Skylar Robbins: The Mystery of the Island Idol follows a teen sleuth who uses her gadgets and wits to face a dangerous enemy and solve an enigmatic mystery. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?

At the end of every Skylar Robbins mystery, I try to set up her next adventure. I love exploring tropical islands and foreign cultures. After visiting Bali, Costa Rica, and Barbados, I thought a tropical paradise with a hint of danger and threatening natives would make a wonderful back drop for a mystery.

Skylar is a fun and well-developed character. What were some driving ideals behind her character’s development?

When I decided to create a teen detective series, I wanted to start a new trend: that the smartest kid in class can also be the coolest. The one kids look up to and want to follow. So I created Skylar Robbins: a rational 13-year-old sleuth who methodically pieces together clues until she finally solves each challenging mystery. Very often smart kids in books, television shows, and movies are portrayed as nerdy. I wanted to create a protagonist who kids could relate to, empathize with, and look up to. One who was quick-thinking, courageous, and determined, while also funny, cute, and cool.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

One major theme is based on the old adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” And in the case of The Mystery of the Island Idol, this refers to the characters. While cute and quirky teen sleuth Skylar Robbins is super intelligent and apparently fearless, deep down she’s somewhat shy and insecure—and admits her fears to the reader. Homeless youth Morgan Michaels teaches Skylar what is really important in life through the use of the valuables box they are given in their hut on Koma island. Skylar begins to fall in love with bespectacled Daniel Gannon due to his brilliant mind. Another theme concerns my protagonist: Skylar Robbins. For young readers, I wanted to create a strong role model who promotes intelligence over looks, strength over weakness, confident leadership, and the courage to face your fears and do the right thing.

This is book 5 in your Skylar Robbins mystery series. What can readers expect in book 6?

In book 6, The Mystery of the Clues Cruise, Skylar Robbins plans a trip with her Assistant Detective, Alexa, and several members of her Accelerated Courses and Experiments class, ACE. Impressed with her detective skills and ability to bring down a deadly gang during the Mystery of the Island Idol, the FBI contacts Skylar and asks her to go undercover to help them solve a new mystery. As usual, things don’t turn out as planned, and Skylar quickly realizes that there is something nefarious going on behind the scenes on the cruise ship. Stuck at sea with a dangerous cast of characters, Skylar and her friends soon realize they are in for much more than they bargained for.

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