Two years of searching to find this photo

Photo courtesy of: © Hipfel/Starck and http://www.vildmark.se/

I love this photo

To me it says, adventure on the water, the promise of islands, the companionship of friends. Does it get any better for a kid with an urge to explore?

Where book covers come from

I spend a lot more time than I used to, thinking about where book covers come from. My next book is titled Raft and I've been hunting for a cover image almost since I began writing the book. Honestly, I found nothing until I found this ... better than I ever imagined.

Raft won't be one of my series books. It's the story of a lonely, awkward island boy, about grade 9, who has developed an elaborate scheme based on help from his best friend, to hide the fact that he can't read at all. 

When something happens to his friend—his only friend—he is cast utterly adrift. When summer comes, building a raft and the adventures that ensue ... help him forge a new friendship and new life.

One of my pre-readers put it this way: 

"... a gripping but also very tender story line, a rich cast of believable characters I grew to love, and a coastline setting that felt fully tangible. I simply loved this book." Holly Kruse, Cabot VT

Check this out: River rafting in Sweden

The photo hails from Sweden, from a company that features rafting adventures on the Klarälven River. First you build your own raft, with their guidance, then you drift. You remember what it feels like to walk away from your devices and give yourself to the pace of the river. Wouldn't that be an adventure with kids or grandkids! Here's the link: http://www.vildmark.se/