Category: Middle Grade

Middle Grade Fantasy – Dragon Lad: Wand of the Black Sphere

Middle Grade Fantasy – Dragon Lad: Wand of the Black Sphere

 

Dragon Lad: Wand of the Black Sphere

 

Juvenile Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle-Grade Fantasy

Publisher: Dragon’s Egg Books

A shapeshifting magic fantasy adventure filled with dragons, witches, wizards, fairies and fun.

Dirk is a budding boy wizard who hatched as a dragon and has a ring that turns him back into one. For his summer vacation, he’s leaving Roman Britannia on a secret journey to tell the dragon who raised him she’s free from a curse.

He doesn’t realize he’s being tracked by his worst enemy, the sorceress who abducted him as a baby and blames him for her husband’s death. Treacherous Ethelda thinks Dirk has her fiendishly powerful wand and she’ll do anything to get it back.

The Roman Army wants the Wand of the Black Sphere, too, worried Ethelda will use it against them, and they’re looking for Dirk, the last one seen with it. But Dirk’s halfway around the world dealing with monsters and magic they couldn’t imagine.


Praise for Dragon Lad: Wand of the Black Sphere:

“The third volume of Stevens’ middle-grade series is a perfect balance of education and entertainment. … Detailed illustrations by the author enliven scenes throughout. … The lively final volume of a charming series.” – Kirkus Reviews

Other Books in the Dragon Lad Trilogy:

 

Dragon Lad: The Thirteenth Egg

 

Publisher: Dragon’s Egg Books

Fly through page after page of adventures with Dorg as the young dragon discovers an astonishing truth about himself: he may not be a dragon after all.

Dorg hatches small due to a magic curse. A tough start in the biting, clawing, flame-spitting world he lives in. At first, all he wants to do is end the curse, so he can be like the other dragons. But friends and enemies help him see that being a big, mean dragon isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.

Along the way, he encounters a mysterious pendant, shapeshifting dragons, a grouchy witch who loves wildlife, an absentminded wizard, and a swarm of friendly insects.

Heartwarming and humorous, this book is the first in a trilogy of stories about learning to live in harmony with one’s self as well as with nature. An egg-straordinary fantasy awaits the reader.

Amazon

 

Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman

 

Publisher: Dragon’s Egg Books

Magic and adventure abound in this second book in the Dragon Lad trilogy.

Tale of the Talisman” follows our young, dragon-hatched hero as he seeks his parents, his past and his destiny in Roman-ruled Britannia. A boy without a history — at least one that he can remember — Dirk turns to his shape-shifting friends for help. They launch him on a quest involving the one clue he has to his previous existence: a magic talisman.

The wizard Beldor gives Dirk a ring that allows him to re-enter the realm he thought he’d left behind. Armed with this ring and a magic map, he travels a trail leading to a raging dragon, a slippery mermaid, two grasping sorcerers and a legion of Roman soldiers. He also rediscovers a long-lost friend and powers he never imagined.

Fast-paced and funny, “Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman” is a modern classic that can be read alone or as a companion to the first novel in the trilogy, “Dragon Lad: The Thirteenth Egg.”

Amazon

Excerpt

 

Chapter Nineteen

Dorg tried to pull up. It only reduced the speed of his impact. He hit the ground hard and blacked out.

He regained consciousness in a daze of pain. His ears were ringing, jaw ached, wing burned, shoulder throbbed. Turning on his side to touch the inflamed shoulder, he dislodged the raven perched there. He grimaced at the bird as it squawked to the ground, then took in his surroundings.

He lay on a mat of animal skin in one of the human dwellings. Dug into the ground like a burrow, with stonework above and below the level of the ground, it had a domed, willow-frame roof covered with skins. In the center, some sort of animal fat burned in a soapstone trough with moss wicks, illuminating a short entry tunnel, benches, clothing hung from leather cords, and

baskets full of herbs, plants and tools made of antler, stone and bone. The dwelling was crowded, yet they’d managed to fit a dragon with large wings and a body the size of a small bull inside. As he wondered how, the raven demanded his attention.

Tok!”

Sorry, I don’t speak raven,” Dorg responded in the hawk language. “Do you speak hawk?”

The raven uttered a “pruk” that reminded him of a human sigh. Then, revolving on his claws, he transformed into a handsome hawk with brilliant eyes and glossy feathers.

About the Author


J. C. Stevens began writing fiction, nonfiction and poetry at age five. The author’s first and favorite stories were about ghosts, witches and other spooky creatures. As an adult, Stevens served as a newspaper reporter, editor and teacher.

“Dragon Lad: The Thirteenth Egg,” the first book in the Dragon Lad trilogy, debuted in 2015. The second book in the trilogy, “Dragon Lad: Tale of the Talisman,” appeared in 2017. The third and final book, “Dragon Lad: Wand of the Black Sphere,” was published in 2019. Stevens lives in Southern California. To learn more, visit http://www.dragonseggbooks.com.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Promo Link

Purchase Links

Amazon

B&N

Kobo

Google

Middle Grade Mystery Cover Reveal – The Problem at Wisteria Gardens

Middle Grade Mystery Cover Reveal – The Problem at Wisteria Gardens

 

 

A Pekin Dewlap Mystery

Middle Grade Mystery

Date Published: 3/9/21

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

The ghost haunting Wisteria Gardens Antiques appears to be a charming and loving mother who can’t stand the thought of being separated from her son.

But appearances can be deceiving.

The Ghosties are moved by her expression of devotion, until they discover the truth. Her attachment to the real world has nothing to do with love.

As the teen ghost hunters struggle with the case, Althea’s determination to stay threatens their very lives. Will Pekin, Scout, and Amber convince the ghost to move on before it’s too late?

About the Author

Pam got a late start in writing, but has made up for it with several published novels and at least one more on the way. A serendipitous conversation with a writer friend launched her literary career, and the fact that she might never have had that particular conversation is enough to make her believe that fate played a hand in sending her down her best path. She’s lived in Southern California most of her life and is thankful to have a loving family and supportive friends. Spending time at home during the COVID pandemic has advanced both Pam’s writing and her relationship with her My Cat From Hell TV star, Allie, who manages to exude just enough affection to make her scary feral ways tolerable.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Amazon Author Page

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Middle Grade – The Dragon’s Song

Middle Grade – The Dragon’s Song

 

Middle Grade

 

Date Published: October 19, 2020

Publisher: INtense Publications, LLC

 

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

Eleven-year-old Bao Dang remembers watching in horror four years earlier
as Communist soldiers dragged his parents from their home. Now an orphan,
he begins a journey to escape the oppressive government of South Vietnam.
The owner of a small boat, paid in gold, smuggles Bao and his cousin, Binh
Pham, down the Saigon River at night to the South China Sea, where he and
over one hundred other “boat people” pack into a trawler
designed to hold fewer than thirty. For six days, they face danger from
the police, weather, and pirates, not to mention the constant threat of
capsizing as they take on water while living only on dry, rationed
rice.

Bao, Binh and the others hope a refugee camp in Indonesia accepts them,
but there’s no guarantee. Word has it they may be turned away and even
towed back out to sea to starve. Eventually finding a safe haven, Bao
harnesses the power of music to heal and help endure months of harsh and
dangerous living while he and Binh await word from relatives in the United
States, hoping they’ll obtain the ultimate gift: freedom.

Purchase Links

Amazon

Read FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Publisher

Middle Grade Fantasy – Summer of L.U.C.K.

Middle Grade Fantasy – Summer of L.U.C.K.

Middle-Grade Contemporary Fantasy

Published Date: 9-15-20

Publisher: INtense Publications LLC

 

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

 

Stuttering Darby is never perfect enough for her mother. Justin’s been
silent since his dad died. Naz is struggling to learn English. But after
they meet at summer camp, mysterious calliope music from an abandoned
warehouse grants them power to communicate without words. When they sneak
inside, the dark, empty space bursts into a magical carnival. They’re
greeted by the ghost of Leroy Usher, who asks for their help convincing his
family to restore the carnival to its former glory. In return, he promises
to teach the kids how to find their voices. As Darby, Justin, and Naz are
swept off on a series of midnight adventures via Mr. Usher’s carnival rides,
they discover they’re capable of more than they ever imagined. With each
challenge, their confidence in communicating – and in themselves
– grows. Meanwhile, they scheme to persuade the Usher family to revive
the carnival. But when Darby’s bunkmates trick her into starring in
the camp talent show, her budding confidence falters. Can she risk being
less than perfect by performing in the show and speaking up to Mr. Usher’s
resistant son? If not, she’ll put the carnival in danger and sabotage her
most important quest: to believe in herself, stutter and all.

 

Excerpt

 

Chattering blackbirds and blue jays pulled her back to her surroundings.
The scent of wintergreen berries, bluebells, and wild sassafras from the
bushes restored her resolve to continue by herself. She walked a bit faster
up a steep incline, removing her official Camp Inch Sweatshirt and tying it
around her thin waist.

At the hilltop, one sign pointing left read CAMP INCH VIA WHITE FALLS
HIGHWAY: 1/4 MILE EAST. Another pointed right, cautioning PRIVATE PROPERTY!
Her pulse quickened. She followed it past bushes and trees.

Below her, an orange football-field-sized building, dressed up with
castle-like turrets at each corner, rose several stories high. Darby smiled
with glee. I found it! Massive green letters spelling out
“L.U.C.K.” were painted on its side, glowing brighter than ever. A
surrounding fieldstone wall led eastward toward camp.

She hurried down to a spot beside the immense wall where ten golden
horseshoes sat lodged in concrete. Same as when Monica and I found them! The
sun glinted on a colorless glass circle embedded above the horseshoes. Last
time they’d rushed too much to notice the lines inscribed on it. Now, she
knelt to read what they said.

All That We Give

Comes Back to Benefit Ourselves

With no time to figure that out, she placed her feet inside two of the
horseshoes, like last year. Her heart pounding, she waited anxiously for the
faint rumbling she and Monica had heard – or possibly imagined.

Will it even work without her?

The ground trembled ever so slightly beneath her.

She shivered with relief. Yes, I feel it!

Last year, their counselor came after them to end the adventure before it
began. This time, the rumbling got louder. Darby ducked to avoid the small
rocks and dust that fell from the stone wall looming above her head. Grating
and creaking accompanied deep vibrations inside the fieldstone. A Darby-size
section swung out on hinges, exposing a latch chain fastened to an old
wooden door. She tried to remember to breathe. Or how to breathe. Overcoming
the urge to back away, she yanked the chain, pushed the door open, and
strained to see.

For a few seconds, semi-darkness that lay beyond kept her cemented in
place. Finally, anticipation conquered her apprehension. I can’t stop now.
Electrified, Darby squared her shoulders and stepped inside.

 

 

 

About the Author

Laura Segal Stegman grew up with parents who valued reading, and she still
finds herself spellbound by middle grade fiction. Some of her favorites,
then and now, are The Diamond in the Window, Ellen Tebbits, All of A Kind
Family, Wonder, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and The Miraculous. As
a writer, her non-fiction credits include collaboration on the travel book
Only in New York, and her feature stories have appeared in Los Angeles Times
and Westways Magazine, among others. A long-time publicist, she has
represented numerous arts organizations. Summer of L.U.C.K. is her debut
novel.

Contact Links

Website

Twitter: @LauraStegman

Instagram: laura_stegman

Facebook

 

Purchase Links

Publisher

Amazon

 

MG Paranormal – Derek Hyde’s Spooky Scavenger Hunt

MG Paranormal – Derek Hyde’s Spooky Scavenger Hunt

Book #2 – Derek Hyde

Middle Grade Paranormal

Published Date: 7-1-20

Publisher: INtense Publications LLC

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png
 

 

 

Spookaphobic Derek Hyde has a problem: He has to live in the haunted Hyde
Funeral Home & Body Parts shop with his adoptive mortician parents, Jack
and Formalda. What’s worse, Derek really misses his birth parents—who
supposedly died. Turns out, they’re not so dead.

 

About the Author

E. Michael Lunsford is the author of an award-winning play, Scary, Scary
Night, and a book of wacky kid’s poems, Sometimes I Get My Shoes on
Backwards, winner of the Readers’ Favorite International Book Award. His
debut novel, Derek Hyde Knows Spooky When He Sees It (INtense Publications,
Dec 2019), was the first of the funny Derek Hyde series of spooky middle
grade books. Michael is also a musician, composer, inventor, entrepreneur
and chief cook & bottle washer who works and lives with his wife and
love of his life in San Carlos, California.

 

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter: @lunsfordmichael

Goodreads

Author Amazon Account

Instagram

 

Purchase Links

Publisher

Amazon 

MG Fantasy –

MG Fantasy –

 

Middle-Grade Fantasy
Published Date: May 29, 2020
Publisher: INtense Publications LLC
 photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png
Twelve-year-old Max knows the King wants him dead. Born with his heart outside of his rib cage, Max is abandoned at birth by his father and raised by a kind witch who sacrifices all to keep him safe from the outside world. In time, Max’s father ruthlessly ascends to the throne and becomes the most feared king in history thanks to The Black Cup’s evil powers. When he learns that the baby he abandoned years ago still lives, and is now nearly a man, the King orders his troops to find and kill Max so that his rule will go unchallenged by his own blood. Rather than run away from the danger, Max embarks on a journey toward the city to seek his father and prevent further destruction of the kingdom and its people. That’s where the witch, the King, and Max are set on a collision course. The world they have known, and the lives they have lived, will be changed forever.
About the Author
Alec Lavictoire was born and raised in Northern Ontario and now resides in Orangeville, Canada with his wife and two sons who served as the inspiration for the hero of this tale. Alec’s love of adventure has taken him all over the world on extended backpack treks where he thrives on coming up against the unknowns hidden around every corner. Some of Alec’s short stories have appeared in Fiction on the Web, 50 Word Stories, and Commuter Lit. This is his first novel.
Contact Links
Twitter: @LavictoireAlec
Instagram: @lavictoirealec
Purchase Link
Middle-Grade Historical Fiction – A Boy Called Preacher

Middle-Grade Historical Fiction – A Boy Called Preacher

 

Middle-Grade Historical Fiction
Release Day: May 16, 2020
Publisher: INtense Publications LLC
 photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png
Johnny “Preacher” Wilcox never expected to be “man of the farm” at the age of twelve. Faced with a broken tractor, wheat land to plow, and the mysterious disappearance of the farm’s water supply, he must solve a truckload of problems. To top it off, he may lose his best friend, Earl Floyd. 

 

About the Author

Cheryl Schuermann loved her many years in the classroom as a Special Educator and Reading Specialist. Always a literacy advocate, she spent many more years consulting with teachers across the United States. Whether working with students or teachers, her desire is for students everywhere to be proficient readers who can hardly wait to open a new book.
Cheryl lives in Oklahoma with her illustrator husband, Stan. They raised four sons and have thirteen grandchildren. Recently, they built a 1920s style farmhouse in the country and can be found fishing, playing, and nature hiking with their family. The farmhouse is Cheryl’s favorite place to write and where she wishes she had a dog just like Deke.
Other published works: When the Water Runs: Growing Up With Alaska (2019), Jordan Tang: Think…Create…Discover (2015).
Contact Links
Facebook: @cherylschuermannauthor
Twitter: @cherylschuerma2
Instagram: cheryl_schuermann
LinkedIn: Cheryl Schuermann.
Goodreads: Cheryl Schuermann
Purchase Links