The Traveling Jessie Barstow — cover art: a girl runs across a black-sand shore toward a glowing portal.
A Portal-Fantasy Adventure

The Traveling
Jessie Barstow

"One special girl. One power-hungry queen. One chance to save all of magic."

The Story

Jessie Barstow is a mostly ordinary girl with an extraordinary gift. She possesses the ability to travel to other worlds at will. It's a gift for which she's being hunted by sinister forces.

When she vanishes from her world and reappears in another, Jessie hopes that she's in the clear, but that won't stop the power-hungry sorceress, Demora, chasing Jessie down to get the girl's power for her own.

With the help of Martin, a down-on-his-luck magician who hasn't believed in real magic in a long time, Jessie races across strange and wondrous worlds toward the Source of All Magic itself where she'll decide the fate of every world, including her own.

"Do you believe in magic?"

Read the Opening

The first pages of Chapter One — "Jessie in the Box."

Jessie Barstow burst through the door of The Magic Mart and slammed it shut behind her. The little silver bell hanging from a springy strip of metal chimed brightly as the door batted it back and forth.

Her face was flushed, and her breath came in great, panting gasps. She glanced around, looking for a place to hide among the colorful costumes and pre-packaged tricks lining the walls of the small store.

"Hey, careful with the door!" called a young man from behind the counter.

Jessie started at the sound of his voice and spun to face him. He didn't look like one of them, one of the things that was chasing her. They looked like people, but their eyes glowed like jack-o-lanterns, and their mouths had too many teeth.

"I need a place to hide! Fast!" she said.

The man stared for a second, then nodded toward the far wall. "There's a vanishing cabinet on the back wall. It has a secret panel. You can hide in there."

Read the Free Chapter-One PDF

Opens the full first chapter as a PDF — no email required.

Meet the Travelers

A gold compass rose, the emblem of Jessie the Traveler.

Jessie

The Traveler

An ordinary girl with an extraordinary gift, able to travel anywhere she wants at will. Brave in the face of terrible danger.

A gold top hat and magic wand, the emblem of Martin the Magician.

Martin

The Magician

A simple magic shop owner who gave up on the dream of real magic long ago. He must confront his past to face the future.

A gold crown, the emblem of Demora the Sorceress.

Demora

The Sorceress

A powerful queen determined to control the flow of magic. She seeks to right the wrongs from her childhood and bring back that which was taken from her.

About the Author

Matt Warnock is the author of The Traveling Jessie Barstow, his debut middle-grade fantasy novel. Matt is a lifelong resident of Illinois where he lives with his wife, children, and their dogs. When not writing, he enjoys hiking, gardening, and too many hobbies.

Visit the Author Site →
Available September 14, 2026

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