Books with author Steve Shilstone

In Foreverland: The Girl Who Speaks to Animals, a 12-year-old girl, Joie, discovers she has a super power—the ability to communicate with animals. . .And she’s not alone. The world is filled with animal communicators, shapeshifters, and elementals, who are drawn to Joie’s immense power. Joie must quickly decide who is good, who is evil, and which side she is on. Fortunately, she has a lot of help from her animal friends.

In the 4th story of The Bekka Chronicles, a time-traveling shapeshiftress sends Bekka of Thorns 1000 years into the past to perform a task. What task? The frustrated Bekka is unsure and blames the shapeshiftress for failing to give her enough instruction. Adventuring for the first time without her best friend Kar, Bekka is left to stumble all alone in the Woods Beyond the Wood. She is forced to rely solely on her thorough knowledge of historical lore to determine the unknown task she believes must be performed to keep the future as she knows it and likes it. She encounters and recognizes from ancient tales a shy woodlock and twin water wizards. Seeing no other option, Bekka assumes her task is somehow tied to the trio, and she proceeds to take action on that assumption. Is she right? She'll never know until she returns to her own time and finds it changed...or not.

In her second chronicle, Bekka of Thorns, hedge-dwelling bendo dreen, or bramble dwarf, and her shapeshifting sorceress jrabe best friend Kar journey to break through the Barrier blocking the Danken Wood on the world of Boad. They are on a mission to learn from the legendary lavender witch, the Babba Ja Harick, the true story of how the Carven Flute, or Jo Bree, came to be lost by the witch long before the portals linking Boad to Earth had been sealed. Success brings the two friends to the cottage of the good witch. She reluctantly tells them about the Carven Flute and how she used it to search for her sister, who long ago had fled to Earth down the portal located at the bottom of the Well of Shells. The search proved to be an unhappy success when Babba Ja Harick was guided by the Flute to her sister’s gingerbread cottage deep in a wood. Once there, the good witch realized she had to perform an unthinkable deed to save a pair of younglings. Having heard the story, Bek and Kar, with new clues to follow, undertake a flight to the Wide Great Sea and a visit to the city of jrabes in search of the lost Carven Flute, all to solve one mystery and uncover another one concerning the reopening of the sealed portals to Earth.

In Book #5 of The Bekka Chronicles, Bekka of Thorns awakens one morning to complete silence. She looks around and notices that the only magic item she possesses, The Carven Flute, is a dead wooden brown in color instead of its usual flush yellow pink. Alarmed, she hurries from her hut and heads for the nearby bramble bower hedge, home of her bendo dreen (bramble dwarf) younglinghood. Slipping inside, she heads down the tunnel toward the Assembly Bower and encounters a pair of bendo dreen frozen in place. Carefully passing them by, she peers into the Assembly Bower and sees the rest of the bendo dreen population, some sitting or caught in the act of sitting, some standing, some in mid-stride, some with mouths wide, some posed gesturing, but all motionless, all silent. Now fully stricken with fear, she flees the hedge to return to her hut. Her steps falter, and she slows to a standstill at what she sees. What does she see? A bird. A beeketbird. Above her hut, midair, wings spread wide, hanging motionless. Thus begins for Bekka a new quest, a new journey.

Neverending snow falls gently, steadily, on the Charborr Forest. It is prophesied that when the highest black needle on the highest black branch of the tallest black tree is buried, the entire black forest will burst into writhing purple flames, deadly magic spelling doom for the blob-like charborrs living underground deep beneath the forest. It is up to Bekka, with the aid of her newly earned powers and her best friend Kar, to end the snowfall and save the charborrs from a purple poisoned fiery fate.

Bekka, please listen to me. In your 6th chronicle, The Wicked Wand, heed the warning of your best friend Kar. Be satisfied with your new collection of 22 magic rings. Do not try to find the hiding place of the Wand just because it, too, now belongs to you. It is dangerous. You know it. Kar knows it. You say you can control it. Kar doubts that deeply, but she will help if you insist on going. She won’t allow you to travel alone on your quest even though she thinks it foolish. You are lucky to have a friend like Kar, and soon, oh soon, you will know why.

On the world of Boad, Bekka and Karro of Thorns, a pair of young hedge-dwellers, dare to leave the tunnels and bowers of home to seek adventure in the Woeful Wanderers' Wasteland and uncover the lost city of Rumin -- a strange choice for members of their clan, who stick close to the hedge and fear open spaces. Karro is known throughout the hedge as a silly clown. Bekka, ever watchful, never chatty, is called Silent Bekka by all. Misfits among their own kind, Bekka and Karro are bonded as dearest friends. Together they speculate about the identity of their parents, a piece of knowledge kept hidden from all hedge-dwellers. Bekka is determined to find the lost underground city of Rumin and to meet her share of mythical creatures, but she is afraid to go alone. She talks Karro into accompanying her, and the two step outside the hedge for the first time in their lives. They have no idea that their journey through the Woeful Wanderers' Wasteland will uncover a wonderful secret much closer to home.

Ten of the greatest warriors of history meet for the first time. From Viking vs. Aztec Warrior and Samurai v. Gladiator to Medieval Knight vs. Zulu, Versus explores who would triuimph and why, if these fiercest warriors were to engage in deadly battle against one another. Data files compare and contrast weaponry, armor, tactics and codes of honor, while eye-catching background scenes of arenas provide historical and cultureal context. With the computer-gamer in mind, designs brings history's warriors into the 21st century and readers will be treated to large, gate folded pages that enhance the expereience of each battle In the end, only one can be crowned history's ultimate warrior. Who will it be?

In Foreverland: The Girl Who Speaks to Animals, a 12-year-old girl, Joie, discovers she has a super power—the ability to communicate with animals. . .And she’s not alone. The world is filled with animal communicators, shapeshifters, and elementals, who are drawn to Joie’s immense power. Joie must quickly decide who is good, who is evil, and which side she is on. Fortunately, she has a lot of help from her animal friends.

Ten of the greatest warriors of history meet for the first time. From Viking vs. Aztec Warrior and Samurai v. Gladiator to Medieval Knight vs. Zulu, Versus explores who would triuimph and why, if these fiercest warriors were to engage in deadly battle against one another. Data files compare and contrast weaponry, armor, tactics and codes of honor, while eye-catching background scenes of arenas provide historical and cultureal context. With the computer-gamer in mind, designs brings history's warriors into the 21st century and readers will be treated to large, gate folded pages that enhance the expereience of each battle In the end, only one can be crowned history's ultimate warrior. Who will it be?

Extreme Weather shows you just how exciting - and dangerous - life on planet Earth can be. See how the Sun drives everything that happens in our atmosphere, put yourself into the eye of a developing storm, join the crew of an air-sea rescue mission and experience the rigours of life at a polar research station. This book takes you on a whirlwind tour of an intense world.