Mummy Dearest – A Pharaonic Adventure Misadventures in Auckland Book 1 by Barbara Russell Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
During a school trip to the museum, thirteen-year-old Tess wakes up an Egyptian mummy. Cursed by a necromancer, Prince Seth has been inside a sarcophagus for two thousand years. Now, he has no intention of going back into his tomb. He wants a normal life, friends, and fresh food. So, he follows Tess home, bandages and all. Ancient Egyptian mummies bring bad luck. Since Seth’s arrival, a car has almost run Tess over, and a lamppost nearly squashed her. With Tess’s soccer team, the Wolverines, qualified for the New Zealand Junior Soccer Championship, this curse could destroy its chances of winning. Even worse, evil Egyptian spirits chase her and Seth to take their souls into the world of the dead. Unless they find the two-thousand-year old necromancer, who controls the spirits and who gained eternal youth by cursing Seth, Tess and Seth will be doomed forever. Goodreads * Amazon
The Boy Who Killed Santa Claus Misadventures in Auckland Book 2
While other thirteen-year-old kids think about playing and riding their bikes, Hau has to deal with fairies. He sees them everywhere—small, green, tiny wings, with pointed ears like Legolas. And they talk to him as well. In fact, they don’t want to shut up. No one believes him, not even his mother or his best friend. Kids at school call him names, and he’s just as popular as a visit to the dentist. On top of that, he’s the only one who knows the truth about Santa Claus. Santa isn’t the nice, fatherly elf everyone believes. He’s a bloodthirsty villain. Yep. Newt witnessed it with his own eyes when Santa killed his father in cold blood right under the Christmas tree. But again, no one believes him. Goodreads * Amazon
The Doom & Despair Entertainment Agency Misadventures in Auckland Book 3
Welcome to the Doom & Despair Entertainment Agency where fear is always guaranteed. Do you want a bunch of zombies for your next birthday party? Vampires and ghosts at your wedding, frightening your guests? No problem. The Doom & Despair Entertainment Agency organises the scariest events in all New Zilla. Except that, since the ghost of MacBatt Castle disappeared, business is slowing down at the agency. A new, young ghost, Gwen, haunts the castle, and she’s too nice to scare the customers. So, it’s up to Orlando, a thirteen-year-old orphan who works for the agency, to help Gwen in becoming scarier before his employer decides to send him back to the orphanage. Goodreads * Amazon
The Girl with the Dragon-Raccoon Misadventures in Auckland Book 4
While other fifteen-year-old girls dream about having a blood-sucking boyfriend like in Twilight, Tyro has nightmares about vampires. She has her share of vampires, zombies, and werewolves because her mum is a dentist who attends to these monsters’ teeth. So, when her mother and a vampire client disappear from the dental clinic, leaving only a trail of blood, trashed furniture, and ripped clothes behind, Tyro suspects one of the monsters kidnapped them or worse that the vampire attacked her mum. Either way, she’s in deep crap. The police don’t believe her, and Jack, the vanished vampire’s son, wants to take Tyro to Underworld City where hags, zombies, and all kind of were-beings live. He plans to talk with the underworld police that control supernatural creatures. That’s his chance to show her that not every monster is a thug, and perhaps, she’ll accept his invitation for the Disemboweller Ball. If only he could keep his true nature secret. No girl would be attracted by a guy who can turn himself into a half-dragon, half-racoon beast, with no fire to speak of, no super-strength, and very tiny wings. How lame is that? Tyro would rather go to school wearing only her underwear than be alone with Jack. What if going to Underworld City is a trap? What if he wants to eat her? But unless she teams up with him, she’ll never know what happened to her mum. Armed with her courage and a bottle of garlic spray, she accepts to travel to Underworld City with Jack. After a monster killed her dad, her mum is all that is left of her family, and she won’t leave her in the hands of brain-eating, blood-sucking creatures. Goodreads * Amazon
I’m an entomologist and a soil biologist, which is a fancy way to say that I dig in the dirt, looking for bugs. Nature and books have always been my passion. I was a kid when I read The Lord Of The Ring and fell in love with fantasy novels. When I discovered cosy mystery and crime novel, I fell in love with Hercules Poirot and Sherlock Holmes. Then I grew up and . . . Nah, I’m joking. Don’t grow up, folks! It’s a trap. Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Chapter One
AS A MULTI-TASKING GIRL, Tess could do multiple things at once like follow her history
teacher and, at the same time, work with her smartphone. After all, she was the captain
of the Wolverine Soccer Team thanks to her sharp mind, quick of foot, and a lot of
patience.
Besides, Mrs. Hudson’s lecture stopped being interesting ages ago. She started
with fascinating stuff, explaining how the ancient Egyptians scraped the brains from
dead people’s skulls to mummify them, but then she droned on and on about war and
battles. Tess wasn’t interested in that.
She squinted at the white lights of the Natural History Museum of Auckland.
They reflected on the screen of her smartphone, blocking the view of the sketched
soccer pitch. If Mrs. Hudson noticed her phone, she’d go bananas. But to prepare the
team formation for the next match, Tess had to consider different tactics. Should she
change strategy and reinforce the lines of the defenders? Nah, better focus on the
attackers. Or did she need a new training plan? The Wolverine guys were turning a bit
soft with spring and Christmas coming. Holidays sucked from this point of view. Players
lacked concentration.
“And this is the mummy’s room,” Mrs. Hudson said, spreading her arms. Her
wavy, chestnut hair fell on her shoulders and sparkled with gold hues under the
exhibition lights.
Tess lifted her eyes from the screen and advanced along with her classmates
into a wide room that smelled of lemon polish and strawberry bubble-gums. Hushed
voices spread around. She loosened the collar of her blue school uniform. All those
lights and people made the air stuffy. Tall posters, illustrating bits of ancient Egypt’s
history, papered the walls. The glossy prints showed hieroglyphics, pictures of massive
pyramids, and turquoise dung beetles.
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Thanks for having me!
I like the cover. It def draws me in. Thank you
The cover is so interesting with the raccoon in that eye!! Very unexpected!
Thanks for the opportunity to win! The cover is definitely intriguing.
this cover is intriguing
These books sound like so much fun. I love imaginative middle grade books!
I think the covers on the 1st and 4th book look the best!
Loving the covers. SO fun!
The book covers are very interesting and I like them.
I like the book covers. The books all look like they would be fun and interesting to read