“Master Sylvester could probably come up with something faster than anyone else.”
“I’ll be sure to pass that suggestion along.”
The orange tom glared at the skinny old cat. “You said you had something to talk to me about. Obviously it isn’t to give me answers, so what is it?”
“I came here to give you something you’ll need for your journey.”
“My journey?”
“I suspect, once you resign from your post, you’ll be wanting to follow up on Hanif’s riddle and to find your father, am I right?”
Toby nodded. The old tom twitched his tail, settling the floating book beside the orange feline.
“This will help you figure out what’s the truth, what’s important and what needs to be buried in the grave. Keep it safe and it will guide you where you need to go.”
He looked down at the plain leather bound book. He looked back up, opening his mouth to thank Harold for the gift, but the old cat was already walking away. Toby turned to look one last time at the scarred building, thinking for a moment that it looked like he felt. A whisper of fur brushed against his mind, turning his thoughts toward Transformation Mountain. It was time to find his father and stop the power-hungry monster proclaiming himself to be cat-kind’s savior. He was a Journeyman. It was time to begin his journey, even if it meant leaving everyone behind.
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Also by Virginia Ripple
Toby’s Tale
Apprentice Cat
Toby is a young tom who dreams of becoming an apprentice cat, a feline partnered with an apprentice human mage, at the King’s Academy of Mages. When he is partnered with Lorn Ribaldy, the nephew of known traitor Master Hecktor Ribaldy, he learns his dreams are in jeopardy. There are those who want to keep undesirables out and that includes Lorn and anyone associated with him. In a meeting with Head Master Cat Meredith and Head Master Mage Jalen, Toby and Lorn are offered a way to change their status from provisional to permanent: find out why Toby’s father disappeared during a standard recon mission for the High Council. Now all they have to do is keep up with their homework and survive a little espionage.
Journeyman Cat
Despite the war, despite that everyone else says he’s dead, Journeyman Toby continues to search for his father with the help of his human partner. When what promised to be another dead-end lead turns into something more, Toby pounces on the possibility like only a magical talking cat can. However, his questions regarding the secret goings-on of a local temple catches the attention of a mysterious cat whose sole ambition is to enslave the human race. His supervisor, a man in debt to the mysterious cat, orders the young tom to leave his informal investigation alone or be dismissed from the Office of Kingdom Guardianship. Even though he yearns to find his father, Toby obeys because it would mean taking away the one thing his partner cherishes: his position in the OKG. He follows orders, that is, until someone connected with the temple kills someone he loves.
Master Cat
Malkin novellas
Secrets of the Malkin
After a narrow escape from orphaned teenagers determined to use her for target practice, Nadine, a feline social worker, is left terrified and wondering if there’s a way humans and felines can live together in peace in this post-plague world. She finds the answer in a story about a magical cat called the Baruhk Sh’Toole. Unfortunately, she disappeared years ago, taking her secrets with her. With only a map of the queen’s last known location and a vague story to go on, the she-cat leaves for an adventure to the Outer Reaches, a place where the trappers will skin a cat alive and then consider killing it. There she must befriend a priest and hope he knows where to find the cat who can heal the world, but doesn’t want to be found. Can a naive young social worker uncover the secrets of the Baruhk Sh’Toole and heal the widening rift between humans and cats or is Nadine doomed to be one more victim in the war?
Huntress of the Malkin
Audio books
Apprentice Cat, narrated by Matthew Finch
Non-fiction
Fear Not! Discovering God’s Promises For Our Lives
When life seems impossible to cope with, God reaches out to remind us of his promises for our lives. Journey through scripture to meet God in new and unexpected ways as you discover what it means to “Fear Not!”
Simply Prayer
When we find ourselves stymied by what we think prayer should look like, it’s time to step back and think like a child. God loves each of us and wants to hear from us. Prayer can be as complex as we want or as simple as we need, but sometimes we need a little help getting started. In this book you’ll discover the basics of: what prayer, is why we pray, how to pray, and how to know your prayers are answered. From repetitions to labyrinths to dancing to journals, it is all... Simply Prayer.
Author Bio
Throughout Virginia’s school years she concentrated on her English courses, going on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in English. She was hired as a part-time Christian Education Director after graduating from Northwest Missouri State University and went on to become a seminary student at Brite Divinity, an Associate Minister and a church elder. Virginia re-discovered her passion for writing while in graduate school and with it a new direction for her life. Since then she has balanced her time between her career as an independent author and being a loving wife and mother.
For more information, visit Virginia’s web site at www.virginiaripple.com to sign up for sneak peeks and special offers in Virginia’s monthly newsletter.
One Last Thing…
If you enjoyed the book, would you take a few seconds to let your friends know about it on Facebook or Twitter? If they find this story as entertaining as you have, they’ll thank you. And if you have a few minutes, be sure to leave an honest review.
God bless,
Virginia Ripple
Journeyman Cat Page 27