Four new books from N.C. authors

Some new books from area authors:

"Magnus Kir" (Ambassador; $11.99), by Dean Hardy. On a distant planet, 12-year-old Zack has lived a contented life in a walled society called Magnus Kir. This middle-grade fantasy novel tells of his hesitant escape. Hardy, who lives in Matthews, is chair of the Bible Department at Charlotte Christian School.

"Thunder in the Morning Calm" (Zondervan; $14.99), by Don Brown, out in July. Could North Korea be holding elderly Americans in secret prison camps, nearly 60 years after the end of the Korean War? Brown, an ex-naval officer and attorney who lives in Charlotte, explores that question in his sixth military thriller.

"The Creative Photographer" (Pixiq/Sterling Publishers; $19.95), by Catherine Anderson. Anderson, who teaches creativity and photography in Charlotte, includes lots of ideas for parents and children to explore. Here's a good one: Look for letters of the alphabet in the world around you. A curved stick could be an "S." A tree branch is a "Y."

"Autumn Bends the Rebel Tree" (Canterbury House Publishing; $16.95), by Carolyn Guy. This historical novel, set in the N.C. mountains in the '30s and '40s, follows Clarinda McCloud as she struggles to raise her family. Guy lives in Watauga County.