Wednesday's special is...Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning

A kick-ass title, a killer cover, and a sweetheart author. How could you go wrong?

Danette's website is here. To visit her blog, click here. Amazon is selling her book somewhere vicinity here.

And I'll tell you all about it here:

Spunky, headstrong Violet Raines is happy with things just the way they are in her sleepy backwoods Florida town. She loves going to the fish fry with her best friend, Lottie, and collecting BrainFreeze cups with her good friend Eddie. She loves squeezing into the open trunk of the old cypress tree, looking for alligators in the river, and witnessing lighting storms on a warm summer day.

But Violet’s world is turned upside down when Melissa moves to town from big city Detroit. All of a sudden Violet’s supposed to want to wear makeup, and watch soap operas, and play Truth or Dare! It’ll take the help of Violet’s friends, her Momma, a few run-ins with lightning, and maybe even Melissa, for Violet to realize that growing up doesn’t have to mean changing who you are.



A former travel writer, technical writer, and even comic book writer (self-published at the tender age of six), Danette Haworth is Walker & Company's newest middle grade author. I met her while wandering around Blogtopia and was instantly won over by her casual, friendly style. Listen in as she shares a sample of Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning:

When Eddie B. dared me to walk the net bridge over the Elijah Hatchett River where we’d seen an alligator and another kid got bit by a coral snake, I wasn’t scared—I just didn’t feel like doing it right then. So that’s how come I know just what he’s saying when I see him in church, flapping his elbows like someone in here is chicken. When Momma’s not looking, I make my evil face at him, but he just laughs and turns the right way in his pew.

I fold the bulletin and fan myself. Lord, it’s hot in here. The windows are open but all that breezes in are a couple of love bugs, landing in front of me on a lady’s hair. I elbow my best friend, Lottie T., and point at the bugs. They crawl around and slip under a web of hair-sprayed strands. I start giggling and Lottie does, too. Only we press the giggles down so instead of coming out of our mouths, the giggles shake our shoulders.

Taking a deep breath, I lean forward and then, “AH-CHOO!” The lady’s hair blows over in one piece like a typhoon hit it and two black specks fly out. Lottie laughs out loud. When the lady turns around, I see she has devil eyebrows, the kind that go up in a point. I smile innocently. “’Scuse me, ma’am.” She nods and turns around. I look at Lottie and laughter starts bubbling up from somewhere deep until Momma puts her hand on my arm, pulling me back in the seat. I look forward and try to pay attention.

The preacher’s talking about how too much honey can make you sick and I know it’s true because I have put too much honey on my peanut butter sandwich before and I just about puked. But I get that he’s talking about too much sweetness is sickening. He doesn’t have to worry about me. I am never too sweet to anybody.

***
1. What besides honey has made Danette sick when she ate too much of it?

2. The name "Violet Raines" was inspired by:

a. A rainbow.
b. The apocalypse.
c. The artist formerly known as Prince.
d. Other (fill in the blank): __________

3. Danette's blog is called "Summer Friend." What should she call it now that summer is over?