Earthcore: Detailed Summaries

-1 year approx: The 14 Hour Marriage of Mrs Martin (told at the opening of Book 6)

Manaia marries her high school sweetheart Kahi Martin, only to discover that the steam vent at their new house causes real sparks to fly between them when they touch. Manaia wakes to discover Kahi gone. She calls her aunty Pania who comes with cousin Ngaire, and together at the steam vent they discover they can summon some kind of portal that looks like a glowing lava cave. Pania enters it, promising to look for Kahi.

-3 months approx: Wiremu Martin is born
Year 1

January: Book 1, RotoVegas

Anira Fraser arrives unwillingly in Rotorua for a family trip, meets Tiger McRae, and starts noticing the effects of the geothermal steam on her mind. She feels more awake and doesn't need much sleep. Wandering the lakeshore through the night, she sees a person running on the lake and thinks there must be sandbars.
Day two, she visits Ohinemutu and sees someone running on the water again, but they run away. Tiger admits something's going on but flees to reassure his mysterious friend, swearing Anira to secrecy. Anira finds she can sense the difference on people with strange abilities. She follows her nose to Manaia's house where she sees baby Wiremu and watches Manaia toasting bread with a fireball from her fingertips. Anira confronts Tiger, who doesn't want to talk about it, but agrees to come to a meeting if she arranges one at Manaia's house. She's barely able to convince Manaia to host it. Tiger and Harley show up very unwilling, and Anira fails to get a discussion going.
Day three, there's news of a crimewave in the town. Anira's family goes on a gondola ride - while there, she sees thefts happen with a super-masking ability. She tells Tiger what she witnessed and he agrees they should try to stop it. But Tiger fails to convince Harley to help, and Anira fails to interest Manaia.
Day four, Manaia's relative becomes a victim of pickpocketing and now Manaia wants to help, and Harley's on board too. They all meet and agree to work together. In town, they combine their abilities to deal with some thieves who turn out to be kids. While searching for them, they come across Bethany in the tourist office and Anira can sense she has abilities. In turn, Bethany recommends they go and see Graeme down at the lakefront. That night they all meet at Kuirau Park and exchange information.
Day five, they corner a thief and learn that they're working for a big boss they call Mr. B. In the evening Graeme takes them to Whakarewarewa where they are welcomed by the locals and test the effects of various hot springs in their village. Later, in the night, Harley alerts the team to a case of ghostly harassment occurring at Owhata, across the lake. Tiger scrambles Graeme to pick everyone up and get over there to help. They come face to face with illusions cast by Mr. B's minions, try to catch them, but only succeed in chasing them away. Mr. B is secretly trying to buy out the owners, but they don't want to leave.
Day six, Anira checks out thermal sources at Waimangu, with Tiger and Graeme. These have no effect. That night the haunted family is treated to gory illusions of zombies, and although the Earthcore rush in to help, the family decides to flee so the children won't have to see such things. They discover that Mr. B is able to steal abilities from Manaia and use her own fire against them.
Day seven, Anira's family goes home and she arranges to stay on for a while with Manaia, though she'll really be sleeping at Tiger's after she finds out Manaia's steam vent makes her dazed and dumb. Manaia's young cousins Rangi and Ngaire join the team and explain their telepathic gift. Mr. B's minions cause a looting incident at the mall. Back at Manaia's, she receives what appears to be a legal notice of land takeover. That night, the minions stage a haunting of Manaia's neighbourhood. The teams face off in a stalemate.
Day eight, Tiger's mother receives one of the takeover notices and laughs it off. Harley brings Hana over, who is one of Mr. B's minions, and she spills some of his plan. The whole Earthcore goes over to Whakarewarewa and hears tales of the taniwha from the elders there. Back in town, mind-controlled security guards serve notices to the business owners to pay a new lease fee or leave. A big event is announced for that evening and the Earthcore team prepares to make a move, ensuring everyone is fully charged on their spring water from the various sources around town and on the island. At the event, Byron announces a city rebuild project to the crowd, who are initially enthusiastic due to mind control. Anira distracts Dazza, the kid with mind control powers, and he reveals he doesn't want to help Mr. B. Dazza creates illusions to help the Earthcore evade the guards. Bethany hears the taniwha coming to help. Byron steals Dazza's ability to control the crowd, but he's too rough and Dazza faints, releasing the people. The crowd melts away and Byron makes a Villainous Speech. As he rants on, the lakefront geysers activate with the arrival of the taniwha. Anira can only see them when in contact with Bethany. Byron rushes them both to steal their powers, but Manaia dumps her bottle of home water on Anira, causing a severe case of the dumbs. Byron then does his power grab and is inflicted with the dumbs. The taniwha swoop in and attack him while he can't react. Soon all is calm again.
Epilogue: Anira is back in Auckland and without access to the hot spring, has forgotten all her adventures. On a whim, she sprints along a beach and finds that running allows her to remember everything again for a few minutes.

June: Book 2, Volcano City
December: Book 3, Aftershocks

Year 2

Early January:

Hero Talent Quest (short story)(appeared in Havok Magazine, June 2019)
Initiation (short story)(see the front page of this website)
Sulphur & Sunshine (short story)(appeared in Paws, Claws & Magic Tales - 2018)
Lead a Cat to Water (short story)
Let the Sun Shine (short story)(appeared in Swashbuckling Cats - 2020)

Late January: Book 4, High Tide
Early February:

Book 5, Toxicity
Just One Day (short story)

Mid February: Book 6, Timequake
Late February: Pukeko (short story)