Cassandra and the Crystal Cave
A Young Women Must Recover From Tragedy To Claim Her Power as a Shamanic Priestess of Light
NOW AVAILABLE!!!
About the Book
A Young Adult Fantasy Adventure
When disaster threatens the family farm, Cass and her dog rush into the burning barn to help rescue the cows and her beloved pony. But tragedy strikes and Cass’s world comes crashing down. While hospitalized and semi-conscious, her epic journey of healing and empowerment begins. Guided by her spiritual allies and power animals, Cassandra’s spirit travels between the realms of Sheva and her world of lucid dreaming. Here, she meets Grandmother Shining Stars who mentors her in becoming a shamanic Priestess of Light.
Cassandra is eager to learn ancient ways of magic and healing to relieve suffering. But tragedy and terrifying creatures from non-earthly realms test her courage and commitment. And who is the mysterious Luke Striker lurking in the shadows? What is he hiding? And why is she so jealous? Cass must face the darkness of her own fears, self-doubt, and the guilt she feels over her father’s death. She must summon her inner strength and determination. Along the way, she’ll discover she is far more powerful than she ever imagined
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Cassandra and the Crystal Cave!
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Achievements & Awards
Nautilus Book Awards Winner
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave
Young Adult Fantasy Novel
2023 Nautilus Book Awards – Silver Award Winner!
The core mission of Nautilus Book Awards is to celebrate and honor books that support conscious living, green values, wellness, social change and social justice, and spiritual growth. Over the past 23 years, Nautilus has continued to grow within the author and publishing community around the world as it celebrates books that inspire and connect our lives as individuals, families, and global citizens
Current and Past Winners Include:
Neil deGrasse Tyson • Harvey Cox • Temple Grandin • Deepak Chopra • Thich Nhat Hanh • Marianne Williamson • Caroline Myss • Gregg Braden • Lynne Twist • Lynne McTaggart • Matthew Fox • Eckhart Tolle • Joan Borysenko • His Holiness, The Dalai Lama • Hedrick Smith • Andrew Weil • Katherine Neville •
Royal Dragonfly Winner
Deborah Shining Star and her young adult novel,
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave
win 2022
Royal Dragonfly Award!
Winners are eligible to promote their books in the Story Monsters, Ink magazine, which partners with Scholastic Book Clubs, the National Educators Association (NEA), and Gale/Cengage – reaching teachers, librarians, and students, public libraries, and 93 percent of public schools in the U.S.!
Global Book Award Finalist
The Global Book Awards aim to recognize talented authors whether in traditional publishing or in self-publishing.
They must also appeal to new readers, so part of the evaluation included a survey asking avid readers to select the top 5 books they enjoyed the most.
Silver Medal Award-Winner
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave
Is a Silver Medal Award-Winner
in the The BookFest® Awards Fall 2022
Young Adult Fantasy fiction
Firebird Awards Fall 2022
Second Place Winner
Fantasy
Literary Titan Book Award
The Literary Titan Book Awards are bestowed on books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas.
Gold Medal Award-winning books are outstanding in their delivery of original content, utilizing fresh themes to convey innovative ideas, and deftly use elegant prose to transform words into expertly written literature. These books deserve extraordinary praise and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and writing talent of these brilliant authors.
The 2022 American Fiction Awards Announce Award Recipients
Sponsored by American Book Fest
LOS ANGELES – American Book Fest has announced the winners and finalists of The 2022 American Fiction Awards. Winners and finalists were announced in over 70 genre specific categories. Awards were presented for titles published in 2020-2022.
Jeffrey Keen, President and CEO says of the awards, now in their sixth year, “The 2022 results represent a phenomenal mix of books from a wide array of publishers throughout the United States. Our success begins with the enthusiastic participation of authors and publishers and continues with our distinguished panel of industry judges who bring to the table their extensive editorial, PR, marketing, and design expertise.”
American Book Fest is an online publication providing coverage for books from mainstream and independent publishers to the world online community.
American Book Fest has an active social media presence with over 132,000 current Facebook fans.
A complete list of the winners and finalists of The 2022 American Fiction Awards are available online at American Book Fest.
Praise for Cassandra and the Crystal Cave
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave is a magnificent book that will easily entertain and captivate its readers!
I have to award this incredible book five stars!
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave is a moving and magical adventure tale that takes readers on a thought-provoking, captivating journey. This is all thanks to the author, who hooks her readers from the start to the end.
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave is full of poignancy and suspense, and these two themes, combined with many others, are woven together flawlessly by the author Deborah Shining Star.
Literary Titan Book Review Review of Cassandra and the Crystal Cave –
Your book has received 5 out of 5 stars from our reviewer.
Young Cassandra struggles to find her place in the universe a girl on the cusp of womanhood. Considered a misfit, nature-lover Cass often finds herself at odds with her own family about caring for the natural world and the many creatures that inhabit it. But when a grim tragedy strikes, Cassandra is pulled into yet another world. It is in this new world she discovers her hidden powers at the brink of an infinite universe in need of her help. Finding numerous friends and allies, Cassandra must learn to conquer her hidden doubts and rise above the tragedy in order to heal a broken world with the most powerful force in creation.
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave by author Deborah Shining Star is a rich story full of overcoming the tragedies of life and discovering each person’s special purpose in our vast, endless universe. Cassandra, finding herself between worlds, encounters many trials and heart-wrenching tragedies in both her “normal” life and the world of the fantastical. Seldom have I encountered a book that weaves together the magical and mundane worlds so skillfully, spinning a complex narrative that pulls the reader into a place where anything is possible. Cassandra fights to understand herself, her family, and the meaning of sacrifice as she learns from many wise elders such as Grandmother Shining Stars.
Cassandra encounters mythical beings far and wide, from unicorns to star beings from another galaxy. And in Cassandra’s fabulous journeys, the common themes of love, forgiveness, healing, and hope are present on every page of this beautifully crafted tale. At the end of it, all, balance, harmony, and understanding of our place in the universe may be the key to everything.
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave is an excellent coming-of-age fantasy adventure. This book wraps up nicely and is good as a stand-alone adventure but leaves plenty of potential for other stories in the future. Perfect for all those who love a beautiful fantasy world where not even the sky is the limit.
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave is a ticket for your soul to take flight with a young girl who must come to terms with much grief and loss. Cass is a relatable character with the dreams of flight and freedom to which we all aspire.
Deborah’s descriptions and prose weave a spell upon her reader, ensuring that your heart is bound to Cass and her family. Don’t hesitate; get your copy now! Deborah has saved you a seat on a journey I promise your soul needs to experience.
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave is a page-turner, with Deborah’s very informative and magical descriptions throughout the book. As Cassandra engages her initiations as a Shamanic Priestess of Light, she is mentored by Grandmother Shining Stars through sacred ceremonies and the great mysteries of the Universe. When Cass is severely tested while recovering from personal and family trauma, Grandmother counsels Cassandra, “We know Love is the most potent and creative energy of the Universe. No matter what happens, focus on the power of Love.”
I loved this book! It’s what the world needs right now!
About the Artist for the Book Cover
Kimberly Webber
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave cover art is based on the original oil painting, Summoning Powers, with the permission of the artist Kimberly Webber of Taos, New Mexico, USA. Webber creates her stunning Contemporary Symbolist works with a fusion of classic Eastern and Western techniques. Her large-scale paintings embody the frequencies of spirit animals, divine feminine archetypes, sacred geometry, and mandalas.
The artist creates luminosity and depth in her work by layering rice paper, earth pigments, and pure crushed minerals such as lapis, Egyptian azurite, mica, malachite, and metals such as copper and gold. Through this meditative process, each painting becomes an alchemical transmission…a portal…a prayer to empower the innate heart intelligence of the viewer and the planet.
Fifty-three of Kimberly Webber’s archetypal paintings are featured in the Priestess of Light oracle deck with Guidebook interpretations by acclaimed oracle creator and New York Times bestselling author Sandra Anne Taylor. (Deck published by Hay House in 2021.)
Kimberly Webber’s work is included in collections around the world. To learn more about the artist, her original paintings, and museum-quality prints visit these website links:
www.kimberlywebber.com www.untitledfineartgallery.com
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