Guest Spot with Author Marsha A. Moore

The Paired Lovers’ Jadestones 

by Marsha A. Moore 

The Enchanted Bookstore Legends are about Lyra McCauley, a woman destined to become one of five strong women in her family who possess unique magical abilities and serve as Scribes in Dragonspeir. The Scribes span a long history, dating from 1200 to present day. Each Scribe is expected to journey through Dragonspeir, both the good and evil factions, then draft a written account. Each book contains magic with vast implications.

Lyra was first introduced to Dragonspeir as a young girl, when she met the high sorcerer, Cullen Drake, through a gift of one of those enchanted books. Using its magic, he escorted her into the parallel world of Dragonspeir. Years later, she lost that volume and forgot the world and Cullen. These legends begin where he finds her again—she is thirty-five, standing in his enchanted bookstore, and Dragonspeir needs her.

When Lyra reopens that enchanted book, she confronts a series of quests where she is expected to save the good Alliance from destruction by the evil Black Dragon. While learning about her role, Lyra and Cullen fall in love. He is 220 years old and kept alive by Dragonspeir magic. Cullen will die if Dragonspeir is taken over by the evil faction…Lyra becomes the Scribe.

 When the couple comes to accept their love, they are presented with the rare paired lovers’ jadestones, the only set of those powerful stones in Dragonspeir.

I selected jade because of its mystical strengths and associations. Jade has long been revered as a symbol of love. In ancient China a prospective bride would present her betrothed a jade butterfly to seal their engagement. Likewise the bridegroom would give his sweetheart a gift of jade before their wedding. This gem is considered one of the most important symbols of purity and serenity. The ancient Chinese also felt that Jade helped to inspire the mind to make quick and precise decisions. The ancient trader would often hold this gem in the palm of his right hand while he engaged in business transactions. The strength and purity of the jade made it the right choice for a powerful magical tool.

The gems in my legends are mounted into two ornate brooches, male and female settings. The jadestones are capable of many magical operations through a single mechanism. The method of magic that the gems utilize is through concentrating the essence of love, embodying a sample of the actual love between a couple. The stones can be called upon to aid the pair when troubled or in danger, reflecting the exact quality of their love. The two brooches call to each other, so Lyra and Cullen may find each other if lost. They stones also bond their individual magic into a single unit while Lyra and Cullen remain in physical contact. He is the Imperial Sorcerer, the most powerful wizard in all of the Alliance, and she is the Scribe, having inherited vast powers from a lineage of four strong women. This combination of powers makes an extremely strong unit and proves invaluable in many dangerous situations. In both book one, Seeking a Scribe, and the next, Heritage Avenged, these lovers’ jadestones serve to save the life of one of the couple.

As their love deepens and Lyra’s powers grow in the second book, the gems have more uses, being able to store large quantities of energy. Her mastery of magical skills is necessary to unlock this additional ability of the jadestones. She relies upon them as a tool to help her save Cullen’s life, but in one horrific moment, Lyra’s jadestone is tricked from her. Her brooch could only be given as a gift to one she loves. It will not pass to a new owner any other way. She agonizes over how another man takes advantage of her to gain the brooch. She struggles to get it back, having to rely on everything she has—scribal powers and feminine wiles—to outsmart the thief. When she finally does, she is rewarded with answers to many of her deepest questions. There is much more to know about these wondrous lovers’ stones in Heritage Avenged.

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About the author: 

Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. Her creativity also spills into watercolor painting and drawing. After a move from Toledo to Tampa in 2008, she’s happily transforming into a Floridian, in love with the outdoors.

Crazy about cycling, she usually passes the 1,000 mile mark yearly. She is learning kayaking and already addicted. She’s been a yoga enthusiast for over a decade and that spiritual quest helps her explore the mystical side of fantasy. She never has enough days spent at the beach, usually scribbling away at new stories with toes wiggling in the sand.  Every day at the beach is magical!