POISON--Marvelous Monday Blog Tour

I'm taking a break from my normal MMGM (and from my 50th birthday celebrations, which have been stretching on for days) to celebrate the release of POISON, the debut of the late Bridget Zinn.

Bridget was only 33 when she died from cancer in 2011, with her book under contract. She and her husband, Barrett Dowell, had moved to Oregon from Wisconsin, and the first I ever heard of Bridget was the auction that our local SCBWI chapter held for her to help with her medical bills. Sad to say, I never got the chance to meet her, but in her short time in Oregon she made many friends and touched many hearts.

I am thoroughly enjoying POISON, with its spunky heroine, its whimsical humor, and its adventure. Here is what it's about:

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she's the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom's future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend. But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart…misses. Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king's army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she's not alone. She's armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can't stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she's certainly no damsel-in-distress—she's the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

About Bridget:

Bridget grew up in Wisconsin. She went to the county fair where she met the love of her life, Barrett Dowell. They got married right before she went in for exploratory surgery which revealed she had colon cancer. They christened that summer the "summer of love" and the two celebrated with several more weddings. Bridget continued to read and write until the day she died. Her last tweet was "Sunshine and a brand new book. Perfect."

Bridget wanted to make people laugh and hoped readers would enjoy spending time with the characters she created. As a librarian/writer she loved books with strong young women with aspirations. She also felt teens needed more humorous reads. She really wanted to write a book with pockets of warmth and happiness and hoped that her readers' copies would show the watermarks of many bath time reads.

I can't think of anything sadder for a writer than not to hold a precious copy of his or her debut book. It is wonderful that many hands have been holding Bridget's book, and enjoying the fruits of her creative and ingenious mind. Please consider buying a copy, or asking your local library to order a copy. Sunshine, and a brand new book to you all.

Here's where you can buy POISON:

Barnes & Noble   POISON

IndieBound  

iTunes Bookstore POISON

Powell's Books 

And, if you must, Amazon 

Add Poison to your Goodreads pile!