Preteen Fiction

The Mad Hacker

An Amber and Elliot Mystery, co-written with Anne Stephenson

Ash Grove Junior High goes on high alert when students Liz Elliot and Amber Mitchell discover they’ve been hacked! They won’t be able to enter Eastern Technology’s programming contest and neither will anybody else.

When their friend Jonathan becomes the prime suspect, Amber & Elliot are determined to clear his name. But if they don’t find out who the real hacker is, it’s game over.

Just as Amber stretched out her hand to turn on the computer, they heard the fire door slam at the end of the hall. Someone was coming!
For a split second the girls froze in their seats.
“Hurry,” whispered Liz, coming to her senses. “They’re heading this way!”
Amber jumped up, and grabbed her jacket.
The footsteps were getting nearer.
The two girls dove for cover behind the filing cabinets in the far corner of the room, frantically pressing back into the shadows…

What started as a school prank turns deadly as Amber & Elliot race to unmask the Mad Hacker – before it’s too late!

Read an excerpt of The Mad Hacker here!

Amazon | Kindle

Pirates, Prowlers, and Cherry Pie

Available on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle, as well as other ebook platforms!

Fiona Smith is in summer exile at her horrible Aunt Irene’s house. Bullied and beleaguered by her snobby cousins, Fiona quickly realizes there is more wrong in the beachside home than miserable tempers. Someone is systematically robbing all the wealthy houses along the shore. Despite her plan for revenge on her nasty cousins, Fiona is lured into the mystery when an innocent boy is accused of the crime.

Between pirate maps, creepy prowlers, and splattered cherry pie, Fiona is determined to solve the mystery, win the reward, and make this into the best summer ever!

Read an excerpt of Pirates, Prowlers, and Cherry Pie here!

Amazon | Kindle

Sammy and the Devil Dog

Semifinalist for the the 2019 Gertrude Warner Book Awards for Middle-Grade Fiction!

Available on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle!

No matter how hard she tries, Sammy can’t stay out of trouble – with her teacher, with the school bully, and especially with her mother. When she rescues an abused dog, Sammy's sure that Jack will love her as much as she loves him. But the pup has never learned to be a good dog. He tears up the house, threatens to bite her mom, and won’t do anything Sammy tells him to do. The more Sammy tries to care for the dog, the more things go wrong. Her messed-up life just gets worse and worse.

Sammy held out her hand. Jack cringed back and whined.

"Oh, sweetheart! I'll never hurt you." Instinctively, Sammy crouched down and held out her arms. Slowly Jack's head extended. She held her breath. His nose touched the back of her hand, cool, gentle. His eyes held hers, and her fingers extended to brush the soft tip of his ear.

Sammy won’t give up on Jack – not ever. But when danger threatens the family, can Sammy depend on Jack to save them all?

Read an excerpt of Sammy and the Devil Dog here!

Sammy received a great review from Kirkus Reviews – read it here!

Amazon | Kindle

Not Yet Summer

Available on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle, as well as other ebook platforms!

Marylee is a foster kid, sullen and angry, as she is moved from home to home. She’s convinced no one wants her or will ever care about her because of her lame leg. But when she finds an abandoned baby, she finally has her chance to love someone and be loved in return. But caring for a baby is far harder than she ever guessed, and the baby doesn’t seem to love her no matter how much care and affection she lavishes on her. Marylee is faced with the hardest decision of her life – does she love the infant enough to do what is best for the child?

Read an excerpt here!

Currently out of print in French as L’Ete Est Encore Loin.

Hey, Chicken Man!

(previously titled The Black Tunnel)

Available on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle, as well as other ebook platforms!

Tom Kirby was chicken and everybody knew it. Billy MacPherson had made sure of that. A year has passed since Tom failed to pass the Cobras initiation – to make his way alone through the terrifying drainage tunnels cut into the Niagara Escarpment. Angry and friendless, he spends time wandering the region, trying to work up his courage. But when he makes friends with Andrew, another misfit, his summer takes an abrupt turn for the better. Despite the new friendship, Tom can’t escape the final test of bravery.

Read an excerpt here!

Something’s Fishy at Ash Lake

An Amber and Elliot Mystery, co-written with Anne Stephenson

Available on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle, as well as other ebook platforms!

Someone is deliberately trying to sabotage Ash Lake computer camp! But who? And why?

Part time detectives and full time mischief-makers, Liz Elliot & Amber Mitchell get themselves in way over their heads when they try to fit all the pieces together. When they began their summer vacation, they’d had no idea they'd be risking their lives. But something has to be done before the best camp cook in the whole wide world ends up in jail – and they end up grounded for life!

"Amber!" Liz clutched Amber's arm. "Did you hear something?"

The two girls stood perfectly still, ears straining, hearts thumping through the darkness...

A shadow slipped across the floor. Soft footsteps sounded from the far side of the kitchen. The girls cowered against the wall. They could see feet, then legs. Moonlight silhouetted a dark figure by the door...

If they're not careful, Amber & Elliot's two-week stay at Ash Lake computer camp could be their last...ever!

Read an excerpt here!