I am a children’s author, but up until a few years ago, I was a journalist and editor. Something rather unexpected sparked my new career as an author—a family trip to Egypt with my mother and two young nephews. We had a great time and I thought I’d write them a short story as a different kind of souvenir…. Well, one book and a planned book series later, I had changed careers. I have now published Book 3 (The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper) in my MG adventure series Chronicles of the Stone, with many awards for the first book, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, and a few for Book 2, The Search for the Stone of Excalibur, and one already for Book 3! I also teach online novel writing for aspiring authors and I find that very satisfying. Relaxation time finds me enjoying something creative or artistic, music, books, theatre or ballet. I love doing research for my book series. I love animals and have written two animal rescue stories. I have two adorable (naughty) little dogs called Chloe and Pumpkin, and a beautiful black cat called Bertie.
A
5000-year-old mystery comes to life when a scruffy peddler gives Adam and
Justin Sinclair an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt. Only
when the evil Dr. Faisal Khalid shows a particular interest in the cousins and
their scarab, do the boys realise they are in terrible danger.
Justin and Adam
embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across
the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an
ancient Egyptian ruler. They are plunged into a whirlpool of hazardous and
mysterious events when Dr. Khalid kidnaps them. With
just their wits, courage, and each other, the boys manage to survive … only to
find that the end of one journey is the beginning of another!
This is a must-read for Middle Graders keen on action, adventure, and
Arthurian stories!
Cousins Adam and Justin Sinclair are
hot on the trail of the second Stone of Power, one of seven ancient stones lost
centuries ago. This stone might be embedded in the hilt of a newly discovered
sword that archeologists believe belonged to King Arthur: Excalibur.
However,
their long-standing enemy, Dr. Khalid, is following them as they travel to
Scotland to investigate an old castle. Little do they know there is another
deadly force, the Eaters of Poison, who have their own mission to complete.
Time is running out as the confluence of the planets draws closer. Can Justin
and Adam find the second Stone of Power and survive?
A plane
crash! Lost in the Mexican jungle! Will Adam, Justin, and Kim survive long
enough to find the Third Stone of Power?
With
only a young boy, Tukum, as their guide, the kids make their way through the
dense and dangerous jungle to find the lost city of stone gods, where the Stone
of Power might be located. River rafting on a crocodile-infested river and
evading predators are just part of this hazardous task.
Of
course, their old adversary Dr. Khalid is close behind as the kids press on.
But he is not the worst of their problems. This time Adam will clash with a terrible
enemy who adopts the persona of an evil Aztec god, Tezcatlipoca, and is keen to
revive the ancient tradition of human sacrifice. Will they emerge
alive from the jungle? Will Dr. Khalid find the third Stone of Power before
they do?
Snippet From Book 3:
1. Adam opened his eyes. The screaming sound of
tearing metal had stopped. So had the thudding and the rush of breaking
branches outside his window. Still strapped in his seat, he hung upside-down at
an angle. His seat belt was the only thing preventing him from hurtling through
the gaping hole in the roof of the plane and onto the jungle floor. The strap
cut into his chest as his whole weight pressed against the fabric. He craned
his neck, twisting awkwardly to see the others. His body ached after the awful
jarring and jolting when the plane fell. He shoved his hand into his right-side
pants pocket to feel for his golden scarab. It was safe. Relieved, he squeezed
the scarab for a few seconds to get his courage up. It felt warm and
comforting.
