Katherine Hetzel

A wide-nostrilled black snout. Two bulbous eyes, shining white underneath a thick ridged brow. An opaque frill of leathery skin framing the face. Hints of purple light glinting on black scales. A long body, supported on four stumpy legs with widespread toes, and claws as long as a man's fingers. A thickened tail, almost as long as the body, dragging on the ground. Tilda saw it all in a split second, and whimpered, "Dragon " In Book 4 of the Chronicles of Issraya, Tilda, Mage of Merjan, is exiled to her own region and blocked from using her Power as punishment for her bone-shattering actions in Kradlock. While the other Mages deal with unusual crop destruction by the dragons of Nargan, Tilda is escorted by a Mage-appointed steward from Academy to Academy to gain a working knowledge of the people of Issraya. Frustrated by her imposed schedule, Tilda sneaks away from her steward and secretly travels to Nargan to help with the rampaging dragons. But before she reaches her destination she is attacked by one of them instead. Rurik, a local Healer, saves her and tends to her wounds. While recovering from her injuries in Rurik's hut and without the use of her blocked Power, Tilda stumbles upon a connection with the marauding dragons and discovers the source responsible for their destructive tendencies. Desperate to share her new knowledge, Tilda sets off with Rurik, hoping she's in time to show the Mages there's more to the crop destruction than just the dragons.

In Book 3 of the Chronicles of Issraya, Tilda and the other mages of Ring Isle have a problem that could threaten their very existence. For the first time in their history, the powermages have in their possession silviron that's been tainted with dark power, perilous to keep on Ring Isle or to exist anywhere in the world where someone could encounter it. The mages decide to put the tainted silviron in a small metal box and drop it into the turbulent waters of the Merjan Straits, which lie at the point where the inner and outer seas meet. Since Tilda was the one to find the silviron that restored their power, she's selected to dispose of the tainted silviron. Since Kamen, the aging Mage of Kradlock, has to cross the Merjan Straits to return home, Tilda accompanies him to fulfil her task and to help Kamen decide his successor. Tilda soon discovers there's more to Kradlock than the famous Hanging Rock, colourful clothing, and cliffs full of cavern homes and markets. Kradlock's greatest pride are the honeycomb of tunnels full of the bones of ancestors, including the mortal remains of Kradlock's powermages that not only test her growing abilities but her right to be called the Mage of Merjan.

Everyone is a storyteller. Really. They are. Think about it. We tell stories whenever we describe what we did at the weekend. What our favourite present was on our last birthday. Where we went on holiday last year . . . These are stories about ourselves and our lives, and are more often than not, real. We also love to use our imaginations and make up stories for playacting, entertaining others, or because stories keep popping into our heads. It's easy to tell a story. But it's not always easy to write one. Squidge's Guide to Super Stories helps young writers capture their story ideas, fill them out with detail, and polish them up to be the best they can possibly be. Hetzel's informal style, whimsical illustrations, and amusing examples makes writing fun. Her emphasis on capturing a story first and thinking about the rules after gives young writers permission to free their imaginations. Katherine Hetzel has spent years sharing information and advice with young and novice writers who want to improve their writing or make the stories they've already written better. From finding story inspiration to plotting to creating interesting characters, Squidge's Guide to Super Stories has everything a young writer needs to write stories they are proud of and for readers to enjoy.

Tilda's initiation is barely over and she's already taking her first powermaging lessons and learning the legends of Issraya. She secretly practices making illuminorbs in her room until she drains her energy to a level she knows Silviu will notice. She sneaks to the Ringroom to get a power boost. To her horror, she discovers the silviron in the Ringstone had been tainted in the battle with Luisa and the conduit to the Power is fading. Tilda's waning Merjanian portion of the Power reveals there's more silviron in the mines of Pergatt. Despite Silviu's orders to remain at Issraya, Tilda travels to Pergatt with Mage Duska in the hope of discovering the precious starmetal. Under the pretense of learning about the history of powermages and their regions, she joins a team of young gem miners in the hope they will lead her to the silviron. In the mines, she stumbles upon evidence of the cursed stone from the most evil legend in the history of the mages. Now she hopes she has enough knowledge and skill to defeat its dark magic.

Tilda has been angry with the Power and its mages ever since Pa died. Why didn't the mages use the Power to save him? Determined to find out, she sails to Ring Isle with her Uncle Vanya, steward to the mage Silviu of Ambak. But finding answers isn't easy, especially when a rogue mage attempts to steal all the Power of the five rings for himself and leaves the remaining four mages trying to cope with the aftermath of the attack. When Tilda tries to return a snake torc to Silviu, she is accidentally pulled through a Power-fueled portal and finds herself in Ambak. There, she realizes she's the only one who can find the hidden ring of Ambak to restore the balance of Power to all the mages. As she tackles this challenging quest, Tilda discovers more about herself than she could ever imagine.

Temple novice Katia wants nothing more than to become a priest in the Temple of the Triple Gods. She tries hard to do the right thing, but she's running out of ways to convince Elder Sevanya, the King's Priest, that she can do the job. While she's belatedly setting up the incense to prove that she's a competent acolyte, Katia overhears the king's brother plotting to kill the king. She steals the Kingstone to protect it and to deliver it to the true heir with a warning: the killer is after him too. Not knowing who to trust, Katia keeps her mission secret. Her theft of the precious stone puts a price on her head and she disguises herself as a boy to undertake the dangerous journey across sea and land to the true heir's palace. Doing the right thing just got a lot harder. Will the Triple Gods forgive her?

After Irvana s grandmother dies in their remote clifftop home, Irvana must travel to Koltarn. Alone in a strange city, Irvana finds employment at the palace, home of Lord Terenz, current overlord and bearer of the StarMark. Suddenly immersed in palace life, Irvana makes a friend in fellow-servant Rosann, and there is a spark between her and the lively Mikal, Terenz s ward. But when Terenz discovers that Irvana has something he wants, her life is suddenly in danger."

A TEST OF TIME is a fantastic anthology of short stories inspired by the theme of past, present and future. Lose yourself in stories that bring together different generations through time travel as well as exploring futuristic ideas. Explore worlds where determination and resolve overcome impossible feats. Let your imagination go as you read about adventures under the sea, a magician's chair, dragons, and mischievous girls on a mission to prank their teacher. All in all, a wonderful collection for children who are mature readers and adults. Dip into our world of short stories... All monies raised from sales of this book will go directly to Foodbank, which provides emergency food for local people in crisis.