When politics and piety collide, the conflgration destroys a mighty nation and imperils the world. Lt. Helen Andros is an illegitimate, presumed orphaned physician with a gift for healing. She always wears about her neck a green gemstone with hidden potentials she recived from her mother. Helen is also a despised half-breed: her mother was a Turanian and her father an unknown Toltec. The medical officer for the 163rd Regiment, Helen is secretly in love with her commanding officer, Colonel Jackson Orlando, who returns her feelings but does not dare pursue her. Helen goes on a holiday visit to the Andros farm, where she encounters Lord Justin Atlas, a second cousin and a half-breed. A political crisis threatens when a state hostage becomes gravely ill. Lord James Mordecai, the Lord Protector, dispatches Orlando to fetch Helen to treat Prince Harnak. While she manages to save the hostage’s life, the Lord Protector reviews her service record and finds it disturbing. Seeing an image of Helen wearing the green stone, Lord James is shocked, and immediately suspects that she is his daughter. He gave that very same stone more than thirty years ago to his secret love: a Turanian woman named Miriam Andros. Agents of the Lord Chancellor, who for political considerations refused to provide the hostage with medical treatment, catch Helen unprotected inside Azgard's capital. A half-breed born in a foreign land, she is put on trial and sentenced to die. Lord James orders Orlando investigate Helen’s background, which yields a letter from Helen's presumed dead mother that names Lord James as her father. If he will acknowledge her publicly, he can save her life. Lord James; tough decision to acknowledge his daughter touches off a political firestorm between warring factions striving for control during the incapacity of the Exalted Lord, Kefren. It also leaves Lord James vulnerable to his political enemies. In a first strike, they make an unprecedented motion to remove Lord James from the Protectorship. The wily Consort, Lady Naomi, cajoles Prince Enoch, Lord Justin's father, into making public a proposed marriage between his son and Helen. The Consort suspects Prince Seti of poisoning Kefren, and wants Helen to examine and monitor Kefren in secret. Helen agrees to do it, although it will put her at risk of death again. Helen also sets out to devise a procedure to heal Lord Matthew Shinar, who was beaten severely after their friendship from their medical school days was exposed during her trial. Helen is not safe now that the powerful Temple knows about her. Nor is she happy. Not even wise counsel from Judith Altair, best friend of Helen's mother and an advisor to the powerful, can keep Helen and her father from clashing out of pain and fear instead of coming together in love and friendship. With help from Maguari the Mist-Weaver, Judith finally is able to call her long-dead friend to her in spirit. During a healing meditation, Judith learns about the vision of destruction and hope that impelled Miriam to bear a half-breed, and witnesses the green stone's power. Excerpt “Quickly, Consort Mother! We sail or we perish. Now!” Where mountains should stand tall only a mountainous wall of water hurtles toward us. The noon sky blackens; the ground groans and roils. I try to run. My legs cannot master the wild beast bucking beneath my feet. I stumble to my knees. The relentless harbinger of doom rolls on, drowning everything… *** Gasping, my hands at my throat, I snap upright in my bunk. For a while all I do is breathe, in and out, over and over, relieved to be taking in air. The nightmare again. Tears slide down my cheeks. I fumble for a light-stick and flick it on. The privilege of a private cabin cannot cheer me. It is a cell, jammed with a sleeping berth, a tiny desk, and one hard chair. My home for the time being is packed with things that are now useless, like the dead link on the tabletop close to my head. There is nothing to link to anymore; no one is at the other end or anywhere else, for that matter. The light-sticks may still work, yet they cannot be replaced. The secret to their fabrication died out in ages past. Will we who survive become as forgotten as the thoughtsmiths who forged these devices so long ago? I cannot stand even the thought of that prospect. I cannot bear it if those who come after this nightmare truly ends do not recall who and what preceded them. If they do not understand where and how we went wrong, they will repeat our fate, just as we now suffer the downfall our ancestors might have endured had it not been for Kronos the Deliverer. I surrender to despair, crumble into sobs. Damn you, Kronos! You did us no favor. You should have left the Toltecs to die. There was a good reason they were being hunted to extinction. “That is perilously close to what some might call blasphemy, Little Queen.” I shiver at the sound, reedy and echoing. In the gloom I can just make out the wall enclosing the foot of the bunk. It ripples and shimmers. A mist flows into the cabin and takes a stick-like shape. Soon the footless form floats before me, swathed in dark cowl and robe. Mercifully I cannot see the face or eyes. The voice is bad enough. “Since when did the Mist-Weavers care about blasphemy, Maguari? And how did you get here? We must be a hundred fathoms below sea level. Should I inform the captain we have a stowaway?” The cowl bobs from side to side. “I will not be staying long, Little Queen. And I have not the inclination to teach you fully about energy, so I cannot answer any of your questions.” My breath hisses through my teeth. He is so irritating. It is a strange blessing to feel annoyed rather than devastated. Maybe that is his intent. A disembodied smile pops into my mind. “I visit only to remind you that always there is hope, even in the darkest hour. Beyond destruction, life prevails. That is the way of energy.” I am reduced to sniveling. “Did the green stone bring this about? Did we use it unwisely?” The cowl swishes again. “No and no, Little Queen. The stone’s only power is to focus and direct energy. The choices made by spirits exercising their free will brought you to this place.” I choke back more tears. “No one will remember us, Maguari. We will be forgotten and lost.” He lifts one of his arms toward me. “Not so, Little Queen. You must tell the story of the Toltecs—and the Turanians. Through you and your words those who are born into humankind in later years will remember. You will stir their soul memories.” “I can’t do it, Maguari. Where do I even begin? The full story is so much bigger than I am.” “Yes, you can. Start with your dearest friend, the child of Kronos-Thunderhand. She inspired you to the greatness that helped you save from total annihilation those who chose to pay heed to your warnings.” He refers to Helen Andros, the great-grandmother of my own granddaughter. “She married the only man I ever loved, Maguari. I probably should have hated her.” He emits a strangled cackle, the Mist-Weaver equivalent of laughter. “Such pettiness of heart and spirit is not within you, Little Queen. I will leave you now to begin. I will not go far if you have need of me. Be at peace and relay the tale.” *** I find myself at the desk, in a seat that has no mercy on an old woman’s backside. I stare at my withered hands, at the primitive sheaf of wordskin before me. A Gridslate is also useless without the Grid. I will have to set this down the old- fashioned way. I quail again. Who am I to talk about the destinies of nations and of worlds? I am Lady Mary Atlas. I was once Consort of Azgard, heretofore the richest, most powerful nation on earth. Is that enough? Does that give me the right to proceed? “If you do not have the right, then who does?” “Confound it, Maguari! Go away. I’ll do it.” Yes. I will write, although maybe not in peace. I will write to remember, no matter how painful. I will write lest those who follow forget our legacy, flawed as it may be, because they did not live it as I did. I will try to give the honor to Helen and our descendants that they richly deserve but so rarely received. I will present truth as I know it. It may not be the truth, whatever that might be; even so, it is my truth, and the truths of those who shared their experiences with me. May those who have passed beyond forgive my presumption in telling their story.

Professional Reviews
An Impressive Beginning (5 Stars)
The Toltecs dominated the island, narrow minded and set on power and domination their rule and their say so was law. They especially were against the Turanians, blue or green eyed people, their hatred ran deep for them, and there was a reason why although we are not fully aware of what it is in this first book of the series.

In the beginning of this read we meet Helen, a doctor in the service of the military, and one of great knowledge, but one that has little respect in the world she lives. Although few can deny her ability in healing; her independent rebellious nature causes anger in some and fear in others.

Helen Andros, daughter of Miriam Andros, a healer, is considered a half-breed, a beautiful woman with green eyes.. A woman who at the beginning of the read does not know who her father is, nor if her mother is alive or dead, after being sent away from her at a young age. The only thing she has is a necklace her mother gave her, one that has a green stone. This stone was given to her mother by Helen's father years ago, and has healing and protective powers, although Helen is not aware of that fact.

Despite the dislike of Helen, her abilities as a physician cannot be denied, and when the Prince falls ill, she is secretly ushered to his side. During this time she is arrested for entering the city without permission and her life begins to change due to one man, Lord Mordecai.

Lord Mordecai holds the title of Lord Protector and is respected among his people, but seeing the green stone that is now the property of Helen and her striking resemblance to her mother he knows she must surely be his daughter. Although he was never aware she existed. A confirmation is also given when a letter is read from Miriam naming him as the father.

A decision must be made by him; does he acknowledge that Helen is his daughter, for if he does it may well be the end of his career or even his life. Yet, he is a man of honor and the love that he still holds for Miriam spills over to his daughter and he saves her from certain death.

In this book you begin to taste the start of the supernatural; powers that some seem to have yet also seem to be hidden. You are given the knowledge that people of different civilizations that are at odds with one another will soon have their lives altered, although you are not sure how; but you realize that good is desperately trying to override the evil that is present.

I believe this first book is to introduce you to all the characters, their position in the series and their relationship one to another. The author includes a glossary of who's who at the end of the book, and also information of the different areas you will be reading about. This is a great help, because the story is complex and the characters and locations can be confusing, however they all are needed and flow together to begin a somewhat mystic tale.

Did you ever see a movie that has several parts and you have to wait until the next night to see what is going to happen? You sigh, because you say within yourself, " Oh it was just getting good!" that is how I felt when this work ended. The groundwork being laid, the author begins to uncover some secrets, but the answers await you in book two.

Those who love deep intricate stories, full of mystery and action, dripping with power struggles and battles for dominion, this work is for you. Just what is the secret behind the "Green Stone," that Helen wears proudly around her neck? What is the history of this stone; and how will this effect an entire civilization? The answers are in the future.

Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
Midwest Book Review

evalu8.org Review (4 Stars)
There must be legions of writers out there who read Dune and Lord of the Rings as children (and Harry Potter as adults) who said to themselves: "Hey, I can write a complex multi-volume story peopled with exotic, well-drawn characters and an air of magic and healing."

And though C.L. Talmadge actually achieves this end with a fascinating first-of-a-series book called The Vision: Green Stone of Healing Book One, as I sit here reviewing it, I wonder why I cannot bring myself to give it a full five stars.

Certainly, it's a gripping page-turner, and the characters are well-drawn and convincing. The story is compelling and quite captivating. So perhaps my reluctance stems from the fact that the book has an undercurrent of proselytizing. Not that the message inherent in Talmadge's work is offensive in any way; quite the contrary, who in the 21st Century can argue with the notion of a link between spirituality, energy and healing? But I still have the sneaking feeling that this book, which I plan to pass along to a number of like-minded friends, will not be for every reader.

So let me hasten to add that though I'm marking it down (very slightly) in evalu8.org's rating system, my criteria for doing so have nothing to do with the calibre and content of the book -- both of which (in my view) are top-notch.

Talmadge herself is an elusive and fascinating character, who has been writing professionally since 1976 for esteemed publications like The New York Times.

Less than three months after she began writing her fantasy series, author C.L. Talmadge knew without equivocation that she was chronicling a life she had lived before -- and that some of her main characters would return to earth to pursue unfinished business. "I woke up one morning in October of 1998 with the horrendous memory of a trauma suffered by Helen Andros," she says. "I was devastated and deeply depressed without any immediate cause or corresponding event from earlier in my life. My emotions were so profound and painful that I realized this went way beyond trying to imagine how a character in a book might feel or behave. I was literally in Helen Andros' tragic shoes because I was -- and still am -- Helen Andros."

Since she was a child, the author has always been open to the possibility of past lives. In 1986, her attitude transformed to deep conviction as a result of profound emotional and spiritual healing experiences that involved other lives she has lived. This life-altering healing was possible through an alternative method that helps bring about emotional and spiritual resolution within the energy field of human consciousness. That same approach, called Sunan therapy, helped the author resolve Helen's pain and shame.

C.L. says reincarnation is a fairly frequent theme of genre novels. In most fictional treatments of past lives, characters learn that a previous existence has an unsavory influence over them and their relationships in the present, and much of the book's action involves their search for resolution.

Although the initial books include that approach, Green Stone of Healing™ offers a unique twist. As the series progresses through four generations, dead characters return as different people still struggling to resolve their issues. Souls mates and dear friends, heroes and villains meet again, but the outcome is by no means happy, even if the feelings between them do not change. How do they know each other? By intuitively detecting soul energy, or kura, which does not alter from physical lifetime to lifetime. "Like the existence of God, it's impossible to 'prove' reincarnation to the conscious mind," C.L. points out. "The only clue to the validity of a past life is how your re-experience of it resonates with you emotionally and spiritually."

The tragic life and flawed character of Helen Andros resonate at a very deep level for the author.

Equally compelling is the powerful impact that the process of writing the Green Stone of Healing™ series has had on the author's partner, Jana L. Simons (Judith Altair), and their mutual friend, Susanne M. Doucet (Miriam Andros).

"No one wants to be forgotten," the author says. "It's the basis for fascination with genealogy and the rising interest in preserving family memories in scrapbooks that have developed over the past two decades. The effort to make a difference (and thus not be forgotten) drives many lives. It certainly drove Helen's life and it's what drives my life today, although in a far different, happier direction."

These days C.L. aims to make a difference by stirring readers' soul memories with the story of the Green Stone of Healing™. "This series is really one long look at the true meaning of free will and personal responsibility," the author says. "Outside of the language of traditional religion, I am exploring our connection to God, to each other, and to ourselves. Like Book One's heroine, most of us feel a sense of alienation from God, from others, and most important, from ourselves.

"The question then becomes, what causes this separation? Western religions traditionally ascribe the cause to 'sinful' human nature. My series argues for a different explanation -- one that is tied to healing at the deepest levels of self -- just as it posits a different definition for evil."

Anne Garber
Managing Director
evalu8.org

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