The BIG Launch

Sydney Smith, Kate Inglis and Chris "Old Man" Luedecke

You know you are really an author when your second book gets published! We were so thrilled when three years of work culminated in a wonderful book launch for our daughter Kate Inglis last Saturday. And what could be a more special place to hold the launch than the Small Craft Gallery at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax. Friend and banjo player extraordinare, Chris "Old Man" Luedecke sang and played his banjo in between Kate's readings. So special, a prefect combination.

A perfect place to let this book Flight of the Griffons set sail and take Kate on another wonderous adventure.

Kate drew this when she was 6! I am so glad I kept it!

Kate, with braids and glasses, grade primary, Tower Rd School

Look what we started!

Kate has always wanted to be an author, she began at a very young age, perhaps when she was about 4 when she would staple pages together and "write" books! I was so glad I kept quite a few of them and that they are now her treasures. She read at an early age thanks to her wonderful teacher, Mrs. Douthwaite at the All Saints Church of England Promary School in Gosforth, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England (we were there on a year long sabbatical). Kate was further encouraged by her primary teacher, Jane Michaud at Tower Rd School in Haliax, there was no going back now!

Two boys, Ben and Evan - so proud of their Mom.

Kate's first book The Dread Crew - Pirates of the Backwoods, was published in 2009. Flight of the Griffons is the sequel, featuring many of the same characters and introducing some new ones. The illustrations are wonderful, captured perfectly by Sydney Smith. You can find Sydney here and here. There is a wonderful review here posted on the website Finding Wonderland. Books can be ordered direct from Nimbus or from the very best children's bookstore Woozles (yes, they love to do mail orders!).

Needless to say we are very proud of Kate and what she has accomplished - can't wait for the next one - now I need to get back to some quilting!

(There are more pictures from the book launch on my Flickr page here)