The sun was still high, and the day was warm and pleasant. The track wound through the planted fields for a short while and then flowed into the forest. Anjellica would have liked a companion, someone to talk with, but that was not possible for this trip. The Book said that a child, wandering alone, would bring an end to the Trouble. And the village had waited for such a child. Waited and waited. Finally it was decided that the gods must be hurried along for they seemed to have forgotten the village. And so a meeting was held. The Book was read. Each parent looked at the floor. None wanted to look at another for fear that each would see that, in spite of the glory and fame, no one wanted that for his child. The children were bolder. They looked at each other, each trying to see who would be suggested, each hoping no one would notice him. No one spoke, but all knew that someone must eventually tell them what to do. Anjellica looked at each child in turn. And she looked at their parents. It seemed unfair to take any child away from his mother and father. But she had only Gar and Samson to look after her.... And so begins the journey of Anjellica, the village orphan, raised by a midwife and another servant. She had not wanted to take this terribly dangerous mission. But she also had not wanted to see a mother and father have to part with a child of their own, so she volunteered to save her tiny village. For generations it had been surrounded by desolation, a bleak barrenness caused by a horrible curse set upon it many years ago. All this time they had prayed to find the special child. And find her they did. A boldly imaginative and whimsical journey to the heart of what it means to be a hero, R. L. McDowall's debut is as fun as it is foreboding, reminding us all that there is no greater power than the power of one. Anjellica rides her pony on the trail out of the village and into the forest. But unbeknownst to her, she has begun a treacherous quest that has put her squarely in the middle of a battle between evil wizards bent on her demise and kind wizards determined to see her succeed. As her journey deepens, so too does the mystery and the danger. A race of beings known as the Very Small Beings, servants of the wizards, are drawn into the struggle as the beard of their most revered elder, the Bearded Yasmak, is needed by the evil wizards to ensure Anjellica's failure. Guided and protected by a helpful, kind wizard, Anjellica soon finds out that all the help in the wizarding world won't be enough if she is unable find the courage deep within herself to face the greatest danger imaginable. Full of charm and an endearing spirit, McDowall's fully realized mythology brings to life a magical world that is at once wholly different from our own and yet familiar and relatable. Containing the vibrant, inspiring message that we control our thoughts and actions and that the power to conquer our problems and determine our fate are within our own hands, The Yasmak's Beard is more than just an adventure: it is a spiritual and mythical quest that illuminates the inherent power in all of us, no matter how small.
About the Author: R. L. McDowall earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in mathematics from SUNY at New Paltz and a Master of Philosophy degree in astronomy from Yale University, was the co-owner of Scottish Specialties food store and Newdawn Publishing Company, and worked as a research scientist studying the effects of lighting on aircraft, high intensity radiated fields, and in-flight icing on aircraft. McDowall has been the author or co-author of numerous articles and technical publications in the fields of aviation, avionics, digital systems validation, and computer programming and has traveled the globe to places such as Belize, Netherlands, Peru, and Spain, staying long enough to live in France, Italy, Canada, and the United States. This is McDowall's first novel.