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I am an entomologist and educator by training, but have never been able to control my writing habit. Iβve been publishing my writing since I was nine years old and have been known to answer exam questions in verse. Unlike my exam answers, which were met with awkward silence by my Very Serious Professors, my stories have won multiple awards.
My fantasy books for children include the Dragon Defence League series and other books infested by unusual animals. For teens Iβve written the epic fantasy series, Fatecarver. Iβve also published three fantasy novels for adults, two non-fiction books about insects and a book of poetry.
I have lived in the United States and Panama, but now call Aotearoa New Zealand home. When Iβm not writing or at my day job, I can be found in the garden or the mountains.
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Nathan McMannis is bored. His friends have gone on to new adventures, while heβs stuck at the Alexandra Institute doing correspondence school. All he wants is more excitement, less maths homework.
But you know what they say: Be careful what you wish for.
Another wild, dragon-filled adventure set in modern day New Zealand! This standalone adventure can also be read as Book 5 of the Dragon Defence League series.
They said Dad was a dragon slayer. They were wrong.
When Nathan’s dad goes missing, presumed dead, Nathan is whisked away to the Alexandra School of Heroic Arts to train as his replacement. At school, he and his new friends soon learn:
Dragons are not the worst monsters out there.
And Nathan’s dad might not be dead … yet.
Book 1 of the Dragon Defence League series–dragon filled adventure in modern day New Zealand. If you like adventure with a dose of fantasy, this is the book for you!
I haven't seen my son this excited about a book since Harry Potter!
”If dragons were ever real, and if they still existed today, they would most likely be hanging out in New Zealand. Our dense forest and stunning mountains are the perfect place for these giant mythical beasts to thrive unnoticed by people.
When Katie Cochrane gets a burnt out pub for her thirtieth birthday, she does the only logical thingβstarts her own restaurant. But the Rifton Pub has issues. Patrons who havenβt even had a drink start showing up βdrunkβ around Rifton. Unfortunately, the βdemon drinkβ isnβt responsible, but another sort of demon altogether. Itβs going to take all of Riftonβs witches to banish what has taken root.
A standalone cosy urban fantasy set in small-town New Zealand. Book 2 of the Rifton Chronicles
When Alex Blackburn returns to small-town Rifton to settle her grandmotherβs estate, she doesnβt expect to uncover Granβs secret affair or accidentally summon a giant centipede from the netherworld. Now she’s got to get rid of it, before it eats all the neighbours’ pets.
Shelby Saunders, grandson of Granβs lover, might just be the one to help her. If she can convince him the demon is real.
This cosy urban fantasy set in small-town New Zealand is the first book in the Rifton Chronicles series.
You'll look twice at your cat after reading this.
”In the small town where I live, there are several unmarked graves. On long walks during Covid lockdown, my husband and I made up all sorts of crazy stories about who is buried there. Diving into local history to find out the truth about the graves, I found a treasure trove of colourful Canterbury history. I couldn’t resist the lure of weaving real historical events with a bit of ridiculous fantasy.
Kalish had a plan. The gods had a different one.
Banished from her clan for a prophesied future act of treachery, Kalish is forced far from home. When she discovers a plot to destroy her people, she must defy them in order to save them.
Book 1 of the Fatecarver series takes you to a stunning landscape of harsh beauty and harsh consequences. If you like action-packed fantasy, strong female characters, and magic realism, youβll love Fatecarver. Pick up your copy today and start your adventure!
From the first chapter, I was pulled in hook, line and sinker!
”This series began as a flash fiction piece, which I realised wanted to be part of a book, and it quickly grew to a 3-book epic fantasy series.
Kalish is a Fatewalker, chosen by the god Iskra to save her people and their enemies from a common threat.Β As her shape-shifting power grows, her influence does too, but Kalishβs personal goalsβfinding a home and a people she belongs toβseem as far away as ever.
Personal and societal struggles intertwine as Kalish and her followers grapple with the question, not of who they are, but of who they wish to become.
Book 2 of the Fatecarver series.
In the final book of the Fatecarver trilogy, Kalishβs magical power grows along with her influence. Treated like a god, she longs for a normal life, a home, family. But the real god, Iskra, is depending upon her to save the people from greedβspecifically her motherβs greed. When her mother destroys Iskraβs last stronghold, Kalish must draw on every bit of her power to bring the god back. But her power alone isnβt enough, and resurrecting a god requires sacrifice. One that may cost her all her dreams.
A world-first guide to dragons, written in consultation with the dragons themselves.
Hidden for centuries, Aotearoa New Zealandβs dragons step out of the shadows in this unique and informative guide.
Everything you ever wanted to know about New Zealand dragons, their lives culture, and history.
With a foreword by the founding members of the Dragon Defence League, and special commentary by the dragons Rata and Foggy Bottom.
A must-read for dragon lovers!
For years, I’ve had readers begging for a book about the species of dragons I’ve invented for the Dragon Defence League series. It wasn’t until I teamed up with the amazing illustrator, Lily Duval, that I was able to make that book a reality. Lily shared my geeky enthusiasm for the biology and ecology of these mythical creatures, adapted to unique New Zealand habitats.
Thereβs never a dull moment when youβre dealing with dragons.Β
Tui, Nathan, Ella and Oliver have saved Nathanβs dad. Now they need to save the dragons. Can they convince dragons and humans to work together? Not everyone is happy with their plans, and some are willing to kill to prevent them from succeeding.
Book 2 of the Dragon Defence League series takes you on another crazy adventure with New Zealand’s colourful dragons.Β Pick up your copy and continue the fun!
Bringing down an international dragon smuggling ring requires bravery, teamwork, quick thinking, and a touch of arson.
Do Ella, Nathan, Tui, and Oliver have what it takes, or will they become casualties in their own war against the smugglers?
Book 3 of the Dragon Defence League series is a heart stopping adventure that will keep you turning pages until the very end.
Something lurks in the mountainsβa legend of ice and snow, threatened by climate change. When the Dragon Defence League is called in to investigate, they embark on their most audacious mission yet. A mission that will take them to the ends of the earth and require the help of a nation. Can they pull it off before itβs too late? The fourth book in the Dragon Defence League series takes you on another wild adventure! Don’t miss it!
Toryβs life is comfortable. She has her cat, her job at Laurel Glen Library, and her friend Jess. Sheβs happy and content … until she loses her job, finds her deadbeat dad, and discovers sheβs a monster with deadly powers.
FBI Agent Nico Michaelson was hoping for the assignment to launch his career. Instead heβs following Tory and her crazy cat. But is she really the monster the government believes she is? And is he willing to kill her, or would he rather ask her out?
Cosy urban fantasy.
I first wrote this concept as epic fantasy. After banging out a book and a half and hating it, I shifted gears, setting it in the modern day. I added a cat and a library, and it all came together beautifully.
Their newly developed disease will wipe out the human race.
Thirteen year-old Crick and her best friend, a cockroach named Peri, are determined to stop them, travelling to Panama, where the mosquito leader is marshalling her forces. They must use all their wits and draw on a host of insect allies. Will it be enough to survive and stop the mosquitoes?
Adventure for insect lovers!
Arthropods are amazing! I wanted to write a story in which the bugs took centre stage, relying on real-life superpowers to win the day. Other than their intelligence and speaking ability, the bugs in A Glint of Exoskeleton are ordinary arthropods doing things that their real-life counterparts do every day.
A weekend at the beach goes terribly wrong when Pearl and Ottoβs parents disappear. The kindly Miss Brisket, owner of the bed and breakfast where they are staying, assures them everything is fine, but strange things start happening, and soon the children are in a race against time to save both their parents and Miss Brisket from the local witches coven.
This standalone fantasy is perfect for children who love animals and adventure.