*Limited Edition Preorder! Only available from May 1 – 31. Ebook orders will be sent to email address provided during checkout. Physical paperbacks will be sent around or shortly after the release date of July 1, 2026. No refunds will be offered for the preorder. 

What if finding the definition of a word meant stepping through a magical portal?

Emmett Tate is having the worst birthday ever. He bombs an important reading test, gets bullied at school, and the only person who shows up to his party is his strange elderly neighbor, who gives him a plain wooden box.

Worst gift ever… right?
Until the box reveals a portal.

The portal leads Emmett into the Land of Ela, a fantastical world where words come to life and every definition is an adventure. But when a mysterious stranger arrives in town and teams up with the school bully, danger begins to spread… both at home and in Ela.

And Emmett is the only one who can stop it.

But to do that, he’ll have to make a heart-wrenching choice… one that could change everything.

Details 

• Genre: Fantasy | Adventure
• ·       ISBN-13: eBook: 978-1-965948-16-3, Paperback: 978-1-965948-17-0, Hardcover: 978-1-965948-18-7
• Author: Vanessa E. Howard 
• Publisher: Paths To Portals 
• Publication Date: July 1 2026
• Series: The Ela Chronicles, Book 1
• Pages: 202
• Dimensions: 5.5 x. 8.5

About the Author 

Vanessa E. Howard writes primarily fantasy stories for middle graders and young adults. She has been a newspaper reporter, magazine writer, and college English teacher. She has sold underwear and cookware (but not at the same time).

A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, the Realm Makers community, and a goofy writer group dubbed the Cottage, she is also a homeschool mom to four children and teaches at a homeschool co-op. Her short fiction has been published by Havok, Spark, Quill and Flame, and Twenty Hills. Emmett and the Epic Word Searches is her first novel.

When she’s not writing stories or wrangling children, Ms. Howard can be found singing show tunes and worship songs at top volume, using outrageous accents during read-alouds, and attempting (with limited success) to learn sketching and painting.

She loves butterflies, elephants, sunsets, and hot chocolate. She had a pet tarantula named Caroline, she has driven a fire truck in a pasture, and once an airplane landed in the field behind her house. (Yes, there are stories behind those events. Send a smoke signal if you want to know more.)

She lives on a couple of brambly acres in Central Texas with her punster husband, energetic children, two needy cats, and a hound dog. She can be found on Instagram as @writervanessa, Facebook as Vanessa E. Howard-Writer, and at her website vanessaehoward.com.

Content

Ages: 8-12 
Content: Adventure Elements, Tense Situations, Scary Moments
Themes: Determination, Perseverance, Portal Fantasy, Reluctant Reader

Story Promise

Every title we publish is crafted to inspire with age-appropriate storytelling, free from excessive violence, explicit content, and profanity. 

Why Readers Love It 

✔ A magical adventure where words come to life and every definition leads to discovery

✔ Relatable story of courage, confidence, and overcoming challenges

✔ Perfect for fans of Fablehaven, The Wingfeather Saga, and classic portal fantasies

✔ Engaging for growing and reluctant readers—story first, with a subtle literacy twist