A great big Thank You! to Karen Lyon, editor of #The Literary Hill, for including Cap City Kids in her recommended gifts and reads this holiday season.
The Washingtonian Guest List? What an honor!
Don’t miss the December issue of the Washingtonian! The staff graciously invited me to their Guest List (p. 20), which featured my latest novel, Court Kasie. Thank you, Washingtonian! What an honor!
The DREAMer and the Supreme Court
Don’t miss Court Kasie, the third book in my
Cap City Kids mystery-thriller series.
A high school intern facing deportation… A plot to bribe a Supreme Court Justice… A case that could ignite a nation?
Fifteen-year-old Kasie has always been an exceptionally gifted student. Unfortunately, she’s also an undocumented immigrant. Ever since her parents were deported during a politically motivated ICE sweep, she’s been living with her friend’s family, in fear of ICE. But she’s continued to excel at school, and with the support of her mentors, applies for DACA, which provides her with the work permit she needs to become an intern at the Supreme Court Library. When the ICE agent who deported Kasie’s parents comes looking for her, she flees and hides out at the Supreme Court. There, she discovers a plot to bribe a Supreme Court Justice in an explosive new case whose outcome could affect the lives of millions. With nowhere left to turn, Kasie finds herself having to choose between her own future and the future of the only country she’s ever called home.
The story of a DREAMer who just wants to fit in
America is a mosaic, a nation of people whose ancestry can be traced to every region of the world. But America’s history involves the clash of peoples, too, and there are those who perpetually live in its shadows. As many as eleven million undocumented immigrants, representing roughly 3 percent of America’s population, live and work in fear of deportation. Their primary hope: to someday become citizens. This is the story of one promising young immigrant’s hopes and fears.
A glimpse of the challenges faced by America’s highest court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has a rich and storied past. Its colorful and often bitterly contested cases have changed the course of America’s history. But the modern Supreme Court faces challenges on all sides—from divisive politics, to relentless globalization, and intense corporate lobbying—that threaten to transform it forever.
This fast-paced book shows what happens when the hidden world of undocumented immigrants runs into the highest court in the land!
The Virtues of Indie Book Reviews in Publishers Weekly
Are you an indie author? Don’t miss Laura Morelli’s excellent advice on editorial reviews, especially those that come from Publishers Weekly! I had the privilege to share a panel at BookExpo 2017 with Laura (author of the critically acclaimed The Gondola Maker) hosted by Carl Pritzkat, President of BookLife. Here’s Laura’s article, published by the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi):
How to Submit a Self-published Book for Review in Publishers’ Weekly – and Why
Thank you Laura!
The Science Behind Forgery
WIRED‘s Elise Craig explains how science can detect even the most artful forgeries in “How Science Uncovered $80 Million of Fine Art Forgeries.” Pretty amazing detective work. For more on forgery and fine art, check out my latest novel, Attic Ward.
The Orphan and the Art Heist
Don’t miss the newest Cap City Kids novel, Attic Ward —
a thrilling ride through the world of fine art!
A teen artist on the run… A daring heist at the National Gallery… A painting worth the price of freedom?
On the run from the state of Virginia, a talented teen artist takes refuge in the Smithsonian Castle and uncovers a plot to steal one of the nation’s most prized works of art.
Could an orphan rouse a nation’s passion for its fine art?
Fifteen-year-old Brooke has been bounced between foster homes for half her life. With her rare and exceptional ability to draw and paint, Brooke knows she’s not normal. She has always felt misunderstood and mistreated by the adults in her life. When Brooke decides to run away to Washington, DC, her luck begins to turn. Just as things are finally looking up, however, Brooke’s probation officer catches up with her. But that becomes the least of her troubles when she suddenly finds herself having to choose between fleeing for her life and saving a centuries-old masterpiece. In Attic Ward, greedy art world power brokers find themselves up against a brilliant and determined young artist who is willing to sacrifice everything to save the art she loves.
An entertaining glimpse of legendary artists, forgers, and their masterpieces
Experts suggest that as much as forty percent of the pieces of art circulating in legitimate art markets are forgeries. Even Michelangelo was allegedly hired to forge copies of ancient Roman sculptures. Brooke learns more than she ever wanted to know about the dark side of art, which is at once thrilling and infuriating.
You won’t view a painting the same way ever again
Imagine masterpieces coming to life! Better yet, imagine that they’re already alive. Brooke sees art in every aspect of her life. Her passion and perception are so infectious that you won’t be able to view legendary artists and their masterpieces the same way ever again. And the next time you wander the halls of a museum, you might find yourself holding your breath…
