Böcker av Darian Smith

A new school is hard when you're the kid whose mum died in an earthquake. In Mia's case, that's just the start of it.When her dad is abducted, Mia discovers there was more to her mother than she ever knew. Now she's trapped in a magical conflict between mythical creatures hiding in her ordinary New Zealand town. Mia must learn the truth of the local legend of Pania and the powerful artifact she left behind - all while making new friends and dodging bullies.If she fails, her dad will pay the price. Mia will do anything to bring her dad back alive, even if it means rejecting her mother's legacy.

Children are being hunted in the streets and their parents' hearts frozen into glass. Brannon and his team of "unusual crimes" investigators are still reeling from the aftermath of Risen in Kalanon, but now they must face a new monster on the loose. Tensions between Kalanon and Nilar are on the rise once more as Ylani and the King clash. Meanwhile, Taran's past haunts him and the church may not be the sanctuary it once was. Monsters come in many forms and Taran knows this better than most. Once you've been a Child of Starlight, can you ever truly be free?Failing to solve this new string of murders could cost the missing children their lives, Kalanon its future, and one of their team his sanity.

Stalked by a foe that has eluded them before, Brannon and his team face a threat they fail to understand. People are dying by magic in ways reminiscent of the war. Despite Brannon's attempts to abandon those memories, history will not be silenced so easily. As Magus Draeson faces an awful choice and Brannon seeks to define his burgeoning relationship with Ambassador Ylani, a change from Nilar could fracture both their lives and the peace they've fought so hard to protect.Bodies are piling up and the king himself is threatened. If the team cannot find the source of the magical attacks fast, history will repeat in the most deadly of ways and all of Alapra will pay the price.

Solve the Murders. Save the World.The war is over. There's supposed to be peace. So why is a member of the royal family murdered? Why is an ambassador no one trusts somehow connected? Why does Kalanon's mage have a new body?Brannon's attempt at peace is over.If he doesn't solve the murder - and fast - war will return to Kalanon. But that's not the worst of it. Dark magics are afoot and schemes no one could expect. The darkness is a threat not just to Kalanon but to the whole world.Brannon's life is about to change...That's if anyone's left alive at all.

Writers know that their characters and stories should be multi-layered and believable. Now here's a simple workbook that uses the same knowledge that gives therapists insight into human behaviour to create fiction that hits the mark. Each chapter outlines an aspect of psychological theory as it can be used for writing and provides two worksheets to translate it into action - one to develop characters, one to develop the story.Darian Smith is a prize winning fiction writer with a degree in psychology, a Diploma of Counselling, and is a member of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors. He combines these two sides of his background to provide simple, easy to follow tools that make use of established psychological theory to help writers develop fully rounded, interesting, realistic characters and inject conflict into their stories.Give your writing the benefit of over a decade of training and experience and discover how to have readers wanting more.

Drag queens fight zombies with the help of a disabled neighbour.An immigrant artist hopes love conquers all.Deep space explorers wrestle with an alien artifact.A superhero is locked in an insane asylum.These 16 stories span the worlds of fantasy, sci-fi, and literary fiction, and cause the characters' worlds to fundamentally change. Includes several prize winning stories as well as some that are seen for the first time in this collection.

Haunted House. Haunted Heart.Sara O'Neill is on the run and her family's abandoned old colonial home in rural New Zealand is just the sanctuary she needs. The house needs repair, but it's safe from the abusive husband she left behind.Unfortunately, a dangerous presence is haunting her new home, threatening her chance at peace. How can she create a new life when ghosts from the past refuse to stay gone?After the death of his wife, parenting their young daughter alone isn't easy for Nate Adams - especially in a town where he is still an outsider. With the arrival of his new neighbour comes a chance for a fresh start. But even with his help, can the house - or Sara's heart - be repaired?Someone doesn't want an O'Neill back in town. Sara's return is awakening secrets hidden for generations.Can she learn the truth of her home's ghostly inhabitant before it's too late?The truth will set...something...free.A suspenseful novel about magic, secrets, a haunted house, and a touch of romance.