Illinois Authors

Collects short stories featuring animals, including a lion made of bedsheets who is brought to life by a grieving mother and a halibut who offers his perspective of a fishing tug-of-war.

Horace F. Andrews, armed with a strange wooden box, and Chloe Burke, wearing a mysterious dragonfly pendant, become entangled in a secret and ancient society striving to protect powerful devices from the evil Riven.

As Horace and his friend Chloe adjust to their newfound powers as Keepers of Tan'ji, or magical objects of extraordinary power, a new Keeper named April journeys toward the Warren and questions arise about where her loyalties lie and whether her damaged Tan'ji can be repaired.

"Horace F. Andrews and his friends are fighting the battle of their lives, a battle that will decide the fate of everyone and everything they love. As Wardens and Keepers of Tan’ji, the fabled talismans of power, it is their duty to keep the world safe from those who would destroy it. But all is not as it seems. Sometimes there are too many secrets, and too many places to stumble in the dark. When one powerful Keeper and his Tan’ji are kidnapped, the Wardens have to ask who could have betrayed them. Who could have let the enemy into their stronghold?"--Amazon.com.

"For centuries, the Keepers and the Wardens have been guarding the mysterious Mothergates, a source of incredible power. But now the Mothergates are dying, and Horace and his fellow Keepers know that the weakened gates may unleash a dangerous force that will consume the world--and destroy everyone in it. While their enemies are willing to take this careless risk, Horace and his friends are prepared to sacrifice themselves for the preservation of the world. With their strongholds destroyed and many of their friends captured, the Keepers' chance of succeeding hangs by a thread. But all hope is not lost, as a mysterious talisman of power is discovered. It may hold the key to saving the universe . . . if they can unlock its secret in time."--Page [2] of cover.