New Releases by Robert Beatty

Twelve-year-old Sylvia Doe keeps running away from foster homes to return to the mountains of North Carolina, until a 100-year flood, a strange boy, and a cave that is a portal to other times and places, bring her back where she truly belongs.

Robert Beatty''s best-selling gothic fantasy about an unforgettable heroine is now a mesmerizing graphic novel with rich, atmospheric illustrations. "The story drips with suspense, wrapping readers into the narrative just as easily as the man in the black cloak binds his young victims." — School Library Journal " Never go into the deep parts of the forest, for there are many dangers there, and they will ensnare your soul." Serafina has never had a reason to disobey her pa and venture beyond the grounds of Biltmore Estate.There''s plenty to explore in her grand home, although she must take care to never be seen. None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa, the estate''s maintenance man, have secretly lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember. But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is:a terrifying man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore''s corridors at night. Following her own harrowing escape, Serafina risks everything by joining forces with Braeden Vanderbilt, the young nephew of Biltmore''s owners. Braeden and Serafina must uncover the Man in the Black Cloak''s true identity...before all of the children vanish one by one. Readers who enjoy history and mystery and like their thrills and chills in visual form will delight in this graphic novel adaptation of a bestseller. Read the entire New York Times Best-selling series! Serafina and the Black Cloak (book 1) Serafina and the Twisted Staff (book 2) Serafina and the Splintered Heart (book 3) Serafina and the Seven Stars (book 4)

George and Arthur are identical twins, both are in college and living in late 1930s America. They come from a rich upper class Baltimore family. Their father had been taking the family on summer vacations to Miami Beach. Finding Miami Beach to be too crowded, the father changes directions and takes the family to a remote and less known vacation resort in South Carolina. There the boys meet and fall head over rich privileged heels in love with a beautiful local girl who works as a cleaning girl who cleans the rental vacation cottages. When they return the next year they start up a full blown love and sexual affair with the girl, Melissa. The girl falls in love with them; both of them. Both brothers want to marry the girl. The situation lead to quite a rivalry between the two brothers which could lead to a serious break between them in the family. The problem is that Melissa said she wants to marry BOTH men. She says that she loves them both equally and cannot choose between them. In the end she refuses to choose between them saying that if they will not agree to a three-way marriage she will live with them both in a menage-a-twa arrangement anywhere. While that could be worked out in backwoods mountain country, it would be totally unacceptable in straight laced conservative Baltimore Brahmin society. The boys do not want to leave their family home and situation. By a series of events that include a savage barroom between the brothers and locals over the girl, a fight in which one of the brothers seriously mutilates a knife welding redneck thug, facing possible serious danger from angry locals who falsely blame the girl for provoking the fight, the girl comes home with the boys to live with them as a cleaning girl in the family home in Baltimore, much to the chagrin of the boys straight laced mother. At home behind closed doors, the boys carry on in secret the affair they started in Carolina. At their sister''s wedding reception both of the brothers propose to the girl with the one she does not choose agreeing to drop out of the picture. Sill as much of a stubborn hillbilly girl as she was when they first met her, Melissa again refuses to choose between them. The issue unresolved as ever, the affair otherwise continues in secret at the family house. The years roll on, Melissa marries out of necessity, but which one did she choose? Find out how this convoluted love affair ends.

Serafina steht zwischen zwei Welten: Sie ist zu menschlich für das Leben im Wald mit ihrer Mutter, die sich in eine Silberlöwin verwandeln kann, und zu wild für das Leben auf dem herrschaftlichen Biltmore-Anwesen mit ihrem Vater und ihrem Freund Braeden. Doch aus den Tiefen des Waldes zieht eine Gefahr heran, die beide Welten zu zerstören droht. Sämtliche Tiere fliehen, als eine führerlose Kutsche sich Biltmore in der Nacht nähert. Ihr entsteigt ein mächtiger Zauberer, begleitet von blutrünstigen Wolfshunden. Um ihr Zuhause und alle, die sie liebt, zu retten, muss Serafina kämpfen wie nie zuvor. Und sie muss ihr besonderes Schicksal als Gestaltwandlerin annehmen. Der zweite Band der erfolgreichen »Serafina Black«-Serie, die Leser und Leserinnen weltweit begeistert! Außerdem von Robert Beatty bei FISCHER KJB: Serafina Black – Der Schatten der Silberlöwin (Band 1) Willa of the Wood – Das Geheimnis der Wälder Willa of the Wood – Die Geister der Bäume

Verborgen in den Kellergewölben eines Herrenhauses lebt die junge Serafina Black mit ihrem Vater. Einst hatte er sie in den Wäldern gefunden und sie heimlich aufgezogen. Nur in der Dunkelheit wagt Serafina es, durch die herrschaftlichen Räume des Biltmore-Anwesens zu streifen. So beobachtet sie eines Nachts als Einzige, wie ein Mädchen verschwindet. Das Haus ist in Aufruhr: Sind auch die anderen Kinder in Gefahr? Wenn Serafina dem Mädchen helfen und die dunkle Bedrohung bekämpfen will, muss sie aus den Schatten treten. Und sie muss erkennen, wer sie wirklich ist. Ein spannendes Gestaltwandler-Mystery-Abenteuer mit Gänsehaut-Garantie! New-York-Times-Bestseller! Weitere Bücher von Robert Beatty bei Fischer KJB: »Willa of the Wood – Das Geheimnis der Wälder« »Willa of the Wood – Die Geister der Bäume«

Die Zukunft der Wälder steht auf dem Spiel Die Tiefen der Wälder, die endlose Weite der Berge – das ist die Heimat der jungen Willa, die die Sprache der Bäume und Tiere spricht. Doch die Welt um sie herum verändert sich. Die Menschen dringen immer weiter vor, roden die Bäume und nehmen den Waldwesen ihren Lebensraum. Als dunkle Schatten durchs Tal ziehen und die Wälder aufbegehren, findet Willa sich zwischen zwei Welten: Sie ist ein Kind des Waldes und doch gibt es Menschen, die sie liebt. Wie wird Willa sich entscheiden? Und wer ist das Mädchen, das ihr auf Schritt und Tritt folgt? Ein mitreißendes neues Abenteuer für Waldmädchen Willa Alle Bände der »Willa of the Wood«-Dilogie: Band 1: Das Geheimnis der Wälder Band 2: Die Geister der Bäume

Wanda the wanderer, practitioner of the movable feast, barroom pick-up artist, skilled technician at electronics and seduction, is a sexual adventuress who works as a repair and installer technician for a major telephone company. At an earlier age, just at the physical developmental stage where she was entering into puberty and her hormones are starting to run away with her, while on a road trip with her parents, staying in her own room at sleazy motel, she overhears a couple going at it hot and heavy in the next room over on the other side from her parents room. As Wanda listens, captivated, she longs to join the couple in the next room in their thrashing orgasmic encounter. These experiences have transformed Wanda’s life. As the second stage of her life opens, Wanda is now a mature women in her early thirties. Wanda has become fully dedicated at and skillful in the art of seduction and the quick get away without complications. Electronics is her profession and seduction is her hobby - she is dedicated to excellence in both her profession and avocation. She has no desire or intention to fall in love or get married. Both would de-rail her chosen life pattern. She is fully aware that she might find herself alone at the end of her life but she does not care. Wanda is fully ready to end up alone at the end of her life. It is a price she is willing to pay to live her life the way she prefers and wants to live it. Wanda and Chuck met each other under an assumed identity. Chuck''s assumption and Wanda''s carefully crafted procedure to avoid complications are both blown apart when they meet the next day on the installation project. Chuck is pleasantly surprised to find his lover again. Wanda is totally rattled by the unexpected complication. Things go smoothly. The two grow to like each other. More than just like each other. They make love (on the top of the completed relay tower - fresh roof tar end up on their backs). Wanda violates her rule of not having sex with a man more than once. Chuck is falling in love with Wanda. This is the kind of complication Wanda wants to avoid. Though she likes Chuck enough to violate one of her cardinal rules, Wanda still doesn''t want to give up her lifestyle. Will Wanda give up her hedonistic lifestyle to be with Chuck forever? Will true and deeper love will emerge on Wanda''s part and whether she and Chuck will come to be together for life or will Wanda''s love of the open road triumph over love and take her away from real love and leave her on the road forever moving toward a horizon that keeps receding from her?

This enchanting companion to Robert Beatty''s instant #1 New York Times bestseller Willa of the Wood is perfect for any reader who cares deeply about the natural world. Willa and her clan are the last of the Faeran, an ancient race of forest people who have lived in the Great Smoky Mountains for as long as the trees have grown there. But as crews of newly arrived humans start cutting down great swaths of the forest she loves, she is helpless to stop them. How can she fight the destroyers of the forest and their powerful machines?When Willa discovers a mysterious dark hollow filled with strange and beautiful creatures, she comes to realize that it contains a terrifying force that seems to be hunting humans. Is unleashing these dangerous spirits the key to stopping the loggers? Willa must find a way to save the people and animals she loves and take a stand against a consuming darkness that threatens to destroy her world.Filled with a compelling mixture of history, mystery, and magic, Robert Beatty''s books are loved by readers from 8 to 108.Grow your middle grade fantasy collection with these best-selling fan favorites:Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert BeattyWilla of the Wood by Robert BeattyIf We Were Giants by Dave Matthews and Clete Barrett SmithThe Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick RiordanThe Fowl Twins by Eoin Colfer

Mindfulness for a Happy Life is a beautiful guide to what insight meditation really is. Robert''s personable, funny, sweet, sad, and ultimately human and humane teachings are told in simple terms so that anybody, from the skeptic to the monk, can access the heart and truth of mindfulness practice. If you have never meditated and can''t understand why anyone would spend time on a cushion doing nothing, this is the book for you. You will find down-to-earth instructions that give you a direct experience of mindfulness as well as ways to measure the impact of your mindfulness practice. This book will inspire you to love life and to face everything that comes your way with grace, compassion, and wisdom. If you have meditated all your life, but not found awakening, this book is for you. This book will demystify and clarify the teachings of Buddhism so that you can better understand your own process. You will find instructions and stories that will change your practice. Instructions, exercises, and stories are used to give you an experience that can shift your perspective and transform your practice so that you access happiness through insight.

Serafina and Braeden make an epic return in the hotly anticipated fourth installment of Robert Beatty''s #1 New York Times best-selling Serafina series. Serafina, the Guardian of Biltmore Estate, has won battle after battle against the dark forces encroaching on her home. Now, tranquility has returned to Biltmore. Serafina doesn''t trust it. She patrols the grounds night and day, hardly sleeping, uncertain of her place after her best friend Braeden Vanderbilt''s departure for boarding school in New York. When Mr. Vanderbilt, the kind master of Biltmore, asks Serafina to move upstairs into one of the house''s grandest rooms, she''s sure it''s to keep an eye on the guests who have arrived for the estate''s annual hunt. But as Serafina investigates, she becomes more and more unsettled by what Biltmore has become-a place haunted by nameless terrors where no dark corridor is safe. Even worse, she begins to doubt her own senses. Is Braeden really hundreds of miles away, or did he return to Biltmore for one strange night before vanishing? Is the bond between them truly broken or is it stronger than ever? Then Serafina witnesses a crime that turns her world upside down. How can all that once seemed good and worthy of protection now be evil? And how can she guard those around her when she can''t even be sure of the truth of her own heart? Serafina and the Seven Stars marks the return of a heroine like no other, as master storyteller Robert Beatty weaves his darkest, most astonishing tale yet.

Una emocionante serie ambientada en un mundo mágico increíble. Muévete sin hacer ruido. Desaparece sin dejar rastro. Willa, una joven espíritu nocturno de las Grandes Montañas Humeantes, es la mejor ladrona de su clan, por su habilidad para colarse en las casas de las criaturas diurnas y llevarse objetos que nunca echarán en falta. Pero un día, por culpa de su curiosidad, Willa cae herida y atrapada en el mundo del día. Entonces descubrirá la verdad: no todas las criaturas diurnas son iguales. La magia que ha protegido a su clan está en peligro y solo ella, con su inagotable coraje, tiene el poder de salvarlo. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION From Robert Beatty, author of the award-winning Serafina books, comes this thrilling new #1 New York Times bestselling series. Set in 1900 in the Great Smoky Mountains, it''s the story of an orphaned girl--gentle of heart, but brimming with the ancient forest powers of her people--who must struggle to survive in a changing world. Filled with the history, mystery, and magic of the Great Smoky Mountains, Kirkus Reviews describes WILLA OF THE WOOD as "A moving, atmospheric journey of hope." Move without a sound. Steal without a trace. To Willa, a young night-spirit, humans are the murderers of trees. She''s been taught to despise them and steal from them. She''s her clan''s best thief, creeping into the log cabins of the day-folk under cover of darkness and taking what they won''t miss. It''s dangerous work, but Willa will do anything to win the approval of the padaran, the charismatic leader of the Faeran people. When Willa''s curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in the day-folk world, she calls upon the old powers of her beloved grandmother, and the unbreakable bonds of her forest allies, to survive. Only then does she begin to discover the shocking truth: that not all of her human enemies are the same, and that the foundations of her own Faeran society are crumbling. What do you do when you realize that the society you were born and raised in is rife with evil? Do you raise your voice? Do you stand up against it? As forces of unfathomable destruction attack her forest home, Willa must decide who she truly is--facing deadly force with warm compassion, sinister corruption with trusted alliance, and finding a home for her longing heart.

The #1 New York Times best-selling Serafina series by Robert Beatty is now available in a paperback boxed set! Serafina and the Black Cloak "Never go into the deep parts of the forest, for there are many dangers there, and they will ensnare your soul."Serafina has never had a reason to disobey her pa and venture beyond the grounds of Biltmore Estate.There''s plenty to explore in her grand home, although she must take care to never be seen. None of the rich folk upstairs know that Serafina exists; she and her pa, the estate''s maintenance man, have secretly lived in the basement for as long as Serafina can remember.But when children at the estate start disappearing, only Serafina knows who the culprit is:a terrifying man in a black cloak who stalks Biltmore''s corridors at night. Serafina and the Twisted Staff Serafina''s defeat of the Man in the Black Cloak has brought her out of the shadows and into the daylight realm of her home, Biltmore Estate. Every night she visits her mother in the forest, eager to learn the ways of the catamount. But Serafina finds herself caught between her two worlds: she''s too wild for Biltmore and too human to fully join her kin. For Serafina to defeat this new evil, she must search deep inside herself and embrace the destiny that has always awaited her. Serafina and the Splintered Heart The storms are coming.... Something has happened to Serafina. She has awoken into a darkness she does not understand, scarred from a terrible battle, only to find that life at Biltmore Estate has changed in unimaginable ways. Old friends do unthinkable things and enemies seem all around.With only days to achieve the impossible, Serafina fights to reclaim herself as the Guardian of Biltmore, friend of Braeden, daughter of her Pa, and heroine of the Blue Ridge Mountains and all the folk and creatures that call it home.

Willa ist das letzte Kind des Waldes In den Tiefen der Wälder lebt ein geheimnisvolles Volk, die Faeran. Einst konnten sie sich mit den mächtigen Tieren und Bäumen verständigen und Pflanzen wachsen lassen. Doch nun ist die junge Willa die Letzte, die diese Waldmagie beherrscht. Die Faeran sind in großer Gefahr, denn die Menschen rücken immer näher. Willa muss sich entscheiden: Welchen Preis ist sie bereit zu zahlen, um das Überleben ihres Clans zu sichern? Ein spannendes Naturabenteuer voller Magie und Mystik.

Serafina and Braeden make an epic return in the fourth installment of Robert Beatty''s #1 New York Times best-selling series. Peace and tranquility have finally returned to Biltmore Estate after hard-won battles against encroaching darkness. But as time passes without signs of danger, Serafina finds herself questioning her own purpose. Who is she if not Biltmore''s protector? When deceptively dark and unsettling events begin to take place at Biltmore, is Serafina merely desperate to once again play the role of heroine? Or are her home and loved ones in terrible danger from a strange and sinister force?

From #1 New York Times best-selling author Robert Beatty comes a thrilling new series set in the magical world of Serafina. Move without a sound. Steal without a trace. Willa, a young night-spirit of the Great Smoky Mountains, is her clan''s best thief. She creeps into the homes of day-folk under cover of darkness and takes what they won''t miss. It''s dangerous work-the day-folk kill whatever they do not understand--but Willa will do anything to win the approval of the padaran, the charismatic leader of the Faeran people. When Willa''s curiosity leaves her hurt and stranded in the day world, she calls upon an ancient, unbreakable bond to escape. Only then does she discover the truth: not all day-folk are the same, and the foundations that have guarded the Faeran for eons are under attack. As forces of unfathomable destruction encroach on her home, Willa must decide who she truly is. To save the day-folk family that has become her own--and lift the curse that has robbed her people of their truth--Willa will meet deadly force with trusted alliance, violence with shelter, and an ever-changing world with a steady heartbeat of courage.

Serafina a été enterrée vivante. Terrorisée, la jeune fille ne se souvient pas de ce qui s''est passé. Lorsqu''elle parvient à quitter son cercueil et rejoindre Biltmore, une grande fête a lieu. D''abord déçue de ne pas y avoir été conviée, la jeune fille se rend compte que personne ne la voit. Pire encore : son meilleur ami Braeden et son père la pensent morte ! Seule son ancienne ennemie Lady Rowena peut la voir et l''entendre. Serafina n''a pas le choix. Elle doit faire confiance à la sorcière pour contacter Braeden. Ce n''est pas simple, car le jeune homme est persuadé que Rowena a tué son amie. En réalité, le corps, l''âme et le chatamont de Serafina ont été éparpillés. Pour sauver Serafina, ses amis doivent réunir ces fragments. Waysa, Braeden et Rawena joignent leurs forces. Mais le temps presse : le maléfique Uriah cause des tempêtes et inondations qui menacent Biltmore...

In 1899, a twelve-year-old rat catcher on North Carolina''s Biltmore estate teams up with the estate owner''s young nephew to battle a great evil and, in the process, unlocks the puzzle of her past.

"Ne va jamais dans la forêt. Il y a là-bas des forces mystérieuses et maléfiques que personne ne sait expliquer, des choses qui pourraient te faire du mal". Serafina n''a jamais désobéi à son père. Il y a déjà tant d''endroits à explorer dans l''immense manoir de Biltmore - même si elle doit faire attention à ce que personne ne la voie. Aucun des riches habitants du domaine ne doit savoir qu''elle existe. Elle vit donc avec son père, le mécanicien du manoir, dans les sous-sols, à l''abri des regards. Mais une nuit, elle assiste à la disparition de Clara, la fille d''invités des Vanderbilt - les maîtres de Biltmore -, enlevée par un homme portant une grande cape noire. Elle se lance à sa recherche et fait la connaissance de Braeden, le neveu des Vanderbilt. Tous deux se lient d''amitié et décident d''unir leurs forces avant que tous les enfants du manoir disparaissent. Les soupçons de Serafina se portent vite sur Mr Thorne, un ami de la famille. Elle lui tend un piège en l''attirant au coeur de la forêt, bravant sa peur et l''interdiction de son père. Elle découvre alors que les enfants disparus sont victimes d''un puissant sortilège, et que ce sortilège est lié à sa propre identité...

Serafina''s defeat of the Man in the Black Cloak has brought her out of the shadows and into the daylight realm of her home, Biltmore Estate. Every night she visits her mother in the forest, eager to learn the ways of the catamount. But Serafina finds herself caught between her two worlds: she''s too wild for Biltmore''s beautifully dressed ladies and formal customs, and too human to fully join her kin. When a mysterious series of attacks test Serafina''s role as Biltmore''s protector, she finds herself torn from the side of her best friend and only ally, Braeden Vanderbilt. Heartbroken, she flees. Deep in the forest, Serafina comes face-to-face with the evil infecting Biltmore-and discovers its reach is far greater than she''d ever imagined. All the humans and creatures of the Blue Ridge Mountains are in terrible danger. For Serafina to defeat this new evil before it engulfs her beloved home, she must search deep inside herself and embrace the destiny that has always awaited her.