The wait is finally over! I promised you a sneak peak at the cover to the sequel in the Iggy the Iggy series! Well here it is! Summer League will be available to buy this summer in 2009! Keep checking the website for updates!

Want to hear the author of Iggy the Iguana talk about the book and how her author/publishing career all got started? Tune in this Wednesday evening February 4th at 7pm Central Time on Bobby Ozuna’s Show! Just go to http://artistfirst.com/bobbyozuna.htm and click on the LISTEN LIVE link!

Boy am I excited to be making this announcement! The Iggy Stuffed Animals have finally arrived!!!! You can get your very own for $14.99 by going to the order link on www.iggytheiguana.com. Believe me, he is really cute in person! If you have any questions about ordering please email me at [email protected].

Congratulations to this month’s Book Review Winners! Since I had SO many great reviews, I decided to choose three winners this month. Congrats to Eden White, Deysy Bonilla, and Mario Alvarado!

This is what they had to say!

Eden White from Cross Roads Elementary:
“I loved the book! I couldn't put it down. I got the book on Thursday afternoon, and I finished it on Saturday morning. My favorite character is Snap Shell because he has a "diggin" personality like me. He made me laugh out loud, and I really like the way he talks. I also like him because he is the catcher for his baseball team, and I am the catcher on my softball team. I can’t wait to read the next book. I also liked the book because I moved to a new school in 2nd grade, and I know how it feels to be the new kid in school. Snap Shell also reminds me of my dad because he says "DUDE" all the time. My older sister’s friends make fun of him for talking like Snap Shell.”

Deysy Bonilla from Cornelius Elementary:
“I love your book! It’s incredible!! It was cool how you created animals into characters … you did so good. I also loved how you used things that I go through and made me feel them. My favorite chapter was the last one because it was so romantic and funny! I also liked that you added that moment of suspense in the chapter about Iggy’s dad’s race when Iggy, Molly, and Iggy’s mom thought Iggy’s dad got hurt. I almost got scared! And I liked how you added Bud into the story for Iggy’s competition for Liz. I hope this story is endless! I am definitely looking forward to your next book!”

Mario Alvarado from Scroggins Elementary:
“I just loved that book. I read 4 or 5 chapters a day. Snap was funny, and so was Molly. I loved how Molly created a berry bomb, that was HILARIOUS! I still thought it was funny when Kit Kat thought the picture was a picture of aliens! I had a wonderful time reading the Iggy the Iguana book, which is now my favorite book.”

Due to an overwhelming response, SNAP SHELL has won the contest and will be the next stuffed animal in the Iggy the Iguana Collection. He will be coming out this summer! Oh, and I promised I would tell you who that little tiny turtle was in the picture I posted last week .... to answer all of your questions, that turtle is Molly’s best friend, Little Bit!

I got to spend Christmas in Michigan with two of my biggest Iggy Fans! I gave my two little cousins, Kaylinn and Joey their Iggy T-Shirts for Christmas this year!

Thanks for all the help with book ideas for the sequel, Kaylinn!

Love you two!
Melissa

Only a few more days left in the next stuffed animal vote for Iggy the Iguana. Snap Shell and Molly are the final contenders, but Snap and his slow shell is actually giving Molly a run for her money! The final announcement will be made in the January Newsletter and on Iggy’s blog! Vote for your favorite at [email protected] before its too late!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Iggy the Iguana School Book tour this season. My last two schools were awesome! I wanted to thank Valley Ranch for their excitement on Monday! I also wanted to thank my last school, Armstrong Elementary, for wrapping up the tour with a BANG! It was so exciting the see so many familiar faces at Armstrong. I had spent two years at Armstrong Elementary and many of the students gave me great ideas for the Iggy story. SHANE, who is now in 5th grade, actually gave me the idea to put a bullfrog in the book as the Bully at the school.

Keep checking online for Iggy updates on his BLOG! I have many new surprises coming out in 2009! Keep being creative, Kids! And keep writing stories!!!!!

Melissa and Iggy

Hi Kids! I have a question for all of you! Who do you think this tiny little turtle is??? Tell me at [email protected]! You have to read the Iggy the Iguana story to know the answer. Good luck! I’ll post the answer next week.

Iggy is kind of sad that he only has a few more days left on the Fall School Book Tour. We have to take time to get the Summer League Sequel ready for this summer though ... RIGHT!?! Last week the school visits were AWESOME! I was surprised with so many cool Iggy pictures, projects, notebooks, and wonderful welcome signs and banners! Thank you to all of the schools and their students for making Iggy such a successful experience.

This week a special thanks goes out to ALIEF LEARNING CENTER, T.H. ROGERS, SOUTH HOUSTON ELEMENTARY, BERRY, CORNELIUS, TRUITT MIDDLE SCHOOL, SCROGGINS, PARKS ELEMENTARY, WEST HOUSTON CHARTER SCHOOL, and BRUCE ELEMENTARY!

Remember to sign up for Iggy’s Monthly News letter, students! That will always keep you in the loop!

Thanks for being AWESOME!
Melissa

The past week has been a blast on the Iggy School Book Tour. Not only have I gotten to meet some really great students with awesome questions, but all of you are making Iggy a pretty popular lizard! I am practically selling out of Iggy books! Thank you to everyone at Coop Elementary, T.H. Rogers Elementary, Garcia Elementary, Roderick Page Elementary, Alief Learning Center, and all of the Girl Scouts at Hemmenway Elementary for being such BIG IGGY FANS!

Hi Kids! So, Snap Shell has been winning the votes lately, which hasn’t made miss Molly very happy! Who do you want the next Iggy stuffed animal to be??? Molly or Snap Shell. Email me your vote at [email protected]!

I hope to see everyone at the Craft Show this Saturday!!! Enter for your chance to win an Iggy Stuffed animal!

Mayde Creek High School
“Christmas on the Creek”
Craft Show

Saturday, December 6, 2008
9am – 4pm @ Mayde Creek High School
19202 Groschke Rd. Houston, TX 77084
I will be autographing copies of Iggy the Iguana all day! There will also be T-shirts available for sale and a chance to win the Iggy Stuffed animal! Look for the Iggy Booth!

Iggy always got ready for the Christmas Season by wearing his hat and scarf, but first he would like to announce the winner of last month’s Kids Book Review Contest! DRUM ROLL PLEASE ............................ Congratulations to Emily Pavals from Truitt Middle School for a very impressive review. Read below to see what she had to say!!!!!!!!!

“I really liked this book because it had all different kind of animals in it, real cities, and even though it was about animals, it was just like what could happen to humans. I loved how it was just a simple love story about this new lizard who came to a new public school, and he started liking his first friend he met, Lizibeth. I could just imagine his little sister going crazy and being annoying by how much detail you put in there. I could actually imagine it! It had some comedy in it too that made me laugh a little! It is an excellent choice for kids, I would recommend it to anyone.”
by Emily Pavals

Hi Kids! As some of you may know, the Iggy Stuffed Animal is coming out for Christmas time. You can pre-order under the Order Tab at www.iggytheiguana.com. The T-Shirts are now available! The next stuffed animal of the group will be coming out this summer. I am trying to decide if Molly or Snap Shell should be next. Send me your vote at [email protected]. YOU DECIDE!!!! Read more to see their pictures.

I will be at the Barnes and Noble Holcombe Location in Houston this Wednesday evening 11/19/08 at 6:30pm for an author reading and signing. This event is hosted by the West University Elementary School Book Fair! I hope to see you there!!!!!

Thank you to all of the students at Memorial Elementary for such wonderful questions during my author visit last Friday. I can tell that Memorial is full of young talent. Keep up the good work! Remember ... I started developing my passion for creative writing at your age.

I really enjoyed getting to go back to your school! I hope everyone continues to read Iggy the Iguana and enters the monthly contests!!!!

Hey Iggy Fans! I hope everyone is getting as excited as I am about the second book of the Iggy the Iguana series! Summer League will be out in the summer of 2009. Many of you keep asking if there will be new characters in the next book .... THE ANSWER .... YES!!!!!!!! Keep looking on Iggy’s blog for updates and sneak peeks of what’s to come.