Heart of the Beast

This middle-grade fiction collection takes you on an unforgettable journey into a child's vivid dreamscape, with modern-day classroom monsters and mythical fire serpents... Showcasing the contemporary urban fantasy novella A Girl and her Monster (April 2024) and the Philippine mythology-inspired creature feature Fire of Courage (May 2023), Heart of the Beast brings the magic of reading through the sheer power of prose as a bridge between children's picture books and full-length Young Adult literature. A Girl and her Monster Eight-year-old Rana returns to her hometown after tragedy strikes her small family. Trying to cope with her loss and being the new girl at school, she turns her attention to her art project, a monster made of cardboard she names Shadow Blue. Once the sun goes down, magic happens...but is there a deeper, darker secret she was never meant to know? Fire of Courage Set against the backdrop of ancient Philippine mythology, 12-year-old girl Uryana of the Baraw tribe faces the greatest foe of her people. Will the hope and strength in her heart be enough to vanquish a seemingly indestructible fire serpent? Recommended for young readers 7 years old and above. Also available in hardcover.