Endorsements

“I laughed, cried, and laughed again!  The River Goddess & Other Stories, though written essentially for young girls, touches the inner child in grown women as well.  Alyssa reminds me of my own younger self.”

Carol Calvert,  Ordained Priest, Independent Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch, Santa Fe.  Order of Ovates, Bards, and Druids in London, England

“Valentine has written a marvelous book, The River Goddess & Other Stories.  I highly recommend it.  In a sense it’s for teens and pre-teens  but it works for anyone.  It’s really a fairytale or fable in the deepest sense of the word:  a teaching story about magical, shamanic, earth-centered practice and connection to nature.”

Joan Forest Mage, Executive Director, Life Force Arts Center, Chicago IL

“With a very limited number of heroines in contemporary books that young girls can identify with, The River Goddess & Other Stories is a beautiful addition. In fact, it is so well written and imagined that boys of all ages (including my own) would enjoy it as well. The inclusion of [the heroine’s] family along with animal spirit guides in these culturally fascinating adventures is also a strong bonus.  In the last story, one of those very verbal animal friends notes that it is unusual to find humans who believe in, not magic exactly, but “possibilities.” The best of stories open up new worlds of possibilities. In this the author succeeds, not just by creating this new world of possibilities, but also by discovering the possibilities of the world we inhabit and may not have fully noticed yet. This is a book well worth reading and then sharing.”

Robert F. Morgan, PhD, Author, Psychologist, and Professor of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

The River Goddess is a collection of stories about a young girl who has a special ability in her innocence to communicate with nature. The magic that ensues is not flash/bang, but natural in a shamanistic tradition. There are profound lessons of humans manintaining a balance with nature in these stories. I recommend it especially for young girls who have given up their belief in Santa Claus, but miss the wonderful magic. It will stimulate their interest in biology and ecology as well. And adults can only be charmed by her adventures.

Julie Keitges, Berkeley, CA