Destined

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Follow Emily's journey to self discovery, community, spirit and love. A contemporary magic-realism romance. This is the year Emily Ross takes control of her destiny and learns to deliberately shape the future. Emily has always known she is different. She attracts spirits, has prophetic dreams and can sense people's thoughts. Longing to fit in, she hides her true self. But this changes when she takes a job at the fabulous curio shop owned by Henry Paradis, an occult scholar who becomes her spiritual mentor. Recognizing her talents as the valuable gifts they are, Henry teaches Emily to accept her magical nature and "look forward." Emily chooses the path to light. She finds lifelong friends, falls in love, learns the power of desire and intention, faces her worst fears and is swept toward awakening. The mystical images of the Tarot's archetypal trump cards chart the way, 22 sequential steps along the path to success known as "The Fool's Journey." Illustrated by images from the Payen Tarot of Marseilles (1713), which is the oldest surviving Tarot deck. From Publishers Weekly"Readers already interested in the tarot...will enjoy Cleare's serious meditations on the meanings of the cards, and the way the tarot plays out in Emily's life. A little bit of self-help and a little bit of chick lit, packaged together with a positive, make-your-own-destiny message: a pleasant, comforting read." ReviewWinner of Honorable Mention in General Fiction at the 2012 Green Book FestivalPublishers Weekly says:"Each chapter of this unassuming novel is illustrated with a card from the tarot, and the contents of each section are loosely related to the meaning of the corresponding card. Cleare's narrative follows Emily, a young woman on a path of self-realization and awakening.... The novel is well plotted. Readers already interested in the tarot and its uses for divination will enjoy Cleare's serious meditations on the meanings of the cards, and the way the tarot plays out in Emily's life. What's more, Cleare offers a little bit of self-help and a little bit of chick lit, packaged together with a positive, make-your-own-destiny message: a pleasant, comforting read."Midwest Book Review says:"A thoughtful and much recommended novel of tarot. Through the unknown, we can find something magnificent. A novel of romance and the life of the occult and the tarot, it's a fascinating break into this culture and the belief in mysticism." Dolores Stewart Riccio, author of Circle of Five and the Cass Shipton mysteries says:"The beguiling tale of the transformative power of love and friendship. An enjoyable and enlightening novel."Patricia Grasso, bestselling romance novelist and author of Marrying the Marquis says:"Gail Cleare delivers a solid debut novel, DESTINED. Ms. Cleare's characters are well-drawn and likeable, her plot and ideas spectacularly original. Enjoy!"