Sara Beth Parker

Eleven-year-old Isla has a problem: thunderstorms. Two years ago, one nightmare of an evening scarred her internally. She has feared for her life thenceforth, struggling against the post-traumatic stress controlling her mind. During a particularly grueling thunderstorm, Isla sought escape and found herself far away from home in the wilderness of unknown lands. Here she fell into company with a simpler people. A frantic flight from terror became instead a journey towards bravery; bravery acquired through her fearful battle against a kingdom's secret enemy. Will Isla succumb to the terrible power of her supernatural nemesis, or will she learn how to become the master of rather than servant to her vicious internal battles?

She danced upon rays of Sunshine and drank the wine of time. Naught in the world could touch her, high in her lofty place among princes of the stars and potentates of the mountains. Starlit flowers wove her blankets and wholesome creatures befriended her; she rested her head upon daisies in the evening and clothed herself in grasses of the morning. She was the Wild Miss. She was Liberty. Far from the verdant lands of Liberty's freedom, across sundry wonders of her sweet time, an evil ancient as the days grew in the darkest corner of Whenua. Kino It was called, and It hibernated within the blackened depths of Mont Ata. With the greatest power of the deities in Its emblematic hands, this Kino abided below until that idyllic time when the stolen treasure would rise to its utmost potency. When that time arrived, naught in the world could have stayed Kino's cursed hand. Nevertheless, Liberty had to try.