Kirby Larson: Hello, I'm Kirby Larson, the author of Audacity Jones to the Rescue. I'm going to tell you a bit about how I came to write this book, and then I'll share a brief excerpt. This story happened because of two things. The first was a character that demanded a story. She was a well-read orphan living at Miss Macys's School for Wayward Girls, and all she wanted in the world was to have a grand adventure. When this character, which I named Audacity Jones, first came to me, I was working on another book. "I'm sorry," I told her "you'll have to wait your turn." But, she kept pestering me until I wrote a 10 page character sketch, and that satisfied her for a time. When I found myself looking for a new story idea, I opened up the historic New York Times to January 1st 1910. I was curious about what had happened on that date.

To my surprise, the headlines screamed of the kidnapping of President Taft's girl cousin. It turned out she was not actually kidnapped, she had just missed a train, but I trotted out my favorite writer's tool. The question "What if?" What if the cousin had truly been kidnapped, who might save her? Well, none other than an intrepid orphan named Audacity Jones. Now here's a selection from the book from Chapter One.

"Audie has gotten into trouble again with Ms. Macy, who sends her to the school's dreaded punishment room. Audie skirted the drooping Christmas tree decorated with languid paper chains before turning left at the third cabbage rose on the well worn carpet. She followed footsteps she'd made the day before, and the day before that, and countless days before that. After 20 long steps, Audie found herself face to face with a heavy mahogany portal to the punishment room. She paused as she confronted the solid wooden door. Great carved snakes slithered from the top rail to the bottom. Each panel featured a different mythical monster. Having an experienced a small growth spurt, Audie was now eye to eye with a cyclops. Slowly, slowly, she turned the blackened brass knob, and with great effort, pulled the massive door open. Taking in a great breath, the girl stepped through the foreboding doorway. Then, quick as a flicker, Audie locked herself in, nice and tight."