Meet Semma Wakefield, a twelve-year-old orphan with a heart bigger than a giant Schmill and a desperate wish to have a family again. Her hope surges when a message from her long-lost uncle, the infamous Doctor of ExtraOrdinology, Larry Bumbrain, flies through her window. He's in a bit of a muddle in the unmapped town of Stuffmore. Now, her parents might have mysteriously vanished during one of his quests, but that's not stopping Semma and her twin sister Trooni—who's got a brain sharper than the horns on a poison spitting Hullux—from getting to him.
Stuffmore is a dream come true. Magical gadgets, outlandish abundance, and the most energetic and loving uncle you can imagine. But soon into their adventure, Semma begins developing a strange new power called a Gleam which lets her see stuff no one else can. It reveals a creepy invisible fog messing up people's minds, making them selfish and tearing families apart, with kids abandoned to the streets like stray puppies.
When no one believes her and she is ditched by her own family, she realizes she may be the only one who can reunite her family and save all the children. But to pull it off, she'll need to unleash the full potential of her Gleam, blast self-doubt and the fog back to the Dark Nothing, and discover the real magic of happiness.
A stand-alone novel and the first book of a series, "GLEAM" is a rollercoaster of heartwarming magic, family bonds, and self-discovery—perfect for readers who want to dive into a funny, imaginative adventure. Parents of middle grade children will appreciate the novel’s positive messages having to do with empathy, emotional intelligence, and valuing people above material things.
