HUNTER’S OF THE SPARKLING RUBY
HIDDEN KINGDOM CHRONICLES #1

Fiction Adventure for Middle Grade Readers

My name is Matthew and I’m twelve years old. I could try to explain to you in a few sentences what happened when I fell down a rock ledge in the forest while wearing Grandpa’s “adventure cap”. But so much happened that I don’t think I could fit it into a few sentences! So, let me give you a riddle: what do a faded green hat, a devious white snake, old Princess Andora, lost keys, a huge red stone, a ferret with no name, the Messenger, my Grandpa, and a map taken from the silent castle all have in common?

No hints. Give up? Okay, I’ll tell you. They all lead to the Hunters of the Sparkling Ruby.

The Sparkling Ruby is the largest, most precious ruby ever found. And it has magical powers. This huge red stone was a gift to a beautiful princess, but many years ago thieves stole it. It turned up in the Lost Kingdom, guarded by mysterious creatures. The princess is obsessed with retaking the jewel. She pursues it night and day, and the princess, now an old woman, has enlisted some conniving hunters to help search for the creatures protecting the stone.

After falling down a ledge while hiking in the heart of the forest, I come face to face with the hunters. And the Sparkling Ruby. Am I willing to enter the hunters’ lair during a midnight trip up a haunted river in order to preserve the mystical stone? Logic says to stay away. But I was in the silent castle once. In my dream.

I’m inviting you to come with me and discover the secrets of the hidden Lost Kingdom. But be ready to run! You never know what lurks in the darkness…