“An action-packed ride of fantastical tech, ancient oracles and the most likable geek you’ll ever meet.”
—AK Turner, New York Times Bestselling Author
“I could not stop reading this glorious adventure. Riley is an authentic storyteller with a wicked imagination.”
—Elaine Ambrose, Award-Winning Author of Melody’s Magical Flying Machine
Riordan’s Kane Chronicles meet Enders Game in Bill Riley’s thrilling debut upper middle grade adventure Ashur’s Tears (Brown Books Kids). Riley lends a voice of authenticity to the over-arching military theme, which he combines with Middle Eastern mythology.
Join Toby and Katie Cypher as they face off against a secret government agency, encounter magical forces and decipher the mystery behind their father’s disappearance.
Story Art and Image Gallery
“There’s enough room in the world for both technology and magic. If you never give up, you have the power to change yourself, your fate and maybe the world.”
—Bill Riley
Bill Riley has worked with intelligence agencies and special operations professionals around the world.
His award-winning adult memoir Baghdaddy: How Saddam Hussein Taught Me to Be a Better Father told the true story of how Riley put what he learned growing up into perspective during his missions in Kuwait, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.
He often couldn’t tell his family about where he was going or what he’d be doing. That required creative storytelling, but the problem is kids start to sense there’s more to the story.
“I gave my boys enough truth to cover my absences, but not being there still disappointed them—especially when keeping secrets meant I was away from home for extended periods of time. That father/son tension is reflected in Ashur’s Tears. Secrets are tearing the Cypher family apart. Toby and his dad argue over it. Katie ignores it. Both strategies fail.
“Everyone has secrets. The difference is that a big part of my work meant I had to carry secrets that weren’t mine to tell. They still aren’t.”
—Bill Riley
Fun fact: because of his background, Riley needed the approval of the U. S. Intelligence Community before publishing this book to ensure no government secrets were revealed.
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