JTRyckman author

Arikala Academy: A Wave of Courage by Jacob Ryckman

Courage is the most powerful magic of all. At eleven years old, Cassidy Farron knows two things for sure: that her time at Arikala Academy, the magical school for gifted youngsters, will be the best ever; and that everyone in her family has ALWAYS been placed in House Sword. But after a disastrous first day ends in Convocation being attacked and she's placed into House Shield, Cassidy finds that she has to reevaluate her expectations. After all, why would somebody want to attack such a wonderful place? Determined to prove her worth and get to the bottom of things, Cassidy will team up with an orphaned spellcaster and a tech genius to uncover the mysteries surrounding themselves and the school. But some secrets might be better left alone…

Legend of Samantha Torres by Jacob Ryckman

For twelve year-old Samantha Torres, her Type 1 diabetes used to just be a frustrating nuisance - one more thing for her mother to tell her she wasn't being responsible about. But when her cruise ship crashes on a mysterious jungle island and separates her from her family, managing that chronic illness becomes a struggle for her life. Luckily, she receives some help from a 3,000 year-old woman named Belby, who claims that Samantha's powers indicate that she is supposed to protect the island from intruders. Specifically, she has to stop a bunch of creepy zombie-people - who most likely have kidnapped her mom - from reaching the magical tree at the center of the island. With just a single bottle of insulin, some awesome gravity-bending superpowers, and a quippy attitude, Samantha is guaranteed to succeed and prove to her mom once and for all that she can be responsible. After all, putting yourself in harm's way to fight a bunch of bad guys is super responsible…right?