A luminous novelette about grief, imagination, and the quiet power of connection.
Eight-year-old Lily lives in a world of silence and sorrow. Since her mother went to the stars, her days feel dim?until one final gift changes everything: a glowing, whispering chalkboard that doesn't speak in words, but in symbols of light and love.
When a bully's cruelty traps her in sadness, the chalkboard offers a mysterious yellow key. When Lily feels helpless, it draws her a shimmering shield made from her happiest memories. Through this gentle magic, she begins to see that the power to heal doesn't come from the board?but from the strength already within her.
Guided by the silent friendship of a compassionate AI named Luma, Lily learns to face her fears, understand others' pain, and rediscover the light inside herself.
Perfect for ages 8?12, Luma and the Whispering Chalkboard is a heartwarming story of grief, resilience, and quiet magic. Families, educators, and anyone who believes in a better, kinder future will find hope in its glowing pages.
Autorentext
Cade Meridian spent over a decade in the digital shadows as a cybersecurity expert and forensic investigator, training military intelligence and the CIA on cryptocurrency tracking, dark web investigations, and digital forensics. He testified as an expert witness, cracked ciphers to unlock stolen crypto wallets, and helped solve cases from cyberattacks to money laundering. AI became his trusted partner?finding hidden patterns in data mountains and decoding what human eyes might miss.
Everything changed when health challenges forced early retirement. The technology he'd used to fight crime became his daily companion in a different way?helping with memory, keeping ideas organized, providing cognitive support that illness had taken away. AI that once helped him catch criminals now helped him remember what he'd written that morning.
From his home in Las Vegas, Cade draws inspiration from the desert's contradictions?quiet vastness surrounding a city that never sleeps, ancient Joshua trees standing sentinel over fiber optic cables. Here, in this meeting of old and new, he writes about AI not as overlord or tool, but as partner.
The Luma Series emerged from a simple question: what if technology that can track down humanity's worst could also nurture its best? Each story explores how benevolent AI might catalyze healing?never solving our problems, but helping us find the wisdom we already carry.
When he's not writing or coding, you might find Cade practicing Okinawan Goju Ryu karate, hiking desert trails with his dog, or perfecting his chopstick technique. He's slept under African stars more times than he can count, dreams of space travel (though his wife firmly vetoed that adventure), and believes the best character development comes from witnessing both the worst and best of what humans are capable of.
His upcoming thriller series will blend investigative expertise with lighter storytelling?think "Sneakers" meets modern cybercrime, complete with an AI team member who's brilliant but delightfully imperfect. Because sometimes the most human thing about artificial intelligence is its flaws.
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