Intro (large type)

Hi Ratha fans!

This is author Clare Bell announcing that a new Ratha novel, Ratha's Courage, was released as an E-Reads E-book (electronic book) on 4/9/08. The original publisher was Viking Penguin, but they inexplicably cancelled. Firebird Books Editor Sharyn November had encouraged me to write another Ratha, saying that a new novel of the Clan could push the others back into print. Firebird is also issuing the other Ratha books as paperbacks. The Firebird editions of Ratha's Creature and Clan Ground appeared July 18, 2007. Ratha and Thistle-chaser plus Ratha's Challenge followed in October 2007.

Ratha, Fessran, Thakur, Thistle-chaser, Bira, Cherfan and the rest of the Named clan-cats are back, along with some intriguing new strangers, such as the enigmatic Night-who-eats-stars. And don't forget the treelings (and the dapplebacks, three-horned deer, and other creatures in Ratha's world). The Named also have some new horses called "stripers" and the two "rumblers", Grunt and Belch.

My thanks to Sharyn November and Firebird for giving a dream new life. Also to the dedicated readers who couldn't forget Ratha and the Named.

(The critter on the cover is a "rumbler" to the Named. To us humans, it is a prehistoric giant rhinoceros called Indricotherium.)

Watch a video clip from the CBS Storybreak animated episode of Ratha's Creature (click on Ratha to see the video). This is the scene where she first learns how to tame and feed the Red Tongue (fire). Here, she is blowing on the embers to raise a flame.