Dane Winter has never, ever been afraid of the dark. As the richest kid in Winterville, he lives in a mansion, owns tons of gadgets, and gets a hefty allowance. In fact, he has everything a twelve-year-old boy could want, except his freedom. Born with a rare sun allergy, Dane is forced to spend his days in the gloom of Winter Mansion, hiding from deadly UV rays, until his parents give him a solar protection suit that changes his life. Using this new gift, Dane explores the town his ancestors built, but he soon finds that all is not well with Winterville. The Mad Dogs are on the move, and they're planning their biggest caper yet. To stop them, Dane teams up with his klutzy gal pal, Jinx Bellamy, to resurrect their childhood duo of Doom & Gloom, except saving the day is a whole lot harder when the bad guys are real. Full of sci-fi fun and dazzling swordplay, Doom & Gloom delivers for action/adventure lovers. "The story is well-written and engaging, with unexpected twists and a lot of suspense. I got sucked into the story from the beginning of chapter 1, and it kept my attention until the very last page. This novel read like a traditionally published book. I'm impressed!" **five stars** - Annie McMahon (Dutch Hill News) "Dane (the 6th) is a great character. I like him a lot. He's got guts, a lot of money, and a nice home, but he has problems he has to overcome." **5 out of 5 book worms** - Erik the Great (This Kid Reviews Books) "Doom & Gloom is a fresh and original story that takes creativity to a new level. Dane's gadgets are one of my favorite aspects of the story, his super suit, dart wielding umbrella, and robot attack dogs are inventive. I highly recommend picking up a copy of Doom & Gloom." **recommended read** - Stacie Theis (BeachBoundBooks) "...there's a really great twist at the end...This story is written with action, adventure, and good humor throughout, and is a great read for children of any ages (including the middle-aged mom set)." **recommended read** - KC Maguire, author "I loved all the setbacks that Dane had to address and the creative way he followed them. Though as a parent, my hair stood on end at the rebellious streak or the attraction to danger, I appreciated the kid point of view and the dawning awareness that his parents were humans with faults." **four stars** - Kate Policani, Compulsively Writing Reviews While this book is a work of fiction, the main character suffers from a real life disease: xeroderma pigmentosum (XP). Those born with it must take great care to stay out of the sun because UV exposure causes catastrophic damage to their skin. When I first decided to write about a "real life" superhero, I knew I needed to give Dane (the main character) a "real life" problem to overcome, and XP fit him perfectly. Monica Shaughnessy draws on her experience as a lifelong Texan by creating characters larger than the Lone Star State. Her works span multiple genres, including adult mystery/suspense, YA, middle grade, and picture book, but they all carry her signature offbeat style. If you're looking for something outside the mainstream, you'll find it in her work. When she's not slaying adverbs and polishing prose, she's either hanging out with her rescue dogs or stargazing in her backyard.