Wednesday, June 11, 2003
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Wednesday, June 11, 2003 |
Publishing company seeks kids to appear in upcoming mystery novelsBy MICHAEL
BOYLAN
Over 20 years ago Carole Marsh wrote "The Mystery of Biltmore House," a mystery novel for kids that featured pictures of her son, Michael, and some of his friends. Marsh was a resident of North Carolina at the time and the story, which involved disappearing kids and the disappearance of a priceless antique chess set, found success with lots of readers. Since that time, Marsh has authored hundreds, if not thousands of books, and formed Gallopade International, a publishing company in Peachtree City. Michael is now vice president of the company, while his sister was featured in another mystery novel, as were her kids, Grant and Christina. The Carole Marsh mysteries are becoming very popular with children all over the country, as well as with teachers. Not only are the mysteries engaging to young readers but they are based on history of the area in which they are set. For instance, "The Mystery at the Boston Marathon" has the kids searching for clues along the Freedom Trail, while "The Mystery of the Alamo Ghost" has the kids search for clues along the River Walk and through old San Antonio on a mission to save the Alamo. The books are geared towards third- and fourth-grade reading levels, but mystery fans of any age often find the books hard to put down. Mystery novels aimed at children have been very successful in the past and when Marsh re-released "The Mystery of Biltmore House" for its 20th anniversary, she found a very eager audience. Part of the success stems from the fact that the author uses real places and real kids. In fact, as Gallopade is set to write and publish seven more Carole Marsh mysteries, they are looking for more children to be a part of the story. Gallopade is seeking children ages 8-14 of varying backgrounds to be part of photo shoots which will take place in Peachtree City and the surrounding area the week of July 1. Photo shoots will only take a part of the day and children selected will get a free autographed copy of the book they are in and will get a chance to meet the author. The pictures may also be used on the Web site and future ads. "We're seeking kids with very expressive faces," said Amanda McCutcheon, associate publicist with Gallopade. "We may need them to make funny faces or scared expressions during the shoots." Some of the books coming out in the future are "The Mystery at The White House," "The Mystery on the Iditarod Trail," and "The Mystery of the Chicago Dinosaurs" among others. The books will be released in September of this year. Gallopade also plans on launching a Carole Marsh Mysteries Web site and fan club soon where readers will get newsletters, membership cards and posters. If you are interested in participating in the Carole Marsh Mysteries photo shoot, phone Amanda McCutcheon at 770-631-4222 ext. 14 or e-mail pr@gallopade.com.
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