Dead Moon Awakens: A tale of Cherokee myth and Celtic magic (Mystic Gates) (23 page)

There was little conversation on their drive back
to Herald Home that evening. Redhawk had promised Lance he would do whatever he
could to foster him, but had not uttered a word to Aishling.

By the time they reached Herald Home, she ached
all over from sitting so tensely. Her hands were sweaty. Her throat, dry.
Anticipation choked her, and she had to keep reminding herself to breathe.

Redhawk parked in front of the administration
offices. He paused, gripped the steering wheel, and looked directly at her.
“Before you two get out, you must tell me the truth.”

Aishling shuddered from his piercing eyes.

“Did you find the
Ulunsuti
?”

She glanced at Lance as he shook his head and
said, “No, sir. I don’t remember much, but, no.”

He doesn’t remember
? Her breath formed a
knot in her throat.

She gathered all her will and stared into
Redhawk’s eyes. “No, Redhawk, we didn’t find it.”

It found me.

“Under a waxing moon
—
when dead moon
awakens
—
Goddess becomes maiden swelling with light. This is the time of
the Mystic East Gate
…
a time when the magick of Goddess revives. This
is the time for new beginnings, new friendships, new powers
…
a time
when a shattered soul may be reborn.”

—
The
Book of Gates

Thank you for reading
Dead Moon Awakens
. I
hope you enjoyed your reading experience.

If you have any comments or would like to get in
touch with me, my email address is:

If you did enjoy reading Book One of the
Mystic
Gates
Series
, please spread the word to family and
friends. (Favorable reviews are great for getting the word out, too. Please
take time to write a short, one or two sentence review. It doesn’t have to be
long; but, readers appreciate reviews. Thank you!)

The
Mystic Gates
story continues in
Book Two
Smothered by Light
. Check my website often for upcoming
previews of Book Two
and
for other
Mystic
Gates
Extras
—like the continually updated series’ “Glossary and Pronunciation
Guide” and “Aishling’s World.” You can reach my website at:

A hearty “thank you” to the oodles of wonderful
authors and wise teachers who I’ve never met but whose books and articles have
shaped my every step in creating and writing this book. There are too many of
you to name, but you can be sure I will recommend your books and articles
whenever possible. Another hearty “thank you” to my readers. Not only do I
write for me, I write for you.

And now to specifics: Thank you Mary C. Ryan of
the Institute of Children’s Literature for helping me early-on shape my book
and edit my pile of …stuff… into a book. Thanks to Susan Chang of Tor Teen who
kick-started me into even more
serious
editing; your fifteen minute first
pages critique made a tremendous difference in my book! A thank you to someone
I’ve never had contact with, Chris Roerden, whose book
Don’t Sabotage Your
Submission: Save Your Manuscript from Turning up D.O.A.
helped me carry out
that recommended
serious
editing.

Many thanks to the Institute of Children’s
Literature and to the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators for
providing invaluable learning and networking experiences.

Thanks to Kathleen for reading my first draft and
consulting with me regarding Wiccan beliefs. Thanks to Linda Aksomitis for her
great course on how to publish and sell eBooks.

To my
special
friends: (Yes, they know who
they are.) Thank you for your eternal guidance, support, and friendship.

And to my wonderful husband, Bill, a “thank you” is
not enough. Without you, honey, this dream wouldn’t have happened.

Teresa Joyce Jackson was born on Beltaine in the
year of the Dragon. A lifelong explorer of the paranormal and supernatural, she
believes magical, mystical events play before us all the time.

She lives in the deliciously gorgeous mountains of
Western North Carolina surrounded by trees—wonderful, wonderful trees—with her
husband,
senior
cat, and rescued Border collie.

By the way, her stories are whispered to her through
the trees.

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