HEARTS AND STONES - Robin D. Owens
Stories of Celta
A Perfect 10
Robin D. Owens, Publisher
ISBN-10: 978-1-1951612-03-0 (ebook)
ISBN: 978-1-951612-04-7 (print book)
June 2020

Fantasy

Earth and Celta

PASSAGE THROUGH STONE

Colorado Area, UStates Middle Region, Earth

Levona Martinez is a psi mutant who has been hiding in the mountains since the death of her parents two years ago. She had escaped the psi ghetto and now, with her telepathic cat Pizi, is headed back to the city after seeing a great spaceship headed there. The spaceship means that people, psi mutants, are hoping to escape this planet and find another to settle. For Levona, this is the answer to her prayers, and she hopes to get a berth for her and Pizi on the ship. But that will prove to be easier said than done. The ship is fully booked, even the cryogenic tubes, so it will take a miracle for Levona to get aboard.

A brave, fearless, intelligent young woman, Levona is determined not to be left behind. What will she have to do to accomplish that?

HOMING STONE

380 Years After Earth Starship Colonization of Celta, Druida City

Rand Ash meets Holm Holly

Rand Ash lives in the slums of Downwind, even though he is from an original colonists' family, works a small forge and gets by. When he meets with Holm Holly, heir of a FirstFamily, they team up to fight off attackers in a local bar. Holm is unaware of Rand's family background, and both young men agree to meet the next night as Holm must go through his SecondPassage death duels. To Rand's shock, he realizes this has set off his own SecondPassage. His need for revenge on the Rue Family for killing his parents and brothers and destroying the T'Ash Residence, and claiming all of the Ashes' land and money, rumbles to the surface. His FamCat, Zanth, accompanies him as Rand goes to meet Holm. What happens will set the tone for the future of both young men.

FRACTURED STONE

Gael City, Celta, 403 Years after Colonization

Holm Holly, now Holm Apple after being disinherited by his parents, has left Druida City for Gael City to live with his HeartMate, Lark, and their FamCats. With some financial help from Lark, Holm has rented a building where he is opening a fencing and fighting salon. It has been a harsh few month since the split with his powerful family, and, if not for Lark, Holm doesn't know how he would be able to cope with starting a new life. His worries about his future, his grief, and the plain shock of his father's action have left Holm doubting himself. And now he must somehow find the gilt to finance this new business, and hope his experience at his uncle's salon is enough to keep the gilt coming in. Holm hates to rely on Lark's income, even though she is not bothered at all by it. Will he be able to gather enough clients to give both he and Lark a comfortable future?

HIDDEN STONE

Druida City, Celta, 421 Years After Colonization

Garrett Primross Is barely able to make ends meet as a private investigator. He will soon be unable to pay the rent on his building unless someone walks in the door with a very big investigative need. So, when a shabby black cat arrives and makes him an offer, Garrett is not too excited. Black Cat Two is a Familar Animal Companion who is exceptionally well spoken. He reveals that he is representing Black Pierre, the FamCat of the T'Hawthorn Residence, and Garrett is suddenly interested. He and Black Cat Two head to the residence where he also meets a young calico cat who escorts him to Black Pierre, who now resides with the chef. Black Pierre is furious because he has been accused by the Residence and staff of stealing Hawthorn items. He wants Garrett to find out who stole them. However, GreatLord T'Hawthorn appears on the scene, and he, too, wants to know where the stolen items are. His staff and the Residence refuse to tell him anything. Much to Garrett's surprise, the GreatLord, Laev, hires him, immediately transferring a large sum of gilt to Garrett's bank account Now to find the items and the culprit.

HEARTSTONES

Druida City, 424 Years After Colonization

The old house is lonely after losing the last of its inhabitants. A long-forgotten memory brings up words that come from the walls "If I am debris, then you must be detritus". The house isn't sure what that means, but maybe that's its name. So, when a weary, sickly, mostly blind man enters the house looking for a stolen brooch dropped by a thief, the house has hopes. Zane Aster can barely walk, his back is aching badly, and yet if he can find the brooch, he might be able to collect the reward from the FirstFamily it was stolen from. Inside the old house, Zane knows the jewel is, indeed, there, he can feel the magical powers it holds. Meanwhile, Debris and Detritus realizes that a being is here, and the house feels something it can't explain when that being falls and is quiet - could it be concern? Will these two sentient beings discover something about themselves?

STONE IN ZANTH'S PAW

Ash Family Beach Estate, Druida City, 426 Years After Colonization

The top FamCat of the Planet Celta, Zanth is not pleased that he has work to do on a beautiful summer day. Especially that he must escort two silly turtles to the seaside to meet their Mother Turtle, Swift-In-The-Sea. The turtle girls are so excited that their mental comments are ringing in Zanth's ears. To make matters look even worse should anyone see Zanth, two of the housefluff bunnies accompanied them. Danith D'Ash, animal healer and one of Zanth's people, has cared for the two turtles for their mother, who does not like to deal with humans. Zanth gets the girls to the shoreline, where he runs into a pair of wolves with their pup who look to be starving and injured. Sending them back to the house for Danith's care, Zanth then finds himself being carried on the back of one of the turtles to a small sandbar where they'll meet their mother. Terrified of the ocean, but not wanting to show weakness, Zanth will have to convince one of the turtles or their mother to return him to shore. What has Zanth gotten himself into?

If you haven't read Robin D. Owens' Celta books, you have no idea what you're missing! Her amazing imagination, her incredibly human characters (yes, even the Fam animals!), and the detailed life on Celta have kept me mesmerized for years. There is plenty of humor, poignant stories, and romance to keep readers coming back for more. I loved this anthology, and confess that my favorite is PASSAGE THROUGH STONE, loving the strength and bravery of both Levona and Pizi. Check out Ms Owens' website for her list of books:  http://robindowens.com/?page_id=258

Jani Brooks