Books with author Stephanie Ford

A secret plot is unveiled...For centuries, ribbons of magic provided the kingdom of Cirena with light, healing, and protection. But with a coup against the gods on the brink of unfolding, a dark power steals the magic from the land and cripples the kingdom in a single afternoon.Not everyone is caught unaware.A local goddess blesses two young mages with a gift—they keep their magic, and in return, they must help the gods defend the kingdom.One of these mages, Toranih, is a young noblewoman who would rather have a sword in her hand than use her powers to heal or throw fireballs. And she would much rather stay out of the plans of immortals. But with former mages dying from magic withdrawal, and the looming threat of an army who can twist others into shadows like them, Toranih must embrace the responsibilities of a mage or watch her home perish.This is a 34,000-word novella. Book One of The Wishing Blade series.

This book introduces young readers to the Russian blue cat, the shy feline from Russia. Engaging, easy-to-read text invites students to examine this breed's history, personality, behavior, and development. Coat characteristics, common colors, size, and care instructions are also highlighted. Beautiful, full-color photos feature the Russian blue in a variety of situations. An index and glossary are also included. Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

Though a shadow is as good as a ghost, with no free will to speak of, they may still be saved...The kingdom of Cirena is under attack from an army of shadows—beings who can only be hurt by magic or fire. Magic has been stolen, and as the shadows spread, infecting all they touch, the last two ribbon mages race to the nearest port city to warn them of the impending invasion.One of those mages, Toranih, is among the few who can see the Trickster-cursed army, and she’s determined to get magic back—no matter how much she distrusts it. When she is captured by shadows and a dark secret is revealed about her future, her best friend, Daernan, is left to defend the city. But his only methods of stopping the shadows are by fire and the devastating magic of the shodo'charl.With the knowledge that the shadows are innocent townsfolk forced to do a warlord's bidding, Daernan must choose between saving the shadows or saving those who have not yet turned.This is a 55,000-word novel. Book Two of The Wishing Blade series.

This book introduces young readers to the oriental shorthair cat, a breed with so many coat color combinations, it is sometimes called the rainbow cat. Engaging, easy-to-read text invites students to examine this breed's history, personality, behavior, and development. Coat characteristics, common colors, size, and care instructions are also highlighted. Beautiful, full-color photos feature the oriental shorthair in a variety of situations. An index and glossary are also included. Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

Will magebane save the world?Or destroy it?In Shevanlagiy’s quest to save her childhood friend from death, she has destroyed numerous worlds. Sometimes on accident. Sometimes as revenge.She’s close to achieving her goal. Daernan is still alive.But for how long?When a goddess grants her a vision of a deadly substance—magebane—being shipped across the kingdom, Shevanlagiy realizes her carefully laid plans to protect Daernan are falling apart faster than she can rework them.Daernan has magic from the gods, magic that will not only kill him if it comes in contact with magebane, but will start a terrible chain reaction that could unravel the fabric of this world—A world she’s not yet ready to destroy.Delve into the danger of Magebane by reading this exciting continuation of The Wishing Blade series today!Series Reading Order:1. Magic's Stealing2. The Shadow War3. Magebane

With a wag and a "woof," this book invites readers to meet the Yorkshire terrier. Readers will examine the history, physical attributes, development, and behavior of the Yorkshire terrier breed. Coat, color, size, and care instructions are also discussed. Full-color photos allow readers to see these tiny companion dogs in a variety of situations. An index and glossary are also included. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

I was blessed as a child to always have a barnyard full of animals. I loved spending hours playing with them. As an adult I still have a barnyard full of animals and love them all. This book is a combination of my own personal barnyard friends with family members personalities and nicknames. Gomer Pig loves his life on the farm and shares his day-to-day life with you one day at a time.

A spell to infuriate the goddess of the dead...In the world of "The Wishing Blade," everyone is born with two strings of magic. One strand is life, and the other is death. Very few can manipulate them. Among the Cantingen Islanders, children are tested for this ability during their first rites of magic, a ceremony which determines what magic they have and their future as a mage. But when Edyli's little sister, Akymi, dies in an accident before those rites can occur, Edyli does the unthinkable. She uses magic to return Akymi to the living. As a result, she finds herself in a land of weblike strings… the afterlife. Edyli refuses to give up seeing her sister's first rites. With the help of a mysterious immortal and sheer determination, she has every intention of seeing her sister once more, even if it means incurring the wrath of Madia, the goddess of the dead.~Author's Note: This is an 8,000-word short story based in the universe of The Wishing Blade series. Though the stories are related ("Stone and String" takes place at the same time as the events of Magic's Stealing), "Stone and String" stands alone.The next story in this series is Wind and Words, a novella.

From oriental shorthairs to the Devon rex, the popular Cats series has something for every cat lover! Readers will enjoy getting to know the many cat breeds among us and learning how to identify each one. Each breed comes to life in beautiful, full-color photos. Easy-to-read text also encourages young cat fanciers to learn about the history, biology, habits, and required care for all types of fabulous felines. These books are ideal for research reports as well as general reading. . Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

Life magic is not meant to be alone.Everyone is born with two strings of magic. One strand is life, and the other is death.When Edyli escaped the land of the dead after saving her sister, the goddess of death removed Edyli’s death magic. Without that string, Edyli is unbalanced, a “monster” who cannot sleep, cannot die, and without care, will slowly go mad.Banished from her home for refusing to make amends with the goddess, Edyli is surprised to discover a child without life magic deep in the jungle—a child her remaining magic is drawn to, because those who are unbalanced are inexplicably drawn together.Terrified of what might happen if the two of them touch, Edyli seeks answers about the mysterious child. If she can recover the child’s life magic, she might earn back the goddess’s favor and become whole again.But one mistake, and Edyli could live forever in insanity.~Author's Note: This is an 23,000-word novella based in the universe of The Wishing Blade series. Though the stories are related (Wind and Words takes place at the same time), Wind and Words stands alone. This is the second story in the Stone and String series, however, this one can be read without having read the first.