When the Enavian Empire opened up the frontier planet of Ceytal for settlement under the Homesteading Act of 1301 EE, it did so without consulting the native Ceytalians already living on the planet. Conflict between the two cultures was inevitable and when military intervention was needed, the civilian population on both sides suffered the most. "Tejalura" is the story of a girl caught between the two worlds. Her Enavian parents had immigrated to Ceytal to build a new life. Those dreams were shattered when Ceytalian warriors killed her family, took her captive and arranged to sell her to a slave trader. Fortunately, she was adopted by peaceful Ceytalians who lived in the mountain kingdom of Meneth-shir. With her adopted family she found a life of freedom and opportunity beyond what her Enavian parents could have dreamed of for her. Would the day come when she would have to choose between the two cultures? Or could she help bring peace to a planet torn by generations of war. About the author: Gayle MacArthur lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and is currently working on the sequel to "Tejalura," called "The Ceytalians."