I’ve been working all summer on a secret project and I’m finally ready to reveal it.
It’s the second edition of THE CONTENDERS…illustrated!
THE CONTENDERS is a middle-grade novel that poses the question: can enemies become friends? I never thought when I wrote THE CONTENDERS back in 2010, and then published it in 2015, that it could look like this–like the middle-grade novels that I read growing up like Ramona the Pest, Harriet the Spy, Charlotte’s Web, and Little House on the Prairie, where the illustrations were as important as the story itself.
It’s all thanks to Erin Kubo, an amazingly talented and skilled illustrator that I found through a chance encounter on Twitter. Not only does Erin love drawing tough girls like my main character, Eunice Yang, she’s also mixed-race Asian American, understands Eunice’s point of view, and lives only fifteen minutes away from me. It was a match made in artist-writer heaven.
Erin and I worked collaboratively this summer to add 18 fun, engaging, and emotionally-truthful illustrations to THE CONTENDERS story. We’re both incredibly proud of the final product and can’t wait to get it out into the world.
But we need your help.
We’re launching a Kickstarter campaign today to help fund the illustrations, design, printing, and distribution of the new edition of THE CONTENDERS. Our goal is to raise $3000 over the next 21 days.
The way Kickstarter works is you need to raise the FULL amount in the time set or else you receive nothing. So, for example, if we raise $2999 in 21 days, we’d get zero. We only get the full amount if we raise $3000 or more by 9:00 PM Pacific Time on Wednesday, October 23, 2019.
Every pledge helps.
Every dollar counts.
And, we have awesome rewards for every pledge level from $5 to $200.
Watch this video for a sneak peek of the illustrated version of THE CONTENDERS and a special message from the CFO of Plaid Frog Press, the new indie publishing company co-founded by me and my husband, Marcus Donner.
Thanks so much for your support!
Peg Cheng is the author of The Contenders, a novel that asks, can enemies become friends? She is currently writing a book about how to retire as a millionaire even if you make a modest income. Peg is also the creator of Fear & Writing, a workshop for procrastinating writers from all walks of life.
Art: THE CONTENDERS cover by Erin Kubo.