Debut Middle Grade Novel

Josh
Melzer

Author of Revel and the Lava Crusher

A cinematic middle grade adventure set in Gearford, a city built on racing, where a twelve-year-old discovers a legendary buried monster truck and gets pulled into a secret world beneath the streets.

About the Book Contact
Revel and the Lava Crusher book cover
Book 1 of a Series

The Book

Revel and the Lava Crusher

Twelve-year-old Revel Morgan has been training his whole life for the day he can race for real. In Gearford, a city obsessed with racing, kids do not get behind the wheel of a real monster truck until they turn thirteen. Revel is not thirteen yet.

When a restless ride beyond his usual trails leads him to a massive truck buried in a canyon, he climbs in, turns the key, and nothing is simple after that. Lava Crusher pulls Revel into a secret world beneath Gearford: a hidden circuit packed with twisting tracks, ghost racers, and dangers that do not follow any rules.

The Skeleton King, a legend Gearford kids grow up half-believing and half-dismissing, is real, ruthless, and hunting the Flame Crystal, an ancient energy source buried beneath the city. If he gets it, Gearford stops being a city. It becomes his racetrack.

With his twin sister Rylie and a misfit crew, Revel has to race the surface circuit, survive what is beneath it, and get to the finish line before the Skeleton King does.

Age Range
8 to 13
Genre
MG Fantasy Adventure
Status
Complete

The Crew

Revel
Twelve-year-old racer in training. Brave, restless, and not yet old enough to race officially.
Rylie
Revel's twin sister. Builds her own monster truck in secret. Smarter than anyone gives her credit for.
Flicker
A feisty fireball creature and guardian of the Flame Crystal. The first to find Revel underground.
Boom
A chaos-loving cannonball with zero fear and maximum enthusiasm. Everything is his best day ever.
Nutty
A gadget-obsessed squirrel engineer. Has a tool for every situation, usually one she built herself.
The Skeleton King
A legend that turned out to be real. Rules the Underground Circuit. Wants the Flame Crystal at any cost.

About the Author

Josh Melzer is a marketing executive with twenty years of experience in brand storytelling and creative strategy. His career has focused on shaping narratives that resonate with audiences, and that passion naturally evolved into writing fiction for young readers.

Revel and the Lava Crusher is his debut middle grade novel and the first in a planned series. As a gay father of twins, Revel and Rylie, this story began as bedtime adventures told to his son and took on a life of its own. What started as simple stories to spark imagination evolved into a fully realized world filled with mystery, adventure, and high-energy racing.

Josh lives in Boca Raton, Florida, and continues to develop new stories for the series while balancing family life, work, and creative projects.

Contact

Get in Touch

For media inquiries, school visits, or general questions, reach out directly.

joshmelzer@gmail.com
For literary agents and publishers: The manuscript for Revel and the Lava Crusher is complete and available upon request. This is the first book in a planned series. Please reach out via email with any questions.