Themes

Every one of my books has a theme that I think is important to kids. I wrap the story around that theme, but I also put a quote at the beginning of the book; a message from me to the reader. You can see those messages underneath the themes below.

I hope my books get your child to turn off the computer and read, as they have done for so many already.

Order of the Stones series (fantasy)

The Giants of StoneHold Stones series (fantasy)

FACING THE BEAST WITHIN

Theme: Coping with anxiety

“We all have a Beast – it could be our fear of failure, or fear of people seeing our faults, or maybe you don’t know what you fear; you’re just afraid. That’s okay. Just know that everyone is afraid now and then . . . me too. You’re not alone.”

CAMERON AND THE SHADOW-WRAITHS

Theme: Dealing with fear and anxiety

“Anxiety is a beast that haunts many people. It attacks the young as well as the old gray-beards like me.

I know the fear feels real to your body and trusting that fear is a lie is difficult. Push back on your fear just a little. Take one more step toward school or toward the doctor’s office, or toward whatever awakens your Beast. If you can take one more step toward it, then eventually, you can take two, and then more.

Remember—you’re not alone. There are people around you who want to help, but don’t know how. Let them in. Tell them what you’re feeling and what’s going through your head.

In the Order of the Stones, no one walks alone.”

THEFT OF THE GIANTS’ SOUL

Theme: Confronting your fears

“Focusing on negative thoughts – how you might fail or what might happen, only serves to feed the monster that lives within all of us…fear. Don’t let your fear determine who you are. Focus on the positive things in life and let that monster shrivel away. Be the person you are meant to be!”

Gameknight999 series

INVASION OF THE OVERWORLD

Theme: Bullying and the value of friendship

“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains immortal.” – Albert Pine

BATTLE FOR THE NETHER

Theme: Dealing with fear and anxiety

“To fight fear – act. To increase fear – wait, put off, postpone.” – David Joseph Schwartz

CONFRONTING THE DRAGON

Theme: Confronting your fears

“For those who suffer.”

Mystery of Herobrine series

TROUBLE IN ZOMBIE-TOWN

Theme: Sibling Relationships

“Siblings are the best friends that you take for granted when you are young, and treasure when you are old.”

JUNGLE TEMPLE ORACLE

Theme: Even the smallest person can be a hero

“We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice – that is, until we stop saying ‘It got lost,’ and say, ‘I lost it.’” – Sidney J. Harris

LAST STAND ON THE OCEAN SHORE

Theme: Working together is better than working alone.

“I saw an angle in the marble and carved until I set him free.” – Michelangelo

Herobrine Reborn series

SAVING CRAFTER

Theme: Father/son relationships and growing up

“As a child, we crave to be treated like a big kid; at the end of adolescence, we want the respect of adulthood. But both of these transitions require the responsibility and the desire to reach further than we can reach, to become more than we were yesterday.”

DESTRUCTION OF THE OVERWORLD

Theme: Don’t let fear rule your life, just be you!

“Don’t let fear cloud the vision of who you really are. Fear is important when being chased by a tiger or lion or bear . . . oh my, but it can keep you from realizing your true self. Just be you.”

GAMEKNIGHT999 VS. HEROBRINE

Theme: Judge the behavior first, not the person

“Stress can cause friendships to wither on the vine until they crumble and nearly die. The friendships worth keeping, however, can be brought back from the brink, as long as there is forgiveness and recognition of what’s really important to nurture them back to health.”

Herobrine’s Revenge series

THE PHANTOM VIRUS

Theme: Only be responsible for your choices

“Our choices and actions define who we are and how others see us. Do people see the real you, or just the convenient you?”

OVERWORLD IN FLAMES

Theme: Judge yourself by the quality of your friends

“Don’t judge your value by your popularity or importance; rather, judge yourself by the quality of the friends you surround yourself with.”

SYSTEM OVERLOAD

Theme: Look for the good in things and not just the bad

“When you focus on bad things, sometimes that’s all you see. If you look for the good, you will find it. The trick is to part the dark curtains of despair, so that the great things around you—like family and friends—can shine through and light your world with joy”

Birth of Herobrine series

THE GREAT ZOMBIE INVASION

Theme: Being accepted by being yourself.

“Being on the outside is difficult, but be yourself and find those similar to you, whose personalities resonate with your own. Being accepted for being who you are is more important than being accepted for popularity’s sake. Being the person you were meant to be is far more important than wearing a popular disguise. The former leads to happiness and respect, while the latter leads to eventual disappointment.”

ATTACK OF THE SHADOW-CRAFTERS

Theme: Accepting your weaknesses does not make you a failure.

“When you believe in yourself, accept your weaknesses as things you can improve on, and acknowledge your strengths as things to be proud of, you can become a truer version of yourself. People might accept this truer self, or they might not, but if you truly believe in yourself, then it won’t matter.”

HEROBRINE’S WAR

Theme: Asking for help is not a weakness . . . it’s smart.

“Trying to do everything by yourself, like Sisyphus pushing that rock up the hill by himself, is difficult, pointless and makes those around you think you don’t trust them. Open yourself to the help of friends and Sisyphus’ rock will make it all the way to the top of the hill and stay there, if supported by friends.”

Mystery of Entity303 series

TERROR OF THE FOREST

Theme: Belief in yourself can make you stronger than you realize you can be.

“You can only be what you believe you can be.”

MONSTERS IN THE MIST

Theme: Hate can consume who you are, choose forgiveness

“Hating people takes too much energy to sustain. Instead, forgive them, even if you disagree. Learn what the other side thinks and understand their perspective so that common ground can be found. Forgiveness is a great gift, and by forgiving others, you take hatred out of your life, and out of the lives of others.”

MISSION TO THE MOON

Theme: Making good choices for the right reasons

“The choices you make will determine the trajectory of your life and the consequences you must face. Give thought to your choice and don’t act rashly out of anger or jealousy. Instead, think carefully and make the choices that are necessary to get you to your goal. Sometimes, these choices will be extremely difficult and require hard work, but in the end, they will give you the life you seek.”

Rise of the Warlords series

ZOMBIES ATTACK!

Theme: Be yourself instead of who others want you to be.

“You should never feel as if you must prove you’re good enough to others to be accepted. Be the best version of yourself, and accept who you are and don’t be concerned about what other people think.”

BONES OF DOOM

Theme: Believing in yourself.

“Fearlessly believe in yourself without doubt or caution. The first step to success is believing you can do a thing . . . all the rest is just details. See yourself achieving your goal in your mind, then find the path to make that dream a reality. We abandon our goals only because we no longer believe they are possible. Belief in everything!”

INTO THE SPIDERS’ LAIR

Theme: Asking for help is not a weakness . . . it’s a strength!

“Failures have a way of uncovering the deepest parts of our character and revealing the true self that many of us keep hidden. Only through confronting obstacles and learning how to vanquish them do we learn who we really are, and what we are capable of. Embrace the challenges in your life, for each is an opportunity to grow and become more than you were yesterday . . . and who knows who you’ll be tomorrow?”

The Wither War series

THE WITHER KING

Theme: Stuff isn’t important . . . friends are

“What’s inside you is always more important than what’s on the outside. It’s great to have the best clothing, newest smartphones, and shiniest jewelry . . . but when that stuff is necessary for you to be accepted, then you’re with the wrong people. Stuff and ego can become a mask, hiding the real you that’s inside. We’re all afraid of rejection. We’re all afraid of not being good enough. We’re all the same. The trick is to realize this truth and just accept who you are. Be grateful for your strengths, work on your weaknesses, and be the real you who hides behind your mask.”

THE WITHERS AWAKEN

Theme: Be true to your inner self.

“People matter, and stuff doesn’t. If someone judges you based on your hair or your cloths or your phone or anything else like than, then they don’t know you well enough to look past all the stuff and see the inner light burning bright within you. Cling to the inner light that makes you unique, harness it and let it grow . . . Everything else is just noise.”

WITHER INVASION

Theme: Learn from your failures so you can become stronger

“You must never fear failure. Our failures have a way of shaping who we are and can be great, yet sometimes painful, teachers. If you shy away from challenges in your life, you’ll never truly know what you can do, and who you can become. Accept your strengths, learn from your weaknesses, and refuse to give in just because things get difficult. Be the best you possible and you’ll achieve great things!”

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