Part of Series
No identity. That’s what it’s like to be a human chameleon, and sixteen-year-old Camryn Painter wonders if she'll ever figure out who the real Camryn is—or should be. Just looking at someone else will cause her body to change into that person. Her parents called it her gift. She calls it her curse. Then Ohar, a man with impossibly good looks and an ethereal manner offers her a way to claim her birthright by joining the Mazikeen as part of the Forest People. He says she is “the chosen” of the Forest People. The prophecy indicates her powers are beyond any others and she will save their world. Camryn had always loved the Redwoods at her back door. The stories her mother spun of its inhabitants kept her entertained for much of her childhood. The problem is the stories are real. The forest people are real, human yet not human. They are faery and beasts, evil and angels, mutations of humans and animals over thousands of years. Then there's Dagger, a young man who distrusts the Mazikeen and Ohar, but admits to being a thief and only interested in his own pleasure. All of them want the Chameleon for their own agenda. With the help of Ohar and Dagger, Camryn learns to control her identity so that she can walk among more than one world. Yet the more Camryn learns, the more she suspects there are too many secrets—dangerous secrets. There are no easy answers, and every decision she makes puts someone’s life in danger.
Author
Also known as Maggie Lynch and Maggie Jaimeson. I am the oldest of nine children. This means I can always raise an army to fight off evil doers whenever they appear. It also means I'm a control freak and like to be the boss. My childhood was spent writing stories, making up plays and musicals, and hamming it up whenever anyone would pay attention. From about the age of 9 or 10, I would gather the entire neighborhood and force them into servitude to produce and act in these entertainments, all the while charging their poor families to watch the shows. Did I tell you I'm kind of bossy? In High School, I continued to write stories, poetry, and plays. I was in the Drama Club all through school and had dreams of being the next Julie Andrews. Fortunately, my parents convinced me to go to college and choose a "sane" profession that would put food on the table until I became a star. College lead me to degrees in psychology, counseling, and education. Firmly believing that fantasy and reality are not in opposition, I found that psychology was indeed a great foundation for everything: secretary, bottle labeler, business assistant, sales of both things and people skills, actor, computer programmer, teacher, wife, mother, friend, and of course for being a boss. (It all comes full circle doesn't it?) I've finally found the perfect profession. One where I have complete control of entire worlds and the people in them. One where fantasy and reality do more than coexist, they embrace each other. One where I can still force induce people to listen to me, to pay attention, and to give me money. Really, what's more fun than that?
