Books with author Nancy Richardson

The key to saving the world hangs from her neck… Sixteen-year-old Evangeline Theopolis doesn’t know her father, her mother is having delusions, and her godmother is, at the very least, a murderer. A clandestine Order called the Archivists is trying to find and kill her for a magical talisman she believes is just a necklace with an antique key charm. And an ancient and lethal female Sect is bent on kidnapping her. To fight her deadly adversaries Evangeline is forced to use both her wits and the supernatural talents she never imagined she possessed. Her journey takes her to the steps of Mount Olympus where she will discover her true identity and have a decision to make: accept who she really is or take responsibility for the destruction of the world. PANDORA’S KEY is a fast-paced, edgy urban fantasy about a young woman’s treacherous path to self-awareness and the realization that sometimes you have to play the hero in your own life’s story. Fans of Suzanne Collins and Stephenie Meyer will appreciate the magic infused gritty realism, flawed yet powerful heroine, intricate plot and cast of characters to love, despise or pity.

Bryan was 10 when his brother, Adam, just . . . disappeared. That was five years ago, and now Bryan is the only one who seems to remember what happened. Until he meets two others with their own unsolved mysteries. It seems that Adam isn’t the first to disappear. Someone or something is after the kids in their neighborhood. The adults can’t hear it, and they can’t see it or feel it—but the kids can. And it all comes back to the skipping rhyme that every child in town knows by heart . . . and the Dark Man who haunts everyone’s worst nightmares—while they’re awake.

Wild Babies takes an intimate look at the beginnings of life for 36 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians in their natural habitats. Exquisite color photographs from such renowned nature photographers as Art Wolfe, Jim Brandenburg, Jen and Des Bartlett, and Frans Lanting are accompanied by lively and informative text on each species. Romping lion cubs, leaping armadillos, cuddling bunnies, clinging monkeys and many more innocents await you in Wild Babies.

Dragon Princess of Shambala is the long awaited finale of The Hidden World Chronicles. Elizabeth Jennings is actually the child who was mentioned in an ancient prophesy. Even at the age of four she knows she is different, but her abilities are held in check. One day she finds out why. She is not of this world and neither are her mother and father or her nanny for that matter. The whole family returns to their real world where Liz finds that she doesn't have to hide her abilities any longer. She is encouraged and finds that there is much to learn in this new world. After befriending a huge dragon by the name of Drake. She is sent along with that dragon on her first mission back to our world at the age of four. In the capital city of Lassa Tibet, the sight of a child riding on the back of a dragon not only fulfilled an ancient Chinese prophesy but began the legend of The Dragon Princess. This is only the exciting start of the many exciting adventures that are in store for this child of The Hidden World. The things she learned, the adventures she lived, both in her world and ours, was leading her to a destiny she could never have dreamed of. Before Liz's birth her mother and father found they were of this world much the way Liz had but only after Dr. Charles Jennings and Dr. Sarah Parker were fully grown. Both having PHD's in the field of ancient history and anthropology they had stumbled on secrets kept since the dawn of man. This was to throw them into the Hidden World where later they were later married. After coming back to our world to teach, Liz was born. It was an action at the university where they were teaching that put everyone's safety in question. Liz and her nanny, Jenny, were picked up in the middle of the night to be taken to safety in the Hidden World. Now that she was in this perfect world her life was to go into high gear. Her knowledge and abilities were to advance to unbelievable heights. She would not realize her true destiny until much later as the events in her life led her to the final conclusion. Because of Liz's father, she had placed her adventures into a journal that was to make it's way to our world. This was much the same way the first two books of this series came about. Journey of the Chosen, The Secrets of the Sword, and Dragon Princess of Shamballa, are all part of The Hidden World Chronicles. Enjoy the adventure but hold on to your seat, because you just may be in for the ride of your life.

Merlin and a group of his friends were at their middle school on the night of the Fall Festival. Ms. White, a long term substitute teacher, showed them a mirror and told them to look into a mirror and think about whatever they saw. The magical mirror gave the students a curse or blessing based on how they saw themselves in the mirror. Unfortunately, it was Halloween when they looked into the mirror and everyone was wearing costumes. If they saw themselves as shorter than their friends, they might start getting shorter each day. If they thought they looked strong, they grew stronger each day. Merlin was dressed as his hero, Merlin the Enchanter, and imagined that he could do magic as well. Unfortunately, a friend was not so lucky. He had to either help his friend and risk losing his powers, forget about her and keep the powers of the mirror. Unfortunately, he and his friends were not the only ones who looked at the mirror. Another group of students had also gained powers from the mirror. They felt no need to help the cursed friend and decided to stop Merlin and his friends from getting to the mirror.Will he risk losing his powers to help his friend? Can Merlin and his friends save the cursed friend or will they be stopped by the other students?

It was just a bit of fun, a local legend. The Devil's Footsteps: thirteen stepping stones, and whichever one you stopped on in the rhyme could predict how you would die. A harmless game for kids - and nobody ever died from a game. But it's not a game to Bryan. He's seen the Dark Man, because the Dark Man took his brother five years ago. He's tried to tell himself that it was his imagination, that the Devil's Footsteps are just stones and the Dark Man didn't take Adam. But Adam's still gone. And then Bryan meets two other boys who have their own unsolved mysteries. Someone or something is after the children in the town. And it all comes back to the rhyme that every local child knows by heart: Thirteen steps to the Dark Man's door, Won't be turning back no more . . .

When Nick Spencer stumbles upon Bargains, the odd little back street shop seems like the perfect place to buy the present he's been searching for. And when the shopkeeper wants to take some of Nick's artwork instead of money for payment, he's even happier.But Nick soon realizes that the deal he's made is not quite the bargain he thought it was. His drawing skills have disappeared, and when he returns to the shop he finds himself trapped into a job he didn't sign up for, collecting debts for the mysterious Mr Grey. As his assignments grow steadily more and more traumatic and the shop takes over more and more of his life, the question becomes not when he'll earn his way out . . . but if he'll ever get out at all.

Wild Love takes you on a journey through thirty-six mating rituals, from the cumbersome wooing of giant tortoises to the passionate flight of courting egrets to the cruel dance of the praying mantis. Full of stunning photography by such renowned nature photographers as Art Wolfe, Jim Brandenburg, Jeff Foott, and Frans Lanting, and complete with entertaining and informative text on each species, Wild Love is sure to sure to surprise and seduce.