We're so happy to share that the second printing of The Hidden Forest has sold out and we're back ordered for the third printing!  You can get a copy here on my website, at your favorite local book seller or online at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

I'm thrilled to share that the first printing of THE HIDDEN FOREST is SOLD OUT and we are well into orders for the second printing!  So excited and many, many thanks!!

THE HIDDEN FOREST, a middle grade fantasy adventure story set on Nantucket Island, can be purchased at your favorite local book seller or online at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

The Hidden Forest by Daintry Jensen (book review) on June 22, 2015 , books, books for boys, books for girls

Daintry Jensen’s The Hidden Forest is a gem of a summer (or anytime, really) read. This whimsical book presents a spirited heroine in Adelaide. She is an adventurer, a wanderer, a girl with big dreams. We find her resigned to a boring summer in Nantucket only to discover a world waiting for her beyond anything she and her little brother could have imagined. There is also much more to her seemingly sleepy grandparents than you would expect. This book shares lovely little nuggets of truth like this:

“Good heavens, you’re not going to give up so easily, are you? I must tell you that I know you can. Most humans would stop where you are because things looked impassable. They wouldn’t even try. But you see, if you believe you can do it, then you can. It’s all just an illusion. That’s what stops people ninety-nine times out of a hundred from going ahead with something. Because it seems impossible, so they think they can’t continue. It’s all in the mind, my dear. The ongoing battle, all up here.”

The animal characters are particularly charming in their speech, humor and demeanor. My girls delighted in their descriptions. This book is not only a loving tribute to Nantucket (which is now on my must visit list) but to creativity, big imagination, and finding adventure right where you are.

Just like Adelaide says:

“Adelaide looked around at all the animals laughing and having a great time with the twinkling fireflies above and the full moon glowing down upon them, and she smiled. She realized that for a few moments she had completely forgotten about wanting to be grown-up. She was perfectly happy being who she was and where she was.”

The illustrations are dreamy and add a rich dimension to this imaginative read. I hope you enjoy visiting The Hidden Forest as much as my daughters (8 and 10 years old) and I did.

- See more at: http://non-toxickids.net/2015/06/the-hidden-forest-by-daintry-jensen-book-review.html#sthash.U0K3uZkj.dpuf

With Five Questions

- conversations with creative professionals in business and the arts -

Meet Daintry Jensen, Author of The Hidden Forest

Daintry Jensen has a background in dramatic writing from Skidmore College and UCLA's Professional Screenwriting Program. Before that, she was acting professionally in Los Angeles and NYC. Growing up, she spent her summers on Nantucket Island were she had many an adventure that sparked the imagination, and where she returns to whenever she gets the chance.

Learn more about Daintry by visiting her website. Her middle grade fantasy adventure novel, The Hidden Forest, will be published on June 12, 2015 by Green Writers Press, and you can read all about it here.

1. What first gave you the idea for The Hidden Forest?

Growing up in the summertime on Nantucket, my grandparents had a house out in Polpis near the real Hidden Forest. My grandfather used to take us on twilight walks nearby and we'd see tiny paths going under the brush. I would always wonder who lived there--what was happening there that was hidden from us humans?

2. I can remember getting very caught up in biographies of famous people as a kid. What is it about Amelia Earhart that inspires your protagonist, Adelaide?

That's such a great question. I think in Adelaide's mind, Amelia had no limits because she could fly! What could be better than that? If you can fly, than you can go wherever you want--a great thing for an adventuress! You could have breakfast at the Great Pyramid Of Giza in Egypt, lunch at Machu Picchu in Peru, and dinner on the peaks of Kilimanjaro. Amelia Earhart was also incredibly courageous and had tons of moxie, which is all very appealing to Adelaide. Amelia was a woman who really lived life to the fullest and followed her dreams.

3. What are some of the challenges of writing a fantasy book?

I actually feel like there a fewer challenges with writing fantasy because you can completely create your own world and the rules that apply there. You're the boss, and it's really great fun to not be bound anything but your imagination. That being said, because The Hidden Forest takes place on Nantucket, I wanted to make sure to capture the island itself, a place that is very near and dear to my heart.

4. What are some of the elements of your book that make it engaging for middle grade readers?

Summertime! I think kids have very visceral experiences during the summer because you're outside so much. Also, adventures, exploring hidden worlds, and dealing with the consequences of breaking the rules.

5. How did your background in studying dramatic writing and screenwriting help you in writing your book?

Dramatic writing is all about creating an emotional experience for the audience. The best way to do that (a little tip I learned in screenwriting) is to create conflict. Conflict almost always causes emotional reactions, sparks. Relationships are also front and center (and something I love exploring) and writing dialogue that has subtext and layering. But for me, emotion is #1. There's a quote I read by a famous actor recently that goes something like "I go to the theater/movies to laugh and to cry, and that's why I go." I feel that way about books, too. People want to connect. Emotional journeys are a great for that and create a lovely and fulfilling experience. In the words of E.M. Forester, "Only connect."

Incredibly fun to see my book here and one of the best book stores ever - if you're on Nantucket, stop by.  Mitchell's Book Corner is right on Main St.