Chicken House Press Signs California Author for a Cozy Middle-Grade Mystery Adventure
Stevens signing her publishing contract.
Chicken House Press has secured Teri Stevens, from Napa, California for her charming summer camp adventure, Makenzie’s Ring, a sweet and haunting debut novel.
Growing up, Teri Stevens attended camp every summer, a stone’s throw from Lake Tahoe, CA where her love of spooky stories and s’mores began. She has always been fond of the autumn season, especially Halloween, but with Makenzie’s Ring she’s taking the spookiness of fall and dropping it into the iconic scenery of summer camp.
Thirteen-year-old Makenzie is thrilled to be a junior camp counsellor, embracing the idea of a whole summer of independence away from her overprotective parents. Nestled in a secluded area by a lake, surrounded by dense forests and an old, uninhabited manor, the camp is the perfect setting to test her autonomy.
While swimming in the lake during training week, Makenzie finds a ring. Though strictly against camp rules, she is compelled to keep it. If she’s caught, her parents will be furious—and even worse, she’ll be kicked out, ending her first foray into freedom.
Strange things begin to happen when Makenzie wears the ring in the secrecy of her cabin. The stone changes colour and she dreams about a young woman dressed in Victorian-era clothing. Each dream is scarier than the last. Walking alone one night, she sees a glowing silhouette near the lake. Makenzie is frightened, yet fascinated.
Is it a ghost or a trick?
Makenzie is shocked when the caretaker of the 100-year-old manor notices the ring and attempts to take it from her. With grit and determination, she gathers her courage and puts together the pieces of an old mystery, revealing many unexpected twists and secrets along the way.
Inspired by Alice Hoffman and her warm approach to otherworldly things, Teri writes with the magical reality of Rick Riordan and the rich life lessons of C. S. Lewis. Makenzie’s Ring will invite children and parents alike into a cozy mystery of unexpected turns that will leave readers itching to go on an adventure of their own. With commentary on friendship, family, honesty, and believing in yourself, Makenzie’s Ring is so much more than a story about summer camp.
Teri lives in Northern California with her husband and three teenagers. Makenzie’s Ring is her first middle grade novel.
Watch for it in 2025.
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