An African Adventure: Flame and Hope

'A vivid and engaging world of animal characters, you have created some great personalities - the stubborn goat 'Plump-Grump' and the conceited 'His Handsomeness, King Rat' being some of my favourites. Very enjoyable 'chapter by chapter' bed-time reading." - Harper Collins Life takes strange turns for Flame, a puppy born in the African desert. Adopted by a free-range cattle farmer, the pup faces the challenge of proving himself to more than one of his new family. As Flame grows into a strong and brave dog, he finds friendship with many loyal furry and feathered friends including Hope, an elusive bird with strange pink eyelids, who tells stories about fires, villainous poachers, happy reunions and hilarious confusions. Flame's new friends also teach him to keep The Promise - protecting the vulnerable in Fauna Park, a secret sanctuary within the boundaries of the farm. And when Flame is called upon to risk his life to keep an important pledge, he finds fame amongst friends and foes in a parallel world where the sun always lingers longer before it disappears behind the horizon. Winner of an Authonomy Gold Medal, Flame and Hope: An African Adventure, is the first book in The Tales From Fauna Park series, which will captivate animal and bird lovers who enjoy learning about the importance of nature and the environment. It is perfect for those whose 'inner-child' is waiting to be rediscovered, whether reading for oneself or to a younger loved one. Black and White Edition

About the Author :
Maretha Botha lives in Lancashire, where she writes and illustrates animal and bird adventure stories, based on her experiences while growing up in South Africa. Her love for the southern African landscape, its environment, animals, birds and people shines through in her series of books which she entitled, "Tales from Fauna Park." She and her family lived in Botswana for a few years before immigrating to the United Kingdom. The first book in the series, "An African Adventure Flame and Hope" is set against this background. Many of the stories are based on fact - things which she observed while living on the outskirts of a game reserve as well as the lives of her family's pets - dogs, cats and birds - through the years. Before becoming a fulltime writer she worked as a research librarian and used these skills to do thorough research as far as the birds of prey and smaller birds mentioned in her stories are concerned. Before leaving Botswana, her post as a second librarian at a private school library convinced her that her series of books will be enjoyed, not only by children, but also adults who are interested in the environment around them, and who love smaller wild animals and birds. She has also written two young adult historical-suspense-mystery thrillers, which she hopes to publish during the summer next year. Look out for her short stories about siblings and their relationships, which will be available for free download over the next few months. There will be short lesson plans attached to each story, which could be uitilised effectively for extra studies in English Comprehension and Creative Writing.