In a tiny magic kingdom, by a heave under a willow, Sir Badalot’s castle just fell down. Again. He stomps and hollers and shouts…never knowing that the Cranky Danky Dragon is right behind, knocking down his castle and brewing Sir Badalot’s howls into a delicious whine. When Sir Badalot finally realizes what’s ruining his kingdom, he knows he has to find a way to keep that nasty dragon out forever.
Your child will be captivated by this whimsical guide to emotional self-control by Rachel Jankovic (with lush illustrations from Forrest Dickison), and you will be surprised how often Sir Badalot’s story will pop up as they fight their own dragons!
Does your child struggle with anger management and emotional self-control? Banish the fussiness with this adorable tale of Sir Badalot: the grumpy knight who just can’t seem to build his sand castle, and it’s all his fault. Will he learn to beat the dragon who keeps ruining everything?
Give your children a hero they can laugh at and imitate. With Sir Badalot, young kids will learn to love their home and rejoice in fighting life’s dragons–starting with the dragon in their own heart.
Need a birthday gift or holiday gift for kids? Give them this fun read-aloud picture book! Sir Badalot, like all good knights, learns to fight the dragon…but you might be surprised at who the dragon really is. Before the story ends, Sir Badalot will be your kids’ new favorite household name.
Kids will love this story written by Rachel Jankovic (Loving the Little Years) with its whimsical rhyming tale. Every page features beautiful watercolor illustrations by award-winning artist Forrest Dickison (Netflix’s Hello Ninja).
This book is published by Canonball Books. Canonball Books is the children’s imprint of Canon Press. At Canonball, we believe stories are soul food, so you can expect excitement, danger, loyalty, virtue, and family in your Canonball books. Feed your kids the right books!
Souls will be fed and shaped from the inside out. That much is inescapable.
I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy from Cannonball Books. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
What a cute book! Sir Badalot sure whines and fusses a lot because his kingdom keeps getting ruined. When he realizes what he needs to do, though, things turn out much better. And no whining!
The story is good. It rhymes and it has a good lesson. The illustrations are amazing! They’re bright and colorful and kids will love them. I love the dragon illustrations.
This is definitely a book that should be added to your child’s library. I can’t wait to read it to my grandsons!
About the Author
Rachel Jankovic is a wife, homemaker, and mother. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts & Culture from New Saint Andrews College, but mostly reads cookbooks now to avoid story grip (being highly susceptible). In 2003, she married her husband Luke, and they have seven children who know how to party. Rachel loves color, fabric, yarn to knit with, kids to laugh with, and laundry (not so much).
Publisher: Kindle Direct Press (September 1, 2020) Category: Young Adult, Teen, Fantasy, Dragons
ISBN: 9798681416005 Available in Print and ebook, 394 pages
Luke Houser and his friends enter their junior year at Missing Lake High School under extremely unusual circumstances after a tremendous forest fire kept the community on edge for months. The memory of the fire permeates all aspects of everyone’s lives, including those of the incredible secret dragon family who live up north. Luke makes a new canine friend through his step-mom’s veterinary clinic and Chase plays an important role despite not being one of the family’s beloved sled dogs.
The silver dragon, Zagros has some serious news for his young Dragoneer that will impact the entire dragon realm, particularly the young dragons, Helios and Cassiel. Luke has to process this information all while a crisis unfolds during English class. Luke has to make some serious choices that challenge the sometimes awkward sixteen-year-old but he cannot share them with anyone without risking the discovery of the magnificent dragons.
This is the fourth book in the Missing Lake series that follows a reluctantly intrepid young man’s journey into adulthood with his family, friends, dogs, cats and dragons by his side.
This is absolutely the kind of book that, while it’s technically a Young Adult novel, makes for an enjoyable story for all ages and reading levels.
Luke Houser is a teenager living in the town of Missing Lake, Montana, and he has a seemingly normal life. He and his father own a group of sled dogs which Luke spends much of his time caring for, and, on top of that, his step-mother is a veterinarian, so Luke is well versed in animal care.
Just before the beginning of the book, Luke and his family are forced to evacuate their house due to local wildfires that are encroaching on Missing Lake. Packing up their dogs and everything else that is important to them, they leave town for several weeks. Around the time school is set to begin, Luke’s family returns to find that their house is still standing although the smell of the fires still lingers in town. Everything goes seemingly back to normal, but for Luke, normal is a little different.
Since he was fifteen, Luke has been a Dragoneer, a keeper of a family of dragons that lives on a mountain outside of Missing Lake. The head of the family, an ancient dragon named Zagros, shares a telepathic link with Luke through which the two are able to communicate. Having survived the fires that ravaged the area, Zagros now tells Luke that his family is in danger from a more long term threat. The dragons need Luke’s help to save themselves from extinction in the future.
This was a great story with a very worthwhile moral in the end. Luke and his family and friends were excellent characters that made for a rich, interesting world. Tanya Fyfe’s writing is spellbinding and her usage of atmosphere within the town of Missing Lake was pitch perfect. She has crafted a story here that is enjoyable, heartwarming and thrilling and is definitely worth the read. I have to give it all 5 stars!
Praise for Secrets Abound Missing Lake by Tanya Fyfe
“Winner of the Distinguished Favorite for Teens”- NYC Big Book Awards and the Independent Book Awards in 2018
“I so enjoy this series. With his anxieties about school, his love for his family’s sled dogs, and his adventures helping his stepmother in her veterinary clinic, Luke Houser is a very believable teenager in the mountainous wilds of Montana. Most of his problems are perfectly normal for a boy in his circumstances. So his involvement with the local dragons feels totally natural. The antics of the baby dragons once they hatch, especially the golden boy dragon, Helios (who is all boy too) are just as realistic feeling as those of Luke’s school friends. You get the feeling that dragons could be just as real as broken marriages and sick dogs. And you wonder how the dragons and dragoneers ever got by without good veterinary support for all these hundreds of years. No wonder they’re nearly extinct!”-Lora of Ettria
“While the third book in the series, I didn’t have a problem reading it without having read the previous two. I enjoyed Luke’s interactions with the dragons and all they go through. I was invested in these characters and what happened. I found Luke and his family to be realistic as were all the problems (outside of the dragons) that he was having. It is a clean book, which I love, and is just good. I would let my young teens on up read this, I think they would enjoy it!”-Ashley’s Bookshelf
“The descriptions of North Dakota, Montana, and Vancouver are well written and help the reader sink into the story. The characters and dialogue keep the pace going and makes for a book that is hard to put down. The ‘Secrets Abound Missing Lake’ is a memorable book that I plan to share with my grandchildren when they are a little older. I also plan to read the first two books in the series and can hardly wait for book 4. This book is a must read for those who like coming of age stories and dragons. Actually animal lovers would love it as well.”-Sal, Bound 4 Escape
About the Author
Award winning author Tanya Fyfe was born and raised in British Columbia, Canada and trained and performed as a professional figure skater and coach for many years. After working briefly as an English Teacher in Japan, she met her husband, Dr.Alistair Fyfe and moved to North Dakota in 1994.
She completed her BSc and then got accepted into veterinary school in Saskatchewan which she graduated from in 2005. Since then she has worked as a veterinarian in ND and Montana.
Tanya has written stories since she was a little girl and enjoyed completing a course with the Children’s Institute of Literature several years ago. She began writing her teen fiction series in 2013 which began with Lost and Found in Missing Lake. The Dragons of Missing Lake followed and then Secrets Abound in Missing Lake came next. Around the time of publication she started selling real estate in Montana (because, clearly, she was not busy enough) but was still able to jump back into the story to complete Book 4, The Runaways of Missing Lake.
She enjoys hanging out with her characters and tries to give readers a sense of what it is truly like to live in the beautiful mountains of western Montana. She enjoys spending time on any golf course with her husband and they canoe, hike and ride horses as well. They share their world with 5 adorable cats, several horses and 3 ridiculously personable ferrets.
This giveaway is for 1 copy each for 3 winners and is open to Canada and the U.S. only. The winners will have the choice between print and ebook. This giveaway ends November 26, 2020,midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted by Rafflecopter only.
Publisher: Create Space (April 27, 2017) Category: Fantasy, Paranormal, Dragons, Young Adult Tour dates: Apr/May, 2018 ISBN: 978-1545370308 Available in Print and ebook,342 pages
In the third book in the acclaimed teen fiction, ‘Missing Lake’ series, Luke Houser is approaching his sixteenth birthday as well as summer vacation in the tiny mountain community of Missing Lake. He continues to try to find balance between real life with friends and their social requirements with the secret world of the mystical dragons.
Luke faces challenges with one of his beloved sled dogs as well as with Zagros, the majestic silver dragon, when he has to make choices that could lead to potential disaster. As the summer unfolds, so do more secrets in all aspects of Luke’s life and he tries to make sense of everything happening around him.
This is the third book in the series which shares Luke’s awkward and yet charming journey through adolescence with his beloved team of huskies, his friends near and far, and two dragon eggs that are going to hatch in the middle of nowhere.
Praise for Secrets Abound in Missing Lake
“This seems to be a realistic portrayal of coming of age preoccupations and trials–with the added interest of a link with dragons that must be kept secret. Dragons, humans, and sled dogs come to life with equal vividness.”-Margaret, Goodreads Review
“The very talented Dr. Tanya Fyfe does it again. In her latest installment of the Missing Lake saga, we romp through Luke’s adventures with high school, veterinary medicine, and of course, dragons. In this third book of the series, Fyfe intertwines the relationships of a blended family, teenagers, and dragons. There is a great bit of fun and just the right dose of medicine.” –Kelly Malinas, DVM, Nevada
Praise for Dragons of Missing Lake
“What fun to read books that are imaginative, well paced, varied, and knowledgeable. I plan to go buy the third in the series tomorrow.”- Margaret, Goodreads Review
“What a fun adventure Luke goes on in this book. I think his life is about to take a very big change in direction and I can’t wait for the next book.”-Cindy C., Amazon Review
“Great escape in the pages of this delightful book. Wonderful sequel. I can’t wait to read more by this imaginative author.”- Kelly N. Maclellan, Amazon Review
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Guest Book Review by Sal
Ever since I was a child I have been fascinated with the idea of dragons. I thought they were real creatures that lived in the age of dinosaurs. I have to admit that I still love stories with dragons as an adult.
‘Secrets Abound Missing Lake’ is the third book in Tanya Fyfe’s ‘Missing Lake’ series. It centers on Luke who is about to turn 16 years old. He is a typical teenager. He wants to get his driving permit, he hangs out with friends, and he likes a girl but doesn’t really want to admit it. However, he also has a lot of responsibility. He and his dad have a team of sledding dogs. In fact, they moved from Bismarck, North Dakota to middle of nowhere Montana to take up dog sledding.
He is mostly responsible for keeping their kennel clean. He also helps out his step mother at her veterinary clinic after school. Luke also has a very big secret that only a few people know about. He is friends to a dragon couple, Zagros and Samantha and they are guardian of two eggs that are going to hatch. Both his father and Jackie have met the dragon couple.
This is mostly a coming of age story. It’s fun to follow Luke through his awkward teenage years and how he deals with life. He is also conflicted because his mother lives far away in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He wants to see her but doesn’t want to leave his dogs and dragon friends, etc.
The descriptions of North Dakota, Montana, and Vancouver are well written and help the reader sink into the story. The characters and dialogue keep the pace going and makes for a book that is hard to put down. The ‘Secrets Abound Missing Lake’ is a memorable book that I plan to share with my grandchildren when they are a little older. I also plan to read the first two books in the series and can hardly wait for book 4. This book is a must read for those who like coming of age stories and dragons. Actually animal lovers would love it as well. I give it 5 stars.
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About the Author
Tanya Fyfe grew up in Canada as a professional figure skater who dreamed of writing books. That dream came true when she wrote and published Lost and Found in Missing Lake in 2014. Now a veterinarian, Dr. Fyfe lives in rural western Montana and is inspired daily by the beauty around her.
She and her husband split time between Montana and North Dakota and enjoy improving their golf games and visiting Hawaii every chance they get. They share their home with charming dogs, inquisitive cats, a herd of horses, and three hilarious ferrets named Phillipa, Calypso, and Luigi.
There is magic beneath the mundane and in The Dragon in the Garden, Siobhan
Orsini witnesses it all. No lie can fool her, no glamour or illusion
can cloud her Sight. She sees through them all and wishes she could
close her eyes. Returning to face her past, Siobhan inherits her
grandparents’ house in California’s wine country. She encounters
a talking dragon, a hot fallen angel, a demon lord, a Valkyrie, and,
oh yes, her ex-boyfriend. And that is just in the first twenty-four
hours.
It’s time to find out why she has this power.
Siobhan seeks out the Oracle and learns that only her Sight can help
mankind navigate the travails of an ancient war. Our world is the prize
in a battle between the dragons, who would defend us, and Lucifer’s fallen angels, who seek to take the Earth for themselves. Using her gift, she will have to make a choice that will decide humanity’s future.
I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
Siobhan has always known that she could tell if someone was lying and that she could see things more clearly than others. She also met a dragon in her grandma’s garden when she was 5 years old. Now she’s older and has inherited her grandma’s house. The dragon is still there and angels show up as soon as she starts remodeling. She is told that she is the Watcher and that her choices will save or destroy humanity (no pressure there).
Even though Siobhan and the others are in their upper twenties, they act younger. I kept picturing them in their early twenties and it was difficult for me to get that out of my head.
There is a lot going on in this story besides the main fight between the Fallen Angels of Lucifer and the dragons. It has love, heartbreak, and loss among other things. If you like urban fantasy, you’ll like The Dragon in the Garden.
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Erika is a sixth generation San Franciscan of Irish descent. She attended
the University of California at Davis and completed degrees in
Medieval History and Biological Sciences. A lifelong lover of books
and a scribbler of many tales from a young age (her first story was
completed at age five) she turned to writing full-time in 2011.
On a personal level she loves spicy food, twilight, dark chocolate (with sea salt-yum!) and nickel slots at Vegas. Erika lives for time with friends, a nice glass of red wine, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” & “Doctor Who” and good conversation. Her favorite things to do are running, cooking, reading, needlework, gardening… and of course, writing. Erika’s music of choice is heavy metal. To pick her out in a lineup you should know that she is very short, fairly loud, and has dark eyebrows. The rest, as her hero Anne McCaffrey once said in her bio, “is subject to change without notice”.
Erika resides in Northern California with her incredibly hot husband, their three amazing kids, and their chocolate Labrador named Selkie. To reach Erika regarding her books, wine recommendations, or to debate which Iron Maiden album is the best (clearly, it’s Brave New World).
Dominick is a little boy fascinated by dragons. When he finally meets one named Elvis that wants to eat everything, including him, he has to find a way to outsmart him. His adventure proves a boy can be smarter than a dragon.
My Review
I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.
Dominick and the Dragon is a cute children’s book about two boys who tease their younger brother and tell him that dragons live in Dark Forest behind their house. When Dominick sees a dragon near their backyard, he’s surprised that there really are dragons and he realizes that his brothers didn’t really know much about dragons.
Dominick has a scary adventure with the dragon and his wife but his brothers don’t believe him. Will he ever be able to prove that he met dragons?
This is a fun fantasy for young children with cute illustrations.
About the Author
Anne K. Edwards enjoys writing tales for children when she’s not focusing on a mystery. Some stories are ideas taken from little misadventures of her cat who actually did fall off the porch and land on a large blacksnake as it was sunning itself. Both were more than a little surprised.
The Amazon purchase link in this post is an affiliate link. Purchasing through it helps sustain Bound 4 Escape.
What if I told you that all of the fairy tales, myths and legends that have been told about dragons over the years are WRONG? What if I told you that Dragons are indeed REAL and that they are different than you’ve ever imagined? Did you know that Dragons are the master of disguises? Did you know that they love sugar and sweets (at unacceptable levels) and will do anything for treats? Award winning author Valarie Budayr brings us this fairly true story based on her childhood friendship with a REAL live Dragon.
My Review
I received a free ecopy of this book for an honest review.
What a great book for children! It’s about dragons actually being real and tells all the great things they like to do such as read, recite poetry, and hide in plain sight. It encourages children to use their imaginations.
The vibrant colors in this book will keep the attention of all ages. I really like the picture of the cover that looks like the cover of a very old leather book.
I definitely recommend this book. It will make you want to go find a dragon to befriend.
Award Winning and Best-selling author, Valarie Budayr inspires children and adults alike to experience their books through play, discovery, and adventure via engaging extension activities on her popular website,www.jumpintoabook.com.
Valarie is co-founder of Multi-cultural Children’s Book Day , #ReadYourWorld, a celebration of diverse and cultural kid-lit shared with over 98 million people on January 27th. Her foundation puts hundreds of books into the hands of children in rural and intercity areas.www.multiculturalchildrensbookday.com
Valarie’s other best-selling and award winning titles are: The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to our Garden, The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and A Year in the Secret Garden.
Michael Welply was born in London in 1948. The family moved to Winnipeg, Canada, in 1950. He studied art in Winnipeg and then in Paris, but his idea of living from the sales of his paintings is somewhat compromised by the lack of buyers. He started his career as an illustrator in 1977 in London. In 1981 he returned to live in France with his American wife and their two children. Since then he has worked for publishers in both Europe and North America. To date he has illustrated over 80 books and more than 100 covers, in a wide range of subjects extending from detailed non-fiction to juvenile and adult fiction in the realms of fantasy, mythology, science fiction and fairy tales.
Prize: One winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift card or $100 PayPal cash prize, winner’s choice
Giveaway ends: May 30, 11:59 pm, 2016
Open to: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter link below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Valarie Budayr and is hosted and managed by Stacie from BeachBoundBooks. If you have any additional questions feel free to send an email to stacie@BeachBoundBooks.com.
Sir Princess Petra has already attained her Knighthood in the Kingdom of Pen Pieyu and her non-princess-like Talent Certificate from Talent School, neither of which pleases her father, the king. The king writes up more silly rules in the royal rule book to deter Sir Princess Petra from her knightly ways and useless talent and turn her into a real princess once and for all. Will the king finally succeed with this newly written, ridiculous mission for Petra?
Book Review
I received a free ecopy of this book for an honest review.
I had read the second book in the Pen Pieyu Adventures,Sir Princess Petra’s Talent, and enjoyed reading about Sir Princess Petra’s adventures so I was happy to read Sir Princess Petra’s Mission to see what other adventures she would find. At the beginning of the book, a synopsis of the first two books is given so even if you don’t read them, you’ll still know what is going on.
This time, her father sends her on a mission and if she fails, she’ll lose her knighthood. She sets out with her friends and, of course, they have a great adventure. Diane Mae Robinson does a great job describing the characters as well as the scenery. There are also colorful pictures but her descriptions will encourage children to use their imaginations.
Sir Princess Petra is a character that children can look up to. She does what she is ordered to do because she is a knight, but she won’t give up her honor. She knows what is right and she will stick to it even if it’s going to mean that she’ll lose her knighthood.
Sir Princess Petra’s Mission is a fun book for children to read or it would be a good book to read aloud. I think it and the other Pen Pieyu Adventures are stories children will enjoy reading over and over.
I received an ecopy from the author of book #1 shortly before the review on book #3 was due to go live so I thought I’d add that review here:
Synopsis
‘I have thought hard and for many passing moons. Jewels, frocks of lace, and princess games have become boring. The thing I want the most…’ Petra hesitated and bit on her lip. ‘I want to be a royal knight.’
Princess Petra’s unusual birthday request sends the court into a frenzy, but when she agrees to undertake a knight’s quest they can’t stop her. Armed with a cake knife and outfitted in the best royal pots and pans, Petra sets off to face a dragon and win her real armor before encountering a bog witch, and an army of the kingdom’s worst enemies.
Will Petra’s kindness and acceptance prove to be more valuable than weapons and armor?
My Review
Sir Princess Petra is the first of The Pen Pieyu Adventures and it’s my favorite, maybe because I’d already read the next two books and I learned in this one how she became friends with the dragon, Snarls, and the bog witch, Bograt. Such a fun book to read!
To the dismay of her parents, Princess Petra wants to be a knight but she has to perform a task first. Just the fact that she is able to convince her parents that she has the right to become a knight shows what courage Princess Petra has.
On her adventures, she learns that you don’t have to be mean and nasty to be a brave knight. She also turns potential enemies into friend. She is a special princess, for sure.
I definitely recommend Sir Princess Petra and the other Pen Pieyu Adventures for children of all ages.
An eleven-year-old Latino boy wins a district-wide writing contest for sixth graders. When an author visits his school to award his prize, Diego Ramirez has no idea how much his life is about to change.Nathan Sullivan hands Diego his statue, a handsome, glistening black dragon. He shakes his hand and leaves him to his friends. The students crowd around Diego, asking for permission to hold it.After hearing the name Magnifico spoken aloud by family and friends, Diego awards it to his new dragon. If he only knew how fitting the name was, he might have known what lay ahead. Magnifico is the leader of the Sol Dragones, dragons that live within the magical fires of the sun. Nathan Sullivan is the earth’s connection to the mysterious creatures. It is his task to find Magnifico’s guide.As Magnifico comes to life he becomes quite mischievous, playing tricks on Diego to embarrass him. As he discovers his bloodline, however, Diego assumes greater control over his dragon and his destiny. In the climactic journey, he frees his people and suffers a terrible loss by guiding Magnifico to their goal.
My Review
I received a free ecopy of this book for an honest review.
Spirits of the Sun is the first book in the Diego’s Dragon series. It’s a fantasy about a boy who receives an award which is a dragon statue. The dragon, however, is alive!
I thought that Diego’s reaction to the dragon was realistic. So often, I’ve read books in which children or adults come across dragons and they’re not surprised or scared but Diego is terrified.
I wasn’t surprised when Diego lied to his parents. He’s 11 and what 11 year old isn’t going to lie to get out of trouble? I didn’t like that his dad just laughed it off or, later, said how disappointed his mother was going to be. What about him?
It was interesting to read about the food and some of the customs of Diego’s family as wells as a little of their history. The history blended well with the story and the purpose of the dragon, Magnifico, being there.
I believe middle school age children would enjoy this book, especially if they like fantasies.
When Dewi is clobbered by a falling rat, the nosy Welsh dragon snoops his way into a challenging predicament. Helped by a toad with a passion for chemical wart cures, Dewi discovers that a megalomaniac baron is secretly breeding mutant corn at an unfriendly castle. To thwart the genetically modified-corn baron’s sickening plan, he must use moxie and firepower in a series of catastrophe-skirting capers.
I received a free ecopy of this book for an honest review.
Dewi and the Seeds of Doom is a children’s fantasy about Dewi, a young Welsh dragon, who saves a rat and learns from the rat that there is an evil baron who has an evil plot. Dewi is afraid to tell his dad about it so he enlists the help of his friend, a toad named Jones, who is a scientist. The two of them attempt to get evidence to prove to the adults that there is an evil plot brewing at the Castle Gloomsgor.
Maggie Lyons’ writing flows well and is easy to read, but not too easy. There are a couple animals mentioned, such as a vole, that I hadn’t heard of but I think it’s great that there are a couple words that children may have to look up while they’re reading.
The story is cute with nonstop action and even a little suspense. The only thing I missed was pictures. I think a few pictures here and there of Dewi, the castle, Jones, etc., would make the book even better for chilren to read. Despite the absence of pictures, I believe children would enjoy Dewi and the Seeds of Doom.
About The Author
Maggie Lyons was born in Wales and very properly brought up in England before gravitating to Virginia’s coast. She zigzagged her way through a motley slew of careers from (unofficial) British spy to academic editor. Writing and editing nonfiction for adults brought plenty of satisfaction but nothing like the magic she discovered writing for kids. Her children’s books Vin and the Dorky Duet (for ages 7 through 12) and Dewi and the Seeds of Doom (for ages 6 through 10) are available on order at most book stores including Amazon.