Paraworld Zero (Parallel Worlds #1)

Simon Kent is just an ordinary 12 year old trying to cope with the loss of his parents and the bullies at school . . . or so he thinks. After meeting an outspoken girl with strange hair that changes colors with her mood, he is swept into a futuristic world filled with dragonlike creatures, vast technology, and enslaved giants. But Simon also stumbles upon a secret: He can perform magic in this parallel world! While fighting mystical creatures, unraveling an ancient mystery, and even experiencing his first kiss, Simon discovers that he, an outsider from Earth, is the only person who can save the high-tech planet from an impending doom.

Matthew Peterson is an award-winning short story writer, second degree black belt in karate, Eagle scout, computer programmer, and former missionary. He also has uncanny luck with firsts, from getting accepted to the first and only university he applied to (Brigham Young University), becoming the Director of Information Technologies from his first and only job interview after graduating with a business management degree, and even marrying the first woman he dated in college. He wanted twins, and, miraculously, his first two children were red-headed twins. He won first place in the first writing contest he entered, and the first publisher he sent his book to bought the rights to publish it. He hopes his luck with firsts will continue on with his debut novel, Paraworld Zero.

Matthew has won or received honorable mentions in several writing contests including Writers Digest, Writers Weekly, and L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future. He currently lives in Arizona with his wife, five boys, and a giant African tortoise.