The Raven*s Ring Pin

Fifteen-year-old Samuel has just moved with his parents to Yellowstone's Geyser Inn for the winter. Samuel has no friends, his on-line classes are too easy, and the TV has only one channel. Life basically stinks until one snowbound day when he decides to explore the creaky old attic. There he finds a ring pin engraved with weird symbols. A strange voice commands Samuel to drop the pin, and the adventure begins.

The ring pin has mysterious powers that allow Samuel to communicate with Rag and Thokk, the ravens that live in the attic. The ring also has the power to transport the trio to the perilous and magical world of the Nordic gods. Suddenly, the three find themselves in the midst of a battle among the most powerful gods of the Norse pantheon-Thor, the thunder god; Aegir, the sea god; and Loki, the trickster. But the ring pin can't-or won't-bring them home again.

Samuel is drawn into the timeless conflicts of the gods as he searches for Thor's magical hammer Mjollnir, and eventually must answer a challenge that will determine the fate of the gods themselves.

John W. Anacker (Montana) spent thirteen years sitting behind a desk as an academic administrator. In 1999, he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a writer. He has spent his entire life in Bozeman climbing mountains, skiing and visiting Yellowstone National Park. He is fascinated by Norway, Norse mythology and birds (especially ravens). In addition, Anacker is an artist whose paintings have been shown in galleries around the Northwest and purchased by several collectors.
He holds a BFA from Montana State University, where he later spent three years as an assistant professor of painting, and an MFA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to teaching at Montana State university, he was gallery director of their school of art, coordinating events, and writing promotional material, catalogs, and grant proposals.