The Goddess and Martin Dayson

Defeated for re-election as governor, left by his wife of thirty years, living like a hermit in a tiny community in Oregon, Martin Dayson discovers a goddess. Or, rather, he digs up an ancient stone fertility icon buried in his garden, its presence as inexplicable as its meaning is obscure. As the statuette casts its spell over Dayson, another intruder upends his self-imposed isolation. A young woman, still in her teens, crosses his property nearly every day—and disappears into the forest before he can run outside to drive her off. Shy as a forest creature, bold as brass, Mattie lives in a dark, crumbling house with her deranged aunt, who casts a mysterious hold over her.
Each tormented by deeply-held secrets, Dayson and Mattie find a peculiar and healing love. While Dayson helps her find the courage to launch herself into the future, Mattie—and the stone icon—draw Dayson back into an engagement with life.
Told with empathy, humor and a touch of mysticism, “Martin Dayson” will cast its own spell over the reader.

Stephen Holgate has led a varied life. In addition to serving as a diplomat in American embassies overseas, he has: worked as a congressional staffer; acted with the national tour of an improvisational theater group; served as a crew member of a barge on the canals of France; and lived in a tent while working as a gardener in Malibu. His novel "Tangier" received the Silver Medal in Fiction from the Independent Publishers group and made Bookreaders ten-best list in the Indie Mystery/Suspense category. "Madagascar", met with similar critical success, receiving a coveted starred review from Publishers Weekly as well as another listing from Bookreaders among the ten best Mystery/Suspense novels of the year. Contact Stephen Holgate at: StephenHolgateWrite.com