Ballard psychic and Ballard News-Tribune columnist, Marjorie Young, has released her fourth book of her international award-winning fantasy/adventure series, “The Boy with Golden Eyes: The Prophet of Doom.”

In the fourth book, the characters are traveling through African-like locales on their way to their distant homeland. The protagonist, Rupert, and his followers find new challenges when faced with a maleficent queen who demands child sacrifice to keep at bay an apocalyptic volcanic eruption. To make things worse, Rupert’s mystical abilities are, for the first time, reviled as prophetic manifestations of ruin.

Young has traveled most of her life and many of the scenarios portrayed in the series have been influenced by the cultures and myths she has encountered. Moreover, she incorporates her own psychic abilities in forming Rupert’s mystical ethos.

“People have told me to write a memoir to document my exploits, but I don’t think many would believe them. That’s one of the reasons why I love writing “Boy with the Golden Eyes,” as it enables me to include my own experiences along with the philosophies I’ve developed,” said Young.

Young’s writing process parallels her psychic consultations in that she acts more like a medium or messenger for the story.

“One interesting thing about writing the books is that when I’m doing a reading, information just comes to me, and when I write it’s a very similar thing. I don’t plan what’s going to happen in the next paragraph or even the next sentence. So by the time I reach the end of a chapter, I’m often shocked at what happened, and that’s what makes it so fun for me because I’m in constant suspense.”

The series started as a bedtime story Young told her great nephew, Sam, when he was six. Young made up the protagonist Rupert, after Sam, as well as the character, Lira, after Sam’s sister, Lucie.

Sam and Lucie Wolf spend summers in Seattle and the rest of the year in New York. Young would tell stories to the two before bed and one year Sam felt sad about leaving Seattle, so she came up with a tale for Sam’s father to read during her absence. Young drafted the first chapter of “Boy with the Golden Eyes” and emailed it to Sam’s father. From that first chapter an entire series has developed. The first book won
Best Young Adult Novel at the LA Book Festival and was runner up at the Paris Book Festival.

“I wanted to publish independently because I want my stories to be intact and not have to have it changed by anyone.”

Sam and Lucy said they are thrilled to have two of the main characters inspired by them.

“Obviously I’m delighted. Everyone always says ‘that’s you on the cover,’ and ‘aren’t you so excited that it’s you right there,’ but it doesn’t really feel like me. I’ve kind of detached myself from the character a little, but I can definitely see myself in Rupert when I read it. … Once in a while I look at the cover, and I’m shocked that it’s actually my image being depicted,” said Sam.

Lucie reports, “When I read it I think that’s Lira, but I also think that’s me in a way. It’s two people, combined into one, and it makes me feel really wonderful that I was the model for someone so amazing.”

The two have also contributed to the tales with plot twists and character ideas. For future books they said that they have thoughts about what may occur, but refuse to reveal too much.

“We discuss things endlessly, but a lot of the fun is that we don’t know may happen next. We have myriad plans and possibilities,” said Sam.

“I couldn’t imagine writing it without them,” the author confesses.

To keep track of the saga Sam has constructed a map depicting the arduous journey of Rupert and his comrades. Though the document grows by the day as new lands are traversed, their epic journey is far from complete. For, at least two more volumes are to come.

Young’s books are sold through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, on Kindle, and her website, www.theboywithgoldeneyes.com.

The three are planning on showcasing the fourth book at the Ballard Farmers Market Sunday June 15. They’ll be selling/signing all four of the books in the series. You can find them right next to the pizza sellers. Should it rain, they will plan to reschedule for July.