Welcome to the website of A.H. Richardson, Author of Murder on Baringo Island, Murder at Serenity Farm, ACT ONE, Scene One —Murder, Jorie and the Golden Key and Murder in Little Shendon. Jorie and the Magic Stones, Jorie and the Golden Key, and Jorie and the River of Fire are all available on Amazon.com & Barnes & Noble. Murder in Little Shendon is now available on Amazon.com
Illustrations by Jeff Preston, 2014-2016.
Imagine a world where dragons fly, mysterious cats can talk, and beauty lives in abundance. But something sinister is waiting…
Jorie and the Magic Stones, by A.H. Richardson, is the first book in a fanciful series about a spunky and energetic 9-year-old redhead who goes to live with her great-aunt in the stately Mortimer Manor. Upon finding out the enigmatic legend behind her new home and discovering a mysterious book under a floor board in her bedroom, Jorie sets out with her new friend, Rufus, to find out if the legend is true.
And what they unearth is amazing.
At the bottom of a lake rumored to have no bottom, or “The Tarn,” as it is called, Jorie stumbles upon another world- a world in which she has familial connections. She soon discovers that she is the child who was prophesied to save this fantastic world from an evil sorcerer.
And so begins an adventure fraught with danger, uncertainty, and unending loyalty in which Jorie and Rufus embark upon a journey like no other, with the assistance of a mischievous baby dragon and the Great Grootmonya, a powerful and kindly sorcerer from the beautiful city of Cabrynthius.
Will Jorie save the day?
I guess you’ll have to read it to find out!
From the moment I opened this book, I was drawn into the story. Since childhood, I’ve always leaned towards fantasy genre books, and this one didn’t disappoint! It certainly helped that the main character, Jorie, immediately reminded me of Hermione from the Harry Potter series, while Rufus reminded me of Ron, and I imagined the great Grootmonya as a Dumbledore-ish character.
If you’re looking for a page turner, this is it! I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next and always looked forward to a quiet moment when I could pick the book up and continue from where I left off.
The one part of the book that disappointed me a little was Jorie’s confrontation with the evil sorcerer. It was a little too short for me, but since this is the first in the series, I’m hoping the subsequent books will explain things a bit more. And I do look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Although certain parts were a little scary, I do plan on reading it to my kids because, in my opinion, it is still appropriate for young children since it was written in such a way that it just adds to the adventure. To be honest, I would love to see this as a movie. The creativity is simply astounding.
I highly recommend this book as a read-aloud or as an independent reading resource for older elementary to middle school age children. As for me, I can’t wait to read the next one!
–Posted on January 7, 2017Categories Book Reviews
MEMORABLE MOMENT: “Well, can’t you say some magic words and make him all better? Jorie blurted out, her tears flowing once more.”Sometimes we need more than magic words to make a situation better. Many times we carry our own magic within us, an inner magic that takes many forms, such as love, friendship, courage and tolerance.”
SOURCE: Received for review from Kelsey of Book Publicity Services.
MY THOUGHTS: Two chapters in and I knew the childhood me would have loved this book. What about the adult me though?So many things to recommend this novel – a mysterious old book hidden beneath the floorboards, dragons, magical lands, a wonderfully feisty female lead who is such a positive role model, a friendship that knows no bounds. Yeah, I think we can safely say the adult me loved Jorie And The Magic Stones.Whilst I do have admiration for some of the more adult issues featured in some of today’s children’s books, that authors feel able to write about the issues effecting some children, I must admit to finding it refreshing that here was good ‘old-fashioned’ story telling at its best.A girl: smart and polite, a boy: a bit of a rascal and yet with a sensitive side, a wonderful adventure with just the right amount of peril for what I think of as a book aimed at those 10+.
Whilst not ending on a cliff-hanger, indeed this particular adventure, the search for three stones, concluded well, the story was however left wide open for another adventure. An adventure that I was delighted to discover ensues in the next installment, Jorie And The Gold Key.
Aha! Here you are. That photo in the header is WONDERful! Perfect. Kudos to your web designer.
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Angela, It was delightful and a privilege to meet you on Tuesday at the Book Signing at the Maynardville Public Library. I am so looking forward to receiving my set of the book and Alicia’s crocheted Mr. Groot when she finishes him! In the meantime, last night I ordered the Kindle edition of the book so I could get started reading now! Evelyn
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hULLO EVELYN – I HAVE JUST FINISHED MY ADULT MURDER MYSTERY BOOK, TITLED ‘MURDER IN LITTLE SHENDON’ SET IN A SMALL VILLAGE IN ENGLAND AT THE END OF WORLD WAR TWO. I THINK YOU’LL LIKE IT …HOPE YOU’RE WELL …BEST WISHES ANGELA
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Thanks for letting me know about your new book; I shall look forward to reading it when it comes out. When will that be? Will it be available in Kindle? Hope you are well. I still look forward to the second “Jorie” book!
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I love a mystery! Remember Eric Obler? Maybe too far back for a kid like you, but he sparked my love for mysteries — and Murder in Little Shendon looks like it’s right up my alley. Alley Oop — there’s another one you’re too young to remember. Best wishes for you and your new book!
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thank you for kind and encouraging words …Angela H. Richardson A.H.Richardson (Author)
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Angela, it was such a pleasure meeting and spending time with you yesterday. The gathering was so enriching. I am getting ready to download your firsts two books, and look forward to losing myself in the stories. I look forward to seeing you again in the future.
Lucy Honeycutt
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