In the new Republic of Texas, guns are compulsory and nothing is forgiven. Blue Running is a gripping coming-of-age thriller set in post-secessionist Texas. A fast-paced, page-turning book, it looks unflinchingly at what the future could hold, and finds hope there.

 

Fourteen-year-old Bluebonnet Andrews is on the run across the Republic of Texas. An accident with a gun killed her best friend but everyone in the town of Blessing thinks it was murder. Even her father – the town’s drunken deputy – believes she did it. Now, she has no choice but to run. In Texas, murder is punishable by death.

 

On the road she meets Jet, a pregnant young woman of Latin American heritage. Jet is secretive about her past but she’s just as determined as Blue to get out of Texas before she’s caught and arrested. Together, the two form an unlikely kinship as they make their way past marauding motorcycle gangs, the ever-watchful Texas Rangers, and armed strangers intent on abducting them – or worse. When Blue and Jet finally reach the wall, will they be able to cross the border, or will they be shot down in cold blood like the thousands who have gone before them?

 

Some things are worth dying for.

 

PRAISE FOR BLUE RUNNING:

“Brilliant.” —Heat Magazine

 

“A fast-paced story that races along, and stays with you long after you’ve finished it.” — The American

 

“An important and unforgettable read.” — Armadillo Magazine

 

A TALE OF TWO COVERS

BY LORI ANN STEPHENS

                              

The original hardback version of Blue Running is vibrant red and blue, and I think the color choices are a great reflection of the symbols and imagery in the book. Jasmyn Poole is the incredibly talented cover artist for the book versions of the book cover. She has a beautiful eye for detail and color. The hardback has a bluebonnet flower coiled with barbed wire; of course, Blue is named for the Texas state flower, and her predicament – as well as the harsh conditions of the Republic – threaten her safety throughout the novel.

Moonflower Press’s marketing and creatives team worked pretty closely with WH Smith Bookstores (a larger UK bookstore chain) on the paperback; the bookstore was planning to do some significant publicity for the book, and among the covers under consideration, they gave the image of the girls and the windmill really positive feedback.

In the UK, Blue Running is pitched more at the adult thriller market to give it crossover appeal, so the publisher looked at what’s been selling well in that space in terms of visual appeal, and the salmon pink and blues on the cover seemed to hit the elements in the thriller and literary genres well.

Novelist, librettist, lecturer Lori Ann Stephens grew up in North Texas, where she developed an addiction to the arts. Her novels for children and adults include Novalee and the Spider Secret, Some Act of Vision, and Song of the Orange Moons, and her award-winning work has been noted by Glimmer Train Stories, The Chicago Tribune, and the English National Opera. She teaches Writing and Critical Reasoning undergraduate courses, as well as creative writing graduate courses, at Southern Methodist University. She lives in Texas and is a bit mad about her cat.

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