An orphan boy. A mysterious stranger. A city in crisis.

When 14-year-old Lance is saved from death, his life is forever changed. For starters, his savior claims to be King Arthur, the once and future ruler of ancient Britain. Lance has met lots of weirdos on the streets of L.A., and they claim to be many things. But this “king” not only reeks of sincerity, he wears armor, rides a gorgeous white horse, and lives in the storm drains underneath the city! Arthur has a throne, old-school clothes, and weapons up the wazoo. Swords, daggers, bows and arrows—the kind Lance has only seen in movies.

Turns out this Arthur guy wants to start some kind of revolution. He plans to collect other cast-off kids like Lance—even teen gang members—and create a New Camelot of Knights to gain more rights for youth and shake up the out-of-touch politicians who run Los Angeles.

Lance is all for helping kids like him. He’s spent his entire life in and out of the system, and it sucks. And he wants to believe in Arthur, but doubts even a king can accomplish such lofty goals. Despite these uncertainties, Lance readily accepts the position of First Knight—youth leader of Arthur’s new army—thereby setting in motion a crusade of tsunami proportions. When the children rise, will the city fall?

The Lance Chronicles begin…

Winner of the 2013 Gold Medal from The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

The Lance Chronicles:
Children of the Knight (The Lance Chronicles Book 1)
Running Through A Dark Place (The Lance Chronicles Book 2)
There Is No Fear (The Lance Chronicles Book 3)
And The Children Shall Lead (The Lance Chronicles Book 4)
Once Upon A Time In America (The Lance Chronicles Book 5)
Warrior Kids (standalone set within The Lance Chronicles universe)

In this book, author, Louiesa, writes about her triumphant entrepreneurial victory from an impoverished background. As a self-made entrepreneur, she identified and successfully pursued a business opportunity with her employer who granted her a rare chance to be placed on their panel as an external vendor (debt collector) before BEE became law. Although Louiesa treated her business partners as equal she did not receive the same reciprocation from them. Find out how laws are altered and manipulated to benefit the rich at the expense of the poor. The possible reason why South Africa is unable to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor is scrutinized. Read about how the change in government policy on dividend taxation saved the day.

Journey with the author, as she faced numerous business challenges on her own, ranging from fraud to sexual harassment, cultural barriers, and external auditors investigating fraudulent payments. Follow her story of how she witnessed firsthand racism towards fellow panel members. Without legal qualifications or any help, she became the legal representative in court cases representing their business. Her carefully planned strategies resulted in arrests and imprisonment. Numerous other interesting stories are included to analyse and explain the overall life challenges and constraints that ordinary, poor and struggling South Africans face.

The reason why the South African white race could not be “pure” is also explored with ample examples. Find out how fair-skinned parents abandoned darker-skinned children and how a coloured child was born to white parents. South African legislation was intended to serve everybody. However, manipulation and alteration from its original meaning and intention resulted in benefiting the rich at the expense of the poor. Find out possible reasons why the author alleges poor people in South Africa became poorer due to the debt trap they found themselves in. The government is constantly changing the laws but finding it difficult to keep up with ongoing manipulation. The author identifies exploitation of the poor and the vulnerable by big businesses.

This is truly a remarkable journey in the life of Louiesa who did not allow poverty barriers to curb her success. Her dogged determination made it possible for her to succeed despite many obstacles that she sees as prohibitive poverty barriers to many ordinary South Africans. She believes that South Africa is the world’s most unequal society and it is difficult to manage constant manipulation. The author further shares interesting information about how one thousand South Africans were reclassified under what is today known as the chameleon dance.

Fourteen-year-old Ben Mason has known for some time he’s a little bit different than other people. It isn’t until traveling back to Australia from a holiday in the United States he discovers just how true that is. Ben and his friends are flying home when their airplane crashes on a remote island. Guided by the captain, the passengers try to stay alive and safe until rescue arrives. But Ben feels strange things happening. Soon he meets a boy named Noke who saves Ben from drowning and a swarm of killer bees. Then, twenty-six days into their ordeal, Ben meets Goldevere, a prisoner of the dragon, Black Knight. Goldevere tells Ben he has the gift that can help both of their people and that he needs to find his wife Silver for help. They must work quickly to save the world from the angry black dragon.

Fourteen-year-old Durriken Brishen has lost his parents, his grandfather, and though he doesn't know it, his Gypsy culture's dangerous gift.

Taken in and raised on the rails by the first woman to pilot a freight train, Durriken has one remaining connection to his Romani roots: a small wooden box that hangs from the hammer loop of his overalls.

The last gift he received from his grandfather, the box contains the world's first chess set. But a piece is missing: the Red Queen. According to Durriken’s family lore, the complete set awakens the power of Tărie, a mercurial gift that confers unique abilities on each new Master.

When a suspicious fire erupts in the Chicago rail yard, Durriken's escape produces an uneasy alliance, though not without its silver lining. Dilia is a few inches taller, several degrees cleverer, and oh yes – very pretty. While Durriken is uneasy allying with a girl whose parents were convicted of sedition, there's no doubt she is a powerful partner. And while it's not immediately clear to either, her own Guatemalan culture and family history are deeply entwined with the ancient Romani mystery.

Jumping box cars, escaping riverboats, deciphering clues, crossing swords with the brilliant madman Radu Pinch – with great American cities as its backdrop – Gypsy Knights is the page-turning saga of Durriken Brishen and his quest to rediscover his past.

The legend spoke of a new threat, a devastating war that could destroy the Gypsy race - unless the gifted children could prevent it…

Clara’s excited. It’ll soon be Christmas break. Two weeks off with cosy lie-ins, delicious hot chocolate and presents to be unwrapped. Not to mention being able to shape-shift to her hearts’ content. But, her friend, Luke, has disappeared off the face of the earth and she longs to know what’s happened to him.

Luke’s a Gypsy. He was on the road with his clan when their convoy was viciously attacked. Fleeing the ensuing chaos, Luke finds himself desperate and alone. Not able to trust his own kind, he makes his way to the only non-Gypsy he knows, Clara.

While dodging Luke’s pursuers, the re-united friends try to figure out why someone wants to possess Luke so badly. Do the answers they seek lie within the Gypsy council, who have unexpectedly called a clan gathering for Christmas Eve?

Facing terrifying Gypsy armies, and battles against ‘old magic’, can Clara and Luke outsmart the enemy and realise their destiny to save the Gypsy race?

In this fourth book of the ‘Full Moon’ series, Clara and Luke must find the courage to confront overwhelming odds. If you enjoy Neil Gaiman or Rick Riordan fantasy adventures, then you’ll love this book from Litpick Top Choice Award winning author, D.A. McGrath.The legend spoke of a new threat, a devastating war that could destroy the Gypsy race - unless the gifted children could prevent it… Clara’s excited. It’ll soon be Christmas break. Two weeks off with cozy lie-ins, delicious hot chocolate and presents to be unwrapped. Not to mention being able to shape-shift to her hearts’ content. But, her friend, Luke, has disappeared off the face of the earth and she longs to know what’s happened to him. Luke’s a Gypsy. He was on the road with his clan when their convoy was viciously attacked. Fleeing the ensuing chaos, Luke finds himself desperate and alone. Not able to trust his own kind, he makes his way to the only non-Gypsy he knows, Clara. While dodging Luke’s pursuers, the re-united friends try to figure out why someone wants to possess Luke so badly. Do the answers they seek lie within the Gypsy council, who have unexpectedly called a clan gathering for Christmas Eve? Facing terrifying Gypsy armies, and battles against ‘old magic’, can Clara and Luke outsmart the enemy and realize their destiny to save the Gypsy race? 

Roxanne and Emily are teenage sisters. One Christmas morning their lives are changed when they access a doorway to Tir Nan Og and become unwillingly involved in an ancient plot to free the goddess Lilith-Old as the Moon, from her prison. In this fast paced fantasy adventure based on established myths, Roxanne and Emily may need to give their lives as the cost of cultural dysfunction; amidst mermaids, unicorns, fairies, true love and one giant spider hungry for human blood. Characters represent diverse races and love choices.

Bronze Award in the 2014 Wishing Shelf Book Awards

In Children of the Knight, Lance and Arthur created a New Camelot of Knights in Los Angeles by using might for right. They rallied the populace to take charge of their communities, while simultaneously putting the detached politicians in check. Now, despite what appears to be the loss of their First Knight, the young activists--joined by a significant new recruit named Ricky--must find a way to move forward. 

Their new goal is lofty: give adult rights to kids fourteen and older who are only considered "adults" when they break the law. The crusade seeks to provide teenagers with rights that make a difference in the real world: voting, driving, trading high school for work, and sitting as jurors for peers charged with criminal behavior. 

The adults of California balk at giving such power to youth, and the road ahead is anything but clear. However, before Arthur can fully contemplate these matters, he finds himself face-to-face with an ally from the past--one who proves that things aren't always what they seem, especially for the fallen Lance. 

The Lance Chronicles continue... 

The Lance Chronicles: 
Children of the Knight (The Lance Chronicles Book 1) 
Running Through A Dark Place (The Lance Chronicles Book 2) 
There Is No Fear (The Lance Chronicles Book 3) 
And The Children Shall Lead (The Lance Chronicles Book 4) 
Once Upon A Time In America (The Lance Chronicles Book 5) 
Warrior Kids (standalone set within The Lance Chronicles universe)

When she was a child, Joey Kinkaid, assigned as a boy at birth—wearing Mom’s purple sundress and an imaginary crown—ruled the Baker Street neighborhood with a flair and imagination that kept the other kids captivated. Day after day, she led them on fantastic after-school adventures, but those innocent childhood days are over, and the magic is gone. The princess is alone.

Even Eric Sinclair, the Prince Eric to Joey’s Princess Ariel, has turned his back on his former friend, watching in silence as Joey is tormented at school. Eric isn’t proud of it, but their enchanted youth is over, and they’ve been thrust into a dog-eat-dog world where those who conform survive and those who don’t… well, they don’t. Eric has enough to deal with at home, where his mother has abandoned him to live in isolation and poverty.

But Eric can’t stay on the sidelines forever. When Joey finally accepts her female gender and comes to school wearing lip gloss, leggings, and a silky pink scarf, the bullies readily take the opportunity she hands them, driving Joey to attempt suicide and leaving Eric at a crossroads—one that will influence both their lives in not just the present, but the future.

Is there a chance the two teens can be friends again, and maybe even more?

When she was a child, Joey Kinkaid, assigned as a boy at birth—wearing Mom’s purple sundress and an imaginary crown—ruled the Baker Street neighborhood with a flair and imagination that kept the other kids captivated. Day after day, she led them on fantastic after-school adventures, but those innocent childhood days are over, and the magic is gone. The princess is alone. Even Eric Sinclair, the Prince Eric to Joey’s Princess Ariel, has turned his back on his former friend, watching in silence as Joey is tormented at school. Eric isn’t proud of it, but their enchanted youth is over, and they’ve been thrust into a dog-eat-dog world where those who conform survive and those who don’t… well, they don’t. Eric has enough to deal with at home, where his mother has abandoned him to live in isolation and poverty. But Eric can’t stay on the sidelines forever. When Joey finally accepts her female gender and comes to school wearing lip gloss, leggings, and a silky pink scarf, the bullies readily take the opportunity she hands them, driving Joey to attempt suicide and leaving Eric at a crossroads—one that will influence both their lives in not just the present, but the future. Is there a chance the two teens can be friends again, and maybe even more?