The Silver StrandEver since twelve year old Isabelle Tresdon’s silver strand of hair sprouted, it’s been nothing but trouble: bleeding pink dust and sparking like a firecracker. Refusing to be known as the girl with the freaky, grandma hair, she wishes it never grew and the hair withers and tarnishes. The only problem is, the strand is Isabelle's source of magic, and she can transform particles of energy into matter. It's also her ticket into Mastermind Academy, a secret school inside the earth’s core. Five days remain before the strand drains her magic and life, forcing Isabelle to enter into a deal with two trickster Masterminds to save it. But what she doesn't count on is there is more at stake than just her life. The Silver Strand, a MG Fantasy Adventure for 9-12 year olds, is book 1 in the Mastermind Academy Series.
Excerpt:
“One thing before we go.” Esme snatched her bracelet back. “I’ll need this while we travel to Agartha. Then it’s all yours. Just don’t play with it or try to fly it, ok?”
“Fly it?” said Isabelle, shooting Esme a doubtful glance.
“Yes, fly it.” Esme pressed the crystal on the bracelet. Sparkles the size of pin pricks popped and sizzled. Tiny metal panels sprouted from it, expanded to the size of a computer screen and curved inward. They clinked together to form a sphere about two and a half meters diameter. A portal slid open on one side.
Whatever this strange metallic bubble was, it had to be one of the coolest things Isabelle had ever seen. It emitted a humming noise, which rattled in her chest, and the metal rippled at her touch.
“This marvelous gadget is known as a Mesura,” boasted the cat. “It is fuel free, and propelled through the air using anti-gravity and crystal-based technology.”
Esme butted in. “English translation: it’s a flying machine.”
Boldrick sniffed and pranced inside.
“Wow.” Isabelle circled the craft. Who’d have thought such a thing would pop out of a bracelet? The idea of flying one made her dizzy with excitement.
Sadly, the Mesura wasn’t filled with cool computer screens and high tech gadgets like the flying craft’s she’d seen in movies. The only exciting thing inside the cabin were the transparent, silvery walls, and the flexible metal in the seats that curved around her body.
“Invisibility shield on,” Esme commanded in a pilot voice.
The metal rippled in response. Isabelle didn’t notice anything different, but it must have worked because a poor sparrow flew into the Mesura with a thud. Dazed and confused, it chirped and flew into the tree above.
Author L.J. Clarkson
One thing you need to know about LJ Clarkson is that she tells BIG lies. She tells everyone that she gave up her career as an Environmental Engineer and Project Manager to write full time. But that's not entirely true. Ten percent of the time she sleeps in. Fifteen percent of her day, she spends surfing the internet, researching for new books and her business. Ok, fine. Two percent is for research. But she's only admitting it so she doesn't end up like Boldrick. For eighteen point seven five percent of her day, she runs her promotional and support site for authors, called Indicated (www.indicated.com.au). The rest of her time involves writing, reading, watching movies and TV, walking her dogs and falling asleep whenever her boyfriend talks technical computer lingo. Truthfully, she hates early mornings, mondays, grammar (yuck! just ask her poor editor!), broccoli and cleaning. If you would like to drop her and line and let her know what you think of the book, she would love to hear from you. Just not before 8:30am in the morning.
Thanks Dalene!
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