Jayne Rowe Jones

Jayne Rowe Jones is the author of Evelyn and the Peacocks and Retsbol Rises: An Abenaki Lobster Tale.

What are your ties to Maine or the Boothbay Peninsula?

I was born in Augusta, grew up in Bangor, and attended college in Brunswick. My first visit to Boothbay was while I was in college. I love Midcoast Maine and Boothbay is one of my favorite towns.

What is your favorite thing about writing in Maine?
My YA book, Retsbol Rises, takes place in MDI, another magical place, and Evelyn from Evelyn and the Peacocks also lives by the ocean. The combination of the ocean and the rocky Maine coast speaks to my soul on both a creative and spiritual level.  I am fortunate to have a lake house in Naples and I write many times staring at the water.

What are the most important themes in your work?

In Retsbol Rises my theme is good vs. evil with a call to action for my main character, thirteen-year old Ani.  Ani learns to trust herself while truly living and experiencing an adventure. Evelyn learns the value of good friends!

Tell us about the books you will be signing at Books In Boothbay this year?

Retsbol Rises is an action adventure tale in which a tribal covenant in Maine is stolen, disrupting the harmony of Mount Desert Island and calling the lobsters back to take over the land. A teenage girl discovers that she is Kanake-kee, "One Who Walks with Animals," and must lead the charge to help unravel the Abenaki mystery and stop the lobster rebellion. The fate of MDI and Acadia National Park rests in her hands.  (Winner of the National Independent Excellence Award 2014)

Evelyn and the Peacocks is a whimsical story about a little girl who enjoys spending time with her brothers, joining them in dressing up for Halloween and watching July 4th fireworks. When her brothers go to school, Evelyn is unhappy, as she is not old enough to attend. Soon, however, she encounters two unusual playmates--peacocks--and the fun continues!

What do you hope readers will discover in your latest book?
I hope my new young readers will identify with my character Evelyn and find joy and friendship in not so typical ways.

If you have attended Books In Boothbay in the past, please tell us what you enjoyed about it?

The area is simply beautiful and the people are extremely friendly.  I also love the camaraderie between the authors.  It is exciting and an honor to participate.

What do you feel about the future of our local libraries?

As long as there are readers there will be libraries. We need to continue to encourage visitors and support for our local libraries.  As local authors we should volunteer our time, our books, and our creativity and partner with libraries to help them remain contemporary, vital, and connected to their greater communities.

Come see Jayne Rowe Jones and dozens of additional authors and artists at this year's Books in Boothbay festival on July 11!