Roll the Presses on Barracuda's Curse by Isabella Kontrick!

While attending fulltime third grade, Isabella Kontirck attended 2 hour workshops every Saturday for two months, spanning the arts of writing to readers, self editing, the editing relationship, and the world of professional publishing. She then survived a tough scrutiny by the panel of educational and publishing professionals that in the end, named her the 1st through 3rd grade winner for her book, the Barracuda's Curse.

From there, Isabella began a six month long editing phase. She officially finished today on deadline with flying colors and nothing but praise from her editor, the professional novelist/editor, Lil Gibson, Co producer of Gulfport's Annual Youth Writing Project, along with myself and Alex Small, another local novelist.

The look on the faces of Isabella and her Mother, Paola Kontrick, today, when Isabella handed Barracuda's Curse off to me for the layout, design, and launching, was incredible but nothing will compare to that moment when Isabella gets to hold a finished, published hardcopy in her hand.

I've decided to stage a surprise public presentation for her, where she'll get to see and hold her finished book for the first time. So stay tuned for the when and where. We want you all to join us in applauding not only Isabella's tremendous achievement but our own. It was our community and it's support of the annual event, held at the Gulfport Public Library, that made it all possible. Thank you.

It has been whispered to me that Isabella is now working on not only her second book but she's also begun a film project involving several of her peers. I am so excited to see her drive.