‘The Lost Stone of SkyCity’

My freezing middle-grade fantasy adventure is out October 2019 from Fremantle Press.

Sunaya’s peaceful village life is turned upside down when a simple mountain mission turns into a death-defying quest for survival.

Winter treks to summer pastures, mythical Ice-People that are scarily real, avalanches, ice falls, power plays, mysterious magic and surprising  friendships – it seems not everything in life is set in stone …

For sample chapters or to pre-order, head to the Freo Press website.

 

Why is it set among mountains?

Because I love them! Here’s me at the Jungfrau in Switzerland, exhibiting my usual look-at-all-this-snowy-mountain-awesomeness pose.

With ‘The Lost Stone of SkyCity’ I was inspired to mess with the Chosen One trope. I created characters who feel that expectation to become something or succeed at something. Some of them want that thing so badly, and others plain don’t. I wanted my readers to see they have a choice – no matter what – and sometimes not becoming the person they think they should be isn’t all that bad.

I also wanted a positive female / male friendship, a lot of humour and fun, and a super-strong female lead. Sunaya fights, not with weapons or fists, but with some of those qualities that make kids balanced and happy – compassion, empathy, the understanding that there is something you’re good at, the knowledge that you’re part of a community, and the resilience to get back up when life knocks you down.

I’m super excited for you all to read it!