‘Cassidy Jones and Vulcan’s Gift’ by Elise Stokes

~~Making smart choices in challenging times~~The challenges teens face today are tougher than at any time in history: academic stress, parent communication, media bombardment, dating drama, abuse, bullying, addictions, depression, and peer pressure, just to name a few. And, like it or not, the choices teens make while navigating these challenges can make or break their futures.In The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make, Sean Covey, author of the international bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, gives teens the strong advice they need to make informed and wise decisions. Using real stories from teens around the world, Sean shows teens how to succeed in school, make good friends, get along with parents, wisely handle dating and sex issues, avoid or overcome addictions, build self-esteem, and much more. Jam-packed with original cartoons, inspiring quotes, and fun quizzes, this innovative book will help teens not only survive but thrive during their teen years and beyond.Building upon the legacy of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, this is an indispensable resource for teens everywhere. Something strange has happened to Cassidy Jones, and her life may never be the same again...Fourteen-year-old Cassidy Jones wakes up the morning after a minor accident in the laboratory of a world-renowned geneticist to discover that her body has undergone some bizarre physical changes. Her senses, strength, and speed have been radically enhanced.After exploring her newfound abilities, Cassidy learns that the geneticist, Professor Serena Phillips, is missing and that foul play is suspected. Terrified that her physical changes and Professor Phillips' disappearance are somehow connected, Cassidy decides to keep her strange transformation a secret. That is, until she meets the professor's brilliant and mysterious fifteen-year-old son, Emery. An unlikely duo, they set out to find Emery's mother, who is key in explaining Cassidy's newly acquired superpowers.Their lives are put at risk when they find themselves embroiled in a dangerous, action-packed adventure. Soon they are forced to confront a maniacal villain willing to do anything - including murder - to reach his own ambitious goals.If you’re looking for an exciting middle to high school mystery tale, complete with unexpected hi-jinks, some laugh-out-loud funny, don’t miss the adventures of Cassidy Jones and her overnight sleepover at Catamount Mountain Zoo in The Vulcan’s Gift.An ancient secret has come to life that puts everyone on the planet at risk...Two months after being infected with a strange retrovirus, Cassidy Jones continues to live a double life while she struggles to master her newly gained superpowers. High school has become the only normal thing left in her life--except for tall, dark, and handsome Emery Phillips, who shadows her every move, making sure she doesn't reveal her secret. Then an overnight sleepover at Catamount Mountain Zoo takes a menacing turn, again putting everything at risk. View the list »
An ancient secret has come to life that puts everyone on the planet at risk...

Western Religions newsletter

Cassidy Jones, Seattle’s fascinating fourteen-year-old super-hero, returns in another delightful adventure for middle graders and beyond in book two, Cassidy Jones and Vulcan’s Gift. Cassidy continues to adjust to heightened abilities of sight, smell, speed and athleticism since the accidental exposure to Professor Phillips secret, experimental 10X formula.

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The adventure begins with Cassidy at the Seattle Center garbed “head-to-toe in black,” wearing a black ski mask to disguise her youthful age and “mutant” identity. It’s one in the morning as she runs her gaze up and down the “white-painted beam of the Space Needle’s northern leg” gauging the gravity defying climb to the top.

Seconds later, Cassidy settled under the Christmas tree that adorns the 605 foot, saucer-like Space Needle and could feel the Needle’s exhilarating sway as icy wind whipped her “dark-red hair into a frenzy” She knew Emery, the professor’s brilliant fifteen-year-old son, would be upset she left home without calling his Droid and then dismissed the thought. Even though he was her secret bodyguard she had to work off this pent up energy. Besides she planned to climb back through her bedroom window before he checked for her GPS location.

She peeked over the saucer like edge when she overheard voices below and saw four surly teens circling “Ol’ Joe,” a homeless man she knew by scent, until he spoke to her for the first time tonight. When he saw her at the base of the Needle he had warned “…Ol Joe is watchin you Green Eyes…somebody is up to no good.”

Now, loud, slurred words floated up through the icy air, taunting the old man with words that made hot blood pump through Cassidy’s veins. “Prey drive” engaged and she hit the ground, her black Nike sending one punk flying, while another’s head snapped to the side and the others ran away…

Thus begins Cassidy’s newest escapade where danger, mystery and a touch of romance abound. Cassidy discovers additional super-hero capabilities, whether using scent to track an escaped Siberian tiger, chasing a screeching, smelly Sasquatch, or confronting a thrashing, thirteen-foot python intent on a fearsome “hug.” This larger-than-life character keeps the pages turning long after lights should go out.

There are also large amounts of danger, treachery and suspense with a mysterious man in a silver suit, another mutant and formidable Lily White. Not to mention the ancient secret everyone searches for the Germans invented in WWII. From the well-written Prologue to the villain’s maniacal laughter at book’s end that foreshadows book three, readers of all ages will be added to Cassidy’s growing fan base.

Besides entertaining, the Cassidy Jones series contains no graphic violence, curse words or sexual innuendo, yet the pace is fast, the conflict authentic and the danger real. If you’re looking for realistic characterizations, substantive plotting and vulnerable, lovable characters who deal with modern issues in wholesome ways, look no further, the Cassidy Jones series is for you.

Trailer for Cassidy Jones Adventures Book Series: www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3yNIs4s44A

***Breaking news—just learned book three—Cassidy Jones and the Seventh Attendant has a spring release, target date in May, with an intriguing storyline that reads:

Some secrets are better left buried…

When mysterious Gavin Phillips returns to Seattle after a prolonged and unexplained absence, he threatens to expose fifteen-year-old Cassidy Jones’s incredible secret: she is a superhero. But his presence is far more sinister than she realizes, for it soon becomes apparent that his hidden agenda holds a dark and dangerous intent to unleash an unparalleled evil upon an unsuspecting world. Can Cassidy stop him before all is lost? Check with the author for ongoing news: www.cassidyjonesadventures.com

For more excellent reading for tweens and teens and some outstanding how-to teen parenting books, check out the “list” that headlines the review…

‘Cassidy Jones and Vulcan’s Gift’ by Elise Stokes, JACE Publishing LLC, 2011, 304 Pages, 978-0988185104, $9.99, available in paperback and Kindle editions

Twitter: @GailWelborn

FaceBook: Gail Welborn

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/gail-welborn/33/71b/169

View the list
  • If you’re looking for an exciting middle to high school mystery tale, complete with unexpected hi-jinks, some laugh-out-loud funny, don’t miss the adventures of Cassidy Jones and her overnight sleepover at Catamount Mountain Zoo in The Vulcan’s Gift.An ancient secret has come to life that puts everyone on the planet at risk...Two months after being infected with a strange retrovirus, Cassidy Jones continues to live a double life while she struggles to master her newly gained superpowers. High school has become the only normal thing left in her life--except for tall, dark, and handsome Emery Phillips, who shadows her every move, making sure she doesn't reveal her secret. Then an overnight sleepover at Catamount Mountain Zoo takes a menacing turn, again putting everything at risk. 
  • Something strange has happened to Cassidy Jones, and her life may never be the same again...Fourteen-year-old Cassidy Jones wakes up the morning after a minor accident in the laboratory of a world-renowned geneticist to discover that her body has undergone some bizarre physical changes. Her senses, strength, and speed have been radically enhanced.After exploring her newfound abilities, Cassidy learns that the geneticist, Professor Serena Phillips, is missing and that foul play is suspected. Terrified that her physical changes and Professor Phillips' disappearance are somehow connected, Cassidy decides to keep her strange transformation a secret. That is, until she meets the professor's brilliant and mysterious fifteen-year-old son, Emery. An unlikely duo, they set out to find Emery's mother, who is key in explaining Cassidy's newly acquired superpowers.Their lives are put at risk when they find themselves embroiled in a dangerous, action-packed adventure. Soon they are forced to confront a maniacal villain willing to do anything - including murder - to reach his own ambitious goals.
  • ~~Making smart choices in challenging times~~The challenges teens face today are tougher than at any time in history: academic stress, parent communication, media bombardment, dating drama, abuse, bullying, addictions, depression, and peer pressure, just to name a few. And, like it or not, the choices teens make while navigating these challenges can make or break their futures.In The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make, Sean Covey, author of the international bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, gives teens the strong advice they need to make informed and wise decisions. Using real stories from teens around the world, Sean shows teens how to succeed in school, make good friends, get along with parents, wisely handle dating and sex issues, avoid or overcome addictions, build self-esteem, and much more. Jam-packed with original cartoons, inspiring quotes, and fun quizzes, this innovative book will help teens not only survive but thrive during their teen years and beyond.Building upon the legacy of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, this is an indispensable resource for teens everywhere. 
  • Being a teenager is both wonderful and challenging. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, author Sean Covey applies the timeless principles of the 7 Habits to teens and the tough issues and life-changing decisions they face.In an entertaining style, Covey provides a step-by-step guide to help teens improve self-image, build friendships, resist peer pressure, achieve their goals, get along with their parents, and much more. In addition, this book is stuffed with cartoons, clever ideas, great quotes, and incredible stories about real teens from all over the world. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens will engage teenagers unlike any other book.An indispensable book for teens, as well as parents, grandparents, and any adult who influences young people, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is destined to become the last word on surviving and thriving as a teen and beyond. 
  • ~~Make the ultimate teenage success guide part of your life every day~~Sean Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens has helped hundreds of thousands of teens find a path toward success and personal fulfillment. Now, with Daily Reflections for Highly Effective Teens, comes a book that will inspire teens to understand, appreciate, and internalize the power of the 7 Habits.With this day-by-day success guide, teenagers will learn how to improve their self-image, build friendships, resist peer pressure, achieve their goals, make important decisions, and live healthier, more self-confident lives. Packed with great quotes, excellent ideas, and inspiration, Sean Covey's warm, insightful, and humorous guide gives teens a road map for surviving and thriving in adolescence and beyond.Sean Covey, Executive Vice President of Innovation for FranklinCovey Corp., directed the development project that produced the 4 Disciplines of Execution. He is author of the international bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, having sold more than 4 million copies and translated into more than 20 languages. As director of FranklinCovey’s education practice, he travels the world teaching transformative strategy and execution to education leaders. An MBA from Harvard, he is the son of Dr. Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. 
  • This hands-on personal workbook companion to the bestselling The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens provides engaging activities to help teens understand and apply the power of the 7 Habits.Sean Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens has sold more than 2 million copies to date and helped countless teens make better decisions and improve their sense of self-worth. Now, in the same fun and entertaining style, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens Personal Workbook allows teens to build on the principles of the 7 Habits through various thought-provoking exercises.Whether they are already familiar with Covey's Habits or are newcomers to his path to teenage success, teens can immerse themselves in this personal workbook at their own pace and benefit from its positive messages and lessons in their own way. In this interactive volume, teens will find in-depth tools to improve self-esteem, build friendships, resist peer pressure, achieve goals, get along with parents, and strengthen themselves in many other areas.
  • Seventh-grader Witness Everhart harbors a shocking secret—she loves to steal. Nothing else on earth gives her the thrill stealing does and she is oh, so good at it. Cell phones, electronic devices, and even pens, disappear in seconds if left anywhere within her reach.One Tuesday while serving time in detention for stealing—no less—Witness sees a sight only one person has ever seen—angels going up and down on a giant ladder in front of her school.After some clever maneuvering, Witness manages to climb the ladder, steal gold from Heaven and escape by the unruly strand of a bushy ponytail.With her mom losing her job and suffering financial and legal woes, Witness believes the gold is the answer to all her problems. Unfortunately, her problems are just beginning…~~Can Witness steal from God and get away with it~~Find out if she can in this supernatural fantasy for ages 8 and up… 
  • When the dark musician Jedermann and his fierce Seirens of Dis gain control of the legendary Gold Baton, Tyler, his sister Christina, and their friends are drawn into a perilous adventure foretold by an ancient prophecy. Guided by the mythical Dr. Fuddle, the explorers must leave earth and journey to Orphea. Will the Messengers of Music be able to save the world of the immortal composers from chaos and destruction? For them to have even a chance at victory, they must master the most difficult instruments of all—themselves. Dr. Warren L. Woodruff is a long-time music instructor whose passion for classical music led to the conception of Dr. Fuddle and the Gold Baton, which follows the adventures of five young teens aided by the redoubtable Dr. Fuddle to retrieve the gold baton from the dark side using it for cacophony and chaos, and restore its rightful function of bringing harmony to the world.  
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Suggested by the author:

, Seattle Christian Book Review Examiner

Gail's articles and book reviews appear in a variety of national and local publications and on the Internet. She loves to read, and believes God teaches and instructs her in which way to go, according to Jeremiah 29:11. She and her husband live beside the Skagit River in Washington state.

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