Time is running out for Micah. Captured, wounded, and helplessly lying in a coma deep in the dungeons of Mile High Manor, he has just five days to be rescued and cured, or he will be doomed to forever serve the evil Lord Laylark as his mindless slave. Laylark, sinister, and not afraid to use his evil to control his cowering subjects, is ever searching for the five who could ruin his plans, and destroy his reign of terror. Twelve-year-old Krista must find a way to save her brother, Micah. Can she also find a way to help five travelers elude Laylark, and perhaps save her world from his evil grip?

She was born in Roswell, Minnesota, and raised in South Texas. Active in both school and her local church with drama, she has acted in and written several children’s three act plays and skits. As a mother of four, she enjoys writing for children, and has plenty of opportunities to test her ideas with a live audience.

She received her B.S. in Biology from Texas A& M-Corpus Christi. She currently lives with her husband of eighteen years, and four children in Arkansas. When not writing or spending time with family, she holds down full time employment at Webster University-Little Rock – Metro, Where she is pursuing her M.B.A.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of barking. The dog! In her concern for her brother, she had forgotten all about the dog. She jerked her head up to find the huge hound close, howling, as if he were sending a message to some unseen recipient. Then he stopped. Meeting Krista’s eyes, piercing her through, he ran straight for them. "No!" she shouted. Krista got up. Blinded by fear, she stumbled on the wet grass and got up again, but not before the dog reached them. He was enormous, almost the size of a person. Krista threw herself on top of Micah; maybe she could shield him. The terrible animal nudged his big nose into her side and pushed her out of the way as easily as if she had been a rag doll. He grabbed Micah’s blue rain cozy in his mouth and started towards the bramble patch from whence he had come. Krista ran along side of them, beating on the animal’s side and back, fighting for her brother, screaming for help the whole time. From behind her, another dog appeared, knocking her off her feet. She looked around; two more came rushing in to aid in the abduction. "No! No! No!" Krista screamed again and again. She tried to get up, but there always seemed to be a dog there to thrust her back down. Krista lay there clawing at the air, sobbing her brother’s name over and over as she watched the dogs drag him off.

The dog that had been watching them turned to her once again. He seemed to smile at her with a look that said, "I’ll be back for you." Then, he too, turned and ran after the others, leaving Krista alone. She could hear someone screaming; someone was coming to help her! Whoever was coming would be able to help her get Micah back; it wasn’t too late! She stood and ran after Micah. She was too tired; she felt like she was running in mud, expending all of her energy, but getting nowhere. She just wasn’t fast enough- it was too late- her brother was gone. Why weren’t those coming to help her coming fast enough to do something? Not understanding what was taking so long for them to reach her, she turned back to signal them; she looked frantically for the help that she knew must be coming. There was no one there. There had to be, she had heard them screaming at her as they were coming to help. Krista slowly turned back to face the now empty field. No one was coming; the voice she had heard had been hers. She stopped making the awful shrieks and sank to the ground, pounding the earth with her fists.

Exhausted, she lay there wailing Micah’s name over and over until there were no more tears, and her voice was hoarse. At last, all feeling was gone from her. Numb to the cold and rain, numb to every feeling except anger, Krista got to her feet and stumbled down the path towards home. The rain poured on.