Juls Duncan stops by Penny's Tales

Welcome Juls!  Take it away.....

How Morgan Koda Adventures Series came to be…

The character Morgan Koda started more than twenty five years ago as a bedtime story for the author’s young daughter. Her daughter learned that only in a book could she go to different worlds where she was a hero. The author’s daughter is now in her thirties and is a devoted reader to her own young readers.

Then in 2006 Juls Duncan remarried and her new husband came with a six year old son. And Morgan Koda came alive again as she had before - in a bed time story.

But this child was different. He wanted his new step-mother to add something new to the story every night. So Morgan Koda grew as Julie’s new son did.

            When Juls’s step-son reached seven years old, he told her that he didn’t need to learn to read, because reading wasn’t fun nor was it important. So Juls started writing down Morgan’s story. The one story he enjoyed more than any other. Juls however, was a little resourceful, at night when her step-son wanted his bedtime story, the author would read up to a really good part, and then Juls handed him the paper. Though tears, fits, and just plan angry outbursts, he learned to read.

            In June of 2010, the author was arranging her files, and to her great surprise, she found that she had over a hundred pages of Morgan’s story. And just four months later, Morgan Koda and the Mask of Noesis was born.

Morgan Koda and the Mask of Noesis: By Juls Duncan
 
blurb

Morgan Koda has landed in a world full of magic; now she must survive it. He’s The Dark Emir. He’s deadly and he’s out there waiting for her.

Thirteen years old Morgan Koda has never had an adventure in her life until she hands her letter to a fabled old man. This mythical man leads her into a new world full of adventure, where magic is typical, and danger is the norm.

Discovering there’s an ominous object, a golden mask that has the capability of controlling or destroying a wizard’s power - is one thing. Being hunted because she’s the last in her line with the ability to control it, is quite another. For within the shadows of her new home a horrifying opponent prowls and The Dark Emir will stop at nothing to control her abilities with the aureate mask.

With the prospect of success Morgan travels through time in pursuit of the ancient artifact. Running afoul of a T-rex, a crazed band of war painted natives, and coming across a talking polar bear might seem a little strange. But to Morgan it’s all about the balance of power.

However, Morgan Koda unintentionally alters her own time-line and that of her world.

Excerpt from Morgan Koda and the Mask of Noesis.

The plant life was much larger. Huge leafs of green flora and enormous flowering plants of reds, pinks, yellows, and oranges surrounding her from three sides.  Their blossoms were as large trash can lid.

Morgan slowly turned her head taking in the plant life around her.  She had transported the four of them to the very edge of a lush meadow which was miles long and just as wide.

She stared in awe at the hundreds of huge beasts. They had gigantic bodies, long necks and tails, and were grazing throughout the valley.

Morgan had once seen animals like these in a book at her old school. The massive creatures looked like Brontosaurus some had their necks stretched reaching into the very top of the trees eating leaves. While others were drinking from the river that snaked through the center of the valley, many of the other smaller species of dinosaurs were moving around the larger ones. Morgan looked over the animals searching for familiar ones that she could name.

Movement from above the creatures caught her attention, and she did a double take on the sky. There were huge blackish-blue birds with leather-like wings flying in lazy circles over the dinosaurs. 

A loud cry from the trees over their heads drew Morgan attention, and she followed the sound up to what she thought was a very colorful parrot with an immense beak and overly long tail.  However, when the bird opened its mouth and hissed at her, she saw a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. 

A loud screaming echo wrenched her eyes back to the grasslands. The brontosauruses and the other smaller dinosaurs were suddenly in full flight across the valley.  Several sizable beasts were giving chase on their powerful hind legs.

Tristan, Raine, Rex and Sonny on the other hand, were not looking at the creatures charging across the meadow, nor were they staring at the colorful parrot-like bird in the tree above them. They had eyes only for the three massive creatures, which had been slowly making their way into the valley. The sudden appearance of Morgan, her friends, and the dog had caught their attention.  One of the brutes had halted in mid-step, slowly turning its ugly head in their direction, and slowly moved for where Morgan, Tristan, Rex, Raine were standing.  It observed them with terrifying orange eyes. The beast slowly stalked towards what it thought was enjoyable victims.

It took Morgan a moment to realize that someone was yelling at her.

“Morgan…” The voice shouted again.

“What,” She finally took her eyes of the meadow and turned towards the voice.

“Do you think you could get us out of here...?” Fear clearly etched Rex’s face, but he had yet to lose his since of humor.

“That looks exactly like a T-rex, and to tell you the truth, a T- rex with skin on it - is just plain wrong.”

Morgan turned to where Rex was pointing and saw a vast creature bearing down on them.

The T-rex had started to run on its enormous hind legs.  Morgan, Tristan, Rex, Raine and Sonny stood petrified as the brute suddenly opened its huge jaws, showing long yellow pointed teeth.  The whole group drew back as a horrible roar exploded from its gaping mouth.

Sonny panicked and would have run if he could have remembered how. His body was pressed so tight against Morgan’s side that he was about to push her to the ground.  His body was slowly sinking en route for the hard packed soil under their feet.

“Get us out of here.” He whispered.  Sonny’s pleading chocolate brown eyes were wide with terror.

Morgan tightened her hold on her friends.  At the same time as the T- Rex slid to a stop towering over them, that Morgan Blinked.

The T-rex howled enraged as its meal vanished.  The creature stared at the spot where its victims had disappeared, then shoved its great head under its abdomen searching through its huge powerful hind legs.  The T-rex was utterly confused as to where its prey had gone.

This novel is undergoing publisher changes and all relevant info will be updated shortly. Book Two in the series will be showcased on New Book Blogger in the near future.

Morgan Koda Adventures Series Website:

https://sites.google.com/site/morgankodaadventuresseries/

Morgan Koda Adventures Series Blog:

http://morgankodaadventuresseries.blogspot.com/

Bio:

Juls Duncan lives in Montana with her family, and a yellow lab named Sonny JR. She is the author of the Morgan Koda Adventure Series.

Juls has always felt the need to tell a story, whether it was a bedtime story or a short story given as a Christmas present for family and friends.

Her education includes a Bachelors degree in anthropology from Oregon State University. Juls is continuing her education with a Masters degree, and then a PhD in anthropology from University of Montana.