Author Janet Kay (Jenson) will sign her debut novel, “Waters of the Dancing Sky,” at Ranier Days and at the Kettle Falls Hotel Saturday and Sunday.
The author will be available at the annual Ranier festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and will take a boat up the lake Sunday to sign the novel from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Kettle Falls Hotel.
“It feels like coming home again, stepping back into the world of my characters in ‘Waters of the Dancing Sky,’” Kay told The Journal. “After all, my characters spent memorable moments of their lives on the islands of Rainy Lake, in Ranier, Kettle Falls, and at the Thunderbird. They were shaped by the landscape, history and culture of this region.”
A release highlights “Waters of the Dancing Sky” as an inspirational love story that embraces past and present realities. It is the story of a middle-aged woman haunted by a tragic past — the drowning death of her young mother and the shame of having no father.
The woman escapes an abusive marriage and retreats to her family’s wilderness island home on Rainy Lake. Once there she embarks on a journey of self-discovery that flows through a series of wilderness adventures, past and present.
“I love Rainy Lake — it’s a very special place to me,” Kay said. “While doing research for this novel, I met many wonderful people who willingly shared their stories with me, and I made some good friends here. I’ve had numerous requests from my readers for a sequel to this novel, and I do plan to do one in the near future. Of course, it will once again be set on Rainy Lake. During my visit this week, I’ll be roaming around, thinking and planning that sequel.”
Kay said she vacationed to northern Minnesota as a youngster, however, when it came to researching for the novel, Rainy Lake stood out as the “perfect setting for my story.”
Kay said she views her work as a “destination novel” and hopes it will inspire people to visit the area. So far, a number of her readers are already planning trips to Rainy Lake, according to a release.
The community is invited to Ranier Days or Kettle Falls to meet Kay, purchase an autographed copy of her novel, and sign up to win prizes. For more information, visit www.novelsbyjanetkay.com.
The Journal will feature information on Kay’s latest novel, “Amelia 1868,” in a later edition. The novel is scheduled to be released in September.
