Dear readers,

I’m excited to let you know that Skyriders, my middle grade fantasy about brave young couriers on their flying horses, releases in paperback on April 9th.

Here’s what the trade magazines had to say about Skyriders:

I’m also happy to announce that Skyriders is a FINALIST for a Colorado Book Award in the juvenile fiction category.

I’m even more thrilled that The Sky King, the sequel to Skyriders, is launching on May 7th from Viking Children’s Books! Once again, talented Brandon Dorman has created a wonderful cover. Kie and Topar and their skysteeds are so animated, and the vultiren at the bottom is even scarier than I imagined!

And, the first review for this new book is in. KIRKUS declares that The Sky King is:

“An action-packed, superbly paced second book that raises the stakes and shows the cost of loss.”

Colorado folks, I will be reading a chapter from The Sky King and signing copies at a launch party hosted by Off the Beaten Path, our wonderful indie bookstore here in Steamboat Springs, on May 11th. For more information about the launch party and accompanying writing contest, visit my website. I will also be signing at the WOW! Children’s Museum Book Festival on May 4th from 1-2:30 pm at 110 N. Harris Avenue, Lafayette, Colorado.

Texas folks, I will also be signing copies of both Skyriders and The Sky King at the Frisco, TX Book Festival at the Frisco Library on April 27th from 2-4 pm.

During this past year, I’ve presented at schools all over the country. I had a fine time teaching writing workshops to students in Plano, Allen, Seattle, Cleveland, and Washington DC. I even visited Lakeside, Bill Gates’ old school, where several precocious fifth and sixth graders were already using Query Tracker to try to find literary agents to represent their writing!

I also had great fun driving around Colorado and presenting at schools in Boulder, Westminster, Lakewood, Steamboat, Breckenridge, Ridgeway and Colorado Springs. As always, if you are interested in booking me at your school, please reach out to Sarah DeVore here.

I’m already starting to arrange my school visit travel for next fall. You can read more about the various programs I offer on my website. Because I was a classroom teacher, I’m definitely a teaching sort of author, and I often hear from veteran educators that I give some of the most worthwhile author assemblies and writing workshops they’ve ever seen.

Occasionally, I also teach adults! I was honored to present two sessions at the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI’s Letters and Lines conference this fall, and I joined poet Megan E. Freeman and passionate school librarian Jeanmarie Johnson to give a presentation at NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) on the topic of “Reading-Writing Connections: High Impact Strategies that Engage All Kids.” Presenting to English teachers from all over the country was a little scary, but our session was packed, and the teachers seemed to appreciate the resources and strategies we offered. Afterwards, I was able to sign LOTS of copies of Skyriders at the Penguin Random House booth.  

Now I’m back home and hard at work on a coming-of-age story set in Cripple Creek, Colorado, and I’m counting down the days until The Sky King launches. I can’t wait for young fans of Skyriders to read about brave Kie and her loyal skysteed N’Rah’s adventures as they search for the legendary Sky King and new allies in their fight against the terrible chimerae. Fly safe, fly free!

Warmly,

Polly Holyoke