Books published by publisher Shooting Star Press

A new wizard boyfriend. Differing holiday traditions.First gifts for each other.’Tis the season to be jolly…and anxious.Combining wizard and human holiday celebrations becomes tricky when everyone in Fern and Beri’s new family—even Hilda the guinea pig!—expects something different, causing trouble and tugging at their heartstrings!SOLSTICE GIFTS is a festive and sweet romantic YA fantasy short story (35 pages) in the Windborne series, taking place after the events of The Witch of the Meadows. (It contains spoilers.)A sweet romance appropriate for adults and young adults. Contains no graphic violence or sex. Some mild cursing.

For months, seventeen-year-old Fern has been sneaking out on her mother—really sneaking out—through a magical portal to an island halfway around the world. There, the grandmother Fern never knew existed needs her help rejuvenating their ancestral land. She has always been good at growing things, but that’s not magic. And magic is what the island needs. With its energy running out, the land is breaking apart, and the caretakers demand a real witch to take over the Meadows, not a teenager with a green thumb. Elbow-deep in dirt, Fern confronts a splintered community, unsure who to trust, but grateful for the support of a Scottish boy who looks at her with green eyes shining with magic—and something more powerful. Caring for this land is Fern’s birthright, one she longs to claim. But to take her place in this magical world, Fern must first figure out how to use her unique gift. THE WITCH OF THE MEADOWS begins the journey of a generation of magic-wielders as they restore their connections to nature and community. A sweet romance appropriate for adults and young adults. No graphic violence or sex. Some mild cursing. Also available as a Large Print edition. Search the formats above or the title + Large Print Edition. Fern & Beri's story continues in book 2 of The Windborne series, Guardian of the Pines.

Gifted with tree magic, sixteen-year-old Cor learns that the largest pines in the UK still grow on a hidden island—and are endangered. He wants to live there and help, but the trees’ elderly caretaker refuses to train a smooth-talking city boy. To also come out as gay to anyone there would be bloody foolish.Without him...they will die.When an opportunity to visit this magical forest arrives, he grabs it, entangling novice witch Fern in his quest. Their mistakes anger the island’s elders and foul up her relationship with her boyfriend. It’s only after an island boy befriends him that Cor confronts the challenge of the massive pines—and his more powerful feelings for Oyster. If Cor wants to save the Pines and not lose Oyster, he will have to do something he’s never done—let Oyster and the others see who he really is.GUARDIAN OF THE PINES joins new wizards with old friends as a generation of magic-wielders restores its connections to nature and community. Book 2 of The Windborne Series can be read as a standalone. A sweet romance appropriate for adults and young adults. No graphic violence or sex. Some mild cursing. Also available as a Large Print edition. Search the formats above or the title + Large Print Edition.

Atoms and Cells examines crystals, viruses, bacteria, cell components, cell division, simple plants, and simple animals. The illustrations do not always complement one another or the sketchy, uneven text, and they are poorly arranged in a cluttered display. Some diagrams are not labeled. Plants and Seeds , a much better book, describes the structure, nutrition, growth, and reproduction of plants from algae to pine trees. The illustrations complement and enhance the well-written text and encourage the further study of plants via the magnifying glass and microscope. Both books are illustrated with colorful, realistic drawings, diagrams, and photographic views through the magnifying glass and through simple and compound microscopes. Separate one-page sections explain how microphotographs are made; how to prepare specimens and slides (although the staining dye is unspecified); and how a magnifying glass, simple microscope, and compound microscope work. The books are not true introductory texts; they supplement such titles as Biology Encyclopedia (Macmillan, 1989). --Renee Blumenkrantz, Davis Community Library, Bethesda, MD

NOTE: This is VOLUME 1 of a three-part serialized novel. (NOT a standalone story)In 1868 England, the competition to control agriculture is fierce……and nobody says no to Derby’s industrial magnate.Except Annmar Masterson. The nineteen-year-old rejects his improper advances and instead takes an advertising position on a farm. She discovers the isolated valley is home to gifted species—including animal and plant shifters—who hide their lives from the rest of England. The blue threads only she sees on their clockwork machinery prove her heritage is rooted with theirs, but their world is so different that Annmar doesn't know if she'll ever belong.Shapeshifter Daeryn Darkcoat blames himself for the death of his mate and swears he won't be responsible for another pack. But when the farm he loves falls victim to an endless run of strange pests eating the crops, he joins the hunt, taking charge of an unruly team of predator shifters. In the midst of the battle, Annmar stirs feelings he can’t resist.As Annmar becomes entangled in the fight against the pests, and with Daeryn, she discovers her magic might help…if she can learn to use it properly. If not, she’ll be forced to leave the people she has come to care for and become what she fears most: nothing more than another cog in the magnate’s gears.THE UNRAVELING is Volume 1 of a 3-part serialized novel for readers 15+, mixing steampunk, fantasy, shapeshifters and romantic adventure in a historical setting. The action continues in THE TWISTING, Volume 2 of the series.

Come into THE BINDING, the entangling final chapter of THE LUMINATED THREADS and the fight for Blighted Basin’s future… Annmar Masterson has one chance to foil the scheming industrialist taking over the farmlands—a man who covets her body and the staggering power of her luminated threads. She must leave her proper Victorian upbringing behind and dedicate herself to mastering the threads—the heritage of her blood.Shapeshifter Daeryn Darkcoat can’t protect Annmar until he faces the spell tying him to old friends and heartbreaking memories, and even then, she won’t hide behind the alpha male who holds her heart.With or without Daeryn, Annmar faces an impossible choice. If she uses her luminated threads to harm, she loses them...but fighting without the threads will bind her new homeland to a madman.Mixing witches, shapeshifters and a coming-of-age historical romance in a secret corner of England, THE BINDING delves deeper into the exciting steampunk fantasy world introduced in THE UNRAVELING and THE TWISTING.The Binding is Volume 3 of a three-part serialized novel.The Luminated Threads series:The Unraveling, Volume OneThe Twisting, Volume TwoThe Binding, Volume Three