Amy has always loved science fiction—books, movies, shows, and games. She was born in San Diego, California, and moved with her family to Vancouver, Washington, at the age of seven. After devouring some of the classics like Dune and Ender's Game in her tween years, she began writing science fiction and fantasy short stories.
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In the ensuing years, Amy attended the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, where she continued to study creative writing, visual art and played viola in the school orchestra. During this time, she began the very early sketches of what would eventually evolve into the Cadicle series.
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Amy received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Portland State University, and also pursued minors in Professional Writing and Business Administration. After graduating, she moved to Portland, Oregon, and began working in business development for an energy efficiency consulting firm. Over the next several years, she primarily wrote proposals to prospective utility clients and managed the proposal development process. She then transitioned from energy efficiency into the architectural, engineering and planning industry. However, she eventually succumbed to the writing bug.
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Now a full-time author, Amy currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband. When she's not writing, she enjoys travel, wine tasting, binge-watching TV series, and playing epic strategy board games.
BIOGRAPHY
TARAN EMPIRE SAGA
BOOK 4: EMPIRE UNITED
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ABOUT THE BOOK
They had a plan all along…
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As the Taran Empire teeters on the brink of all-out civil war, the TSS prepares to take decisive action. Jason and his family still hold hope for a swift resolution to the conflict, but they’re rapidly running out of options.
Meanwhile, the standoff with the Erebus and Gatekeepers comes to a head as the enemy’s master plans are revealed. But with political tensions high and the enemy’s true power still unknown, winning the impending war might come at the ultimate price.
PLOT SYNOPSIS - Empire United (Taran Empire Book 4)
A political divide grows as Raena and Ryan challenge the established High Council's policies that are failing the disparate worlds. Simultaneously, Jason and TSS continue to investigate the Coalition, responsible for violent incidents in the Outer Colonies. This investigation leads them to the Monsari Dynasty and its control over vital power systems through MPS.
Responding to the link between Monsari and the Coalition, Raena and Ryan launch a direct offensive, orchestrating hostile corporate takeovers of businesses connected to the Monsari Dynasty, aiming to dismantle their financial network. Celine Monsari, head of the Dynasty, recognizes the Sietinens' scrutiny and tries to obstruct their efforts in a final bid to maintain control.
The TSS investigation delves into a street drug called Vapr, peddled by the Steyns, which is revealed to be tied to advanced nanotech and Monsari's operations. Concerns grow that this nanotech is intended for mass culling through contamination of food supplies on targeted planets.
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At a High Council meeting, Celine makes a bold move to stall the Sietinens' actions by proposing a registry for Gifted people, which Raena and Ryan immediately recognize as a tactic borne of desperation. While the political maneuver temporarily ties the Sietinens' hands, they continue their multi-pronged approach.
Meanwhile, Kira and Pyra undertake a critical mission to Zeron, a planet linked to the Coalition. Their investigation there uncovers that the city is built on an ancient ship and reveals chilling evidence of memory manipulation among the workers. They also discover that the Coalition has heavily fortified planets, using civilian populations as "living shields".
Recognizing the scale and severity of the extra-dimensional threat, Wil convenes a summit with experts, including an Oracle from the reclusive Aesir, to devise a plan to combat the Erebus. The strategy focuses on potentially sealing the Erebus's access to this dimension using devices located on Earth and Zeron. The TSS also prepares for mass civilian relocation from planets targeted by the Coalition and plans to distribute an antidote for the Vapr nanotech once blockades are lifted. Lexi is enlisted to help craft a message to civilians on Coalition worlds, urging Taran unity and encouraging them to dismantle blockades from within.
Despite legal challenges to the corporate takeover plan, military action against the Monsari Dynasty proceeds. Following her apprehension, Celine Monsari reveals crucial details to Wil, explaining the ancient history, the Gatekeepers' role, and her misguided attempts to save a remnant of the Taran race.
An ancient war approximately one hundred thousand years prior saw Tarans nearly annihilated by the Erebus. The Gatekeepers, an ancient alien race with advanced portal technology, were involved and have since remained hidden, guiding certain Taran families, including the Monsaris, to manage the Gifted population. This was done to prevent the depletion of the Erebus's energy source by the Tarans' use of aesen, a problem exacerbated by the fall of the Priesthood, which had previously regulated Gifted abilities. Celine Monsari reveals that a recent Erebus scout's encounter with a Taran ship confirmed Tarans were still a threat, prompting the Erebus to plan their destruction. Celine, guided by the Gatekeepers, believes the only way to ensure the survival of any portion of the Taran race is to collaborate with the Gatekeepers in the culling.
In a final bid to head off the Erebus' full-on invasion and extermination of the Taran race, Wil, Jason, and Raena confront the Erebus in a higher dimension, utilizing the devices on Earth and Zeron to bolter their astral projection abilities. During the struggle, Wil makes a profound sacrifice, severing his connection to Jason to provide the energy necessary for their plan. Raena is temporarily lost during the confrontation, only to be rescued by Jason. With the Rift sealed and Erebus blocked from accessing spacetime, a Gatekeeper emissary appears in Celine's cell to kill her, explaining that the Gatekeepers are leaving and "cleaning up loose ends".
The Empire begins a significant transformation towards a democratic republic. The Coalition's power diminishes as their funding and leadership structures are disrupted, allowing the Outer Colonies to return to peace.
The Sietinen family is devastated by the loss of Wil, but Raena and Saera believe he isn't dead, but rather 'ascended'. Raena is pregnant with twins, a new generation to carry on the revolution started by her grandparents.
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New initiatives are established as everyone looks toward a new era. The Tararian United Forces (TUF) is set to move into their own facility, to be led by Kira and Leon. Saera and Jason plan to expand TSS Headquarters to allow room for Gifted families to live and develop their abilities together, utilizing Wil's personal fortune for the benefit of the Taran people. Cris decides that the SiNavTech navigation network should become a public service, and that the future lies with Wil's independent jump drive, to be renamed the Sights drive. Jason and Lexi become engaged with his parents' Starstone rings, committed to honoring their love of the Taran Empire and its people as they look toward a future together.