Sometimes our greatest moments of enlightenment come from our worst mistakes. When life supplies eleven-year-old Tommy Grant with some unfavorable circumstances intruding on his otherwise tranquil life in rural 1980's Ohio, he retreats into the spell-binding Order of Cosmic Champions. When he discovers that the largely successful animated program and toy line is holding a nationwide ''Create-A-Character'' contest where applicants submit their action figure designs, Tommy knows he has to enter as surely as he knows his own name. But when Tommy's character design fails to win the contest, he finds his world crumbling from all sides. And there is only one way he knows to fix it. What follows is a whirlwind coming-of-age adventure of righting wrongs, overcoming perilous obstacles, confronting our inner demons, and challenging the limits of reality. In this waxing nostalgic and imaginative fantasy, readers will discover what excitement lies waiting when you take risks and conquer your fears. Only one question remains: In the final hour when you heed the call, the courage to give your all, will you stand or fall? "[Tommy] learns that sometimes you have to take chances . . . you can't let fear dominate you. And I think that's a great message, because that is the creed that I live by. I give Tommy and the Order of Cosmic Champions two thumbs up. I think it's a fantastical, exciting, and interesting read." - Corey Feldman, American actor and singer best known for starring in The Goonies , Gremlins , and Stand By Me . "These guys have done a great job putting this book together . . . it's really a fantastic story. It's a really wonderful adventure story, with great life lessons and themes." - Anthony Michael Hall, American actor best known for his movies with John Hughes, which include the teen classics Sixteen Candles , The Breakfast Club , and Weird Science . " . . . any fans of the '80s out there . . . any fans of [The] Goonies and The NeverEnding Story . . . I think you're really going to like this book." - Joey Lawrence, American actor, musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and game show host. He is best known for his role as Joey Russo in Blossom and starring in Gimme A Break! "It was so, so sweet. It was such a heartwarming story and very relatable to people of all ages. I just love how Tommy comes to so many realizations and grows and learns through his own imagination . . . or is it?" - Nicole Eggert, American actor best known for her role as Jamie Powell on Charles in Charge and Summer Quinn on Baywatch . "Tommy stands like a hero as his world tumbles around him, much like the much-loved Harry Potter in his magical fantasy series of stories. Powerful and effective. Well done!" - Reader's Favorite " Tommy and the Order of Cosmic Champions is a challenging but rewarding heartwarming coming-of-age novel." - The Children's Book Review "...a well-told coming-of-age story within a shiny wrapping of the 1980s nostalgia." - IndieReader "An earnest, entertaining tale of adolescence and fantasy fandom." - Kirkus Reviews "This exciting fantasy is filled with fun 8-bit era pop culture references, spot-on comic dialogue perfect for kids, and plenty of thought-provoking morals that will engage readers of all ages." - Publishers Weekly/BookLife (Editor's Pick) About Anthony J. Rapino: Tony R. resides in Northeastern Pennsylvania with his cats Luna and Poe. When he's not writing speculative fiction, Anthony can be found in the classroom teaching English or crouched in dark alleyways sculpting horrific autumnal creatures out of clay. His work has appeared in On Spec, Acapella Zoo, Black Ink Horror, Madhouse, Liminal Spaces , and others. His novel, Soundtrack to the End of the World , and story collection, Greetings from Moon Hill , are both available now.   About Anthony D. Grate Tony G. lived through the '80s, from ages six to sixteen, by surviving on steady doses of Masters of the Universe, Kool-Aid that he put way too much sugar in, and BarNones. Occasionally he put pencil to paper and created comic strips to entertain his friends. He dreamed of one day working for Marvel or DC. Once out of college, however, he found himself selling furniture. Life sure is funny. After a few failed attempts to use a new thing called ''the internet'' to find a nice lady to share life with, a nice lady found him. They married and soon found themselves raising four children together. Meanwhile, in his spare time, Anthony tried desperately to appease the creative spirit dwelling within him. Comic strips, websites, books, board games, interactive online games . . . you name it, he probably gave it a shot. Nowadays, Anthony juggles the responsibilities of a husband, father, business owner, and creator pretty well--or at least he thinks so. He lives in the same quiet corner of Ohio that he always has, with no plans of changing that. The guy's not much for change, which is probably