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?
Top Ten List:
1. Travel
– I have been fortunate enough to visit many countries but there are still more
on my list.
2. Animals
– I love animals and wish I had tons of money to donate to many of the causes I
read about. One day, I will!
3. Movies
– I LOVE movies. Detective, thrillers, animal feel goods, historical series,
adventure, action, marvel character movies, I love it!
4. Books
– I LOVE books, of course, and still have many of my old childhood favourites
inherited from my parents and grandparents.
5. Music
– listening to music, mainly classical and movie themes, is very relaxing.
6. Theatre
and ballet – would you believe it I started out studying drama at university,
went to drama school in London and mime school in Paris, came back home and ended
up in writing and publishing.
7. Writing
– not just writing middle grade adventures though. I have an alter ego named
Arabella Sheraton who writes Regency romances and has actually written more
books than I have. Arabella is the proud author of eight books so far. Do I
have a problem wearing two hats? Not at all. I love jumping into a historical
fiction romance and having fun.
8. Antiques
and collectibles – I have inherited so many beautiful antiques (furniture and
collectibles) but that hasn’t stopped me browsing flea markets and antique
shops to enjoy the beautiful items of yesteryear and sometimes buy.
9. Friends/family
– getting together with good friends is something that can’t be beaten. I love
having friends/family over and making a great dinner for us to enjoy.
10.Giving
talks on child literacy – I didn’t start off as an expert on child literacy,
but after I fostered and later adopted my daughter Mabel (a disadvantaged young
African girl) I had to learn pretty quickly because she came to me just about
illiterate at age eleven. From my experiences in teaching Mabel to read, I then
was asked to address many institutions and groups on the topic. I enjoy helping
parents and teachers to get kids to love reading.
Many thanks for hosting me.
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