The Dark City is the first book in the Guardians of Elestra series. After seeing their grandfather sucked into a ball of light that disappears into an old lantern in their back yard, twins Derek and Deanna Hughes travel to the bizarre magical world of Elestra where they discover a shocking family secret. They find themselves in a race against the dark wizard Eldrack to find the magical moonstones that can grant a wizard new powers. They are helped along the way by the ancient wizard and fry cook Iszarre, whose wooden spoon wand is as powerful in the kitchen as it is on the magical battlefield, Tobungus, the tap dancing mushroom man who has a severe problem remembering the twins' names, Glabber, the butter-obsessed snake wizard, and many others. In the Dark City, the twins must figure out why Magia's capital city, Amemnop, once known as the City of Light, is covered in a shield of darkness that has sucked the life and magic out of the residents. Their journey includes a trip to a library where the books talk, and sometimes argue with each other, a battle with flying beasts who show an extreme aversion to Derek's flashlight, and a final battle in the icy waters of a huge fountain, where a lemon may just be the key to victory. The Guardians of Elestra books are filled with incredible creatures, magical locations, altered realities, and a constant dose of humor. So, open the book, travel through the lantern post, and explore Elestra with its newest Mystical Guardians.
About the Author: Thom Jones, who does not sing "What's New, Pussycat?" lives in the Adirondacks with his wife and their three kids--the long-haired, electric guitar playing teenage son, the fuzzy-haired ninja-spiderman in training pre-teen son, and the little daughter who is convinced that she is an indestructible monkey. He started writing the Guardians of Elestra stories for his kids in 2004, and he finally decided that Tobungus the mushroom man had to move beyond his family to a wider audience. When he's not writing, he is either homeschooling his kids or running crime scene camps for kids somewhere in the Northeast. He started Peekaboo Pepper Books as a way to entertain and educate kids. His stories are filled with unique fantasy elements, challenging vocabulary, humor, and mysteries that weave their way through all of the books in the Guardians of Elestra series. His website, www.guardiansofelestra.com has more information about Elestra, including snippets from books in the library, prophecies, menus from Glabber's Grub Hut, and contests which allow readers to submit stories and artwork which may be displayed on the website and in a printed book. He will be adding a science fiction series ("The Galactic Gourmets") which finds spaceship captain Hugo Fitzboris in a race to deliver gourmet food throughout the galaxy while battling the cheese creatures under the guidance of King Gouda. And, really, how many starships have you seen with a take-out window near their landing gear? He is also working on the "Adventures of Boron Jones," a superhero series that includes a healthy dose of chemistry. Of course, sulfur will end up on the side of evil, but who can guess which side Ytterbium will choose.