In the Witches of Galdorheim series,
Katrina the teen witch, has the ability to speak with animals. She
doesn’t even know she has this ability until she leaves her home,
Galdorheim Island. Since the island is somewhere in the middle of the
Barents Sea above the Arctic circle, leaving home isn’t a walk in
the park. Crossing iced over water in bitter cold weather is hard
enough, but when the ice starts to break up and some dangerous
creatures appear, it becomes a life-threatening situation. Kat and
her brother, Rune, confront an angry and sleepy polar bear. He wasn’t
in the mood to chat.
Fortunately for the kids, a HERO
appears. Just because he happens to be an orca (killer whale) makes
him no less heroic. Once the Bad Spelling adventure is complete, Kat goes out to find trouble once again. This time, however, Kat gets to rescue Salmon.
EXCERPT
She heard a voice and looked around for the source. Rune and Nadia had their heads together, and Ivansi was facing forward, intent on the helm. The voice came again, and she sensed it was inside her mind. She stood and scanned the choppy surface of the sea. A few hundred yards to port, a killer whale breached the surface, rose impossibly high and flipped downward, smacking its flukes on the surface.
“Skr pop skreee,” the whale whistled.
“Salmon!” Kat exclaimed, pointing toward the whale.
Nadia looked where Kat pointed then turned back with a puzzled expression. “Not salmon, Kat,” she shouted over the engine’s roar. “Orca.”
“No, his name is Salmon, and he’s an old friend of mine,” Kat said with a laugh. She stood, reached into the wheelhouse and tugged Ivansi’s sleeve to get his attention. “Stop the boat, Grandfather!”
Ivansi slowed the engine to an idle, looking around curiously. Rune said something to Nadia, probably repeating Kat’s statement. Still, the Sami girl looked worried.
Turning to the starboard side, she saw the hunters approaching fast, their paddles flashing in the sun as the kayak sped across the waves. They circled the motorboat and headed directly toward Salmon, who was breaching and slapping his tail.
“Skeee ckckck pop pop skrr.” Kat heard his greeting in her mind. “Kat Witch has come to visit Salmon!”
“Yes, Salmon, but look out for the kayak. Don’t hurt them.”
The killer whale popped his massive head above the surface. Kat knew his flukes were stroking hard beneath the surface to keep him upright. Spyhopping, as sailors called this maneuver, allows the whale to see what’s happening at a distance on the surface. Salmon slowly turned in a circle, his great black head dipping up and down. He spotted the kayak coming at him with only two of the hunters paddling, and he emitted a piercing whistle. The third hunter, the one in front, stood braced in the prow of the boat holding a harpoon at the ready.
“No!” Kat screamed at the hunters. “Don’t hurt him!”
Rune jumped up as the harpooner drew his arm back, ready to throw the barbed missile. The young warlock raised both hands toward the harpooner and bowed his head. Kat saw his eyes close, and his lips began to move, readying his own barb—a magical spell.
“Just the harpoon,” Kat shouted. “Just the harpoon!”
Throwing a quick glance at his sister, Rune scowled. “Right, right,” he said and then launched his spell. The harpoon flew out of the hunter’s hands and splashed harmlessly in the water, surprising him so much he fell backward onto the man behind him.
Ivansi followed the commotion. He revved the engine again and changed course to intercept the kayak, which was standing still in the water.
MIDNIGHT OIL - Book 2 of the Witches of Galdorheim
Traveling with her newly-found grandfather, a raging storm catches them unawares. Kat is tossed into the icy seas, while her brother and grandfather travel on to find help. Kat is rescued by an unlikely creature, and Rune is captured by mutants. Only the magical Midnight Oil can save her brother, but an evil forest elemental is trying to stop her.
EXCERPT
She heard a voice and looked around for the source. Rune and Nadia had their heads together, and Ivansi was facing forward, intent on the helm. The voice came again, and she sensed it was inside her mind. She stood and scanned the choppy surface of the sea. A few hundred yards to port, a killer whale breached the surface, rose impossibly high and flipped downward, smacking its flukes on the surface.
“Skr pop skreee,” the whale whistled.
“Salmon!” Kat exclaimed, pointing toward the whale.
Nadia looked where Kat pointed then turned back with a puzzled expression. “Not salmon, Kat,” she shouted over the engine’s roar. “Orca.”
“No, his name is Salmon, and he’s an old friend of mine,” Kat said with a laugh. She stood, reached into the wheelhouse and tugged Ivansi’s sleeve to get his attention. “Stop the boat, Grandfather!”
Ivansi slowed the engine to an idle, looking around curiously. Rune said something to Nadia, probably repeating Kat’s statement. Still, the Sami girl looked worried.
Turning to the starboard side, she saw the hunters approaching fast, their paddles flashing in the sun as the kayak sped across the waves. They circled the motorboat and headed directly toward Salmon, who was breaching and slapping his tail.
“Skeee ckckck pop pop skrr.” Kat heard his greeting in her mind. “Kat Witch has come to visit Salmon!”
“Yes, Salmon, but look out for the kayak. Don’t hurt them.”
The killer whale popped his massive head above the surface. Kat knew his flukes were stroking hard beneath the surface to keep him upright. Spyhopping, as sailors called this maneuver, allows the whale to see what’s happening at a distance on the surface. Salmon slowly turned in a circle, his great black head dipping up and down. He spotted the kayak coming at him with only two of the hunters paddling, and he emitted a piercing whistle. The third hunter, the one in front, stood braced in the prow of the boat holding a harpoon at the ready.
“No!” Kat screamed at the hunters. “Don’t hurt him!”
Rune jumped up as the harpooner drew his arm back, ready to throw the barbed missile. The young warlock raised both hands toward the harpooner and bowed his head. Kat saw his eyes close, and his lips began to move, readying his own barb—a magical spell.
“Just the harpoon,” Kat shouted. “Just the harpoon!”
Throwing a quick glance at his sister, Rune scowled. “Right, right,” he said and then launched his spell. The harpoon flew out of the hunter’s hands and splashed harmlessly in the water, surprising him so much he fell backward onto the man behind him.
Ivansi followed the commotion. He revved the engine again and changed course to intercept the kayak, which was standing still in the water.
* * *
Shipwrecked on a legendary island, how can a witch rescue her boyfriend if she can’t even phone home?
Traveling with her newly-found grandfather, a raging storm catches them unawares. Kat is tossed into the icy seas, while her brother and grandfather travel on to find help. Kat is rescued by an unlikely creature, and Rune is captured by mutants. Only the magical Midnight Oil can save her brother, but an evil forest elemental is trying to stop her.
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