-- For Immediate Release --

 Henniker Author Publishes Book

 Dan Whitney, a resident of Henniker, NH, published his first book on December 20, 2005, just in time for Christmas.  The book is entitled “The Malleable Blade” and chronicles the adventures of two pre-teen boys, Jon and Greg Curtis.

 The Malleable Blade is the first in a series of adventures involving John and Greg, “navy brats” who have recently relocated to Newport, Rhode Island.  This story actually begins in the past, when a young, not-yet-identified boy hides powerful magical objects in order to protect his homeland from an evil usurper. Brothers John and Greg come on the scene twenty five years later, after a devastating storm rearranges the local landscape, unearthing a chest containing two daggers and a map.

 A treasure hunt through Newport leads to several more discoveries, including the entrance to a new world (The Gemstone Islands).  Jon and Greg enter, only to find themselves immediately enmeshed in a violent and dangerous conflict.  Sorting out right from wrong becomes difficult, both in this new world and back in their own. 

 New neighbors move into the home next to the Curtises in Newport, and one Annie Monagul is thrust into the adventure.  As kingdoms come into conflict with one another, this trio will need to work together with young people who are different from them, in order to protect the lives of the innocent. 

 The story is written predominantly in short chapters so that it can be read aloud.  Ideally suited to young readers, aged 8 to 13, the story is compelling enough to appeal to readers of all ages. Actual musical notation accompanies the magical spells, and the chess match played out in the Sacred Grove is included in detail in the notes. 

 Dan Whitney wrote the story while the Whitneys were living in Rhode Island.  During that time they fell in love with the area around Newport, which features prominently in the story. The main characters in the book are loosely based on the Whitney boys, at an earlier time in their lives.  Currently, Rev. Whitney serves at the Executive Director of Windsor Hills Camp and Retreat Center, Windsor, New Hampshire.

 The book is published by Booksurge, which is a wholly owned affiliate of Amazon.com.  Booksurge specializes in Print On Demand books, which means that the actual books are not printed until a customer places an order for the book. Even with this restriction, books are usually shipped within 48 hours of the placement of the order. At the current time, the book is only available through Amazon.com or the Booksurge.com bookstore. To order the book, search on the book’s title (The Malleable Blade) or the author’s name (Dan Whitney) at the Amazon.com website. 

 ISBN: 1-4196-1944-6; 363pages; Booksurge Publishing

Dan Whitney, 23 Hillside Drive, Henniker, NH  03242    1-603-428-8219

 Newport and the Gemstone Islands: The Malleable Blade

(A Jon and Greg Adventure)

Introduction:

Jon and Greg Curtis have moved again.  Now in Newport, RI, they are enjoying the last few weeks of summer before they enter their new school and confront a sea of unfamiliar faces.  They have learned to rely on each other, for they have found in their brotherly friendship a security that is not disrupted by frequent relocations. But all of that is about to be tested.  A freak summer storm opens windows to amazing adventures both frightening and exhilarating. Jon and Greg will have to decide how much they are willing to risk to protect people they do not know, and who they should trust, when everything is strange and unusual.  The secrets they uncover will unravel everything they believe about their lives.  For them, nothing will ever be the same again!

 Synopsis:

 Jon and Greg Curtis, along with family, move to Newport, RI, where dad has been assigned as professor of law at Newport Naval College of War.  In the aftermath of a powerful storm, erosion at the beach near their home unearths previously hidden treasure. Among other things, a map is found that marks the location of other treasures in the Newport, RI area.  Greg and Jon search out these treasures, while protecting the secret of what they have found.  Eventually, they discover magical weapons, magical transportation, and an entry into another world – The Gemstone Islands.

 War is brewing in the Gemstone Islands.  A small island with four competing kingdoms, the Ruby Kingdom is being attacked by the Obsidian Kingdom. A first attempt to avert war is carried out on a chess board where the royal family of each house stands in for the pieces.  It is into the middle of this match that Greg and Jon enter the new world.

 A contested resolution to the chess match escalates the conflict.  Several members of each royal family die in the fight, and Prince Judas, the crown prince of the Ruby Kingdom winds up without a mother and without his closest friend, a father figure named Eli.  Eli is a powerful mage who, though assumed a casualty on the chess board, actually managed to transport himself back to Newport, RI, unknown to anyone present.  Prince Judas has been covertly left behind at the palace, rather than being risked on the chess board.

 Ephraim is a servant boy who had been instructed to stand in for Judas on the chess board. At the time of Eli’s departure, Eli invests all of his “mage’s abilities” into Ephraim.  Ephraim struggles to cope with all that is going on inside his head – not the least of which is Eli’s voice still speaking to him. When Ephraim returns to the palace, he and Judas forge a friendship that will help save the kingdom in the days ahead.

 Jon and Greg enter this magical world at several different points in the growing conflict.  Back in Rhode Island, a new family moves into the house next to theirs, and, instructed by Eli, they invite the girl who lives next door, Annie Monagul, into their secret.  Annie returns to the Gemstone Island with the boys in time to discover two kingdoms at war.  Their involvement leads to a kidnapping, the discovery of more magical weapons, the appearance of Guardians (Dragons), and a horrific battle.  Magical spells are sung by armies of magicians, repelled by musical counterpoint.  A renegade priest turns out to be a spy for the enemy, and the sounding of a silver horn brings stability, though not final victory.

 By the end, Prince Judas is King Judas, and Jon, Greg and Annie are honored citizens of the Ruby Kingdom.  War is replaced by a tentative peace, and everyone is back in their proper homes, except for Jon, who is still hospitalized with injuries sustained in the final battle.  A twist in plot reveals that at least one parent should have know what was happening all along, as secrets are told that had long been hidden.

  Author’s Background:

 Dan Whitney is a long time pastor and educator in a Christian denomination.  While ministering in East Providence, RI, his family, including sons Jonathan and Gregory, grew to love Newport, RI, and especially Fort Adams and Easton’s Beach.  Faced with the prospect of moving again, ( this would be their third move in 11 years) this story helped the boys confront their own relocation fears, and provided opportunities to discuss issues of friendship, trust, security and stability.  Though the characters in the book are loosely based and Jon and Greg, the story itself is designed to both entertain and build internal confidence.  Today, Jon and Greg are thriving, along with the whole family, in southern New Hampshire, USA.