On their third adventure in Elestra, Derek and Deanna venture outside of Magia for the first time. Derek starts the day by reading a prophecy in the flickering light of a candle after he visits the ancient Gula Badu in a basement deep beneath the Library. Then, after a slow, bumpy ride on drectaws, they find the Desert Realm to be hot and filled with Eldrack's minions. This time, the dark wizard sends tentacled sand beasts and giant knifebirds to try to stop the twins. Their new friend Zorell joins them on the trip, much to Tobungus' dismay. It's a good thing he does, because his dancing proves to be a powerful weapon against the army of tentacled sand beasts. Their guide is a local girl named Dahlia who feeds them sugary lizard tails and reads prophecies woven in a hidden tapestry. After finding the entrance to a secret desert, they enter a lone pyramid and meet a mysterious statue who points out a solution to their problem. To escape from Eldrack's reach and return the moonstone to the arch, they must cross the Great Snort Pit in a boat with bite marks that are frighteningly large. The Desert of the Crescent Dunes again mixes unique fantasy creatures and locations with a healthy dose of humor. As the twins find more moonstones, they learn that there are deeper mysteries than why Tobungus and Zorell hate each other so much. With this third adventure, they grow more powerful and more confused. One thing that they are increasingly sure of is that magic and music are somehow connected in Elestra. With the first set of three moonstones in place, they unlock the first magical instrument and hear the first notes of the song that will call the Lost Army of Light to their side in the Magical Tournament that is close at hand.
About the Author: Thom Jones, who does not sing "What's New, Pussycat?" lives in the Adirondacks with his wife and their three kids--the long-haired, electric guitar playing teenage son, the fuzzy-haired ninja-spiderman in training pre-teen son, and the little daughter who is convinced that she is an indestructible monkey. He started writing the Guardians of Elestra stories for his kids in 2004, and he finally decided that Tobungus the mushroom man had to move beyond his family to a wider audience. When he's not writing, he is either homeschooling his kids or running crime scene camps for kids somewhere in the Northeast. He started Peekaboo Pepper Books as a way to entertain and educate kids. His stories are filled with unique fantasy elements, challenging vocabulary, humor, and mysteries that weave their way through all of the books in the Guardians of Elestra series. His website, www.guardiansofelestra.com has more information about Elestra, including snippets from books in the library, prophecies, menus from Glabber's Grub Hut, and contests which allow readers to submit stories and artwork which may be displayed on the website and in a printed book. He will be adding a science fiction series ("The Galactic Gourmets") which finds spaceship captain Hugo Fitzboris in a race to deliver gourmet food throughout the galaxy while battling the cheese creatures under the guidance of King Gouda. And, really, how many starships have you seen with a take-out window near their landing gear? He is also working on the "Adventures of Boron Jones," a superhero series that includes a healthy dose of chemistry. Of course, sulfur will end up on the side of evil, but who can guess which side Ytterbium will choose.