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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

The Adventures of Mr. McGuire and Friends and The Kingdom of Sirethiel by K.A. Yodock

This is a lovely story with adorable pictures throughout. The art matches the fun tone of the writing, and the characters are quite endearing. I loved the way the story is presented by pulling us right into the world, as if it is normal for animals to talk and wear clothes, and of course the message of friendship. A great read for anyone with children or anyone simply looking for a fun light read. - Goodreads

Description:

Release Date: December 2014

After eleven-year-old Aiden Greene is forced to move to the country he finds a deep chasm in a peculiar gigantic baobab tree. Inside he discovers his magical powers to read minds and is suddenly drawn into the Kingdom's battle against darkness. He must use his powers to unlock the secrets of the scepter and to save the kingdom. 

Will he unlock the secrets in time to help save the kingdom or will they be locked away forever? Can he free himself from the hideous troll's evil spell or will he be imprisoned in the evil goblin's dungeon? And are the centaurs the real key to saving the Kingdom? 

Packed with spine-tingling fantasy, adventure, and fear, The Kingdom of Sirethiel is a breathtaking roller coaster ride for any readers. Steal a glance and changed your life forever.

Very well crafted story that allows the reader to use his imagination and enter a kingdom packed full of many special characters. The voice is strong and keeps you turning to the next page!
The illustrations provide substance to many of the creatures found within. I recommend it to those of you who like an action packed adventure. It may even make you look more closely at the trunks of large trees! - Goodreads

After a tragic event, Prince Ablias went from being the last born prince to being the crown prince of the wizards. As he is on the cusp of manhood, he is still deciding which type of magic to pursue for his studies. As he does this, he meets and befriends a tribal girl who shares his interest in plants and makes his life a little sweeter. Meanwhile, the man who massacred most of Ablias’ family has triplet nephews who each have unique ways of finishing what their uncle has started. Once his friend’s tribe becomes threatened by one of the brothers’ plans, Ablias must decide how to use his magic in order to save both the tribe and the royal family.

I read The Adventures of Mr. McGuire and Friends with a certain precocious five year old. She enjoyed the camaraderie of the various animals in this tale, and was particularly drawn to the shrew and his choice of tasty snacks. The reading of this story passed the time on a rainy day, and the illustrations were a particular source of delight.- Goodreads

GUEST POST

My inspiration for, The adventures of Mr. McGuire and Friends, came from my back yard. We have a tree outside that I thought was a magnolia. And I had imagined beautiful white blossoms covering its branches. However to my dismay, I discovered that it wasn't a magnolia and was instead, some kind of fruit tree that attached a lot of bugs. But by that time I had finished the book. We also have a Boston terrier named Buddy, who we jokingly call Mr. McGuire. I imagine it's because he is so very stately and distinguished. He reminds us of a proper English gentleman. There are also lots of squirrels that climb around on the branches and thus I created this wonderful relationship between the two. Then I added some other additional animal characters. One of the animals was Daisy my Mom's poodle, who has since past, but has been immortalized in my book. 

The Kingdom of Sirethiel, evolved from a story that was completely different. Originally I wanted to use a storyteller in this book and I thought that I would use Aiden's Dad. But it just didn't work. So I rewrote the whole thing using some of my original ideas. However, I changed my characters somewhat and had Aiden living the story rather than it being told to him. Some of this story is based on my childhood, which was spent in a apple orchard in Oak Glen California. Here my brother and I discovered many magical and exciting worlds. 

Currently I've started on the next book in this possible trilogy. It's about one third of the way done and I am trying to choose a title. I like the titles that I have posted below, but I would also love, love, love your thought and/or suggestions: 

· Passageway into the Kingdom 
· Return to the Kingdom of Sirethiel 
· Vanished! The ancient Kingdom of Sirethiel 
· Lost Forever 
· Trapped in Sirethiel 
About the author:
Kristin is the author of The Adventures of Mr. McGuire and Friends, and her current spine-tingling fantasy The Kingdom of Sirethiel. She's always known that her destiny was to be a writer. After receiving her Ph.D. in psychology, she began delving into children's fantasy and fairy tales. Kristin's been inspired by many great writers, including Daphne du Maurier, E. B. White, Walt Whitman, Charlotte Brontë, and Samuel Clemens. Her writing style has been compared to that of well-known author Neil Gaiman.

When she isn't dreaming up new story lines for her next plot she's spending time with her husband and their Boston Terrier Buddy.


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