Is it possible to fall in love at first sight even if your crush is... a ghost?Andean Hillstar cannot forget Hinata Murakami, after she meets him through the vision of a dragon orb.A netherworld of magic, populated with shapeshifters and immortals, hides behind the world of humans. In dark byways and concealed places, could the son of a feudal warlord, with a terrible secret, a young woman searching for the father she never knew, and the loss of an ancient talisman hold the secrets to save mankind from a horrible fate?Cherry Jewel is the exciting second volume in an epic fantasy adventure that will leave you spellbound and yearning for more.Novel Excerpt:It was dark when I woke to the sound of rushing waves coming from downstairs. I slipped on a pair of house slippers and a then a silk robe around my shoulders. Tiptoeing toward the bedroom door, I made my way down the stairs toward the corridor with the four closed doors.I stopped at each one and pull the latches. All four were locked securely. A blue light from the tea room seemed to beckon me forward where the rushing sea pulsated.When I crossed the threshold into the tea room, the blue light glittered from the dragon orb in the center of the tea table. I knelt on the floor pillow where I had earlier that evening and stared into the depths of the orb. When I did so, my eyelids sunk heavily towards my cheeks. Then as if through a clouded mist, I felt myself falling.When I opened my eyes, I stood in an open meadow beside a moonlit waterfall. Beneath the rush of water, a young man stood.His muscled back turned toward me. His long, black hair hung wet and loose against bare shoulders. A white loincloth wrapped his waist to the tops of his thighs.Warm summer twilight, a heady scent and cool breeze filled the air with the scent of honeysuckle. From the rock overhang water plunged wet and demanding.While I stood wondering what this place was and why I was here, he turned in my direction.He stepped from beneath the falls. His gaze locked into my eyes as if he knew me.He whispered, "Sakura."I asked, "Who are you? And why are you talking to me about cherry blossoms in the middle of nowhere?" The words sounded alien as if someone outside my head spoke them.The beautiful, young man leaned toward me. Water dripped from his hand as he reached toward me beckoning me, it seemed, to join him beneath the cascading water.He pulled me through the cascade misty crisp around us. My arms swept toward him, two doves in flight. Only his touch could satisfy the hunger blazing in my heart. His eyes, jade green burned into my brain, pulling me from the inside out. His fingers, indulgent and cool, raced down my arms setting my skin on fire. His breath came in quick, hot bursts, flaming the blood through my veins. My arms entwined him. Head pressed into his chest, skin touching skin. Finger tips, hyper-sensitive discovered my back, my face, and my breasts. He pulled me down onto him as the last rays of sunlight glistened in my hair fiery garnets set against the coming night.His whispered words tickled my ear. Soft and damp, his breath warm and sweet pressed against me. "I am Murakami Hinata, son of the tengu king. You must find the Eternity Shard and me, Andean-san," he pleaded. "and return the shard to her sisters.""How do you know my name?" I asked as he rose from the pool and moved away from me.I reached toward his outstretched hand. But before our fingers could touch, I was back at the tea table. Sanjin Shimo sat across from me with a pot of tea, bowls of rice and fresh vegetables in white porcelain across the tea table. The early morning sun peeked through the shoji rice paper doors. My only thought was, "Where had Hinata Murakami gone?"