Episode 35: KJ Kruk reads from Leo Gray and the Lunar Eclipse

Who hasn’t dreamed of going to the moon? That dream for eleven-year-old Leo Gray is about to come true—but he’s in for the surprise of his life!

In the year 2113, most people live in robotically maintained homes, ride around in self-flying cars, and wear ozone-resistant clothes. Most people that is; just not Leo Gray’s parents. They’re stuck in the past, and science know-it-all Leo is completely fed up with his beyond-embarrassing living arrangement with them. But when he enters a rocket-building competition for a chance to attend the Lunar Academy, Leo’s luck finally seems to turn in his favor!

However, it’s not long after stepping foot into his dorm room that Leo discovers the moon’s celebrated city is harboring a world of dark secrets. It’s soon a race against the clock for Leo and his friends Andromeda Groves (a code-hacking whiz from Canada), Pavo Digbi (a history buff from Brazil), and Grus Pinwheel (a musically gifted and comically endearing Aussie) to intercept and foil plans to destroy the city—leaving the group’s leader faced with a decision that no eleven-year-old should ever have to make: save Earth or save himself and the city he fought so hard to reach.

Leo Gray and the Lunar Eclipse is an epic adventure set in a wonderfully imaginative, futuristic world overflowing with robots, anti-gravity sports, superhero-esque suspense, and page after page of laughter and heart that will leave boys and girls equally gripped under its spell!

Link to the book on Amazon

Episode 31: Andrea White reads from Surviving Minimized

AMAZON BESTSELLER IN CHILDREN’S DYSTOPIAN, CHILDREN’S SCIENCE FICTION, AND INTERMEDIATE READERS

Zert Cage accepts a dare. The 13-year-old sneaks out of his house to engage in a Trash War with his friends. Nothing out of the ordinary about that. Except that it’s 2083, and the world is falling apart. The Nuclear Mistake has left the oceans dead and brown, and grime and pollution are the way of life for anyone not wealthy enough to live in the Up Cities, which float high above the surface of the earth. Those left behind in the Low Cities wear gas masks when they go outside to avoid the Superpox, a highly infectious and deadly disease with a vaccine that few can afford.

When the Trash War goes all wrong—Zert encounters Superpox and also has a brush with the law—he must do something drastic to secure a vaccine and avoid a long stint in Teen Jail.

Zert and his father get wind of a top secret project to save people from both the disease and the wasteland that the earth has become and agree to allow themselves to be shrunk to the size of their thumbs and transported to an as-yet-undisturbed national park.

With signs of infection appearing on Zert’s arm, they act quickly, and overnight, they become outsiders in a community of minimized people who are trying to thrive in the wild using insects as food.

Roach stew? Cricket farming? Predators bigger than he is? Zert must find a way to fit in with this new world if he’s going to survive.

Surviving Minimized is a thrill-ride of a young adult novel that will make you both laugh and think. This is the story of a flawed, but good-hearted kid who wants to do the right thing when everything around him has gone wrong.

Link to the book on Amazon

Episode 27: Bodhi St. John reads from Winston Chase and the Alpha Machine

60 Years of Existence — GONE

Unless one kid can outrun and outsmart the man who would destroy everything…

Winston Chase has nothing but an old photo to prove he ever had a whole family. One day, though, a gym class showdown exposes an inexplicable mystery and ignites a long-feared chain of events. Winston’s search for answers reveals clues and strange artifacts left by his old man — clues that lead deep into America’s wartime past and artifacts clearly not man-made. With only his friend Shade to aid him, Winston must discover the truth of his own beginnings and claim his father’s legacy before the world falls to a would-be tyrant.

If you love pulse-pounding adventure spiced with high stakes and wicked snark, dive into the Winston Chase universe!

Link to the book on Amazon

Episode 24: DS Allen reads from The Headmaster’s Cave (The Adventures of George and Flanagan Book 1)

No one goes into The Headmaster’s Cave.

George Stewart is no hero, but when his friend disappears he must confront his deepest fears to rescue Dougie and finally uncover the mystery of The Headmaster’s Cave.
The 100th anniversary of the disappearance of seven children and their Headmaster is approaching. The knowledge that the infamous Headmaster Henry Morris, George’s ancestor, may have been implicated in their disappearance has haunted his family for generations. When George and Dougie receive an unexpected email stating that the mystery has been finally solved, Dougie and Katie try to persuade George to journey with them. But not even the enticement of uncovering the mystery can tempt George to follow the word of a stranger to the dangerous and ‘haunted’ cave. Only when Dougie goes missing, will George and his friend Katie, accompanied with his dog Flanagan, journey to rescue their friend.

On their way, they must not only battle their fears, but overcome the local bullies, nature’s deadly obstacles, and Old Maggie and her dog pack. But that’s nothing compared to the terror that awaits them in The Headmaster’s Cave, when the mystery is finally revealed.

Link to the book on Amazon

Episode 21: Joshua Rutherford reads from Kinghood (The Fourpointe Chronicles) (Volume 1)

From birth, Prince Jameson has been groomed to reign. On the heels of a victory against a barbarian force, he is welcomed home as a savior. His father toasts his impending marriage to the daughter of a key ally. Everything is in place for the young monarch-in-waiting. Yet all is not what it seems in Arcporte Castle. In the shadows, barons speak of usurping their sovereign. Kings doubt their alliances on the eve of signing a treaty. And one royal is much more than the man he claims to be. In the midst of this mystery and intrigue, a throne is challenged. Kin Saliswater, having ruled their island nation of Marland for over two centuries, find their dynasty in tatters. Only by marshaling every resource – and blood relative – available, do they stand a chance to defend their rule and secure a lasting legacy for the next generation to rise as King.

Link to the book on Amazon

Episode 17: Rob Keeley reads from The Sword of the Spirit

Following the success of his award-longlisted Childish Spirits and its sequel The Spirit of London, prolific children’s author Rob Keeley is back with The Sword of the Spirit, the third instalment in his thrilling and suspenseful Spirits series. Ellie’s investigations into the spirit world have reached a medieval castle, where archaeologists are digging for the fabled Sword of St Merrell. But she didn’t expect to meet a real medieval knight. Nor was she expecting him to be an ancestor of Edward Fitzberranger. Ellie discovers that behind a legend of chivalry and bravery lies a dark and nasty truth. And worse is to come. Ellie’s meddling has consequences she could never have foreseen. This time, she may have gone too far…The Sword of the Spirit works both as a standalone novel and as part of a series. It will appeal to girls and boys of upper primary and lower secondary age – primarily 8-12 – and to parents and teachers reading the book aloud.

Link to the book on Amazon

Visit his website at: www.robkeeley.co.uk 

Twitter: @RobKeeleyAuthor

Episode 9: Matt Brandt reads from The Boy from the Forge

Max and Del did everything together. They bought the same bikes, wore the same

clothes, and competed with one another as best friends often do in high school. As their summer together looms on the horizon, and the school year comes to an end, their friendship is tested when Max realizes their blue-collar upbringing in New Athens provides a life of limitations he didn’t imagine. His only escape from it is in his true feelings for Annika, Del’s girlfriend, who he can’t be with. To prevent any wrongdoing, Max forms a simple plan: to find a way to escape his working a class destiny after high school for something greater than what’s in Milltown.

“The Boy from the Forge is a coming-of-age story that skillfully combines nostalgia for friendship, first loves, and choosing one’s path into adulthood…Max’s moments of internal dialogue about how to move forward in life are true to the difficult choices teenagers face.”  –Foreward Reviews

“…wide-ranging observations intrinsic to the story made by the teen characters (about art, beliefs, parents, teachers, love, secrecy, adult hypocrisy, future plans) ring true, as does the author’s vivid depictions…”  –Kirkus Reviews

“Brandt’s strength lies in his descriptive power.”  –BlueInk Reviews

 

“…an excellent study in character writing and descriptive environment about mischief and romance, relationships and revenge. It tugs at the heartstrings, gently.”  –IndieReader

Link to the book on Amazon