The Monster Hunter

Little Althea Applegate is a monster hunter! Born with extraordinary gifts, circumstances force Althea and her family to move to the city. Things seemed to go awry and Althea fears she has lost her abilities, even as she encounters one of the fiercest monsters yet! Misunderstood and condemned to have tea with her high society grandmother, Althea longs for her old home near the Congaree wilderness. Join our little heroine as she learns the power of friendship, and takes on a monster unlike any she has known!

\-----------------------------------------------

EXCERPT FROM BOOK:

“There there,” her mother hugged him. “There is no monster Davy, you see,” she pointed again to his sweaters hung in a neat little row. “Althea, tell your brother, there is no monster in his closet.”

Althea moved closer. She saw Davy’s little hats and coats on the top shelf, the boxes of pictures from their trip last summer, she saw his new suit for the Sunday visits with their Grandmother. And she saw something more.

“Tell him Althy, tell him there is no monster.” Her mother tried to mask her irritation.

To the side of Davy’s new suit, in the deep dark shadow of the closet’s dusky corner, Althea could see one big blue foot peeking out. It had long toenails, and burbling warts near the knuckles. As she leaned in for a closer look, she saw one of the giant toes wiggle.

“Althy!” Her mother was no longer disguising her annoyance. Tell your brother there is no monster!”

Little Davy was clinging to his mother and he looked fearfully up at his sister.

Suddenly the blue foot shuffled to the side and then retracted deeper into the closet. All that she could see then was the black shadow of the place where it had been.

“Althy!”

“I don’t see a monster Davy,” She told him plainly. “Just your clothes.” And indeed it was the truth.