie: Yes, indeed! I really enjoy the critiquing and revision process. It’s so rewarding helping other writers improve their work. I offer a range of critique services on my website (www.katiefrawley.com/critiques), from face-to-face Zoom critiques to detailed line-edits. I even offer query and pitch services. And if you follow me on Twitter (@KatieFrawley1), keep your eyes peeled for the occasional critique sale!
Kaitlyn: Wonderful! Make sure to check that out, friends! Can you give us an insider scoop, what are a few things you often give as feedback?
Katie: A common issue I see in manuscripts is writers neglecting to fully develop the internal arc. They’ll have a story jam-packed with action (that’s the external arc!), but they’ll forget to highlight the emotional growth of the character throughout the text. It’s so important to have strong internal AND external arcs to build a really well-developed main character.
Kaitlyn: Oh, that’s great insight! And I can tell, readers, that I have had a critique from Katie and WOW she gives great insight from all those angles she mentioned as well as some ideas to get you going in the right direction. Her critiques are definitely wonderful! Thank you so much for joining us today, Katie!
Katie: Thank you for having me! I can’t believe I’m finally sharing the cover of my debut picture book with the world! GAHH!!!!
Kaitlyn: This is the best, most sincere reaction. I just love it! Welcome to the world, beautiful book cover! I can’t wait until we get to talk about how excited you are when your book has it’s official book birthday next year!
About Katie
Katie Frawley studied English at the University of Florida (GO GATORS!) and earned a Master’s Degree in British and American literature from Florida Atlantic University. Before having children, she had the pleasure of teaching English in high school and middle school. When not banging away on the keyboard, Katie can be found testing new recipes with her miniature sous chefs, shooing iguanas away from her garden, or reading picture books to a captive audience on the couch. Katie lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with her husband and four (almost five!) children. Website | Twitter
Giveaway time!
Do you want to win a picture book manuscript critique from a wonderful author and freelance editor?
Check out all the ways to enter a picture book manuscript critique from Katie Frawley: (each one is an extra entry):
- Comment on this post
- Share in the comments below that you added Tabitha and Fritz Trade Places to your Goodreads “Want to Read” list and/or your Amazon Wishlist
- Share in the comments that you pre-ordered a copy of Tabitha and Fritz Trade Places
- Quote retweet my tweet about this blog post on Twitter and tag three friends.
Thank you all for reading and sharing, and I hope you pre-order this adorable book and/or check out getting a critique from Katie and sharing her book and critique services with your writing friends!
Sincerely,
Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez
I adore this cover and the story sounds fabulous!
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Right?! My sentiments exactly 😍 I hope you get to pre-order and share with all your friends 😍
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Thank you, Laurie! I love the cover too!!!
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This book sounds adorable! It will be hard to wait until January, but it’s on my Amazon wish list.
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😍😍😍 thanks so much for reading and adding to your wishlist!
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Hurry up and wait, right? That’s the writer’s anthem! This one is worth the wait though. I PROMISE!
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This looks great. It has such a unique and approachable theme and I’m bonkers about the art and the color palette On that awesome cover. This will definitely be on my shelf.
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Hi Jonat, nice to meet you! Arenyoj an author and/or illustrator as well? The way you describe this book makes me think you might be and if love to hear more about your journey. Thanks so much for reading this post and please let me know if you preordered so I can get you more chances to win in the giveaway 😍
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I’m bonkers TOOOOO!!!! I hope you enjoy it!
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I’m bonkers toooooo! And I agree about the palette. Laurie is an absolute wizard.
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What a great premise! Love the cover. ❤️❤️ Reading her interview makes me want to get comfy somewhere and just let the ideas flow.
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Yay! I hope the ideas definitely flow, Ann Whitford Paul’s book has inspired one of my stories too! I just adore it, and I hope you get great ideas flowing!
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Why do the ideas always seem to pop up when we’re in bed or the shower? The muse has a great sense of humor. Thanks for checking out the blog today!
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Great interview, Kaitlyn and Katie. The perfect greeting: “Welcome to the world beautiful book cover!”
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Yes! I love that! Welcome to the world, beautiful cover
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Welcome, Tabitha and Fritz! I’ve been waiting and waiting to greet you!
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Thank you for this Interesting and inspiring interview! The book looks adorable! Congratulations!
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Thank YOU for reading, sharing, and supporting authors!
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Thanks so much, Mia. So much love went into this book!
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I can’t wait to read it! Thanks for sharing how this story came to be, and I love the reminder about the internal arc!
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Isn’t throat such an important, often forgotten, reminder? I’m so glad you enjoyed it and please let us know in the comments if you added to goodreads, wishlists, or preordered! Thanks so much for reading!
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Thanks for reading the interview today. Internal arc is SO important! That’s where the heart is!
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That cover!! Wow! Congrats Katie & great interview Kaitlyn!!
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Aww , Marci, I just adore this reaction! I’m so glad your enjoying it and thanks for much for reading the blog and supporting this amazing author!
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Thanks, Marci! I’m over the moon with this beautiful book!
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Really enjoyed reading this interview. Great advice Katie regarding external and internal arcs. Can’t wait to read TAFTP! Super cute…still laughing at “Lair-bnb. “
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Haha Right? Best play on words! And yay I’m so glad you enjoyed it, aren’t internal arcs something we tend to feel but not fully acknowledge? This is way Katie is such a great Critiquer! Thanks for reading the blog and let us know here if you added to your wishlists or pre-ordered
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HA! Yes, I gave myself quite a giggle when I came up with Lair-bnb, I must say. Glad it tickled your funny bone!
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It’s so genuis, Katie!
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Lair-bnb!?! Love it!! Congratulations! Added to Amazon Wish List!
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Yay! Thanks so much for adding to your list and I’m so glad you enjoyed the interview!
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Thanks for the support, Holly!
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This looks amazing- can’t wait! Thank you both for your inspiration- it means so much to this aspiring author. 😊👍😘
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We writers need to stick together, Liz. I’m so glad you’re pursuing your writing dreams! Best of luck to you!
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Thanks for stopping by to read the interview and reveal, Katie is such an inspiration! Keep creating!
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The cover is fab and the idea of the characters trading places is so much fun! Best Wishes :0)
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I’m so excited for you Katie and Laurie! This cover us completely delightful and I’m excited to join them on their travels!!!
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Thanks so much! Tabitha and Fritz are always happy to welcome more adventurers to the fun!
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Yes😍 I love that joining them on their travels, it will be nice to “,travel” again 😉 with these adorable characters
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Thanks, Aileen! I’m hoping I”ll have the opportunity to send this wacky duo to more fun destinations in the future!
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Thanks so much for reading, Aileen, and for sending Katie good wishes. Here are good wishes coming to you as well😍
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This cover is fab and the idea of the characters trading places is so fun! Best Wishes :0)
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Such an adorable cover! I can’t wait to get my hands on this fun adventure. Already added to my Goodreads!
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Thanks for the support! It was so fun to write and an even bigger thrill when I saw the gorgeous art!
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Thanks so much, Abbi, for supporting Katie’s book and for always reading the blog, you’re awesome!
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What a clever idea for a PB! This is definitely going on my Goodreads “to read” list. Congrats on your cover reveal, Katie! I’ll happily promote on Twitter.
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You rock so much, Heather! Thanks so much!
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Thank you, Heather! Tabitha and Fritz appreciate the boost!
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I love that you said you did 17 drafts of this books. Sometimes I think “I can’t do one more draft!”. But I can. And I have to. Congratulations on your book.
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Oh, man. 17 drafts isn’t even a lot for me. I’ve done upwards of 30 on other stories. You can always crank out one more draft if you need to. Dig deep! You’ve got it in you, Susan!
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Yay! You CAN do it! I’m so glad Katie is helping keep your perseverance and inspiration high right now
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I’m looking forward to reading this and seeking out all the details in the illustrations! Thanks for the reveal and encouragement to add to my Goodreads list!
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Haha right? I’m stoked for the little finds in the art! Thanks for popping by the blog and adding to goodreads😍
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Just wait until you see the crowded airport spread. It’s HILARIOUS.
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I can’t wait to see it, Katie!
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This is such a cute cover. I added your book to my GoodReads account Want to Read list. And I loved your tip about being sure to add an internal arc for your characters.
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Thanks, Jodelle! That character development is SO IMPORTANT to writing a well-rounded story. Thanks for support Tabitha and Fritz!
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Thanks for sharing how you came up with the idea for your book. it’s a great tip to start the ideas flowing.
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The What-If game has served me well. Use it in good health!
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I can’t wait to read this story! The cover is just adorable. Best of luck with it!
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Thank you, Tara! I’m so happy to be getting this book out into the world!
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Congratulations Katie! Just a quick comment to say I really love the swap concept. I look forward to reading it! Wish you continued success Katie. Thanks Kaitlyn for the interview. Rosanna
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Thanks so much for stopping by the blog, Rosanna, it means so much that you’re reading and supporting up and coming authors!
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Thanks for reading today, Rosanna! I appreciate the support!
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This book sounds like so much fun (like many others said, you had me at Lair-bnb!) and the cover is gorgeous! Congratulations, Katie!!
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Thanks, Jolene. It’s been a wild ride, and I’m so glad to finally be sharing this book!
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Haha Right? Lair-bnb will always be so fantastic
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This looks adorable! Adding it to my list. Congratulations, Katie!
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Just pre-ordered! Can’t wait to share my little people!
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Sherry! Thank you for supporting Tabitha and Fritz! I hope your littles LOVE it! (Message me when the book arrives, and I”ll send them a personalized book plate!)
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Ahh, you rock so much , fire butt buddy!
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You know it is a great concept when you say to yourself “Why didn’t I think of that!?!” Can’t wait to see how these two characters adapt to their new environments.
I added the book to my Goodreads TBR/Want To Read list!
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Ooooh! I inspired a “Why didn’t I think of that?”?! That’s a lovely compliment! Thank you!
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Yay!
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Beautiful cover! Congratulations, Katie! I’m looking forward to reading this one and marked it as “Want to read” on Goodreads. Love the idea of a home swap picture book! Thanks for the fun post, Kaitlyn!
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Thanks for the support, Sarah! These two sure get into some sticky situations on their vacations!
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Haha I’m so glad you enjoyed the cover and the fun hehe did you hear me saying TA-DA! that’s my favorite part😍
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The cover was definitely a ta-da moment—so adorable! And what a clever storyline! Congratulations!
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Thanks, Ann! All the art is truly fabulous. I am the luckiest writer in the world to get to work with Laurie.
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Aww yay! I’m so glad someone else besides me loves ta-da😍 that’s my favorite part of reveals
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What a beautiful cover reveal. Looking forward to reading your debut picture book and such an original idea. It is a MUST have off my Amazon wishlist. ❤
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Thanks for putting us on your wish list. Tabitha and Fritz appreciate the support!
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Yay! Thanks so much for reading , Andrew and for supporting Katie and her book by adding it to your wishlist! You rock!
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LOVE the cover! Such a fun read! I will add to my Goodreads. 🙂
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Thanks so much, Angie! (I love the cover too!)
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Woohoo! Thanks so much, Angie
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Congrats, Katie! I added your book to my Goodreads TBR list.
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Thank you, Susan. Tabitha, Fritz, and I appreciate that!
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Woohoo. Thanks for reading and adding to your wishlist, Susan
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Your book sounds adorable, Katie & you have an adorable cover to match! Can’t wait to read it 😊
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Thanks so much! I’m nuts about the cover too!
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Thanks so much for reading the blog and discovering this awesome book, Jen!
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Congratulations, Katie! That cover is fantastic. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and journey with us.
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I’m so glad to share a little bit of my journey with you, David. Thanks for the cover love!
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Thanks for always reading and being so invested in this wonderful community, David!
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This looks great! So much personality in one cover. Tabitha and Fritz are going on my goodreads list.
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Hooray! Thanks so much! Tabitha and Fritz are not short on personality!
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Yay! Thanks so much for reading the blog and supporting Katie and her book in such an awesome way!
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I love the story idea, can’t wait to see it and the cover is so fun! Congratulations! And thanks Kaitlyn for sharing it with us!
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Thanks, Nancy! I had so much fun thinking up silly situations for this daring duo.
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Aw, you know I love sharing, Nancy, it’s so wonderful to see so many people falling in love with it too!
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How fun! Thanks for sharing!
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My pleasure, Katie, I love sharing! I’m so glad you enjoyed! And let me know if you added it to a list or pre-ordered so I can get you the correct number of entries to the random selection
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Sooo excited for you, Katie! The cover is adorable! I love the color choices. I added this to my to-read list on GR and RT’d your post on Twitter. I will order a copy for myself in the future for sure!
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You’re so awesome! Thanks so much for reading and always supporting so many authors!
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Such an exciting time, Katie! Adorable cover…I love the color choices! I marked it on my to-read list on GR and RT’d your post on Twitter. I will be ordering a copy in the future for sure. Cheering for you!
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Sorry…didn’t mean to post twice! It disappeared the first time.
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Ha no worries 😉
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I love how the idea for this story came in that hazy half-asleep time. I find some of my best ideas there too. Also wonderful to see a fellow 12x12er kicking goals. And the cover is gorgeous!
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That’s my favorite time to create too, a whole new world at that time in the haze😍 thanks so much for reading and encouraging such a wonderful new author
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This book sounds (and looks) amazing! Congrats Katie! I just added it on my Goodreads “Want to Read”. (And I love the idea of a red light/green light critique. Hmm…)
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Yay! Your rock and I was so happy to hear you had a great birthday. Red light/green light was one of my favorite games as a kid, so I hear ya 😉
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Looks like so much fun!
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😍
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This looks like such a fun book! I love the cover and can’t wait to read your story!
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Aww yay! Thanks so much for reading, Eileen! Make sure to let us know if you do any of the other steps to enter the drawing
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This looks like such an adorable book! Love the idea of trading places and the “Lair-bnb.” had me laughing. Congratulations Katie! Loved this interview and the suspense was fantastic! Wait for it…
Going on my Goodreads!
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I’m so happy you enjoyed my interview style, How I Met Your Mother is a huuuge part of our household lol so wait for it is definitely one of my favorite phrases 😍
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This book looks fabulous. Thanks for sharing snippets of the story and how it came to be in the world.
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So happy you enjoyed reading, Kirsty!
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Oops, I think my other comment disappeared…
Thanks for sharing. It looks gorgeous!
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I love the premise of your book, having not one but two characters go out of their usual habitat gives you double the opportunity for fish out of water scenes! Like a What If? squared! Internal arc is something I know I need to work on … I love the action element so much that I can sometimes neglect it so thanks for the timely remidet. Best of luck with the book and thanks for sharing this post!
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I love that great PoV and the math you included in your repsonse, Joan, I think we’re going to be great friends! Thanks so much for reading! Pease let us know if you added it to a wishlist or pre-ordered to get in on the giveaway
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Enjoyed reading about your journey, Katie!
Such a fun cover!!
Added to wish list on both Amazon and Goodreads. Good luck!
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Thanks so much for reading and supporting Katie by adding to your wishlists, Riya!
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Gaaah indeed Katie. So glad to see this. I adore the premise and the cover is so cute. I can also attest to anyone about your perceptive critiquing skills. Woot Woot to you!
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Aw this is such a sweet message, Ginny, thanks so much for reading my blog and I hope you do tell all your friends about her amazing Critique services!
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I forgot to mention that I also pre-ordered a book. She’s a former critique partner of mine.
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Looks amazing, Katie! I think you’re going to be very successful with this book!
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Oh, oh, ooooohhh! This looks great!
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And, for the record, I had an uncle nicknamed “Fritz,” LOL…..
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Haha! Love both of these comments, please tell me more about uncle fritz, was he a character or a dull person with an awesome name (note, I’m super hoping for the first😍)
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Most everyone in my family is a character, LOL. So there you go!
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Aww they sound awesome, family reunions must be the best
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Love the cover! I’d definitely want to hang out with those two any day. And thanks for sharing the great tips (especially about paying attention to internal arcs). Such a wonderful story to come from a simple “what if?” Thank you ladies! Can’t wait for this to be available.
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Ha, I love that, Heather, you’re so right, they both look like the coolest charcaters to hang out with, and that internal arc dialogue totally helped in our Critique Group discussion this week right😍
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I LOVE the cover! Now I want to know – what happened when they traded places!
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Such a cute cover! I’m sure it will be a hit with young readers everywhere!
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This story sounds as fabulous as the cover looks! It’s on my amazon wish list and I can’t wait to read it to my class when we’re back in school!
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Hi Danielle, I’m so happy you dropped by my blog, thank you for supporting wonderful new authors and I can’t wait to hear what your students think of it!
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The cover is adorable! I added the book to my Goodreads “want to read.” Can’t wait to read it!
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Yay! Thanks so much, Jenna!
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Sounds like a great story! I love the concept of animals from different continents “house swapping” and Lair BnB makes me LOL 🙂 How fun! The cover looks great! Congratulations, Katie! We can’t wait to read!
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Yay! I can’t wait to read either, I’m so glad you’re just as excited for this wonderful book, Tonnye
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What a fun adventure book! The title characters have their differences, and it will be so much fun to watch what happens when they switch places with each other. The cover illustration is unique and reinforces this clever story. I’ve added the book to my Goodreads “Want to read” list and happily retweeted. I’ve pre-ordered my copy on Amazon and look forward to sharing this book with others. Best of luck to you, Katie!
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Thank you so much for visiting the blog, Helen, and for doing so much for support Katie as a debut author, you rock!
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Thank you!
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I love the cover and story concept. How exciting!
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Aren’t they great? Thanks for reading George!
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