As the end of the World approaches, an ancient Druid soul must reawaken if Earth is to have a fighting chance. Emily Mayhall is having a lousy day on top of a god-awful year. Her mother is dead, her fiancé’s gone, she’s lost her job, and she barely survived a traumatic bankruptcy. That, plus a stalker—lunatic witch-turned-evangelist Shalane Carpenter—forced Emily to give up her swanky condo for a walk-up apartment in Venice Beach. Now, Emily is lying low, licking her wounds. But she just crashed into Shalane on the boardwalk. Her cash is running low. And come Friday, Emily will be out on the street. Then there’s the matter of a prophecy and a registered letter from Atlanta. Emily is sure its arrival triggered the dreams that now haunt her sleeping and waking hours – she is the druid priestess Awen, and time is running out. "This fast-paced action adventure urban fantasy begins in the modern city of Atlanta. It features a strong heroine who discovers a prophecy about her destiny, then embarks on an epic quest. She is aided along the way by mythical magical creatures, dragons and talking animal elders, mystical spiritualists and visionaries, and a sexy druid priest and his teenaged nephew. Together they take on paranormal and supernatural entities with dark powers. You’ll be enchanted by these unforgettable characters and the secret world hidden within our larger one. Come for the magic, myth, and lore. Stay for the witchy thrills." FROM BOOKLIFE REVIEWS: The first novel in Barré's Awen Trilogy introduces readers to a world where disaster is balanced on a razor's edge, secret societies wield great power, and the fantastical sinks its teeth into the real. Since the age of four, Emily (Hester) Mayhall has lived under a variety of different names, thanks to a custodial kidnapping by her mother. Now, bankrupt in a crumbling California, the former disaster specialist is on the verge of homelessness-until a well-timed conversation with an Atlanta attorney reveals that her father has been searching for her and now wants to see her. Emily makes a choice that carries her across the country into an otherworldly lifestyle filled with magic, myth, a hint of romance, and creatures of legend-and horror.A clear love of ancient belief shines throughout the novel, with Barré's attention to the smallest details of pagan rituals and Druidic worship, in particular, laying a solid foundation to build a story and series upon. Emily's journey from someone oblivious to a crucial member of an international Druidic order offers readers a delightful hint of wish fulfillment fantasy, immersing them in Emily's life and allowing them to see the world through her eyes.This strength may also be part of the story's weakness: the roller-coaster of events that sweeps Emily across a damaged country flies at blazing speed, dropping her in what is essentially a whole new world, complete with a family she'd all but forgotten and a magical legacy. Even seasoned readers of urban fantasy may find it difficult to suspend disbelief as the many fantastical elements-everything from Emily's mentorship with Shalane the famous spiritualist, to dragons, to the subplot about rise of the lizard people-clash together, diminishing the impact of each inventive idea. However, the polished, flowing prose delights, and Barré memorably evokes the very distant past as it's resurrected in contemporary times. Takeaway: A supernatural melange of mystical creatures, pagan rituals, and a world out of balance. Great for fans of: Steven A. McKay's The Druid Warrior , David A. Wells's Thinblade . Production grades Cover: A Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A- Marketing copy: A ~ Booklife Reviews O. J. Barré hails from the lushly forested, red-clay hills near Atlanta, Georgia. From birth, O.J. was a force of nature. Barefoot and freckled, headstrong and gifted, she was, and is, sensitive to a fault. Books became her refuge as a young child, allowing O.J. to escape her turbulent alcoholic home on adventures to untold places and times. Her daddy's mother was a Willoughby, making O. J. a direct descendant of William the Conqueror. Her Awen series is a love letter to that distant past. O. J. currently resides in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with her mixed Maine Coon cat Rambo. O. J. Barré hails from the lushly forested, red-clay hills near Atlanta, Georgia. From birth, O.J. was a force of nature. Barefoot and freckled, headstrong and gifted, she was, and is, sensitive to a fault. Books became her refuge as a young child, allowing O.J. to escape her turbulent alcoholic home on adventures to untold places and times. Her daddy's mother was a Willoughby, making O. J. a direct descendant of William the Conqueror. Her Awen series is a love letter to that distant past.