Below are books needing representation. All cover art created by Aaron Werntz. Please contact me with inquiries.

“The Paper Heart” - book one of the Usagi Series

When Ricky unwittingly solves an ancient scroll from his grandfather’s temple, it sets into motion a thirty-year collision course with a boy named Usagi and a centuries-old secret.

In this first book of the three-part series, a world of unimaginable mystery is revealed to 12-year-old Ricky Sugimoto when he’s introduced to his estranged grandfather (the abbot) and his small mountain temple in Japan. But Ricky is practical. He doesn’t have time for ancient scrolls and his grandfather’s fantastical stories about Usagi. Ricky loves baseball; tryouts for the new school team are just around the corner. He should be spending the summer back home in New York practicing with his friends. But now his grandfather has him questioning everything as a whole new life emerges.

THREE HEARTS OF USAGI is a YA mystery/adventure saga. For more information, please inquire in the “contact” section.

Excerpt from the PAPER HEART:

“Ricky was of that tender age where the mystery of the world was slowly fading. He had already discovered the truth behind Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and his uncle’s magic thumb that could be pulled from his hand at will. These sobering realities had come to him before his twelfth birthday; Ricky was becoming more disenchanted with presumed magical beings of any sort. But the way his grandfather talked—with such passion and conviction—he could not help but wonder if there was still some magic left in the world. Perhaps, just maybe, even temple cats could have once been mischievous monks.”

“The wooden Heart” - book two of the Usagi Series

Ricky’s fierce devotion to his grandfather is put to the test when he witnesses a mysterious ceremony in the forest which only brings more questions to the surface, while Usagi’s life takes a terrifying turn for the worse.

In this second book of the Usagi series, Ricky revisits his grandfather as a young man, wiser but even more unsettled. Back home, his life is one big mess. His long-term girlfriend is pressuring him to get married and he’s on the brink of starting a new job that will put an end to his visits with Grandfather. Ricky’s anxiousness over his future reaches a watershed moment when he falls for a young shrine priestess in his grandfather’s village. As Usagi’s situation becomes dire, Ricky must decide if he ceases his search for the truth to preserve what he has or sacrifices everything to continue on.

Excerpt from the WOODEN HEART:

”She ensnared Ricky; even if he wanted to look away, he didn’t think he could. Why should he feel this way over a young girl dancing a sacred ritual? There was nothing overtly lurid about her movements, but he suddenly felt flushed.”

“The Steel Heart” - book three of the Usagi Series

As Ricky scrambles to find answers before the story of Usagi comes to its shocking end, he is given the last of the three Heart Scrolls to solve. Only when he can will it reveal the final piece of the puzzle he has searched his entire life for, delivering the truth about his grandfather, his temple, Usagi, and the powerful secret that will change everything.

In this third and final book of the series, Ricky's mounting concerns for his grandfather's temple peak as he struggles to solve the final Heart Scroll. As the true nature of Usagi and his “curse” becomes all too clear, Ricky realizes the only salvation for himself and everyone he loves lies in a single riddle yet to be resolved.

Excerpt from the STEEL HEART:

“In the dawn’s early light, the temple grounds were shrouded in a veil of fog, helping to hide it from the outside world. Was it by design that all smoke and firelight became trapped in the hidden landscape? Was everything about the mountain’s cavernous interior an effort to keep it protected? Usagi wondered.”

© Aaron Werntz