In the beginning, the Goddess danced the world into existence. Peace reigned for generations through matriarchal rule within the Minca, Dute, and Carroo tribes. But then one man’s lust for power destroyed this balance: Vestor assassinated his sister, Mother of the Minca tribe. His army ravaged the Dute and Carroo tribes. A once-idyllic world was thrust into war, famine, and despair.

Yet today, there is hope. Vestor’s niece, Cora, has a vision: if she can convince an emissary from each tribe to rendezvous at the Heart Stone, she can overthrow her evil uncle, take her rightful place as Mother Minca, and restore harmony.

But the Dutes have disappeared deep into their mountains. There are rumors that the Carroos are extinct. And Cora must move swiftly—lest Vestor learn that she’s pregnant with the Mincan heir.

Catherine Raphael grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts/metalsmithing. She worked as a jeweler in Pennsylvania for sixteen years, during which time she also traveled to Arizona to do construction work on Arcosanti, Paolo Soleri’s “City of the Future.” She is one of the founding mothers of the Women and Girls Foundation of Southwest Pennsylvania. She has served on the boards of the Ms. Foundation for Women and the Women Donors Network and volunteered with other progressive women’s rights organizations. In 2014, she attended a master class at Hedgebrook. The friendships she made there coalesced into the Roving Writers, her writing group. Pre-COVID, she was a regular attendee at the Iceland Writers Retreat in Reykjavik, Iceland. Her stories have won prizes in Writer Advice and the Ageless Authors competition, and her work has been short-listed in Women On Writing and long-listed in Bumble Bee. This is her first novel.