The Blended Lives Chronicles:

A LADY MOONWALKER SERIES

BOOK ONE

SIDES OF THE ORDER

By Patty L. Fletcher

Independently published with assistance provided by

Dawn Blythe

Illustrations by Colleen Myles

Editing by Jo Pinto and Dawn Blythe

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Copyright 2023 by Patty Fletcher

All Rights Reserved

Lady MoonWalker is a well respected author and magazine owner and a high priestess in the magickal community. After a drawn-out battle with the forces of dark magik, she has come into her own. She lives and works on Planet Korponious, where she is the owner and creator of an Interplanetary Magazine called “Blended Lives Chronicles.” Her mission is to blend the lines of race, creed, and disability that separate so many and to elevate the recognition of the training and ability of Service Animals of all kinds to a new level. She has just been accepted into the Blended Lives Federation and now hopes to continue her work in a way like nothing known to her before.

Laya has created allot of wreckage along the way through her dark journey into the light, and now she wishes to set this to right. She has just received her best break ever. Frank Prince, the CEO of The Blended Lives Learning Center, has invited her to the Celtic New Year Convention and Witches Ball as a reporter to write a story on the progress of The Blended Lives Planetary Federation. She will be their guest speaker at the opening ceremonies.

When Laya arrives at the Celtic Convention, she finds herself face to face with an old and dear friend, Blended Lives Learning Center Instructor and member of the Order of the Night, Derrick Gibbous. As they begin to connect, causing old sparks to reignite, they are tossed into a nasty battle from which not everyone will escape. People are not as they seem, and not everyone supports the side for which they appear to work.

As their love for one another grows, so does the battle. Despite everything, Laya and Derrick are determined to see their work to unite beings of all kinds succeed.

Excerpt – Chapter One

Derrick moved quickly through the crowded lobby, filled to capacity with all manner of beings, both human and animal. He made his way toward the lift cars, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

He cringed as one of his coworkers called, “She took lift number five. You’d best hurry. She looked like a woman on a mission. You never know; she might already have someone waiting.”

Ignoring the catcalls behind him, Derrick tried to recall lift number five, but it refused him. He growled in frustration as the computer’s voice stated, “I’m sorry, Instructor Gibbous, the lift has departed. Please choose another.”

“Hey Derrick, there’s one coming down now.”

Looking back, he saw that several of his friends and coworkers had gathered and were having a wonderful time at his expense. One of them even went as far as to tip his flask of Casimian Shine at him in a mock toast. He didn’t get a chance to respond to the scene, though, because someone in a power wheelchair, being guided by a miniature horse, came barreling out of a nearby doorway and almost bowled him over on a race to somewhere of vital importance. The horse neighed in extreme protest, and his friends’ laughter faded as he boarded the lift and the door slid closed.

Geez. He breathed out a deep sigh of relief. Horses! Miniature or not, helpful or not, damn things ought to have a speed limit.

Taking a deep breath to clear his thoughts and glancing at the number he’d copied, in a voice more solid than he felt, he commanded, “Room 108D, fourth floor.”

And the lift began to rise.

A Letter to Readers

Hi there!

Thanks for reading this book to its end.

Shame on you if you peeked at the end before reading. That’s cheating! You’d best get yourselves back to the beginning, or else you’re liable to receive a visit from a member of the Order. Or worse, High Priestess Lady Laya MoonWalker herself.

I suppose I should answer the question many are asking, “Why haven’t you written the second installment of your Pathway to Freedom Broken and Healed memoir trilogy?”

All I can say is, the truth is still too raw to tell. I thought I was ready. I even started writing chapters and putting them on the blog but when I got no real response from readers there, I gave it up for a bad job and decided to have some fun.

I’m sure, there are those of you who know me well that see the parallels between Sides of the Order and How a Seeing Eye Dog Retrieved My Life. I suppose, in some ways you’re right, but I caution this is truly fiction. I simply wrote what I knew, which is the rule when writing anything. Everyone who writes fiction uses some known variable from their own lives.

I promise to return to reality someday but for now, I’m happy telling the tale of Laya and Derrick. In fact, as of this writing, I’m three chapters into the second installment of The Blended Lives Chronicles. I’m hopeful of releasing it in the fall of 2024. There are a lot of things which go into writing a series though, and of course sometimes life steps in the way so no promises, OK? I promise to try though, and I hope that will be enough.

If, however, you’d like a look into that second book, there is a portal you may open if you dare.

About the time I was sending the first draft of Sides of the Order off to my editor Dawn, I saw a call-to-action notice from a fellow writer. Kaye Lynne Booth of WordCrafter Press wanted dark fantasy short stories for an anthology called Midnight Roost she and her fellow authors were doing. I, feeling quite restless because the characters in Sides of the Order wouldn’t shut up and behave, had begun toying with what would happen next.

Deciding to take a chance, I polished up what I’d done so far, sent it off, and waited to see what might happen.

To my delighted surprise, Kaye wrote back the very next day saying, “I believe this story has potential. If you’re willing to put in the work required to flesh it out, I’d like to have it in the anthology.”

Naturally, I was over the moon. Derrick and Laya were restless and bored, they were wreaking havoc with my sleep, so I was happy to give them something to do.

Soon the characters were once again doing as they pleased rather than as I told them and darn good thing too. Left to my own devices, Casualties of War might never have happened, let alone ended up in Kaye’s anthology.

If you’ve been good, and truly have read Sides of the Order, you have permission to enter. If you cheat, and read onward before doing so, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

To pick up your copy of Midnight Roost containing Casualties of War as well as many other terrifically terrifying tales, visit the following link.

https://books2read.com/u/318L0l

By now, some of you are wondering, “Can’t Derrick and Laya ever have any fun?”

Well, being a series junkie, unbelievably, I’ve an answer for you.

In Christmas of 2022, Laya and Derrick slipped off for a while and if you’d like to see where they went and what they got up to, pick up a copy of the Visions Anthology and enjoy “The Portal Brings Christmas Love.”

Visit: https://books2read.com/u/49Lk28 There are a lot of other twisted and terrifying tales to enjoy as well.

Before I go, I’d like to invite you to the various worlds in which I live. I and my writerly friends spend quite a bit of time here. If you’d like to join us, please make sure to visit: https://pattysworlds.com/

I love hearing from my readers so, while you’re there, drop me a note to let me know what you think of Sides of the Order and the anthologies. I promise to write back.

Well, Derrick is yammering again, let’s see what he’s to say.

“What’s that? Layas disappeared again. All Right. I’m coming.”

Thanks again for reading. May Harmony find You, and Blessid Be.