The Wishing Stone #1 Read online

  One by one the people lowered their spears and came forward. Soon everyone in the village was touching the dinosaur. The creature stayed still and let the people come. When everyone had had their turn, the dinosaur finally stood again. It let out a roar, but one that didn’t sound angry this time. Then it lumbered away into the forest.

  “Thank you, my friend,” Arco said, turning to Spenser. “You have helped save our village.”

  “You’re welcome,” Spenser returned. Then his face fell.

  “What is wrong?” Arco asked.

  “As fun as this has been,” Spenser said, “I miss my family, and I want to go home.”

  “How did you get here?” Arco asked. “Perhaps you can return the same way.”

  “I wished to meet you as I held this stone.” Spenser pulled the stone out of his front pocket and held it up.

  “Then perhaps you can wish to return home and it will take you,” Arco said.

  Spenser nodded, though he was a little afraid to try. What if the rock didn’t work? What if it only worked with books? Could he write a book about home to return that way? Taking a deep breath, he squeezed the rock tightly in his right hand and closed his eyes. I wish to go home, he thought to himself.

  The tingling shot up his arm and Spenser’s eyes snapped open. The world of Arco’s village was fading away. Arco raised a hand in a wave and then he was gone and Spenser was back in his bedroom, the book open in front of him.

  “Whoa,” he said. “I wonder how long I’ve been gone.”

  Slamming the book shut, he jammed the rock back in his pocket and looked up at his wall. He had a poster of a T-Rex hanging in front of him, but suddenly it didn’t look right.

  Spenser grabbed a red pen and colored a row of feathers on the dinosaur’s head and back.

  When he finished, he leaned back, smiling at his handiwork. Then, he opened his door to find his family. No one was in the hallway, but he could hear the television downstairs.

  * * *

  As he bounded into the kitchen, the smell of spaghetti met his nose.

  “Oh good, it’s dinnertime,” his mother said.

  “How long have I been gone?” Spenser asked.

  “Gone?” His mother asked. “You mean reading? About an hour, I guess.” She scooped out a spoonful of noodles coated in red sauce and plopped it onto a plate, holding it out to him. “Go sit at the table for dinner.”

  Spenser took the plate, his mind focused on what his mother had said. Only an hour? It had been days in Arco’s world. Smiling, he sat down at the table.

  “What are you smiling about?” Jackson asked.

  “I’ll tell you later,” Spenser said. “It’s a secret.”

  Thankfully Jackson didn’t keep asking as Spenser’s mom, dad, and Kayleigh joined them at the table.

  “Did you finish your book?” his mother asked.

  “Yes, it was great,” Spenser said. “We’ll definitely have to get some more.”

  His mother’s eyes sparkled as she smiled. “I knew it would take just finding the right book,” she said.

  Or the right stone, Spenser thought. He reached down and touched the rock in his pocket, smiling to himself. He couldn’t wait to go on his next adventure.

  The End!

  If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review at your retailer.

  * * *

  A Look At The Wishing Stone #2: Dragon Dilemma

  8

  The Wishing Stone 2 Preview

  The Trouble with Siblings

  Spenser stared at the clock on the wall, willing it to be 3:15. He couldn’t wait to go home and try out his wishing stone again. He had only gotten to use it once since receiving it, and he was aching to try it again.

  A week ago, Spenser had come across a mysterious stranger on his way home from school. The man, after hearing that Spenser didn’t like to read, had offered him a white stone. The man had said that magical things would happen when Spenser held the stone while reading.

  Spenser hadn’t believed the mysterious stranger at first, but then Spenser had held the stone and wished to meet Arco, the character in the book he had been reading, and had been transported back to dinosaur time, where he got to see a T-rex up close. That had been amazing.

  Since then, he had been begging his mother to take him back to the library to get another book. Finally, yesterday, she had agreed, and at home on his bed right now was Merlin and the Dragon. Spenser loved magic and dragons, so he was excited not only to read this book but to visit Merlin himself.

  The bell finally rang and Spenser bounded out of his seat. He slung his backpack over his shoulders and headed for the door.

  “Hey, you want to ride bikes?” his friend Zane asked.

  Spenser was torn. He did want to ride bikes and he had just gotten a new bike for Christmas, but he really wanted to try the stone again. It was in his pocket right now, and his fingers itched to touch it.

  “I can’t tonight, but do you want to ride tomorrow?”

  Zane’s face grew sad for a moment before lighting up at the prospect of a meeting tomorrow. “Sure, that will be fun.”

  Spenser waved goodbye and started towards home. He didn’t live very far, so he walked to and from school. The path went through a little park and kept him away from the streets. Every day, he kept his eyes peeled for the mysterious stranger. He hadn’t seen him again, but he hoped to. For one, he wanted to thank the man for the magical rock, but he also wanted to see if the man had any other magical items.

  There was no luck today, either. He did not spot the man on his walk home.

  Spenser opened the green front door of his house and called out to his mother. “Mom, I’m home.”

  “In the kitchen, honey,” came her reply.

  He tossed his backpack by the door and headed that way, but before he had even rounded the corner, Kayleigh appeared, hugging his legs.

  “Brudder,” she said, smiling up at him.

  “Hi, Kayleigh. Did you have a fun day today?”

  “Yesh,” she said, her little blond head nodding up and down.

  When she finally released his leg, he continued into the kitchen. His mother sat at the table with Jackson, showing him how to write the letter D.

  “Spenser, look,” Jackson said, holding up his picture. “D is for dragon.” Jackson was just as fascinated by dragons as Spenser was.

  “It’s nice,” Spenser said. His hand patted his pocket. How much longer would he have to stay down here before he could sneak up to his room?

  “Do you have homework, Spenser?” his mother asked.

  This was his chance. “Just some reading, mom. Can I go upstairs to read?”

  “Sure,” his mother agreed. “I’ll call you when it’s time for dinner.”

  Barely able to contain his excitement, Spenser turned around and bounded up the stairs.

  He threw open his door. The book called to him from his bed, and in his haste, he forgot to shut the door behind him. Climbing up on the bed, he sat cross legged, his back to the door, and opened the book.

  He didn’t see Jackson and Kayleigh sneak into the room behind him.

  Be sure to get the rest of Book 2 to continue the journey.

  Want to stay up to date?

  If you’d love to know when the next Wishing Stone book is coming out or when there are specials, I’d love for you to sign up for my newsletter. I will send emails only when I have special deals and I promise not to spam you. As a thank you for signing up, I will give you the first book in the Wishing Stone Inspiration series for free.

  References

  References and Dinosaur Facts:

  New research is showing that dinosaurs might be more bird like thank we think. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/02/anchiornis-bird-like-dinosaur-feathers-lasers-soft-tissue-science/

  * * *

  Did T. Rex Have Feathers?

  A feathered T. rex? Probably so--at least when the animals were young. Paleontologists think feathers may have f
irst evolved to keep dinosaurs warm. But while a young T. rex probably had a thin coat of downy feathers, an adult T. rex would not have needed feathers to stay warm. Large warm-blooded animals--like T. rex or modern elephants--generate a great deal of body heat so they usually don't need hair or feathers to keep warm. This is probably why elephants, which are mammals, don't have much hair. http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/dinosaurs-ancient-fossils-new-discoveries/liaoning-diorama/a-feathered-tyrant/

  * * *

  Remnant- noun – a piece of something.

  Warily – adverb – in a distrusting way

  Eluded – verb – to evade or get away

  The Story Doesn’t End!

  You’ve met a few people and fallen in love….

  * * *

  I bet you’re wondering how you can meet everyone else.

  Star Lake Series:

  Sealed with a Kiss: Meet the quirky cast of Star Lake and find out if Max and Layla will ever find love.

  When Love Returns: Return to Star Lake to hear Presley’s story and find out if she gets the second chance with her first love.

  Once Upon a Star: Continue the journey when aspiring actress Audrey returns home with a baby. Will Blake finally get the nerve to share his feelings with her?

  Love Conquers All: Meet Lanie Perkins Hall who never imagined being divorced at thirty or falling for an old friend, but will his secrets keep them apart?

  The Star Lake Collection: Get the latter three stories in one place. Series will include book 1 when it releases around November 2020.

  The Heartbeats Series:

  Where It All Began: Sandra Baker finds forgiveness and healing even after making a horrible choice.

  The Power of Prayer: Will Callie Green find true love or be defined by her mistake?

  When Hearts Collide: When Amanda Adams goes to college, she finds a world she was not ready for. But will she also find true love?

  A Past Forgiven: Jess Peterson has lived a life of abuse and lost her self worth, but when she finds herself pregnant, will she find new hope?

  The Heartbeats Collection: Grab all four Heartbeats novels in one collection

  Sweet Billionaires Series:

  The Billionaire’s Impromptu Bet: Can a spoiled rich girl change when a bet turns to love?

  The Billionaire’s Secret: Can a playboy settle down when he finds out he has a daughter who needs him?

  A Brush with a Billionaire: What happens when a stuck up actor lands in a small town and needs help from a female mechanic?

  The Billionaire’s Christmas Miracle: A twist on a Cinderella story when a billionaire meets a woman who doesn’t belong at the ball.

  The Billionaire’s Cowboy Groom: Will one night six years ago keep Carrie from finding true love?

  The Cowboy Billionaire: Coming Soon!

  The Billionaire’s Bliss: This collection contains The Billionaire’s Secret, The Billionaire’s Christmas Miracle, and The Billionaire’s Cowboy Groom

  The Lawkeeper Series:

  Lawfully Matched: When the man she agreed to marry turns out to have a dark past, will Kate have to return home or will she find love with her rescuer in this historical fiction?

  Lawfully Justified: Can a bounty hunter and a widow find love together in this historical fiction?

  The Scarlet Wedding: William and Emma are planning their wedding, but an outbreak and a return from his past force them to change their plans. Is a happily ever after still in their future in this historical fiction?

  Lawfully Redeemed: What happens when a K9 cop falls for the brother of her suspect? Contemporary romance.

  The Lawkeeper Collection: Get all four books in one collection

  The Are You Listening Series:

  The Still Small Voice: Will Jordan listen to God’s prompting in this speculative fiction?

  A Spark in the Darkness Will Jordan be able to help Raven before the rapture occurs?

  Blushing Brides Series:

  The Cowboy’s Reality Bride: He’s agreed to be the bachelor on a reality dating show, but what happens when he falls for a woman who’s not one of the contestants?

  The Reality Bride’s Baby: Laney wants nothing more than a baby, but when she starts feeling dizzy is it pregnancy or something more serious?

  The Producer’s Unlikely Bride: What happens when a producer and an author agree to a fake relationship?

  Ava’s Blessing in Disguise: Five years after marriage, Ava faces a mysterious illness that threatens to ruin her career. Will she find out what it is?

  The Soldier’s Steadfast Bride: coming soon

  The Men of Fire Beach

  Fire Games: Cassidy returns home from Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy to find obsessive letters from a fan. The cop assigned to help her wants to get back to his case, but what she sees at a fire may just be the key he’s looking for.

  Lost Memories and New Beginnings: A doctor, a patient with no memory, the men out to get her. Can he keep her safe when he doesn’t know who he’s looking for?

  When Questions Abound: A Companion story to Lost Memories. Told from Detective Graves’ point of view.

  Never Forget the Past: Fireman Bubba must confront his past in order to clear his name and save lives.

  Love on the Run: Graham is forced into lockdown with one of his employees. Will he be able to save her from her ex and will she steal his heart?

  Secrets and Suspense: Cara Hunter is hiding something about her military past. When she’s suspected of murder, will she be able to convince Cole she’s the victim?

  The Men of Fire Beach Collection: Books 1-3

  Texas Tornadoes

  Defending My Heart: Forced to confront his past, Emmitt finds news that will change his life.

  Run With My Heart: Sentenced to community service, Tucker finds himself falling for the manager.

  Love on the Line: Blaine has hired Kenzi to redo his cabin, but what happens when she finds his darkest secret?

  Touchdown on Love: When Mason’s injury throws him together with ex-girlfriend, will sparks fly again?

  Second Chance Reception: Jefferson is hiding something. When he falls for the team cook, will he let her in?

  Small Town Short Stories

  Small Town Dreams

  Small Town Second Chances

  Small Town Rivals

  Small Town Life

  Life in a Small Town: All four stories in one collection

  Stand Alones:

  Love Renewed: This books is part of the multi author second chance series. When fate reunites high school sweethearts separated by life’s choices, can they find a second chance at love at a snowy lodge amid a little mystery?

  * * *

  Her children’s early reader chapter book series:

  The Wishing Stone #1: Dangerous Dinosaur

  The Wishing Stone #2: Dragon Dilemma

  The Wishing Stone #3: Mesmerizing Mermaids

  The Wishing Stone #4: Pyramid Puzzle

  The Wishing Stone: Mary’s Miracle

  The Wishing Stone Collection

  To see a list of all her books

  authorloranahoopes.com

  [email protected]

  About The Author

  Lorana Hoopes is a USA Today best selling author originally from Texas but now living in the PNW with her husband and three children. When not writing, she can be seen kickboxing at the gym, singing, or acting on stage. One day, she hopes to retire from teaching and write full time.