The Crystal Clipper

The Moon Singer #1

by B. Roman

Deaf teen David Nickerson’s life is in crisis. His mother has died in a car crash and his sister Sally, now confined to a wheelchair, has mysteriously disappeared.

Desperate to find her, David experiments with sacred crystals and accidentally conjures the supernatural ship, Moon Singer, which transports him through time and space on a magical, fantastic journey.

The people David encounters all have a connection to him, their lives destined to intertwine. Strangely, in this other world, David finds he can hear for the first time in years.

This gift foretells his to explore the contrast between good and evil - and to save a life that means more to him than his own.

Praise for THE CRYSTAL
"Roman’s writing is well suited for young readers, but as an adult I found her story truly engaging. Her story is well told, and her keen sense of dialogue and human emotion kept the pages turning." - Sky Rae, Amazon review
"A wonderful story that everyone should read" - Ron Kurz, Amazon review

Genres: Fantasy

136 pages, Paperback

Published March 20, 2016

About the author

Feel free to contact me on Twitter
@BMoonSinger1
follow me on Facebook

Read about my books at Next Chapter Publishing:
https://www.nextchapter.pub/authors/b...

I hope you will enjoy my latest book: "The Immortal Rose Wyndham: The Beginning" (Moon Singer Series Book 4) a multi-generational saga about women blazing their way in a male-dominated world to define their own role in society.

For Christmas-themed books that inspire all year long, please look for my two children's books, (under the name Barbara Roman) available in print, e-book and audio book editions:
"Alicia and the Light Bulb People in Star Factory 13." Beautiful illustrations by Vladimir Cebu. A wonderful story of friendship and achieving your star potential through the magic of believing.
"Hubert in Heaven - a hi-tech angel gets his wings" a delightful children's book with a Christmas theme but with a timely and ageless message for all of us.
My latest children's book, "The Prince Who Was A Piccolo" is a metaphorical tale about an unhappy Prince who seeks his own musical identity to save the kingdom from disaster.

Since childhood, I've been torn between two worlds: writing and singing. It's difficult to serve "two masters," as they say, but I was compelled to do so. When I was not singing, I was writing; when I was not writing, I was singing.

I've learned, for me, that one creative expression nurtures the other. Much of my writing has a musical theme somewhere in the plot, or is the plot. Whether it's in my non-fiction writing about the power of music itself, in picture books and stories and, of course, in writing music and lyrics for songs.

It is natural, therefore, that my trilogy of adventures for young readers, "The Moon Singer" series has its roots in musical theories and metaphors,entwined with the magic and mystery of metaphysical concepts and matters of ethics, faith, compassion, love, and heroism.

Most of all, I hope my books inspire readers to know that, whatever their circumstances in life - just as my young "hero" David Nickerson learns - their greatest challenges are opportunities for growth and strength, and that their "disability" can be their greatest gift.

In my long life (won't tell you how long!), my path has gone every which way but straight to my goals, but I believe that my time for dream and soul fulfillment is NOW. Perhaps my books will inspire that belief in you as well.

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Crystal Clipper is the first book in the Secrets of the Moon Singer trilogy written by Barbara Roman. I've read the prequel as well as several other books by the author, and her storytelling abilities are always delightful and poignant. David wants to help his father and sister, Sally, who is in a wheelchair, but his father's boss is a ruthless tyrant. When the man steals designs that Isaac (David's dad) created, David turns to Janice, the boss's assistant, but she disappoints him too. On a separate plane (because there is some imagination and fantasy happening in this book), a similar character (adult) is searching for his daughter, who bears the same name as David's sister. A gypsy lures David and his boat to their world to rescue Saliana, but in the end, everything falls to pieces... or so it seems.

Roman is a wonderful author, and her characters shine. I enjoyed the moral lessons and the emotional waves in this beautifully told tale. Part-fantasy, part tug-at-your-hear family lesson, the words easily carry your heart and mind in equal weights, knowing the reality of the situation will likely not lead to an entirely positive outcome. But David is persistent, and his real and fantasy lives merge in such a way that everyone finds a solution on their adventure - great way to showcase the writer's creativity while also underpinning the truth about life not always delivering the wishes someone dreams of. Kudos for a well-written adventure story filled with many high points and smiles.

[Réal Laplaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Crystal Clipper (Book 1 in The Moon Singer series) is a magical fantasy adventure with a good message. Well written, as to be expected from this incredibly prolific author, we follow the adventures of its main character, David Nickerson, a deaf teen who has seen his share of tragedy, with his mother having died in an accident and his sister, Sally, now confined to a wheelchair. When his sister mysteriously disappears one day, David resorts to using crystals which he was told had magical powers, and to that end, the crystals cast him into another dimension, a supposed "paradise" of twisted evil. David must must walk the road he now finds himself on if he ever hopes to find his sister. There is a twisted end, a bonus which you don't see coming - and for that, you'll just have to read the book.

[P.S. Winn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A journey through time begins when David wants to save his father's job. David's aunt Dorothy gave him special crystals. David doesn't know just how special until the day he is transported from the world he knows to another land. This is a great adventure and a heartwarming tale. I have read a couple of books by this author and have found heart touching reads in the stories.

[Lieve Snellings · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you are into some magic, where you, as in dreams, can come at places and in situations that you never could imagine when you were awake...
When you love exciting, heroic stories...
When you love the good guys win and there is a great message in the book...
Then I recommend The Crystal Clipper, the first book of ‘The Moon Singer Trilogy’ by Barbara Roman because this book has it all.
I was curious and started reading and kept reading. The story of the deaf kid David Nickerson, whose mother died, sister sits in a wheelchair and his dad is maltreated by his boss, is so intriguing but energizing.
Yes, as I said before, there is a good ending, but not all problems are solved at the end. That’s why I couldn’t wait and started the next book of this series The War Chamber to see what adventures, what dreams David Nickerson is going to do next.

[Diane Rapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book for young teens

How can a deaf boy use music and crystals to save his sister, possibly a whole world? Tragedy and sorrow must be overcome for David to reach his full potential. His courage and determination are tested as he tries to rescue his sister on a world across the galaxy. The Crystal Clipper responds and David sails into adventure. This is a perfect book for young teens to read, perfect for old grandmas too.

[Marianne Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming and mystical tale of a young man’s quest to find his missing sister.

[Michele Northwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Crystal Clipper (The Moon Singer Book 1) by B. Roman

This is a well thought out book which should appeal to young teens. It is the first in a series, and tells the story of David, a deaf boy who is trying to deal with the trials and tribulations which life has dealt him and his family.

David has a fascination for crystals and his aunt gifts them to him every time she comes back home from her travels. One day, he is cleaning the crystals when he finds himself aboard The Crystal Clipper, sailing on a tumultuous sea of glass to a cold, dark land.

As the story unfolds, the reader and David become aware that he is living in a juxtaposed timeline with characters that are reminiscent to those in his real world. (This reminded me of “The Wizard of Oz” only on a much darker level.) I loved the way in which the writer deftly introduces each new character in the dark world. They are portrayed in such a way that through subtle traits, the reader can associate them with the original characters in David´s other real life dimension.

David must complete certain tasks in order to restore the dark island back to its original glory. Can he complete his mission without falling under the spell of the wicked High Priestess Jaycina? Will his actions affect his real life? I´m not going to tell you! Read the book and find out.

[Julius Blitzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The worst things in life come free to all of us, especially those who can’t measure their kindness, despite everything that happen to David Nickerson, he will realize that there’s something beyond all the bad times he’s been through and that everything happens for a reason.
Hi mother died recently, his crippled sister suddenly disappear without any explanation and David is deaf, in the middle of this crisis and desperate looking for help, he start experimenting with sacred crystals, but he won’t realize what that would unleash. This book seems like a magical journey, just by looking at the cover you feel this would be like those long dreams you have, and as soon as you wake up you want to remember everything that happened in it, it escalates smoothly from a tragic story about a hopeless teen to a quest to explore and try to understand the mystery of why everything is either good or evil.

[B. Roman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Average star rating on Amazon 4.5 stars. As the author, I'd like to offer my personal insights on writing this book:
“Oh, the things we can achieve when we aspire to the greatness within ourselves.”
That quote from my trilogy, The Moon Singer, sums up the way I feel about writing and especially about the plots and characters in my books.
While many of today’s young readers fancy stories about vampire sex and Apocalyptic killing games, I still believe that they also enjoy reading about the heroic exploits of characters who perform selfless acts of integrity and bravery. In Book One, “The Crystal Clipper,” deaf teen David Nickerson uses his affinity for crystal power to summon up his own inner strength to “save a life that means more to him than his own,” by rescuing his sister from an unknown fate.
This selfless act of unconditional love on David’s part transports him aboard the mystical sailing ship Moon Singer to a fairy tale adventure filled with monsters, music and miracles. In turn, this adventure (and the two that follow in subsequent books) helps him also deal with and resolve very personal family matters: his father’s unemployment and the death of his mother in the car crash that also crippled his younger sister.
How David deals with these issues is the stuff of fantasy, intertwined with the metaphysical concepts that fascinate me - life after death, reincarnation, soul travel, the music of the Spheres, and transcending our earthly problems.
I hope you, as the reader, will feel an empathy and connection to the characters and the circumstances in which they find themselves embroiled. I hope you can lose yourself in the flow of the words and experience a glimpse into this writer’s mind and emotions, and that they inspire you to read Book Two, “The War Chamber” and Book three “The Wind Rose.”

[Christy Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

David doesn’t have it easy. Deaf from a childhood disease and without a mother, he rises to the challenge when his wheelchair-bound sister disappears. His delight in the crystals his aunt gives him lead to a brave new world where he gets drawn into an epic quest between good and evil. He needs to find his sister, and meets many connected souls. There are many twists, and while it’s targeted for teens or YA, I enjoyed it as an adult.

[Abraham Bernón · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una hermosa historia sobre la hermandad y como el amor puede contra cualquier adversidad. Recomiendo mucho esta lectura. El libro dos ya esta en proceso de traducción.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I love most about this book is the imagination poured into the story.

Throughout time and space, we are all interconnected. Though not a new concept, this well-written story expresses one instance of the connection between past, present, and future, and what happens when one sails into another.

The story begins with a discussion between one to be reincarnated, yet again, and “the other.” This entity has become tired of returning to the world only to learn the same lessons without change. A young person pure of heart needs to be found. Enter David, fierce protector of his family and seeker of truths.

With a flash of lightning, David mysteriously finds himself on another plane of existence. As he interacts with a holographic Gypsy, all he receives are cryptic responses. He does learn, however, of a young woman in a high tower who needs rescuing from the Serpent Ruler. David’s only goal is to find his sister.

The more David learns, the more he sees the parallels between this new world and his own. Ishtar, Dorinda, Saliana, and even Jaycina.

This story ends with a promise of many new and exciting adventures yet to come, and I cannot wait to tag along.

[Julia Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

THRILLING FANTASY ADVENTURE FOR TEENAGERS.

David Nickerson is a boy with a unique persona and outlook on life. Blighted by a childhood illness which results in him becoming deaf he spends his time with crystals and his close knit family. After a strange lightning storm occurs, David’s sister disappears and he unwittingly becomes captain of a magical sailing ship which is capable of astral flight. He embarks on a journey to find his younger sibling and along the way becomes embroiled in helping the occupants of a strange land who are enslaved by the evil glass snake.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were well developed. The character David was likeable - he was caring and brave and his relationship with his family was heartwarming. With an action filled plot which to me possessed fairy tale elements, I would highly recommend The Crystal Clipper. A fab read.

[Claudette Bigby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this fantastic story❣️❤️‼️

Wow‼️Read it all in one fell swoop and loved everything about it but the ending. When you give your characters miracles, they should get to keep them‼️I realize your target audience is probably for the young,but you know some of us Granny’s are still young enough at heart to enjoy them. I loved that the people on the far away mystical Island mirrored David’s family & the office people where his father worked ! I’m glad at least some of what young David accomplished were permanent changes.

[Diane Rapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book for young teens

How can a deaf boy use music and crystals to save his sister, possibly a whole world? Tragedy and sorrow must be overcome for David to reach his full potential. His courage and determination are tested as he tries to rescue his sister on a world across the galaxy. The Crystal Clipper responds and David sails into adventure. This is a perfect book for young teens to read, perfect for old grandmas too.

[A.J. Griffiths-Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A modern day fantasy with realistic characters. David becomes deaf at the age of seven, which allows him to ‘tune in’ to other senses, in particular understanding the power of crystals which allows him to explore a parallel universe. As with the authors other books, you feel a real sense of moral teachings with story & it leaves the reader with plenty to ponder.

[Abraham Bernón · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first translated book. What I liked the most in this reading was the imagination and the enjoyable adventure captured in less than 200 pages. I am really interested to translate the rest of the series, see what happens with David and the secrets of the moon singer.