And For My Next Trick

Thomas Silent

When widower Angelo found a small baby on the beach twelve years ago, he decided to bring him up as his own son. A sign around the baby’s neck said 'THOMAS SILENT', so that was the name he was given. Apart from other people’s curiosity about his name, Tom’s life so far had been happy and uneventful. When he wasn’t at school Tom would help Angelo run the café in his beachside shack. One sunday morning Tom was in the café on his own when a tall, thin, old man called Phillimore came in to escape from the rain. He showed Tom seven bright blue-green stones that he claimed came from a mermaid’s necklace. When Tom held one of the stones he could almost feel the rise and fall of the ocean. Phillimore left and Tom thought no more about the stones or the strange old man until Angelo died and the café shack was closed. Six months later when Tom visits the deserted shack, he finds an envelope from Angelo and discovers what else had been found with the baby on the beach. Tom’s simple life suddenly becomes a mysterious adventure that starts with a magical night-time swim to the shore of a strange land. He meets Coralie, a girl hiding in the caves on the beach with Phillimore. The people of the land are held captive to the will of an evil tyrant whose power comes from more of the blue-green stones, which he has been hoarding in the city of Murmur. Tom realises that he, Thomas Silent, is the only one who can defeat the tyrant and save the people of Murmur. But first he must understand the power of the sea-stones and discover his true self. This delightful tale of real mermaids and mermen will enthrall any teenager who knows that they are special and have a great destiny waiting for them. We have all looked out from a beach and wondered what is over the sea, but so very few of us find out like Tom.

Theatrical and Circus Life

Medlocks

At one time, the Barker children were just ordinary kids leading ordinary lives; then an extraordinary occurrence gave them both unique super powers and secret lives. Last year, they spent their first year at the super power school, Medlocks Academy. At this school—located in a different solar system from their home on Earth—they protected their classmates from an evil trophy that was kidnapping students, and they battled to defeat the villainous Glacthia. A summer in Wisconsin has passed, and the kids are back to Medlocks, facing the daily grind of studying and exams. They also experience regular coming-of-age activities like young love and earning their space car licenses. But this year holds more adventure for these extraordinary kids. One of the Barkers receives a message that the device known as the Metronome has been stolen and will be used for evil. They must settle the ongoing battle with Glachtia—and then they discover there's a traitor among their ranks.