"The Shadow Beasts Series is an exciting new science fiction/fantasy series for young teen readers." In the troubled night sky, the twin moons of planet Dulunae are shifting, causing the seas to rage. Under the ground, fiery rivers of molten rock are seething, about to burst onto the surface. Millions of diverse creatures on Dulunae sense the profound changes in the planet. Some hide. Others migrate. Still others know one thing: It is time to destroy other species and seize ultimate power. A group of teenagers and children called the Outcasts find themselves trapped in the middle of an astonishing number of threats. Leader Gyro and his team must fight the T’ndrills, the ‘living daggers’. The daydreamer, Yan, falls prey to Predictors, beings capable of mimicking living bodies and foretelling their grim futures. The Outcasts must escape the relentless attack of vicious flying creatures known as the K’han-shee. All the while, the Font of Knowledge bides its time, awaiting the startling revelations of the planet’s unfolding. To survive, the Outcasts must do the unthinkable: they must become allies with the monstrous Shadow Beasts! "Shocks! Surprises! Twists and turns await you! Join the Outcasts in a pulse-pounding race to HayVen, the only place of safety on Dulunae. Find out who escapes from... The Conquering Beasts"
I first knew I wanted to be a writer at age 9 when my mother lugged home an old, beaten up Royal typewriter with twisted keys. I gazed at the strange name, QWERT YUIOP, on the second line under the numbers. I knew QWERT and I would be friends. I pounded away at the Royal for hours on end to my grandmother's chagrin, composing very short stories about living lightning, malevolent mud monsters and sinister prairie grass. I was from Illinois, where these things can be found.
QWERT and I kept pounding out stories through grade school and high school. My grandmother warned me to stop the pounding, but my mom said it was okay while she was at work. In college, I studied art and writing and won a short story contest. I kept writing, kept publishing, kept typing up to my time at a Great Midwestern Newspaper, when the era of the Royal gave way to the computer. QWERT survived the change.
Then came the Shadow Beasts and The Outcasts. I hope you enjoy them.
Best,
Gregory Janicke
www.gregoryjanicke.com
