Books with author diana-s-zimmerman

What if you had to chose between the life of your sister and destroying the land you are sworn to protect? Some days being Queen just isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Having regained her throne—or so Kandide thinks—by thwarting the powerful and merciless Lady Aron, she is faced with even greater threats. When Kandide’s sister, Tara, mysteriously disappears, her wannabe wizard brother, Teren, and an Imperfect named Jake set off on a perilous journey to find the Bardic Council. They hope to discover the secret to breaking the spell that holds Tara captive. What they find are caves with deadly tornados, stalactites that drop to form prison cells, and mountain paths that take them two steps back for every step forward. What they ultimately learn is even more mysterious and treacherous.While Teren and Jake search for answers, Kandide uncovers a plot by the Banshee nation to invade Calabiyau. Her army is out numbered three to one. Convinced that one or more of her own Council members are involved in this treachery, she finds herself in a desperate struggle of magic and might that forces her to choose between saving her sister and destroying her kingdom.Be warned. Beware. Enter this Kingdom only of you dare.

What if everything you love is suddenly gone?And everything you fear is all you have?Welcome to Calabiyau. Still a teen in human years, Kandide is the personification of perfection. She is also spoiled beyond belief and vain beyond control. You won’t like her when you first meet her. Nevertheless, she is heir to Calabiyau’s throne and the keeper of the “Gift”—the key to the survival for all Fée.When a terrible accident leaves her less than perfect, her own mother mercilessly sends her to a treacherous land where strange beasts roam the dark lifeless forest, and even stranger Fée rule its secret kingdom. If she is to survive, Kandide must battle terrifying creatures, as well as her own internal repulsion for the ‘Imperfects’ she is now like. But that is just the beginning of her troubles. Within Calabiyau a presence far more deadly is emerging.Kandide’s prankster brother, Teren, her tomboy sister, Tara, and a group of misfit Imperfects set off on a perilous journey to save their sister and their land. They must challenge the darkest of forces to face an evil far worse than ever imagined. Calaiyau is forever changed. Or is it?Nevertheless, she is heir to Calabiyau’s throne and the keeper of the “Gift”—the key to the survival for all Fée. When a terrible accident leaves her less than “perfect,” Kandide's own mother mercilessly sends her to a treacherous land where strange beasts roam the dark lifeless forest and even stranger Fée rule its secret kingdom. If she is to survive, Kandide must battle hideous creatures, as well as her own repulsion for the “Imperfects” that she has become. But that is just the beginning of her troubles. Within Calabiyau, a presence far more deadly is emerging. Kandide’s prankster brother, Teren, her tomboy sister, Tara, and a group of misfit Imperfects set off on a perilous journey to save their sister and their land. They must challenge the darkest of forces to face an evil far worse than any imagined. Kandide and her kingdom are forever changed. Or are they?

Some masks of deception are for good. Some are for evil. In this stunning new adventure in the Kandide series, nothing is as it seems. Turmoil casts its relentless destruction across the land. Riots ignite every village. An ever-increasing number of Kandide’s subjects demand that the Fée teen-queen be removed from the throne. As autumn approaches, everything begins to change—for the worse. Dark forces re-emerge, further shredding the beauty and stability of each of the four kingdoms in Calabiyau. Villages mysteriously erupt in flames, leaving only the burning embers of once prosperous towns. An ancient portal catapults her brother, Prince Teren, and the intern-priestess, Adriana, into an otherworldly dimension. Certain death awaits unless they can solve the mystery of how to return. Kandide’s military defenses, already outnumbered three-to-one by a renegade Banshee army, must be divided in half to defend her Castle as well as the Imperfects who live in the Château. But before she can save either kingdom, Kandide must first save herself and escape the evil clutches of Lady Aron’s vile sorcery. For Kandide, creating a mask of deception means survival. For Lady Aron, it means the throne. In a deadly game of wits and magic, only one can prevail.

What if everything you love is suddenly gone? And everything you fear is all you have? Welcome to Calabiyau, a land where magic is as normal as the sunrise and evil is on a rampage. Meet Kandide. Still a teen in human years, she is the personification of perfection. She's also spoiled beyond belief and vain beyond control. You won’t like her at first. Nevertheless, she is heir to Calabiyau’s throne and the keeper of the “Gift”—the key to the survival for all Fée. When a terrible accident leaves her less than “perfect,” Kandide's own mother mercilessly sends her to a treacherous land where strange beasts roam the dark lifeless forest and even stranger Fée rule its secret kingdom. If she is to survive, Kandide must battle hideous creatures, as well as her own repulsion for the “Imperfects” that she has become. But that is just the beginning of her troubles. Within Calabiyau, a presence far more deadly is emerging. Kandide’s prankster brother, Teren, her tomboy sister, Tara, and a group of misfit Imperfects set off on a perilous journey to save their sister and their land. They must challenge the darkest of forces to face an evil far worse than any imagined. Kandide and her kingdom are forever changed. Or are they?What the critics say:“Kandide gives its readers one captivating, enthralling adventure after another.” — Los Angeles Newspaper Group “There is plenty of action and strife to spice up the plot.” — VOYA"There really isn’t much that can be said about Diana S. Zimmerman’s "Kandide" that isn’t covered under "Bravo!" Kandide and the Secret of the Mists is a wonderfully magical adventure that creates an involving tale of fear, loss, and redemption. Strewn all over the land of Calabiyau (namesake of the trilogy) are vivid details that bring the world of the Fée to undeniable life." — Nothing Binding "Kandide is at the crossroads of invention and imagination. Zimmerman’s character variety provides moral conflict amid a fantasy component, where life-changing epiphanies are discovered along with fanciful adventures in pomegranate meadows, palaces, dark woods, and underwater caverns. You’ll be absorbed into 'Kandide and the Secret of the Mists' as if you were making the journey yourself. Zimmerman’s gentle, descriptive prose perches on the edge of poetry.” — Las Vegas Around the Clock"This author knows her way around the redemptive tale. Diana S. Zimmerman does not stop at portraying fully fleshed lead characters. Set in the magical land of Calabiyau, Kandide is a must-read for all who treasure books and the finer impulses of human nature.” — Air America Radio

Some masks of deception are for good. Some are for evil. In this stunning new adventure in the Kandide series, nothing is as it seems. Turmoil casts its relentless destruction across the land. Riots ignite every village. An ever-increasing number of Kandide’s subjects demand that the Fée teen-queen be removed from the throne. As autumn approaches, everything begins to change—for the worse. Dark forces re-emerge, further shredding the beauty and stability of each of the four kingdoms in Calabiyau. Villages mysteriously erupt in flames, leaving only the burning embers of once prosperous towns. An ancient portal catapults her brother, Prince Teren, and the intern-priestess, Adriana, into an otherworldly dimension. Certain death awaits unless they can solve the mystery of how to return. Kandide’s military defenses, already outnumbered three-to-one by a renegade Banshee army, must be divided in half to defend her Castle as well as the Imperfects who live in the Château. But before she can save either kingdom, Kandide must first save herself and escape the evil clutches of Lady Aron’s vile sorcery. For Kandide, creating a mask of deception means survival. For Lady Aron, it means the throne. In a deadly game of wits and magic, only one can prevail.

What if you had to choose between letting your sisterdie or saving the land you are sworn to protect?Be warned. Beware. Enter this Kingdom only if you dare.Some days being Queen just isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Having regained her throne—or so Kandide thinks—by thwarting the powerful and merciless Lady Aron, she is faced with even greater threats.When Kandide’s sister, Tara, mysteriously disappears, her wannabe wizard brother, Teren, and an Imperfect named Jake set off on a perilous journey to find the Bardic Council. They hope to discover the secret to breaking the spell that holds Tara captive. What they find are mountain paths that take them two steps back for every step forward, stalactites that drop to form prison cells, and caves with deadly tornados. What they learn is even more mysterious and treacherous.While Teren and Jake search for answers, Kandide uncovers a plot by the Banshee nation to invade Calabiyau. Her army is outnumbered three to one. Convinced that one or more of her own Council members are involved in this treachery, she finds herself in a desperate struggle of magic and might. Kandide must choose between letting her sister die or saving her kingdom.

What if everything you loved was suddenly taken away . . . And everything you feared became your only hope? Still a teen in human years, Kandide is spoiled, vain, and the personification of perfection. She is also heir to the throne of Calabiyau and keeper of The Gift, the key to survival for all Fae. When a tragic accident leaves her less than perfect, her own mother casts her away to a treacherous world where strange beasts roam the dark, lifeless forest and even stranger Fae rule the land. Kandide must battle hideous creatures, as well as her own internal repulsion for the 'Imperfects' she is now like, if she is to survive. But these are just the beginning of her troubles; within Calabiyau, a presence far more deadly emerges. Joined by her prankster brother, Teren, her tomboy sister, Tara, and a group of misfit Imperfects, the Fae Princess must challenge the darkest of creatures to face an evil worse than any she could have imagined if she is to save the very Fae who sent her away. Calabiyau will forever change, or will it? Praise for Kandide: 'Kandide gives its readers one captivating, enthralling adventure after another.' --S. Earl Statler, critic correspondent, The Los Angeles Newspaper Group 'Kandide is pure magic!' --Lance Burton, internationally acclaimed magician 'Mixing adventure and fantasy with life lessons is making Kandide and the Secret of the Mists a favorite in my class for two years in a row. We were lucky to read it in pre-publication. Now, this year's students are REALLY enjoying Kandide. . .' --Jeff Smith, teacher, Sable Point Elementary School, Florida 'Throughout my career, I've traveled everywhere and I've seen a lot of magic. Kandide's world is without a doubt one of the most magical places I've ever visited, and I can't wait to go back'--Cyril Takayama, International Magic Star and Magic Castle Magician on the Year

"With grace, humor, and sensitivity, Diana R. Zimmerman renders a traditional Mennonite farm family in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as seen through a child’s eyes and spoken in the hypnotic rhythms of a young girl’s voice. The spirited speaker develops a rich sense of herself and her community as she grows up in a conservative religious context where “help means spank,” and female children are reared for lives of obedience, modesty, and piety. This is a remarkably immediate work of memory and imagination—authentic, fair-minded, and unsentimental— suitable for readers of all ages."—Julia Spicher Kasdorf, author of Sleeping Preacher and The Body and the Book: Writing from a Mennonite Life"Diana R. Zimmerman has written a great American memoir. I was reminded of Huck Finn and Harriet the Spy and Jo March as I chuckled and gasped and laughed out loud through this book. You will love this little Mennonite girl, and she will lead you back to your own inner child. You will also start seeing the world through her eyes. You won't want this story to end."—Shirley Hershey Showalter, author of Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets a Glittering World

"With grace, humor, and sensitivity, Diana R. Zimmerman renders a traditional Mennonite farm family in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as seen through a child’s eyes and spoken in the hypnotic rhythms of a young girl’s voice. The spirited speaker develops a rich sense of herself and her community as she grows up in a conservative religious context where “help means spank,” and female children are reared for lives of obedience, modesty, and piety. This is a remarkably immediate work of memory and imagination—authentic, fair-minded, and unsentimental— suitable for readers of all ages." —Julia Spicher Kasdorf, author of Sleeping Preacher and The Body and the Book: Writing from a Mennonite Life "Diana R. Zimmerman has written a great American memoir. I was reminded of Huck Finn and Harriet the Spy and Jo March as I chuckled and gasped and laughed out loud through this book. You will love this little Mennonite girl, and she will lead you back to your own inner child. You will also start seeing the world through her eyes. You won't want this story to end." —Shirley Hershey Showalter, author of Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets a Glittering World