Wish on a Star is FREE on Amazon

Danielle Hoelz gave up her dreams of a life on the Broadway stage when her daughter was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

Once the star of an iconic television series, Reed Overture is struggling to stay relevant in a world that’s almost forgotten him.

When nine-year-old Isabelle is given the chance to make her wish come true, she invites her favorite performer to South Jersey under the pretense of giving her guitar lessons. In reality, she's plotting to rekindle her mother’s passion for music. Maybe she’ll even get them to fall in love.

Get Stag Hunt Free on Amazon

 In ancient Britannia, the warrior who brought down the king stag was named the defender of the land. Eartha’s brother Balen has been in love with Princess Galiene since they were children. Upon the death of the High King, the tribesmen of the realm vie for the throne, and with it, the hand of the princess.

Balen is desperate to win his lady, but a rival tribesman is equally determined to keep them apart. With her brother, her dearest friend, and the country she loves hanging in the balance, Eartha must do the unthinkable to ensure her brother’s victory in the stag hunt. Sometimes true love needs a helping hand...or for blood to be spilled.

Scrooged is Free For the Holidays

Stan Hope never cared much for his son-in-law—Justyn Patko.

His black clothes and body piercings were bad enough, but the ridiculous notion of dragging Rebecca off to Broadway with a new baby on the way pushes Stan over the edge. How much can a father take?

After losing his cool at a holiday party, Stan gets a visit from three unexpected spirits. Can they help to change his close-minded ways?

Guest Post - My Confidence Walked Out the Back Door JJ DiGeronimo

One Spring Saturday morning, I was invited to speak at a women’s event on the East Coast. I was up early reviewing my slides and timing my delivery. I felt nervous, as I do with all my events. Little did I know, I was about to learn a memorable and important lesson on how my ego can sideline my confidence in minutes.

As the women arrived on that brisk morning wearing colored scarfs and light jackets, I felt confident with the content I planned to share. 

Instructed by the sounds of bells, we all moved back to our areas and took our seats. The host kicked off the event, which was followed by a wonderful opening speaker who moved all of us during her time on stage. She shared stories of her childhood and the emotional hurdles of the passing of her mother. With few dry eyes in the room, I could feel a wave of emotion take over my thoughts. Within minutes, I found myself questioning both my presentation and my speaking abilities. How can I follow that? What can I say now that has any importance? 

On the fly, I started reworking my presentation without having any theme or plan. As the audience’s applause faded, the MC started to introduce me. I could feel my nerves and sense my self-doubt grow by each passing second. I was already sweating, and my internal voices were loud and unsupportive. My ego stood front and center, leading me with fear and uncertainty. 

As I stood up to take the stage, I could feel my confidence walk out the back door. As I spoke, I noticed some odd responses from the audience and definite gaps in my thoughts and delivery. I am being very kind to myself when I say, “My presentation was a flop.” I wanted nothing more than to evaporate from that room. 

To this day, I still remember how quickly I sidestepped myself, believing I had nothing worthy of sharing at that moment. I had allowed myself to move off my inner compass as I tried, on the fly, to imitate someone else. The embarrassment was real, and I can still remember how it felt as I approached the stage.

 Key Finding #57 Trusting your gifts in times of doubt takes courage.

Can you think of a time when you gave away your value or did not trust your gifts? What was the event or situation that made you question yourself or your offering? What would you tell yourself now about that situation?

On that brisk Saturday morning, I learned a lesson that I revisit often: No matter how good the speaker, message, or admiration of the audience, I can choose to step into what God or the Universe has given me to be or to do, or I can step away from it within that moment.

 Trying to show up like the speaker before me or acting like an author I admire might be kind or flattering, but it is not authentic. Putting others on a pedestal is a form of admiration, but it is not healthy for your Soul. We are all here with different gifts, knowings, and insights. If you want to make your mark on this world, you must work to show up and share your authentic offerings as God or the Universe has intended. 

I had liked the speaker before me so much that I thought I should deliver my presentation the same way. Well, I tried to be like her, and surprise, I failed. Had I been more aware of these desires and thoughts as I approached that stage, I would have been able to revert my focus and energy toward delivering from my heart and my gifts. 

Instead, I had allowed my mind to take over, and then my ego got the best of me. My ego pushed me into thinking that the only way I would do a good job in that moment was to resemble the awesome speaker ahead of me. This outward focus misled me, and I went down the path of chasing, copying, and imitating. 

So, let me save you the embarrassment of mirroring my experience. In fact, I encourage you to lean away from creating the same type of offering, reaction, or response as another person altogether. 

These are the words I now use to reassure myself:

 I give myself permission to be me. 

What I have to share is unique.

I was hand-selected to harness the gifts granted to me. 

I am honored to share my gifts with the world.

Key Finding #58 The world needs exactly what you came to share.

 JJ is a three-time author with her new book Seeking: 74 Key Findings to Raise Your Energy, Sidestep Your Self-Doubts, and Align with Your Life's Work

About the Author

A woman in tech turned award-winning author shares energy practices and empowering career strategies for women to make their desired impact!

JJ DiGeronimo is an award-winning author of two books that share strategies to advance professional women. She is also the creator of the global group Tech Savvy Women & Together We Seek. With new levels of awareness, JJ shares a more spiritual side of her life that undeniably strengthens her mission to empower women at work and in life.

Phantom, Dark Musicals Book 1 is FREE on Amazon

The Phantom was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses "Phantom" as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card. Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars-Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist. Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn't know who to trust, but she knows she's running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty-first century phantom finally be revealed.

Also make sure to check out Blackmailed, the most recent release in the Dark  Musicals series!

Although Erik Patko is still coming to terms with a heartbreaking tragedy, he begins his sophomore year of college with high hopes. He earns a headlining role in the drama club production of Curtain Drop, but while the musical is a comedy, the drama backstage is no joke. Scenery is tampered with, students are blackmailed, and four influential families are accused of bribing the dean. While his confidence is shattered and he struggles with his conflicting feelings for his roommate’s sister Priscilla, Erik must discover who’s behind the scandal before his Broadway dreams are derailed forever.

Guest Post - Deep Water Within: Behind the Story by Author Sandra Lott

Deep Waters Within is about the internal struggle a young man had concerning his faith.  He was close to his father but they had differences regarding their beliefs and those differences came to a head.

The character in the story, Jim Staley, was adamant that he was right and his dad was wrong.  He couldn’t accept it and moved completely across the county!  He moved from Chatham Massachusetts. To Half Moon Bay California.

Sound familiar?  This is sort of a modern-day take on Jonah from the Bible.  Jonah did the same thing and ran into trouble and eventually had to come to terms with the Lord.

Jim made a new life for himself in California and kept ignoring his heart and his conscience tugging at him to call home.  He made new friends and even a love interest, but that didn’t stop his conscience and the bad dreams that kept erupting from ignoring those tugs.

He should have called home, because while he was away his dad developed cancer.  Eventually the dreams took their toll on Jim and his girlfriend and they separated.  This made him look at himself and he finally called home, only to discover the news!  His dad was dying!

The thing I want to convey to everyone in this story, is do not be so adamant that you are right!  Don’t be so headstrong and rigid in your thinking, you just might have the wrong perspective on your beliefs.  Jim wasted so much time because of the rigidity.  How much time do we waste and how many regrets do we leave ourselves in being so close minded and prideful that we think we are always right and everyone else is always wrong.  Maybe just maybe, sometimes our beliefs and our perspectives are wrong.  When our perspectives are wrong, so will our actions and what we say. 

When relationships are involved, they are sometimes affected much like the character in my story.  Why do we want to always be right at the risk of losing out on those most precious to us.

I lost my sixteen-year-old son and I have many regrets and the “I wish I had done’s.” I do not want to live that way anymore.  Is being right all the time worth it?

Today with so many people at odds with their beliefs I feel this book is necessary to help people think about what is really important.  It isn’t being right, it is, “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)

The Lord did not say to judge and to be right all the time, He said to love one another and to, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

I try to live that way and while I have my beliefs, I care not what other people’s beliefs are and how they may differ from mine.  I will share if I am asked but God tells me to love and I try to live that way.  I have others in my family that do not believe the way I do, but I love them with all of my heart.

If mankind would love one another, and not judge and think about others before themself, it would be a better place and we would be true, “Ambassadors of Christ,” and we would not be giving the Lord and the Bible the bad name it has today in the eyes of many.

It is not our place to judge and I do not want that job!  God tells us to love, to love and not hate, to forgive and to bless.

What a difference the world would be if we would humble ourselves and ask, just for a minute, “Is my perspective wrong?”

Why lose out on relationships and precious moments at the risk of being right?  And even if you are right, you do not have to “beat someone over the head,” so to speak with your beliefs.  Just love them as the Lord tells you to do, and pray to the Lord.  Pray for the Lord to show you if you are wrong and to show the other person if they are wrong.

We need to open our hearts and our minds and let the Lord’s will be done.  “Love one another.”

About Author Sandra Lott

Author Sandra Lott was born and raised in Texas and is the author of Ride the Wind, God's Love and My Father's Eyes: Seeing Yourself through the Eyes of Love and more. She has learned about the love and faithfulness of God through the death of her sixteen year old son and many other hardships. Through His love and comfort she has drawn close to the Father's love and has developed a passion for studying the Bible. That deep devotion to God in turn has given her the desire to help others grow in their understanding of the love of God and to grow spiritually.

www.yournewlifeministries.org

The Forgotten Pharaoh is FREE on Amazon

Over four thousand years ago, the great Pharaoh Djedefre was cursed for murdering his brother. Centuries later, a team of archaeologists sets out to prove his innocence. Julie Gerber isn't thrilled to be pulled out of school her senior year to follow her parents halfway around the world, but the cute Brit and the sexy young patron of the project make things more exciting ... maybe too exciting.

As the team digs deeper into the mystery, they unearth something they never expected. Animals and people are drained of blood and some simply vanish. Julie knows there's something sinister going on at the excavation site, but with a documentary on the line that could make or break her parents' career, they refuse to walk away. Now the team must find both the ancient murderer and the monster that's hunting them down. With the bodies piling up, only one thing is certain—some secrets are meant to stay buried.

Morrigan is FREE on Amazon

Abandoned as an infant, Morrigan spent years shuffled around the foster system, never finding a permanent home. People either bullied or avoided her, sensing she was different. She does her best to keep her abilities hidden: the power to move objects with her mind, control fire, and glimpse the future. Believing her dreams of mystical creatures and castles are her imagination, it isn’t until Filtiarn appears, the dark knight of her fantasies and the man tasked with guiding her to the magical land of Tír na NÓg, that she realizes her true identity. Once reunited with her mother and grandmother, will their triad be able to save the forgotten land of magic from being devoured by an ancient evil?

Hanukkah Ideas for Families from PJ Library — with a new original picture book!

 

PJ Library offers a wealth of ideas and free resources for families at their updated Hanukkah Hub, including kid-friendly information about the holiday, interfaith celebration ideas, 10 easy kid-approved Hanukkah recipes, free printables (menorah, dreidel and other activity ideas).It’s all available at: https://pjlibrary.org/hanukkah.

 

The newly published and exclusive-to-PJ Publishing picture book Hanukkah at Monica's is now available on the PJ Library Amazon store at https://www.amazon.com/pjlibrary. The colorful 32-page paperback book is written and illustrated by Varda Livney.  

Here's the story: No one loves Hanukkah more than Monica. And celebrating the Festival of Lights — lighting candles, singing blessings, eating delicious fried foods and playing dreidel — is even more fun with friends. Luckily, Monica has lots of friends, including a robot, a pirate, even a jellyfish! Who’s going to arrive at her party next?

 

PJ Library also offers several other great holiday book suggestions; please visit the Ultimate Children's Book List. (These are books mailed for free to subscribers; some are available for purchase elsewhere.)

 

PJ Library Presents launches season 2 of their NAPPA Award-winning podcasts this season. A new Afternoons with Mimi podcast episode is coming on Nov. 22: "Kiddo Lights the Hanukkah Candles.” Hanukkah is here and it's time for the whole family to get together. Kiddo isn't sure how to light the candles or where each one goes in the menorah. Miraculous Mimi to the rescue!

 

Other Amazon store gift ideas: Choose easy and meaningful Hanukkah gifts, including a Jewish perpetual calendar, PJ Library aprons, and carefully curated books (like Hanukkah at Monica’s) for children: https://www.amazon.com/pjlibrary

For the first time ever this fall, the Yoto App includes Jewish stories for children starting November 8th. PJ Library is providing podcast episodes for this screen-free audio listening device for young children: https://us.yotoplay.com/.

 

 

About PJ Library

PJ Library is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, an internationally recognized, $40M global cultural literacy venture that partners with philanthropists and Jewish communities around the world to provide families raising Jewish children with the gift of free, high-quality children's books and other resources that foster a deeper connection with Jewish life. Each month, PJ Library and PJ Our way mails out nearly 670,000 books to families worldwide. To date, PJ Library has gifted 50 million books to children. To find out more or sign up kids age 0-12, visit www.pjlibrary.org.

Triumvirate #FREE on Amazon!

 Aubrey Conover is a brilliant psychiatrist who heads one of the most prestigious mental health facilities in the country, but she has a secret. Her urge to kill runs even deeper than those of the violent patients she treats.

Dean Hanson is running from his dark past, but the voices in his head won’t let him leave it behind. By day he guards the criminally insane, but he spends his nights stalking the citizens of Philadelphia.

Deirdre Hanson is the lieutenant tasked with bringing two serial killers to justice, never knowing one of them is sleeping in her bed.

When these three powers converge, the battle of wits that follows will leave the city streets bathed in blood.

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Get Player FREE on Amazon

Joshua Hanover had it all. He was handsome, rich, athletic, and had always been popular with the ladies. Yet, until he gets paired up with his beautiful but shy lab partner, Rosa, he never allowed himself to fall in love. As the chemistry between them grows, Josh realizes that his player days have come to end. But it seems his change of heart has come too late. Not only is Rosa leery of his bad boy reputation, he has four vindictive ex-girlfriends who are on a rampage. At first he doesn't take their threats seriously, but then his tires are slashed, someone tries to poison him, and one of the girls turns up dead. Josh doesn't know who to trust, but one thing is certain. It definitely isn't worth the price he's paying to be a player.

Bully Market: My Story of Money and Misogyny at Goldman Sachs by Jamie Fiore Higgins

Jamie Fiore Higgins became one of the few women at the highest ranks of Goldman Sachs. Spurred on by the obligation she felt to her working-class immigrant family, she rose through the ranks and saw it all: out-of-control, lavish parties flowing with never-ending drinks; affairs flouted in the office; rampant drug use; and most pervasively, a discriminatory culture that seemed designed to hold back the few women and people of color employed at the company.

Despite Goldman Sachs having the right talking points and statistics, Fiore Higgins soon realized that these provided a veneer to cover up what she found to be an abusive culture. Her account is one filled with shocking stories of harassment and jaw-dropping tales of exclusionary behavior: when she was told she only got promoted because she is a woman; when her coworkers mooed at her after she pumped for her fourth child, defying the superior who had advised her not to breastfeed; or when a male boss used a racial epithet in front of her, other colleagues, and clients without any repercussions.

BULLY MARKET sounds the alarm on the culture of finance and corporate America, while offering clear, actionable ideas for creating a fairer workplace. Both a revealing, extraordinary look at the industry and a top Wall Streeter’s explosive personal story, BULLY MARKET is an essential account of one woman’s experience in a flawed system that speaks to the challenge and urgency for change.

About the author: 

Jamie Fiore Higgins worked as a managing director at Goldman Sachs. One of just 8 percent of Goldman employees to earn the managing director title, she was the highest-ranking woman in her department. An active member of the Women’s Network Committee, Fiore Higgins spent her workdays running the trainee and internship programs, recruiting, and managing top equity clients and $96 billion in stock. Living in New Jersey with her husband and four children, she is a trained coach, working with teens to hone in on their leadership skills, high school, and college graduates as they begin careers, professionals as they navigate the workforce, and those in midlife looking to reinvent themselves. She is also a contributor for Medium and Thrive Global.

Where to Buy

Bully Market would make a great stocking stuffer this holiday season for women looking to overcome challenges in their workplace ! Grab a copy of on Amazon! 

Preorder Triumvirate Now!

 Aubrey Conover is a brilliant psychiatrist who heads one of the most prestigious mental health facilities in the country, but she has a secret. Her urge to kill runs even deeper than those of the violent patients she treats.

Dean Hanson is running from his dark past, but the voices in his head won’t let him leave it behind. By day he guards the criminally insane, but he spends his nights stalking the citizens of Philadelphia.

Deirdre Hanson is the lieutenant tasked with bringing two serial killers to justice, never knowing one of them is sleeping in her bed.

When these three powers converge, the battle of wits that follows will leave the city streets bathed in blood.

.

Get Jessica #FREE on for #Halloween

 

Wilbur was used to attending his college formals alone. The Halloween Ball would be no different. He’s amazed when a beautiful girl in a Victorian gown shows an interest in him. What he doesn’t realize is that another woman has her eye on him as well. The White Lady returns every Halloween to take revenge on the men of the campus for her brutal murder. This year, she's chosen Wilbur as her next victim.

Dad Spelled Backward: A Journey Through the Maze of Love, Marriage, and Adoption

Can you die from having too much sex? That’s the question Dr. Michael King, a well-respected dentist in New York, asks in 

Dad Spelled Backward: A Journey Through the Maze of Love, Marriage, and Adoption. Mike had never thought much about getting married and becoming a father, but all that changed when, in his fifties, he met Gabriella, his lovely (and much younger) French wife. Together they decide to try to become parents, and they do all they can to make a baby—to the point where Mike wonders if one can die from too much sex.

 

This candid account by a husband and father is insightful, moving, fiercely funny—and ultimately a testament to unconditional love. Mike tells his story of how, wanting to make his wife happy after realizing that they couldn’t successfully conceive a child, he reluctantly agrees to move on to the next phase of potential parenthood—adoption.

Unfortunately, domestic adoption is often a long, costly process that takes couples on a roller-coaster ride from hope to despair and back again. Mike recounts how he and Gabriella were connected with one pregnant woman after another until they were finally given a baby, only to have to give the infant back when the birth mom changed her mind. This left them so emotionally drained that they had to decide whether the price of becoming parents was too high and whether it was time to give up.

Such heartbreak might have driven other couples apart, but Gabriella and Mike only became closer; their love for one another grew even stronger, and they did at last get to be parents. “I hope this book inspires people who want to, or are considering whether to, become parents,” Mike says. “We all face obstacles in life, but if love prevails, it’s worth the struggle.”

 

An interview with Dr. Mike King will have you laughing and crying as Mike sharing his heartwarming story of one man’s journey into happy marriage and fatherhood.  Please let me know if I can send you a hard copy of the book or an electronic version.

>Dr. Mike King, comedian and pediatric dentist, has built his practice in an unusual way: to relax the kids, he incorporates comedy and magic tricks into his treatment. He has written two children’s books, Flossopher and the Brushing Trees and Enamel the Camel. Entertaining is in Mike’s blood: His dad owned Sid King’s Crazy Horse Bar in Denver, Colorado. In the 1970s and ’80s, it was one of the most popular burlesque houses West of the Mississippi, so it was just a matter of time before Mike began to perform for grown-ups. In the comedy-club circuit he’s known as “The Fifth Dentist”—you know—“Four out of five dentists recommend sugarless gum.” Mike appears regularly at Broadway Comedy Club, New York Comedy Club, and Gotham Comedy Club. His musical, The Lap Dance Kid, is in production, and he’s also written a one-man show. Mike’s greatest joy is spending time with his wife and their daughter. They live in New York City. For more information, visit www.MikeKingWrites.com.

 

Phantom is #FREE to Celebrate the Release of Blackmailed

The Phantom was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses "Phantom" as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card. Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars-Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist. Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn't know who to trust, but she knows she's running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty-first century phantom finally be revealed.

Also make sure to check out Blackmailed, the most recent release in the Dark  Musicals series!

Although Erik Patko is still coming to terms with a heartbreaking tragedy, he begins his sophomore year of college with high hopes. He earns a headlining role in the drama club production of Curtain Drop, but while the musical is a comedy, the drama backstage is no joke. Scenery is tampered with, students are blackmailed, and four influential families are accused of bribing the dean. While his confidence is shattered and he struggles with his conflicting feelings for his roommate’s sister Priscilla, Erik must discover who’s behind the scandal before his Broadway dreams are derailed forever.

Blackmailed, Dark Musicals Book 10 is Available Now!

Although Erik Patko is still coming to terms with a heartbreaking tragedy, he begins his sophomore year of college with high hopes. He earns a headlining role in the drama club production of Curtain Drop, but while the musical is a comedy, the drama backstage is no joke. Scenery is tampered with, students are blackmailed, and four influential families are accused of bribing the dean. While his confidence is shattered and he struggles with his conflicting feelings for his roommate’s sister Priscilla, Erik must discover who’s behind the scandal before his Broadway dreams are derailed forever.

 

If you haven't already, be sure to read Forgotten, the first boo in Erik's saga!

With his Broadway dreams derailed after a car accident leaves him visibly scarred and plagued with panic attacks, 17-year-old Erik Patko is forced to transfer to a private school in New Jersey where the only bright spot is reuniting with his childhood sweetheart. Trying to bolster his confidence, the effusive Evie convinces him to audition for the drama club production of The Russian Princess. He lands the lead, but with Evie haunted by her past and a stalker on the loose, Erik has several mysteries to solve before the curtain falls on opening night.

Destiny is #FREE on Amazon

Gabriella is a witch. The problem is, she doesn't remember. She repressed the memories of her powers years ago when her mother was murdered. Now, the warlock who was responsible for her mother's death has set his sights on Gabriella. He is determined to use her fear to turn her to the dark side of magick…even if it kills her. Her mother's spirit is reaching out to warn her, but even that she pushes away. Desperate to save her daughter, the spirit finds a male witch–one that just happens to be in love with Gabriella. Darron is more than willing to help but the two young witches will have way more to battle than just an evil warlock. There are overbearing jocks and petty rich girls who get tempers flaring and often set Gabrielle and Darron at odds.

There is more to the story than Gabrielle and Darron could even imagine. There are terrible secrets to be revealed, battles to be waged, and lives will be lost. Only after Gabrielle and Darron both come to terms with who they really are and open themselves up to the true meaning of magick, can they have any hope of fulfilling their destiny.  

Gabriella and Darron thought their magickal battle was over when they defeated the evil warlock, Richard. When her Aunt Donna seeks Gabriella's help in rescuing her catatonic daughter from the Dark Coven, Gabriella discovers that her cousin holds a power within her that would be catastrophic in the hands of the evil witches. Her coven sets out on a journey that may be their last. Along the way, they meet new allies, face devastating treachery, and battle not only the Dark Coven, but the darkness within themselves. When Gabriella finally comes face to face with the cousin she never knew existed, her true destiny is unveiled and the fate of the mortal world is in her hands.