Cover Reveal: RESCUE AT LAKE WILD, by Terry Lynn Johnson

Hi Terry! Thank you so much for allowing us to be part of your cover reveal. Can you please tell us about your upcoming release, and when it will be published?

Rescue at Lake Wild is about Madison, a 12-year-old girl, and her two best friends, who rescue a pair of orphaned beaver kits and then must keep them a secret. There is a poaching mystery to solve, a town’s beaver population to save, and a helpful, slightly food-obsessed dog named Lid. Expect lots of beaver mayhem. It comes out June 1, 2021 with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

I’d love to know where the idea from this story came from?

I worked with a wildlife rehabilitator one year in Kenora, Ontario and was astounded at her stories of caring for beaver kits. She gave me an insight into the hidden life of a beaver. Fast forward years later, I’d been wrestling with writing a novel about my job as a game warden, but couldn’t find the right kid-friendly approach. Then I saw a special on the Nature of Things about beavers, and the idea for this book was born.

Did you have any input on the cover, and who is the illustrator?

The illustrator is the amazing Maike of Front Desk fame. She gave us several sketches to choose from, and they were all fantastic. I’m lucky that my publisher has always asked for my input on my covers. What I really appreciated in this process was how Maike was able to capture the tone of the story in her art, since she had taken the time to read the book! Truly a wonderful experience for an author to have the illustrator get you! She also created a fun map!

Of course, I thought the art style looked familiar! OK, it’s time for the big reveal!

Wow, this is an amazing cover, Terry! It’s so bright and colorful.

And I’m double lucky in that this book also has wrap art. Here’s the whole work of art.

I LOVE the beaver and tree on the spine. It’s absolutely beautiful.

Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about your book?

As with all my books, the wild animals in the story are as realistic as possible. To ensure the beaver kits’ behavior was true to life, I interviewed several wildlife rehabilitators, including one who told me an incredible personal story with a beaver she cared for. That story is depicted on the cover. I toured a wildlife rehab center and also visited beavers at a wildlife education facility, where one of the good-natured beavers allowed me to touch him so I could write accurate details. It’s fun being an author!

I highly recommend our readers check out your other middle grade titles if they’re not familiar with your writing. Where can they go for more information on you and your books?

My website http://www.terrylynnjohnson.com

Thanks for chatting with us today, and all the best with your book’s release. I cannot wait to read it!

I so appreciate everything you do for the MG community!