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Email Address: verba001@umn.edu
Books By Joan Marie Verba
Word Count: 57000
Summary: A sorcerer bent on world domination. A tranquil continent suddenly coming under attack.. Can Marlys summon the means to defeat him? Marlys and the other High Sorcerers have maintained peace for centuries. The sorcerous wars which almost destroyed the planet are long past. But that peace is shattered with the arrival of a rogue sorcerer with powerful magical weapons. Their first clash results in a devastating rout. Afflicted but determined, Marlys rallies her fellow sorcerers and gathers the resources of the legendary Library of Sorcery and the Spell Passage. Yet even her boldest moves fall short of success. Sorcerers in her company meet with tragic endings. The entire continent falls under siege. Can Marlys lead her allies to victory over this relentless foe? The fate of her world hangs in the balance. Shadows of the Sorcerers is the conclusion of an absorbing fantasy trilogy. If you like valiant heroes, clever strategies, and courageous acts, you’ll love Joan Marie Verba’s riveting adventure.
Word Count: 57,992
Summary: An old adversary awakened. A clash of wills. Can she stop her ruthless predecessor from replacing her and dragging the realm back to cruelty? High Sorcerer Marlys worked hard to rid her region of her predecessor's vicious legacy. Forced to free her nemesis after twelve years of sorcerous confinement, Marlys finds herself in immediate conflict with this bitter rival who will stop at nothing to return to power. Banned by oath from harming each other, they nonetheless battle…Marlys to retain her position, her opponent to impose herself on the region. As their conflict escalates, the world is threatened by a catastrophic volcanic explosion. Ash overhead blocks the sun and intensifies the weather. Marlys struggles to keep her opponent at bay, and at the same time, gather enough sorcerous strength to clear the air. Taking advantage of the crisis, her opponent claims that she alone has the solution, and that Marlys lacks the competence to resolve it. Can Marlys save the planet and prevent her predecessor from taking over? Join Marlys and her allies in Clash of the Sorcerers, the second book in the Chronicles of the Library of Sorcery. If you like clever magical spells, resourceful thinkers, and tough but compassionate leaders, you'll love Joan Marie Verba's exhilarating fantasy.
Word Count: 60,000
Summary: A vengeful plan. An impossible impasse. When confronted by the magnitude of past deeds, will she be caught in a spellbound standstill? High Sorcerer Marlys has earned the respect of her colleagues. Twelve years after freezing her ruthless predecessor in time to protect her region, the powerful leader has worked hard to bring about peace and tranquility. But while presiding over a beautiful double wedding, a rival enchantress traps Marlys's friends with an identical spell in malicious payback. Denying the intruder's demand to free Marlys's predecessor after more than a decade bespelled, Marlys and her companion sorcerers frantically search for a way to crack their adversary's magic. And with each side refusing to compromise and driven by distrust, they face a mountainous task—to find the legendary Library of Sorcery, which they hope contains the knowledge to restore their friends. With their opponent also on the passage to the Library, can Marlys and her companions reach their destination first to end the magical deadlock? Secrets of the Sorcerers is the refreshing first book in a quest fantasy series. If you like strong characters, gentle humor, and action-filled adventure, then you'll love Joan Marie Verba's enthralling story. Join the sorcerers on their quest. Buy Secrets of the Sorcerers to break the spell today!
Word Count: 78000
Summary: A voracious predator. A frantic plea for aid. Can she stop a dangerous menace from devouring the dragons’ offspring? Rhea Monroe has missed her childhood friend. She’s excited when the young dragon she grew up with returns to Earth after years away. Hearing that the dragons are in desperate need, the recent college grad immediately vows to help. But the instant they arrive in the dragon world, they’re tasked with helping to defeat a frightening, formless creature known simply as The Terror. Teaming up with her boyfriend and other allies both human and winged, the resourceful companions struggle to cultivate a plan to defeat the ravenous attacker. But after a huge misstep awakens the monstrous horror, they’re aghast as two of their own are consumed…. Can Rhea and her friends stop The Terror and prevent a devastating apocalypse? Summoned by Dragons is an absorbing fantasy novel. If you like compassionate heroine journeys, nuanced characters, and grand new worlds, then you’ll love Joan Marie Verba’s sky-high adventure. Read Summoned by Dragons to save the hatchlings today!
Word Count: Information not available
Summary: His love is locked inside an enigma. Can he solve the mystery to make himself a home? A hidden kingdom. The 18th century. Alden grew weary of battle long ago. And now the honorable soldier seeks to put the horrors of war behind him to settle in a land of peace and start a family. And while an attractive shopkeeper catches his eye, he finds himself caught up in the kingdom’s greatest riddle: the twelve daughters of the king and queen vanish every night and reappear in the morning with their shoes worn out. Drawn to a shared passion for dancing as he spends more time with the woman of his dreams, Alden can’t avoid a growing involvement with the land’s enchanted magic. And as he does so, he starts to realize that the alluring woman he’s falling for may hold the key to answering the perplexing mystery. Can Alden unravel a magical entanglement and find his way to happily ever after? Twelve is a charming fairy tale retelling. If you like upstanding heroes, picturesque romance, and delightful surprises, then you’ll adore Joan Marie Verba’s heartwarming story. Read Twelve to expose the realm’s enchanting secrets today!
Word Count: 50000
Summary: Their goal is to make the world a better place. One billionaires’s obsession may turn their altruism into destruction. Jay Ecklund is desperate to belong somewhere. Rejected by his family and former employer, he really needs this job as a receptionist at an up-and-coming tech corporation. He’s astonished when he discovers the all-woman staff is secretly developing a portal capable of instantaneous transport to anywhere on Earth. Thrilled to be part of a company designing innovations to help others, Jay is excited when the machine is at last operational. But he worries about it falling into the wrong hands when an ambitious billionaire hell-bent on accumulating power makes a bid to get it…at any cost. Will the portal be used as a rescue device as intended, or will a relentless manipulator warp it to a more sinister purpose? The Arachne Portal is an electrifying standalone science fiction novel. If you like fast-paced adventures, phenomenal science, and thought-provoking themes, then you’ll love Joan Marie Verba’s compelling story. Buy The Arachne Portal to open a gateway to the future today!
Word Count: 60000
Summary: A teen without a home. A dangerous residence. Can she survive one terrifying night to secure her future? Charlene Griffin never thought she’d be without a home. But when she’s kicked out on her eighteenth birthday, she has no choice but to sleep inside an ominous Victorian mansion. And with the owner offering the estate to anyone who can spend a full night in the haunted property, Charlene decides to risk life and limb to get off the streets. Refusing to heed the warnings of those sent running in fear for their lives, Charlene is confident she can last from sunset to sunrise. But she’ll need all her wits about her to withstand the hours of terror, because these ghosts are determined to get rid of her. Will Charlene outsmart her supernatural foes and make it to dawn? Defying the Ghosts is an eerie YA haunted house story. If you like heart-racing action, fearless heroes, and survival adventures, then you’ll love Joan Marie Verba’s thrilling tale. Buy Defying the Ghosts to explore forbidden shadowy corners today!
Word Count: 80000
Summary: The kingdom of Somerlie has been in the grip of the evil overlord Tashtalon for over 500 years. No one has ever seen Tashtalon, but he puts the kingdom to sleep every night, and during the night, people disappear, never to be seen again. Gill has spent her life thinking these things could not possibly by changed, until strange events point her to the only thing that can defeat Tashtalon…a magical weapon called the Sword of Queens. To prevent its use, Tashtalon made a law saying that any woman wielding a sword will be put to death…and he enforces that law savagely. Can Gill summon the courage to find the sword and use it before Tashtalon kills her?
