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MIDDLE GRADE
Aster Wood and the
Lost Maps of Almara
When young Aster Wood is pulled through a portal to a place no one on Earth knows exists, he discovers an enchanted world unlike anything he’s ever dreamed of. Now, he must chase down the long-lost sorcerer, Almara, to discover the truth about his family’s past, and learn what is yet to come for Earth’s future.
Aster Wood and the
Book of Leveling
After failing to locate the celebrated sorcerer Almara, Aster Wood has done the next best thing; he has found, and rescued, Almara’s daughter, Jade. Now, the two are traveling through the Maylin Fold together, still searching for the lost wizard. He is the one man who can answer their questions about why the planets within the Fold are dying, what it means for Earth, and how the evil can be stopped.
Aster Wood and the
Blackburn Son
Everything in Aster’s world has fallen apart. The great sorcerer, Almara, has leapt to his death to protect Aster and Jade, leaving them lost and without a guide to the cosmos. Aster has won the Book of Leveling, but Jade is no longer able to resist the power of the Corentin. She has fallen into his trap, hungry for more of the malice and cruelty she secretly loves.
Aster Wood and the
Child of Elyso
After many long months of jumping through the planets in the Maylin Fold, Aster has finally made it back home to Earth. But when he arrives, he finds that the comforts he had longed for all this time are not enough to bring him peace. There can be no peace while the Corentin pursues him and those he loves. He must push on if he ever hopes to win this battle between good and evil.
Aster Wood and the
Wizard King
The final quest to level the planets in the Maylin Fold is now upon Aster Wood. He’s got a backpack full of gold and a group of men sworn to travel beside him until the task is done. But not everyone in the group is what they seem. From the outset, the cowardice of men takes hold and threatens to derail the attempt to take the planets back from the grip of the Corentin. Now, Aster must try to lead the group, to stay strong until the last of the planets is leveled and the path toward balance is clear.
Aster Wood
Books 1-5
Magic. Adventure. Danger. No one on Earth knows where Aster Wood is going. A fantasy middle grade adventure series unlike any other. Books 1-5.
Larissa’s Gold
A short story of 32 pages, Larissa’s Gold can be read before or after the other Aster Wood books.
Centuries before Aster Wood’s time, young Larissa set out on a journey of her own. Come with her as she discovers the importance of her task to all who reside in the Maylin Fold, and finds a way to remain true to herself along the way.
Earthbound
A short story of 32 pages, Larissa’s Gold can be read before or after the other Aster Wood books.
Two hundred years ago, a young man traveled across the cosmos from the Maylin Fold. But when he got to Earth, it was nothing like he expected it to be. Soon, he will discover just how difficult it will be to replace the lost gold that he, himself, took from Almara’s stash during his youth.
Flight
A short story of 32 pages, Flight can be read before or after the other Aster Wood books.
Kiron was young once. Forever overshadowed by his older sister, he has had little chance during his short life to explore the cosmos the way she has. But one day, alone on the farm, he finds a few things he does not expect, and an adventure of his own takes hold.
EARLY READERS
6th Grade Supernatural
Abigail’s Curse
Zander Casey is not afraid of ghosts.
When you’re a parallel, and your whole world is full of the undead, it takes a lot to send shivers down your spine.
But when Abigail Stone arrives at Plainsbury Middle School, she brings with her an entire army of nasties, the type of ghost to send even the most experienced parallel running for the hills.
6th Grade Supernatural
Zombied
When Zander Casey’s new best friend, Abigail, winds up injured during a dangerous encounter with a zombie, he has no choice but to help his family stop the strange outbreak of undead in Plainsbury.
But the counter-curse he’s acquired doesn’t knock back the biters as he had expected it to, and he finds himself on the run to avoid being bitten, himself.
Now, Zander must venture into the home of Plainsbury’s only remaining witch to determine how to save his friend from a spell so ancient, so evil, that even witches cringe with fear at its power.
6th Grade Supernatural
Flight of the Fairies
When Zander and Abigail discover there’s a monster gobbling up the fairies in Plainsbury, they go into action to discover how to defend their tiny winged friends. Will they be able to rid the land of this unseen foe and set the fairies free, even with several non-parallels at their side?
6th Grade Supernatural
The Werewolf Upstairs
When Gramps brings home a live werewolf just before Halloween, both Zander and Abigail are left on their own to try to keep him contained.
But there’s no containing a werewolf.
Soon, Abigail’s mom joins the effort to learn about this strange wolf-man, and she helps to unlock the secret of why he hasn’t taken human form in over twenty years.
Can they all work together to help this creature return to his life as a human? Or will he stay a wolf forever?
YOUNG ADULT DYSTOPIAN
The Designate (Lens Book 1)
Every storm destroys more of what 17-year-old Riley Taylor has left. If she waits another year, she might never have the courage to join the United States Service, her only escape from poverty and her mother’s drunken rages.
But in 2095, only 20% of the recruits will survive the military’s three-year-term and collect the handsome stipend waiting for them at the end.
She’s willing to take the chance, but once she gets in, she finds that all the normal rules of society don’t apply.
Cheating. Betrayal. Murder. All of these things are her new normal.
Her survival is now her only goal in a world where only one in five can live.
Age 15+. No sex, minimal swearing, and violence.
The Volunteer (Lens Book 2)
Riley Taylor is still alive. Still fighting. Still ensnared in the Service’s trap.
She’s served in battle. She’s killed. She’s watched as her friends have fallen away, either to death or to the brainwashing that forces the government’s agenda into young, hungry minds.
But Riley is one of the few citizens who has seen the inside of the Stilts, the flooded buildings that surround Manhattan. Now that she knows what life is really like on the other side of the wall, she must decide which path to take. She can continue her career as a soldier in the Service, or she can turn spy against the government and begin working with the Volunteers. Both situations are dangerous. Both could be deadly. And as the clock ticks down to the time when she will need to choose, it’s more than just her own life on the line.
Age 15+. No sex, minimal swearing, and violence.
The Terrorist (Lens Book 3)
Riley Taylor is on a mission. She has escaped the dreaded burning plants along with a new faction of Volunteers. Now, she must fight to rid the country of the oppressive control the government has over its people. The first step in doing this is to free the citizens of the lens system and the castes it designates for each person.
But when she suffers a major injury and winds up in the hospital, she is shocked to find out the next role the rich benefactors, who fund the activities of the Volunteers, have in store for her. Will she be able to heal in body and mind enough to keep up the fight?
Age 15+. No sex, minimal swearing, and violence.
The Champion (Lens Book 4)
2097. Riley Taylor has been reunited with her best friend, Alex, but he no longer remembers who he is. After many months pretending to be someone else, Riley is devastated to learn that Alex has been brainwashed, and his new mission is to kill her; it is only her fake identity that is saving her from his wrath.
The sadistic leader of the Champions, Damien, is finally dead, but his violent orders to his following Champions still remain, putting both Riley and Alex in constant peril.
Will Riley survive if Alex finds out the truth about her? And can he handle learning the truth about himself?
Age 15+. No sex, minimal swearing, and violence.
BACKGROUND
J. B. Cantwell calls the San Francisco Bay Area home. In her writing she explores coming of age in an imperfect world, the effects of greed and violence on all, and the miraculous power that hope can have over the human spirit.
CONTACT
I’d love to hear from you!
Please email books@jbcantwell.com if you’d like to get in touch!
Cover Image Copyright NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)