Quote of the Moment:

Quote of the Moment: Who said this, and why? "I'm coming to realize EVERYONE can eat me."

My Books

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The Animal Guild Series in order:
The Animal Guild
Monsters in the Territory
The Marrhob War
The Nhorn
Outcasts
The Hikum
Seven Secrets in the Upper Attic
Randa's Day: an Interlude in the Animal Guild (short "bridge" story)
The Rogan Treasures
Sev's Vision 
Kiah's Day: A Day in the Animal Guild (short story)
Fist's Day: A Day in the Animal Guild (short story)
The Anwinn Ghost

Other works:
Sdani White Wings in the anthology Symbol of a Nation, Fred Patten editor.


The Animal Guild

The Animal Guild Series, Book One



Out in the wilds, animals band together in “Guilds” for mutual protection and fellowship, led by officers who take care of their guilds while honoring the gods of the Far Lands. Corto, a terrier, believes that he is a perfect leader and can be one of those officers, so he enrolls in Officer Training School to prove his worth. But wanting to lead is one thing; how can the little dog reach his goal when his rude conceit and distrust of others keep getting in the way? Because he once lost someone he loved, he has become so afraid of friendship and depending on others that he might not even graduate.

Corto will need the help of Sev, a mysterious ferret who keeps having weird visions about his future, and Renard, a fox whose tolerant, persistent friendship may bring out Corto’s true nature—except that Corto refuses both friendships and doesn’t even believe in the Far Land gods. What’s worse, the powerful leader of a gang of bully dogs in Town is out to kill him, maybe even before his Officer Training begins . . .

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Monsters in the Territory

The Animal Guild Series, Book Two



Two years after the adventures of The Animal Guild, Corto and Renard command a new guild. But things are going wrong in their territory; the guild that had lived there before them has mysteriously vanished, monstrous creatures abound, and most importantly, something has happened to derail the friendship between the dog and fox. Can they end their feud before the monsters in the territory end it for them? 

Granite Council has assigned the 233rd animal guild to the large, mostly unexplored territory of a former guild which, along with its mad badger general, has mysteriously vanished. As the senior command, Corto and Renard must find the missing guild, a task made more difficult because of their now-constant bickering; the friendship between the dog and fox ended a year earlier, and no one knows why. Maybe the help of a clumsy spaniel, an impudent kitten and an energetic vixen will mend their feud -- because if they don’t work together, the strange, monstrous creatures they discover in the territory will destroy them and everyone they love. Monsters in the Territory is the first of a trilogy of books within The Animal Guild Series, soon to be followed by the next two installments (so be warned: cliff-hanger ending alert!). By the end of the trilogy, the world of animal guilds will be changed forever. 

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The Marrhob War

The Animal Guild Series, Book Three

 



Continuing the adventures that started in Monsters in the Territory, the animals of the 233rd guild are up against the most deadly enemy they have ever faced—the Marrhob. Will they be able to save Isias from being eaten by Rhob Bhorg? Will the Marrhob declare war on the animals and climb above ground to annihilate them? Or will Corto even believe that such creatures as the Marrhob can exist in the first place? Because if he doesn’t take them seriously, if he and Renard and Hercules can’t convince Bhorg that tolerance and friendship are possible between species, their world and everyone they love will be destroyed. The Marrhob War is the second in a trilogy of books within The Animal Guild Series (so be warned: another cliff-hanger ending!), soon to be concluded in The Nhorn.

 

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The Nhorn

The Animal Guild Series, Book Four 

 


Concluding the adventures that started in Monsters in the Territory and continued in The Marrhob War, the animals of the 233rd guild confront the most deadly enemy they have ever encounteredthe Marrhob. Even though Corto, Renard and Hercules have forged a rocky alliance with Bhorg, the Rhob does not trust them enough to tell them the secret to saving both his life and the Marrhob’s future. Just what is the mysterious Nhorn? Meanwhile, the blood-thirsty Hlik and Surm are not only determined to destroy all animals, but also to usurp Bhorg’s rule, pitting Marrhob against Marrhob. Grueling battles, tragic sacrifices and heart-breaking treachery are only some of the surprises that await the reader in this fourth book of The Animal Guild Series.

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Outcasts

The Animal Guild Series, Book Five

 


Two outcasts. One is despised and abused because of the past, the other is rejected as a mutant freak. One is a wolf, the daughter of the deposed tyrant of the Kaffracuss Kingdom, and the other is Bhorg’s heir. Both have been cast out by their people as pariahs, but when the disappearance of Valon leads Corto and Renard into the midst of a bloody war, only the outcasts can save them—if they care. 

The summer after the Nhorn War ends, Bhorg’s heir, the future Rhob, is born. But the shocking, unexpected nature of the offspring, coupled with the sudden news that Valon has vanished near the kingdom of the Kaffracans, lead Corto and Renard into the hostile world of the wolf guild and a bloody war that makes the Nhorn War seem like a mere kids’ scrum. Victory seems hopeless without the help of both Bhorg’s heir and the wolf tyrant’s daughter—but can the two exiles find the courage to risk their own lives for the sake of the others? Will they help Corto and Renard? Will they save their kingdoms? Or will they lose everything? Find out in this fifth book of The Animal Guild Series.

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The Hikum

The Animal Guild Series, Book Six

 


Returning to the 233rd guild, fresh from the Bhasrhob War in Kaffracuss, things aren’t exactly going smoothly for Bhresh or Guelen. Bhresh battles her father’s distrust and the Marrhob prejudice against her new-found relatives, while Guelen struggles to fit in as peaceful historian rather than as a warrior queen. But when the human child of Bhresh’s vision suddenly arrives and everyone—beetle and animal—is exposed to a deadly plague, both leaders must convince their people that there is more to the disease than meets the eye, and that beetle magic must be behind it. Can they save their people before it is too late? Find out in this sixth book of The Animal Guild Series.



Seven Secrets in the Upper Attic

The Animal Guild Series, Book Seven

 


This is a young-adult fantasy-action-adventure with magic and paranormal mystery! Pepin is an abused foster teen who just wants a home, a family and love. But those things happen to other kids, not him. After the cruel, violent Rocky torments him and his autistic foster brother Jimmy one too many times, Pepin runs away with some oddball teens. The motley group—two fostered, two neglected, and one just plain reckless—runs smack into a mysterious attic, a weird dog, ghost hunters, theatrical shenanigans, crazy chases, and . . . magic. Because Pepin is hiding the biggest secret of all: he possesses a “mutant gene” that gives him the power to heal. But even magic can’t protect him from the police or from the revenge of that nasty piece of work called Rocky. What exactly are the Seven Secrets in the Upper Attic? This is a stand-alone book as well as Book 7 of The Animal Guild Series, and the adventures of these kids collide with the Animal Guild world in wacky and surprising ways.

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Randa's Day: an Interlude in the Animal Guild

Story (The Animal Guild Book 7.5)

 


A story from The Animal Guild Series, this is a fantasy with action, adventure, mystery and magic! The raccoon Randa of the 233rd Animal Guild is having quite a day as she organizes the survivors of the hikum plague, meets the mysterious human girl Dayle, and prepares for the long-awaited return of Corto and Renard. The stress of teaching Dayle in class, impromptu drawing lessons for Marrhob beetles—not to mention the fact that Randa is the acting general—are nothing compared to the sudden disappearance of a little puppy whose father died from the plague and who is now orphaned and all alone in the world. This story bridges Books 6 and 8 of The Animal Guild Series. Even if you have not read the first six books, you’ll find it fun and enjoyable.

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The Rogan Treasures

The Animal Guild Series, Book Eight



This is a young-adult fantasy-action-adventure with magic and paranormal mystery. Mika and Pepin are in search of lost treasure in the desert wilderness. They have a secret map, the mysterious and powerful Shell amulet, Percy’s gawky cousin, the incredibly obnoxious ex-girlfriend of Rocky . . . and their mutant-gene magic to help guide them. Will they find the treasure? What exactly is the treasure? And most important, will they find a certain animal that Pepin has been searching for all summer, a wonderful little dog named Corto? The Rogan Treasures is the sequel to Seven Secrets in the Upper Attic, and will spill directly into Book 9 of The Animal Guild Series, Sev’s Vision.

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Sev's Vision

The Animal Guild Series, Book Nine




Book 9 in The Animal Guild Series, this novel is a fantasy with action, adventure, animals, big bugs, and magic. Remember the prophetic ferret Sev from Book 1, The Animal Guild? She envisioned Corto’s strongest future, and hinted that the Far Land gods needed him to help different animals, even different species in some vague way and at some vague future time—otherwise, they would all die. Her prophesy is the crux of this book, catapulting Corto and his friends into freaky mysteries and ruthless, savage warfare. Only the little dog can make Sev’s vision a reality, but how? He’ll need the support of family and friends—old and new, guilder, beetle, and human teenager. He’ll need a few miracles, and he’ll even need help from . . . the Enemy.




Kiah's Day: A Day in the Animal Guild

Story (The Animal Guild Book 9.5)




A story from The Animal Guild Series, this is a fantasy with action, adventure, mystery—and everything you ever wanted to know about the secretive, forbidden world of . . . skunks! Kiah of the 233rd Animal Guild is having a momentous day. Half-bobcat, he is used to being seen as different from other animals. But having Terelle of the local Skunk Enclave as his best friend makes it a whole lot worse. Kiah longs to be part of the Enclave, even to be chosen as a Warrior Skunk, but that’s impossible: guilds and enclaves are tenuous allies at best. At worst, skunk spray is an effective weapon for a pissed-off skunk—a weapon Kiah can never possess. After Terelle is initiated into the Enclave caste system and Kiah is not, his impetuous response leads to heart-wrenching disaster. Can the day get any worse? It definitely can, and it definitely does. This story takes place after Book 9, Sev’s Vision, in The Animal Guild Series. Even if you have not read the other books, you will find it an exciting, suspenseful read.




Fist's Day: a Day in the Animal Guild

Story (The Animal Guild Book 9.9)



A story from The Animal Guild Series, this is a fantasy with action, adventure and mystery starring our favorite cat—Fist! Fist—a black cat, impudent spy and self-imposed loner—decides to satisfy her curiosity about Halloween. But Halloween and black cats don’t always mix. After an unimaginable incident, she finds herself lost and utterly alone for the first time in her life. She seeks help from the most unlikely assortment of new and intriguing animals, but appearances can be deceiving. Who is friend and who is foe? And will Fist ever find her way home to her guild family? Fist’s (mis)adventure takes place after Kiah’s Day, a Day in the Animal Guild Series, but can be read as a self-contained story.


The Anwinn Ghost

The Animal Guild Book Ten


The Anwinn Ghost

What do you get when you combine teenagers, rats, and cats? Toss in an evil ghost, and you get a whopping big dose of chaos! Our intrepid teens Pepin and Mika meet little Leo and Quenti, prince and princess of the local black rat Family, who are about to go to war because of Quenti’s forbidden love with a rat from a rival Family. But what about the ghostly vibes in the wine cellar of Pepin and Mika’s elderly friends? And what of the mysterious rat Vault with its cryptic documents? Plus the recent sightings of brown rats, the arch enemies of Leo and Quenti? Both deadly danger and madcap hilarity ensue after an inconceivable encounter with a malevolent and downright yucky ghost. Mix in creepy burglars, cats with vendettas, and a Thanksgiving dinner you won’t forget, and you have The Anwinn Ghost. The Anwinn Ghost is Book 10 in The Animal Guild Series, occurring after the events of the interlude story Fist’s Day. While the book can be read as a stand-alone, some familiarity with the world of animal guilds and Secret Guilders will help the reading experience. Enjoy!

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2 comments:

  1. Absolutely loved this book. Well developed characters. The dynamics of the interaction between the animals reminds me a lot of things that I learned as I was growing up. A sweet part of the story even made me cry , and that doesn't happen often. The story really takes a look at bullying what makes a bully and ,how can you deal with one Hopes and dreams and how to make and grow friendships woven into a wonderful story about animals in the world around us and what they want and deserve!


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    1. Thanks so much! The Animal Guild is about many things: bullying, friendship, trust, teamwork, starting over. While the characters are animals, they represent us humans -- at our worst and at our best. -JS

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