Daughters of Ashby

Delaney desperately wants the admiration of her mother, "Blood Queen" Eilat, even if recognition means beheading a man. Now of age, she must assume her role as heiress of Clan Dodatrad, thrust into a world of fragile alliances. Clan Glitrós sees this warmongering clan as a filthy spot on the patchwork quilt of clans that knits the land of Ashby in a tentative peace. They warn Delaney that many mysteries surround her birth, and druids had a hand in it.With the help of her friends, Delaney digs into her clan's dark secrets, Eilat's bloody past, her brother's mysterious coven of druids, avaricious schemers at every turn, and a "ghost" in the dungeon who apparently knows the truth. She falls in love despite the tradition of arranged marriages, tries to balance explosive clan politics, battles forest bandits, competes in archery contests, and deals with the trials of womanhood in a medieval world.

I struggled to read as a child and was diagnosed with dyslexia at age nine. This did not stop my love for storytelling. I began to publish poetry when I was 11 and won a few writing contests in middle school and high school. I went on to major in English, worked as an editor for an e-zine, and I publish stories online, where I have over 7,000 followers. I use my online platform to mentor young writers in over a dozen countries.

I am a member of Portland Women Writers, Portland Writer's Group, and Washington County Writer's Workshop. I'm a musician, and I've played in everything from wild pep bands to formal orchestras. Music brought romance, and in 2005 I married my youth band sweetheart, Matt. Together, we invade pirate festivals and perform music around the Pacific Northwest.

My other interests include sailing, coin collecting, decorating my knee-length hair (do NOT tell me to cut it), playing with my cat, and randomly cackling in the kitchen as a "coffee mad scientist."

Find me at shadowstrider.net