Jan Shaffer
For years, the residents of a simple community have recounted the ancient Prophecy of Completion:
A child with one face and two bodies will lead those who quest for the truth.
An ageless treasure will summon the child across time.
Danielle, transported from the present by a beach stone, is surprised to meet Kirk whose identical face seems to bring hope for fulfillment of the prophecy. Danielle reluctantly leaves the safety of her own time to join his quest to find the Tree of Truth and the secret it holds. The rugged coastal New England setting and a variety of cunning characters challenge Danielle and Kirk as they race against time to save his dying community.
In the tradition of C. S. Lewis, The Summoning Stone is a coming of age story written in allegory/fantasy form. The athletic female and courageous early teen male main characters make this a book that will appeal to preteen readers of either gender. The length of the manuscript is designed to engage reluctant readers, while the action and allegory format will keep more proficient readers interested. Educators and librarians can download free teaching tools and a 9 page student guide for classroom use at www.asummoningstone.com.
To see book review: http://www.forewordmagazine.com/clarion/viewreviews.aspx?reviewID=198
Jan Shaffer is an award winning author and retired elementary classroom and junior high physical education teacher. She has published several articles in professional journals and has been recognized at both the local and state levels for teaching excellence, including Indiana University’s Armstrong Educator Award. In 2006 Jan received first place in the WriteStuff Golden Journey short story contest for her children's story "The Big Blue Monster" and honorable mention for "Final Round," her entry in the 2007 Writers Weekly 24 hour Spring Contest. Jan grew up on the east coast with her twin sister and currently lives in Indiana, where she and her husband raised two sons.
The perfection of a small, flat, fish-shaped stone suddenly caught Danielle’s attention. She leaned over to examine the flawless shape more closely. “Look at this one, Matthew, it... oh!"
Danielle dropped the stone quickly and shook her fingers. “That was eerie,” she said, “it felt like it moved. It sort of tingled in my hand.”
Danielle looked at the gray fish-shaped stone where it lay rejected in the sand beside her foot. The eroding flow of the tides had formed a hole for the fish’s eye, and a separation in the tail fin made the stone look very much like a goldfish. “It’s so smooth. I’ll bet it’s been around for hundreds, or even thousands of years being pounded and beaten by the surf. What stories it could tell!”
Despite the tingling sensation she had felt, she squatted in the sand and picked up the perfect stone again, holding it gently in both hands. “This could be my new all-time favorite,” she announced glancing over at Matthew, “I...”
A sudden stillness brought the gulls to attention. They sensed the electricity in the air and understood its meaning.
“Matthew?” Danielle called. She looked at the spot where her brother had just been sitting. There was no sign that he had ever been there. Danielle jumped to her feet and looked up and down the beach. Her heart pounded as she remembered Pop-Pop’s frequent warnings about the unpredictable tide. How could he have disappeared so quickly? Matthew was so cautious. She couldn’t imagine that he would have waded into the water. He was the one who always reminded her of Pop-Pop’s rules; he couldn’t possibly have gotten into trouble in the water that fast!
“Very funny, Matthew,” she warned. “If you don’t come out, I’ll just follow your footprints to see where you’re hiding.”
Danielle inspected the sand where Matthew had been sitting next to her. The smoothed-over spot from Matthew’s multiplication problem had disappeared along with the footprints she and Matthew had left coming out of the water. She squinted into the morning sun searching the bay, listening to the lonely lapping of the incoming waves on the beach. Her heart thumped loudly against her ribs. All the beautiful white triangle sails were gone. The same gull silently watched her from his large stone perch while the others took up their endless circling and squawking.
