The Long-Awaited Sequel to Essence

The secret is out.
Now, every military power in the world is after a dose of Essence.
And some aren't worried about such trivial things as ethics. Or human life.
The world needs Todd and his Dad to do something.
But both of them have disappeared.
Where are they?
And who has taken them?
Essence: A Second Dose
Now, every military power in the world is after a dose of Essence.
And some aren't worried about such trivial things as ethics. Or human life.
The world needs Todd and his Dad to do something.
But both of them have disappeared.
Where are they?
And who has taken them?
Essence: A Second Dose
For Your Teen Sci-Fi Enthusiast!

What makes an eagle and eagle? Or a bear a bear? Todd's Dad, a scientist famous for his work with animal behaviour and genetics has cracked the code and discovered the essence that makes every animal unique. Now he is able to create a serum that give an animal's qualities--and abilities--to anyone who ingests it.
But before his earth-shattering discovery can be revealed to the world, several vials are stolen.
Soon after, a series of bank robberies, featuring large and terrifying animals, rocks the community.
Todd and his dad know who is doing it. How they are doing it. And why.
The only question is: How are they going to stop them?
Got Teens? Essence is perfect for the teenager in your life!
But before his earth-shattering discovery can be revealed to the world, several vials are stolen.
Soon after, a series of bank robberies, featuring large and terrifying animals, rocks the community.
Todd and his dad know who is doing it. How they are doing it. And why.
The only question is: How are they going to stop them?
Got Teens? Essence is perfect for the teenager in your life!
See what others are saying about ESSENCE:
A teen with a secret, or two or three…a fast paced and exciting story with interesting villains, heroes and a sci-fi twist.
Cindy B.
A teen with a secret, or two or three…a fast paced and exciting story with interesting villains, heroes and a sci-fi twist.
Cindy B.
Got Tweens?

"The once -in-a-hundred-years storm has passed.
The floodwaters have receded.
And all the animals have awakened and resumed their normal activities.
All the animals.
Not just those that live in the forests and streams of the great Rocky Mountains of Banff Alberta.
There is also a mysterious stamping and stirring among the long-dead animals that have, for over a century, formed the basis of the displays in the Banff Park Museum.
Yes. They are alive.
And they have a purpose."
Introducing High Water.
Co-written with ten-year-old grandaughter, Megan, it is a sweet read for the 'Tweens in your life!
The floodwaters have receded.
And all the animals have awakened and resumed their normal activities.
All the animals.
Not just those that live in the forests and streams of the great Rocky Mountains of Banff Alberta.
There is also a mysterious stamping and stirring among the long-dead animals that have, for over a century, formed the basis of the displays in the Banff Park Museum.
Yes. They are alive.
And they have a purpose."
Introducing High Water.
Co-written with ten-year-old grandaughter, Megan, it is a sweet read for the 'Tweens in your life!
Gnome for Christmas

North Pole Society is uncomplicated.
Prosperous.
Happy.
But everything the Elves of the North Pole hold dear is about to be challenged and, perhaps, changed forever.
Can a society that has survived – even thrived – based on love and goodwill, endure the advent of modern ideas. Incentives programs?
Buzz words?
Can generations of innocence, helpfulness, friendliness and generosity outlast the introduction of an efficiency expert?
Will the love that forms the beating heart of North Pole Society survive?
In her long-awaited sequel to (Kris Kringle’s) Magic, Diane Stringam Tolley has created a tale of friendship, perseverance and the enduring power of love.
Prosperous.
Happy.
But everything the Elves of the North Pole hold dear is about to be challenged and, perhaps, changed forever.
Can a society that has survived – even thrived – based on love and goodwill, endure the advent of modern ideas. Incentives programs?
Buzz words?
Can generations of innocence, helpfulness, friendliness and generosity outlast the introduction of an efficiency expert?
Will the love that forms the beating heart of North Pole Society survive?
In her long-awaited sequel to (Kris Kringle’s) Magic, Diane Stringam Tolley has created a tale of friendship, perseverance and the enduring power of love.
Words

From ranch to city life.
From mattresses to motherhood.
From ages 0 to 100.
A look a life.
In Rhyme.
From mattresses to motherhood.
From ages 0 to 100.
A look a life.
In Rhyme.
SnowMan

Driving a busload of happy, young scouters on rain-slick roads John Benjamin Frosst is faced suddenly with the unimaginable. In a fraction of a moment, he makes a decision, selflessly offering his life in exchange for the lives of innocents.
Now confronted with the knowledge that the comfortable existence he had expected is in tatters, Ben realizes that, instead of doing the serving he loves, he must now humbly receive it from others.
Hampered by this new reality, the fine man that is still Ben Frosst discovers the term ‘handicapped’ is only a starting point from which to find new ways to give and to help.
That service comes in many forms.
And, with enough love and support, anything is possible.
Kris Kringle's Magic

Prejudice is responsible for many horrible things. But Kris: The Legend of Santa Claus, proves that on one very rare occasion, glorious, worldwide good came of it.
Santa Claus lives at the North Pole.
With Elves.
This is accepted.
But have you ever wondered who he was and how he got there?
Through the eyes of Santa's wife, Rebecca, Kris Kringle's Magic tells the story of the boy who becomes the legend.
Describes the fatherless young man who, with his mother, is forced from their family holdings, and finally from their country.
Tells of the grown man who, with courage and faith and at great personal risk, fights prejudice, defends the helpless and meets the needs of the poor and destitute.
A man who spends his life in giving and in loving. Unselfishly and without reservation.
His actions provide one of the greatest examples of altruistic service in our world today.
And prove that, with courage and conviction; prejudice, hate and ignorance can be overcome.
Written for families to read together, or for audiences age 8 and up, Kris Kringle's Magic is a rare, unique glimpse of the man behind the sleigh and the reindeer and the warm, red suit.
Kris Kringle’s Magic: Before the Snow
Many of us go to the same job, day in and day out, for thirty years or more.
We give each other awards and kudos for doing so.
But what would it be like to have the same job for hundreds of years?
A person who did that would have to really, really . . . not like being at home.
Really.
Or to love his job.
Either way, it would say something about that person.
Speak to his character.
Now Kris Kringle, for example, has been doing the same job for many, many, many years.
What a treadmill that must be.
Make toys.
Keep a record of letters and requests and good/bad children.
Load said toys.
Deliver to said children.
It could become monotonous.
For a normal person.
But Kris loves his job.
Lives for his job.
And does it well.
But what of the boy inside the man? What life experiences forged such a steady, caring, selfless individual? An individual who will spend his life thinking totally of others. With no thought of personal gain or reward.
What would it take to create such a person?
And there must be a reason he started his whole ‘gift-giving’ enterprise. There must have been a first day.
Just as there must have been a first time he saw the future Mrs. Kringle.
And there also would have to be a pretty strong motive for them to decide to move, bag, baggage and Elves, to the North Pole of all places. One of the most inhospitable areas of the earth.
Were they simply explorers, looking for the most rugged spot they could find? And realized upon seeing the great expanse of ice and snow that is the North Pole, that their search was over? Or could they have been fleeing something so horrible that any land, even one that was frozen solid, would look more welcoming.
These are the ideas behind Kris Kringle’s Magic.
At least that is my story.
Santa Claus lives at the North Pole.
With Elves.
This is accepted.
But have you ever wondered who he was and how he got there?
Through the eyes of Santa's wife, Rebecca, Kris Kringle's Magic tells the story of the boy who becomes the legend.
Describes the fatherless young man who, with his mother, is forced from their family holdings, and finally from their country.
Tells of the grown man who, with courage and faith and at great personal risk, fights prejudice, defends the helpless and meets the needs of the poor and destitute.
A man who spends his life in giving and in loving. Unselfishly and without reservation.
His actions provide one of the greatest examples of altruistic service in our world today.
And prove that, with courage and conviction; prejudice, hate and ignorance can be overcome.
Written for families to read together, or for audiences age 8 and up, Kris Kringle's Magic is a rare, unique glimpse of the man behind the sleigh and the reindeer and the warm, red suit.
Kris Kringle’s Magic: Before the Snow
Many of us go to the same job, day in and day out, for thirty years or more.
We give each other awards and kudos for doing so.
But what would it be like to have the same job for hundreds of years?
A person who did that would have to really, really . . . not like being at home.
Really.
Or to love his job.
Either way, it would say something about that person.
Speak to his character.
Now Kris Kringle, for example, has been doing the same job for many, many, many years.
What a treadmill that must be.
Make toys.
Keep a record of letters and requests and good/bad children.
Load said toys.
Deliver to said children.
It could become monotonous.
For a normal person.
But Kris loves his job.
Lives for his job.
And does it well.
But what of the boy inside the man? What life experiences forged such a steady, caring, selfless individual? An individual who will spend his life thinking totally of others. With no thought of personal gain or reward.
What would it take to create such a person?
And there must be a reason he started his whole ‘gift-giving’ enterprise. There must have been a first day.
Just as there must have been a first time he saw the future Mrs. Kringle.
And there also would have to be a pretty strong motive for them to decide to move, bag, baggage and Elves, to the North Pole of all places. One of the most inhospitable areas of the earth.
Were they simply explorers, looking for the most rugged spot they could find? And realized upon seeing the great expanse of ice and snow that is the North Pole, that their search was over? Or could they have been fleeing something so horrible that any land, even one that was frozen solid, would look more welcoming.
These are the ideas behind Kris Kringle’s Magic.
At least that is my story.
Carving Angels

I love a background story.
Just as I love the secondary characters in a movie.
Each adds . . . substance.
And, let's face it, the lead story and the lead characters have all been done to death. The world is looking for something fresh and new.
But who says that fresh and new can't be siphoned off of the old and overdone?
Carving Angels came from just such an idea.
I was looking at a picture of Santa Claus, riding in his famous sleigh.
Pulled by his equally famous reindeer.
And the thought struck me - 'Huh. I wonder where he got his sleigh?' It is such an integral part of the whole 'Santa' story, but no one has ever explained where it came from.
Did he mail order it?
The number of stamps alone would be mind-boggling.
Visit 'Sleighs R Us' on one of his weekend getaways to New York or places south?
Possible, but doubtful. For one thing, I've never seen a 'Sleighs R Us' store.
Even in Edmonton.
I sincerely doubt that one could find a Sears or Costco at the North Pole.
The only other solutions seemed to be either union-made (elves), or non-union 'constructed in someone's shop' (also elves).
Bingo.
I had my premise.
Santa's sleigh was constructed by elves.
Or more particularly, by an elf.
A very gifted elf.
But what kind of gifts?
A metal worker/welder?
I'm sure they have them in abundance at the North Pole. After all, who else could construct the plethora of things metal that appear under our tree on Christmas morning?
Okay, that's one possibility.
Computer whiz.
Handy, especially when it came to interior bells and whistles.
But, let's face it, a virtual sleigh, though it might look good on the silver screen, really couldn't pass muster when it came to actually carrying the big guy and serving as a repository for the all-important toys and gifts.
Computer whizzes - out.
Wait. What about a wood carver?
We're talking about a night spent in an open sleigh in sub-zero temperatures.
Okay, yes, I know that many of Santa's deliveries are to tropical and sub-tropical locales, but we should plan for the frozen-est, rather than the warm-est, right?
Moving on . . .
Hmm. Wood vs. metal.
Wood is so much warmer than metal.
Anyone who has done the all important/stupid frozen metal-tongue test (and I'm not saying I have) knows that wood, even when frozen solid, simply does not have the sticking power of super-cooled metal.
A definite plus for the wood argument.
Let's go with that.
So. A wood-carving elf.
Now, how can we make him (or her) special.
And at the same time make his (all right, I've decided he's a guy) accomplishment just a bit . . . tougher. Harder to imagine.
Or believe.
We'll give him a handicap.
Something to overcome.
Something that will make his achievement that much more astounding.
Age?
Good.
Infirmity?
Better.
Blind?
Perfect.
And we'll drag in his tiny little granddaughter because she is so sweet and cute and because she is equally handicapped by age.
And because we need someone to help on the rare occasions when our carver actually needs to 'see'.
So now, all we need is a bit of background: A former career as Santa's chief carver, followed by ten years of despair.
And the story is set.
Carving Angels is born.
Written for families to read together, or for ages 8 and up, Carving Angels is the story of believing in each other. And that, with faith, anything is possible.
Just as I love the secondary characters in a movie.
Each adds . . . substance.
And, let's face it, the lead story and the lead characters have all been done to death. The world is looking for something fresh and new.
But who says that fresh and new can't be siphoned off of the old and overdone?
Carving Angels came from just such an idea.
I was looking at a picture of Santa Claus, riding in his famous sleigh.
Pulled by his equally famous reindeer.
And the thought struck me - 'Huh. I wonder where he got his sleigh?' It is such an integral part of the whole 'Santa' story, but no one has ever explained where it came from.
Did he mail order it?
The number of stamps alone would be mind-boggling.
Visit 'Sleighs R Us' on one of his weekend getaways to New York or places south?
Possible, but doubtful. For one thing, I've never seen a 'Sleighs R Us' store.
Even in Edmonton.
I sincerely doubt that one could find a Sears or Costco at the North Pole.
The only other solutions seemed to be either union-made (elves), or non-union 'constructed in someone's shop' (also elves).
Bingo.
I had my premise.
Santa's sleigh was constructed by elves.
Or more particularly, by an elf.
A very gifted elf.
But what kind of gifts?
A metal worker/welder?
I'm sure they have them in abundance at the North Pole. After all, who else could construct the plethora of things metal that appear under our tree on Christmas morning?
Okay, that's one possibility.
Computer whiz.
Handy, especially when it came to interior bells and whistles.
But, let's face it, a virtual sleigh, though it might look good on the silver screen, really couldn't pass muster when it came to actually carrying the big guy and serving as a repository for the all-important toys and gifts.
Computer whizzes - out.
Wait. What about a wood carver?
We're talking about a night spent in an open sleigh in sub-zero temperatures.
Okay, yes, I know that many of Santa's deliveries are to tropical and sub-tropical locales, but we should plan for the frozen-est, rather than the warm-est, right?
Moving on . . .
Hmm. Wood vs. metal.
Wood is so much warmer than metal.
Anyone who has done the all important/stupid frozen metal-tongue test (and I'm not saying I have) knows that wood, even when frozen solid, simply does not have the sticking power of super-cooled metal.
A definite plus for the wood argument.
Let's go with that.
So. A wood-carving elf.
Now, how can we make him (or her) special.
And at the same time make his (all right, I've decided he's a guy) accomplishment just a bit . . . tougher. Harder to imagine.
Or believe.
We'll give him a handicap.
Something to overcome.
Something that will make his achievement that much more astounding.
Age?
Good.
Infirmity?
Better.
Blind?
Perfect.
And we'll drag in his tiny little granddaughter because she is so sweet and cute and because she is equally handicapped by age.
And because we need someone to help on the rare occasions when our carver actually needs to 'see'.
So now, all we need is a bit of background: A former career as Santa's chief carver, followed by ten years of despair.
And the story is set.
Carving Angels is born.
Written for families to read together, or for ages 8 and up, Carving Angels is the story of believing in each other. And that, with faith, anything is possible.