Meet a Cool Author-Rita Monette

Hello, everyone! Since I have been writing, I have met authors from many places.  One of the neatest things about writing is meeting cool authors!

       Rita Monette is one of those authors.  Rita was born and raised in Southwest Louisiana. After retiring from her job as an administrative assistant, Rita began doing what she always wanted to do…write, draw, and paint. Her debut middle grade novel, The Legend of Ghost Dog Island, was released in November of 2012, followed by the sequel, The Curse at Pirate’s Cove, in November of 2014, by Musa Publishing. The books also contain her sketches. Her stories are set in the beautiful, yet mysterious, bayous and swamps of her home state. Rita now lives with her husband, four lap dogs, and one lap cat, in the mountains of Tennessee.

1.  Tell us about your books.

       The Curse at Pirate’s Cove, book two in the Nikki Landry Swamp Legend Series, begins with now eleven-year-old Nikki Landry looking forward to riding her bike to school, now that she’s old enough. That is until it falls apart. When she hears about a legend that there might be buried treasure on a nearby swamp island, she sees a way to get a new one. But when she makes a birthday wish for the pirate’s gold, things go terribly wrong. Join Nikki and her friends as they encounter ghostly pirates, who whisk them away aboard their ship to the year 1814. How will they every find their way back?

      In book one of the Nikki Landry Swamp Legend Series, The Legend of Ghost dog Island, Nikki’s Papa moves their raggedy old houseboat into a mysterious Louisiana bayou. Ten-year-old Nikki Landry feels something is watching her from a nearby island. After learning of a local legend that something sinister is living nearby that steals the souls of dogs, she fears for her own Snooper’s safety. Nikki seeks to discover the real truth behind the legend of Ghost Dog Island…before it’s too late.

2.  Why did you pick middle-grade to write about?

I love middle graders. They are very open to new places and ideas. It was a time of discovery and imagination for me, which is why I chose to write this series based on my own life at that age…mixed of course with some imaginative adventures.

3.  Do you have any other books in the works?

I am currently working on book three in the series. This one is tentatively called The Secret in Mossy Swamp. In this episode, a young boy goes missing in one of the deepest swamps near the Atchafalaya Basin. Of course there’s a legend that’s been told of something inhabiting those swamps besides the Rugarou. Nikki’s papa, who is a game warden, is assigned to help find the boy, but Nikki and her friends are on their own quest. To find the truth about Mossy Swamp.

4.  What do you like to do when not writing?

When not writing, I do face painting at summer and fall festivals. I also spend a lot of time doing genealogy.

5.  What kind of books do you like to read?

I love to read historical books. I also read lots of middle grade books. I am very interested in character voice, and love to discover new voices.

6.  What advice do you have for other authors?

It’s hard to find something new to say on this topic without sounding cliché. But the best advice is to never give up. You WILL get rejected. But if you write because you have something to say, and not write to please others, or to follow a trend, you will be happy in the end.

LINKS:

The Legend of Ghost Dog Island
The Curse at Pirate’s Cove
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iB51g_CnuNE
Author website: http://ritamonette.com
Blog: http://ritamonette.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RitaMonetteBooks
Twitter: @ritamonette

Thank you for visiting everyone! Rita, thank you for being my first author for the 2015 year!  Your books sound like they have one adventure after another.  I know many boys and girls will enjoy reading!  I bet quite a few adults get in on the action too!

Remember, parents, reading is important for your child.  Please take thirty minutes each night to read to your child or have your child read to you.  I promise your time will be valuable in so many ways!

Until next time,  read a book!  CLOSING BOOKS SHUTS OUT IDEAS

Sara Stinson