Wednesday, December 5, 2007

The Dragon Clan Trilogy by Theresa Chaze


The Dragon Clan Trilogy actually started as a short story about a woman buying a house. In Awakening the Dragon (978-0-9798406-0-9), the initial premise was that Wiccans and Pagans experience discrimination when it comes to some living and working situations. However, Kevin suddenly rode up on his horse and the romantic connection between him and Rachael expanded the story beyond the six pages and suddenly the history of the home turned it into a novel. Their interest in each other is not only smoldering passion, but also is sparked by their common spiritual path and the secrets they are trying to hide; however, both their past issues and threats from others impede the relationship. Neither of them feel it is safe to drop their guard long enough to allow the other within their inner circle.

Kevin has been living a lie that has been destroying him from the inside out. He knows his mother murdered his grandmother, but his love for her and the promises he has made has forced him to be silent. He is never sure if it was his mother’s greed or her bigotry that pushed his grandmother down the stairs. However, it was her greed that had been motivating her since then. His father’s sudden death was listed as a suicide. Yet the message in his father’s note and his mother’s attempt to destroy it brought that into question. He can only admit the truth of his life when the alcohol has numbed his inner censors, allowing him to face the secrets he has been forced to keep. It is on one of these nights that he prays to the Goddesses for justice for his murdered grandmother and his father’s death. He didn’t think he was heard, but he was and a series of events was set into motion, which brought Rachael to Coyote Springs. Only he doesn't see that his prayers are being answered; instead, he reaches back to his own soul's history to find the dark magic he needs to create the justice he seeks.

Rachael threw a dart to find a place to open her New Age bookstore where she could also make a difference. The dart landed on Coyote Springs, which was too close to her family home. Although she attempted to rig the results, the dart kept finding the same mark. She wasn’t comfortable living so close to her unhappy childhood, but she accepted the Goddess’s will and moved her furkids to the small Northern Michigan town. She found the store space, but was having difficulty finding a home until a reluctant real estate agent showed her a country cottage. Although the cottage had locked itself down since the murder of Kevin's grandmother, it opens it's doors to Rachael. By agreeing to move into the cottage, Rachael not only makes herself another target of the fanatical cult but also becomes the catalyst in exposing the murderer. In order to save herself and her loved ones, she is forced to awaken her dragon spirit prematurely. Only she has no way of know if she can control the sudden rush of power or if her attempt to protect all she loves will consume her from the inside out.

When I finished Awakening the Dragon, I realized there was more story to be told and the Trilogy was created. Dragon Domain (978-0-9798406-1-6) centers around a spiritual retreat several miles down the road. It was created by Cheyenne with the help of her two spirit sisters, Celeste and Jane. They had created a safe, peace place for others to learn and grow spiritually until an old love finds Celeste. Dominic arrives unexpectedly and suddenly dark magic surrounds the farm. Cheyenne tries to warn the others. Celeste's passion for Dominic deafens her to the warnings and she once again turns to the dark path.

Cheyenne’s first memories were of Celeste finding her in the desert. Beaten and left for dead, she had lost the memories of her first four years of life. Ignoring her family's wishes, Celeste nursed her back to health and took her from the Mesa. For over twenty years, Celeste kept them moving. She refused to settle in one place for more than a short period of time. She would never say why. Celeste became her mother and her teacher, until the Mother Dragon came to Cheyenne and awakened her dragon spirit. By choosing the Dragon path over Celeste's, Cheyenne caused a rift between them that was never addressed, so it was never be able to be healed. Yet Cheyenne longed for a home--a place where she could nest and safely explore her spirituality. When they came to Coyote Springs, she knew she had found what she was looking for and she refused to leave. The rift between her and Celeste widen enough for the evil to come between the two of them.

All Celeste wanted from her life was a home, family, and a man who loved her. She never thought it was too much to ask. Yet she could never seem to find someone who loved her unconditionally until she met Dominic. He gave her permission to give in to all her passions. He loved all of her the good, bad, and the ugly without judgment. Yet her family named him evil and tried to keep him from her. By lying to them both, Celeste's family separated them and once again gained control over her, but they only succeeded in banking the dark coals that burned within her. They waited dormant, waiting for Dominic to return to her life. He found her and fanned the flames back into life. Greedy for power, he exploited her buried resentments and turned her love for Cheyenne into hatred.

For the first 30 years of her life, Jane did what was expected of her. She followed the path of least resistance, but instead of finding happiness, she only felt lonely and empty. When she met Celeste and Cheyenne, they awakened her psychic abilities and the missing piece slipped into place. For the first time in her life, she was complete; there were no longer empty rooms in her heart. She felt connected and important to others. Celeste and Cheyenne gave her a sense of family. Yet there was always the inner doubt that it wasn’t real and she wasn’t worthy of these wonderful blessings. After Dominic arrived, it all started to slip away. She denied it until it was too late to stop the spreading evil, which sought to steal their souls.

The Return of the Dragon Tribe is the third in the trilogy. What Rachael initiates by coming to Coyote Springs, Cheyenne and others nurture until the rest of the tribe convenes and an old karmic debt comes due. The Dragon Clan Trilogy is filled with magic, romance, suspense, and karmic justice as a tale of horror and betrayal unwinds until at last the truth is reveal and the scales are again balanced.

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4 comments:

Rebecca said...

Theresa,
I wish your success on your virtual book tour.

Jim Melvin said...

Theresa:

Sounds like you pulled a Stephen King, turning a brief concept into something large and alarming. The plot sounds as good as one of his, too!

Theresa Chaze said...

Cheryl,
Thank you for hosting me.
Theresa

Cheryl said...

You're welcome. I love getting to know more about everyone.

Best of luck with the tour.

Cheryl