Michele Ivy Davis based her novel on the atmosphere of small-town Florida where she was born and raised. "One day," she says, "while driving through an older section of town, I saw the words Cadillac and Motel at about the same time on two different signs. I was struck by the contradictory picture they presented and wondered about the people who might own a motel like that." This is her first children's book..
The Ann Durell Fiction Contest was named for former publisher of Dutton Children's Books Ann Durell, who nurtured the talents of such beloved authors as Lloyd Alexander, Judy Blume, Eleanor Cameron, Walt Morey, and William Sleator. The Grand Prize was awarded to Michele Ivy Davis for the best unpublished novel aimed at readers 8-14 years old. Evangeline Brown and the Cadillac Motel was one of hundreds of submissions that were reviewed by Dutton's editorial staff.