Click here to buy this book! Kindle Edition Amazon Lulu Morgan Koda Adventures Series Big Sky Press Category:  Young Adult/Teen Publisher: Big Sky Press ISBN-10:  1479286192 Type: Fiction Pages: 313 Copyright: July 15, 2011 ISBN-13: 9781490975771 Price: $4.99 (eBook) Second Edition - Extended Version................. Morgan Koda has landed in a world full of magic. Now she has to survive it. Morgan Koda has landed in a world full of magic. Now she has to survive it. A simple English class assignment turns twelve-year-old Morgan Koda's world upside down, and she never dreamed delivering a Christmas letter to her local Mall’s Santa Claus would be her ticket to a world she never knew existed. In this enchanted place, she walks through rainbows, makes friends with elves and talking animals, and experiences magic around every corner. Yet, she finds things are not as serene as they seem. A classmate wants her dead. An evil sorcerer, The Dark Emir, hunts the one with the power to control the Mask of Noesis, an ancient artifact that has the ability to seize or manipulate a wizard's magic.  Morgan and the Emir are in a race against time for the relic. But, in order for her to fulfill her destiny with the golden mask, she has to survive the encounters with an eccentric classmate and the Dark Emir.  Nevertheless, Morgan Koda is anything but helpless.   Author's Website: www.morgankodaadventures.com         Excerpt CHAPTER ONE The hallway was ablaze with the sound of laugher and the slamming of locker doors as Morgan Koda darted through another mass of students. She threw a troubled glance over her shoulder and her heart leaped. The gap between her and Owens twins had diminished since the hunt had begun. She knew she should have been watching where she was going but the sight of the boys shoving their way through the knot of backpacks and their fellow schoolmates distracted her. Her eyes widened as Mathew Owens spotted her and hurdled forward. A young girl gave a terrified cry as he broadsided her, knocking her off her feet. The girl tumbled over backward and her shrilling cry slowed Morgan's flight down the corridor. She debated a few seconds over the child's welfare, and her need for a hiding place. But before she could come to a decision another student had gone to the girl's aid and was helping to her feet. Morgan’s eyes flew back to the Owens twins. They had closed the distance to within a few feet bellowing in excitement. Unfortunately, several of their friends had joined them in their favorite sport —Morgan hunting. Morgan whipped her head around. But it was too late. Her attention had been preoccupied too long; she never noticed the boy bent down tying his shoe. She crashed into him, then sailed over his bent body. Her breath left her in a whoosh as she collided with the floor. She slid a few feet on her chest, finally coming to a sudden stop piled up against the wall of lockers. She shot to her feet and took off down the hallway. Forcing more air into her lungs, and more speed to her trembling legs, she darted, skirted, and shot between still more students. She didn't bother glancing behind her. She could feel the twins and their friends breathing down the back of her neck. Morgan was livid with herself for allowing them get so close. She sprinted into another corridor faster than she realized. She felt her feet sliding out from under her. How she managed to stay on her feet, she never knew. Her arms wind-milled as she skated along the highly waxed tile, a huge gasp of air was all she had time for as she slammed into the lockers between two older students. She was gone before either girl could do more than stare at the huge dent in the locker door. Morgan knew her time was running out, with the girl’s restroom too far away to reach in time. She either had to find an unlocked classroom, or make it out of the school before the teachers were alerted. The teachers had never been any help to her. Whenever she was caught running in the halls, hiding in the girl’s bathroom, or ducking into an empty classroom, which was often, because Mathew and Steven Owens and their friends really enjoyed their daily sport. Morgan was sent to the principle’s office and cited for her refusing to obey the school rules. She thought this completely unfair. The Owens twins and their hunting party always seemed to fade into the background, or if caught, they or one of their friends would swear. 'Morgan stole something one of them' or 'Morgan hit me' another would claim. But her all time favorite was the time she was suspended for a day, because Mathew had told the foremost of all his lies to date, 'Morgan poured milk over my brother, Steven's, head in the lunchroom.' and sure enough, Morgan wasn't surprised to see milk dripping from Steven's hair. It was always her word against them or their friends, and for whatever reason, the teachers always seemed to believe the Owens twins or their gang. She wished she had the courage to fight back, but the tiny voice in her head saying, ‘Why bother, no one will believe you anyway.’ influenced her to keep her head down and mouth shut. A classroom door loomed ahead, and she shot a glance over her shoulder, neither Mathew, Steven, or their gang had come around the corner. She slid to a stop before the door, grabbed the doorknob and turned. It didn’t budge. Didn’t anyone ever leave their classrooms unlocked, she thought furiously, as she jerked on the knob. The door rattling in its frame, but remained firmly locked. Morgan turned and headed for her only option —the double doors at end of the hall marked with the green ‘EXIT’ sign. Skidding to a stop before them, she reached for the door handle. The door, however, swung open and one of her teachers, Miss Tia Thornley, walked over the threshold. Morgan knew she was in trouble. Why can’t anything ever go right for me? She thundered silently, as she solemnly examined the melting snow around Miss Thornley’s boots. Miss Thornley gave a small start of surprise as she nearly mauled Morgan down in her haste to get out of the blizzard. It took only a few seconds for her to note the sweat peppered on the girl's face and the sound of her panting for breath. Movement at the top of the hall drew the teacher’s eyes, as the Hunting Party charged around the corner. The boys were shoving students out of their way. Steven slid to a shuddering halt, tried to grab his brother's arm to warn him that Morgan was standing beside a teacher. The gang piled up behind Steven. They turned and flew back the way they’d come. But before they could round the corner and disappear. Miss Thornley called loudly over the echoing hall. “Steven and Mathew Owens—” She couldn’t tell who was with them, so she added, “…and the rest of you.” She didn’t take her eyes off the boys as they stood glaring back at her. “Principle’s office, NOW—” She would deal with the boys for pushing the other students after she took Morgan to her classroom. “What’s going on Morgan?” She asked, but if she were to hazard a guess, the Owens twins were chasing her again. Miss Thornley knew there was a problem between Morgan and the boys. She waited for Morgan to confirm her suspicion. But Morgan remained routinely silent, staring at the floor. She knew from experience the child wasn't going to tell her. “Come on Morgan, you can walk me to class.” This wasn’t the first time Miss Thornley had come across this scene, she always seemed to arrive a few minutes too late. Somehow, she had to convince Morgan to tell her why the Owens twins were always chasing her. Miss Thornley slid a side glance at the child as they walked down the hall. She thought how sad and lonely Morgan seemed. Her heart swelled with compassion, but she knew there wasn’t a darn thing she could do about it. Even though, this was a small school, even for Montana standards. The rules were the same, and she hated the policy about not touching the students. She wasn’t even allowed to offer a reassuring hand to her shoulder. Morgan refused to meet her eyes, and as soon as they arrived at her classroom, she went directly to her desk and sat down, watching as her fellow classmates file into the room. Miss Thornley went on to the principle’s office to deal with the Owens twins and their friends. Three hours later, Morgan was sitting at her desk in her English class listening to Tia Thornley give instructions for the day’s writing assignment. “You will write a Christmas letter...” Miss Thornley started, but didn’t get any further before her classroom erupted. “There’s no way, I’m writing a letter to Santa Claus!” A boy said, appalled at the very idea. “We’re too old to write to Santa Claus—” Another student shouted. “What do you think we are —eight year olds?” Another demanded. Tia gazed out over the twenty plus students, took a deep breath, smiled, then said, “Mr. Moore, this isn’t about writing a letter to Santa Claus. It’s a writing assignment… And for your information not all students find it offensive.” She paused and gazed at her notes. “As I was saying, you are to write a Christmas letter. The theme can be anything you wish, and…" She added with a smile. "To whomever you wish.” She gazed out for further objections. She received angry glares from most of her class. She shook her head, and said, “The letter doesn’t have to be what you want for Christmas. It can be anything —maybe a wish, a letter to a grandparent, or some far away relative.” When no one moved, she added, “You may start.” Morgan sat deep in thought for a few seconds, opened her notebook and started writing. She felt a jab in the middle of her back, but ignored the boy sitting behind her. “Must be your lucky day Koda, now you can ask Santa Claus for some new clothes.” Jordan Elliott whispered under her breath from the row of students across from Morgan. Jordan brushed her straight blond hair over her shoulder, staring at Morgan’s bent head. She knew what buttons to push to get a reaction from Morgan. Other students within hearing range cackled, and added a few more whispered suggestions to Morgan about her clothing. Nevertheless, Morgan kept her head down, and her teeth clamped firmly on her lips, snubbing their comments. This was one time she refused be sent to the Principles Office for letting them get to her. This assignment was the answer to her prayers, with raising excitement. Her pencil flew over the page as she created her very first Christmas letter. Since she had no one to address it to, she addressed it to Santa Claus. After a few minutes, she laid her pencil aside, reread her letter, then tore it from the spiral notebook, and carefully folded it. She slid it between the pages of her English textbook, then started another letter. Morgan was adding her signature to the bottom of the second letter when the classroom erupted again. She watched her fellow classmates rush to the front of the room, and hurl their Christmas letters onto the teacher’s desk. Letters went sliding across the scared surface, then dropped off the other side, littering the floor beneath the desk. Morgan climbed to her feet as her classmates sprinted from the room. Packing her things slowly into her backpack, she waited until the last student cleared the doorway. With her second letter clenched in hand, she made her way to the front of the room, and carefully placed her letter on top of the ones scattered over Miss Thornley’s desk. Cautiously Morgan approached the classroom door, and peeked around the doorframe searching for the Owens twins or their friends. She saw a hall full of students, but couldn't spot the Owens twins or their gang waiting for her. Her body all but seized up as a voice spoke behind her. “Morgan, do you need something?” Tia asked. She had been watching the child since she’d left her desk, and was hopeful this time Morgan would tell her what the problem was with the Mathew and Steven Owens. “No, Miss Thornley.” Morgan said hurriedly, then shot her a guarded smile, and disappeared around the door frame

The Mask of Noesis.
How can a parent compete with video-game addiction and the mindlessness of the Cartoon Network? With the soon to be outrageously popular Morgan Koda Adventures series, Juls Duncan has solved that dilemma by proving once and for all that kids really can love great books. Twists and turns make this story THE MASK OF NOESIS, Book one, of Morgan Koda Adventure, resemble the Harry Potter Series, by J.K Rowling, in which loose ends are expertly tied and more threads become compellingly unraveled.
Part of Morgan's appeal is that she could be any ordinary 12-year-old girl, an underdog readers will root for: small and skinny, with a horrible foster family. She is, however, bright and competent, and a witch. She discovers she is the last in her family line to control a magical mask. Juls Duncan has taken everyday situations such as going to school, dealing with school rivalry, and having your magic run away with you. Duncan has convincingly combined them with fantasy to create a world more accessible to tweens than Stephenie Meyer novels, the Twilight series. From walking through a Rainbow to get her magical bracelet ("When I call your name…Please stand at this end of the rainbow.") to Her magic running afoul ("First dinosaurs, and now this,"), the book is packed with entertaining details and creative riffs on modern life.


The Mask of Noesis
THE Mask of Noesis, a Morgan Koda Adventure, Book One, by Juls Duncan is wonderfully written and will spur the imagination of those who read it.
My favorite part is where they encounter some creature (no, I won't tell you what they are) and Tristan is pushed over a 500 foot cliff, and plunges for the ocean below. Morgan leaps over after him even though she can't swim. Only Juls Duncan could come up with that. Another show of Duncan's imagination is Morgan meeting herself in the end of the book.
The book is a great mystery as well as an urban fantasy, where Morgan learns to trust her friends, Tristan, Rex, and Raine when her magic fails her and they face a T-rex and a band war-crazed Indians.
I highly recommend all the books in the Morgan Koda Adventures series, I see the series becoming as popular as J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter.


The Mask of Noesis
The Mask of Noesis, A Morgan Koda Adventure, Book One, is well written, 3D characters, and spell binding through to the end. The story will keep you on the edge of your seat as Morgan Koda encounters a deadly foe. Juls Duncan has created realistic character that you will love to read over and over. If you like stories set in a world like the Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling, then you will adore the Morgan Koda adventure series.