John Peace

Called to Battle John Peace

Publisher Marketing: "Strap in for a rollercoaster ride with Valin and Mertyl, Eskemant and Zewip!" Valin & Mertyl, nomads of the planet Elmarune, have hardly finished their training with Telarine Squadron when Mertyl volunteers for a mission that puts her in great danger. Valin has done so well in his training that he believes he may be someone special - a warrior so talented in the use of his T-ring that he will change the course of the battle against Drokstrak. This puts him on a collision course with Captain Eskemant, who expects obedience and good teamwork. But is there a traitor in the squadron? How else could the enemy be expecting so many of their movements? Valin must get to know each squadron member better and listen to their stories. Then there's the mystery of Elha. Who is this figure from ancient history? Not all members of the squadron even believe that he's real. As Valin learns more of the old stories about the People of Elha, he realises that the story of the galactic struggle is not what he'd thought. A terrible disaster hovers over all of the exiled people of the galaxy. Is he, Valin, destined to be the hero who finds a solution? The disaster swoops closer. A frightening plague strikes his home world of Elmarune, and the only way for him and Mertyl to help is to disobey orders. Things start getting out of control as Valin seeks his own destiny. As events unfold, they find that the toughest battles and deepest mysteries are the ones within their own hearts. Contributor Bio:  Peace, John Originally an engineering graduate from the UK keen to become an astronaut, somehow John Peace ended up working in community development overseas for some years. Did he take a wrong turn? He says he has very few regrets. In between, he's worked in a soup factory, driven a taxi in London, served refreshments in Regents Park and a few other odd jobs. He recently settled with his Canadian wife and their two sons in Ontario, where they enjoy the great outdoors, Finnish pancakes and blueberries, preferably all three at once. He confesses to a lifelong fascination with science and science fiction, ever since watching Dr. Who and Blake's Seven on the BBC as a boy. He's even old enough to have fuzzy memories of watching the Apollo 11 landing on TV. Whew! That's hard to believe. He believes good science fiction for children should have solid science behind it as much as possible, but in a way that doesn't suffocate the flow of the story. But more than that, the characters should pop off the page in full colour. So where did The Calling come from? John says, "I started writing it for my two sons, and it just kind of grew. There are not that many science-fiction novels out there for eight year-olds and over, apart from that very well-known collection with the squeaky little robot and the big, hairy alien with the crossbow. So I thought it was time for something new. I hope you like it." 'The Calling' has its own website at: http: //thecalling-valin.blogspot.ca/ Visit the site to learn more about Valin's world and for news about the next novel in the series. Why not drop in and leave a comment?