Zephrum Gates and the Mysterious Purple Haze

About the Book

            Zephrum Gates and The Mysterious Purple Haze is a coming of age story of a tom-boyish girl, named Zephrum.  Zephrum has some powerful abilities that were bestowed upon her at a very young age.  Learning to work with her innate and unusual aptitudes is part of her challenge and part of what also makes her so special. 

Zephrum has had an unusual upbringing with her Great Aunt Gussie, who is a bit of a loon.  In fact, there are a number of unusual adults in her life.  Her adult side-kick, Dexter Droudy, gets her into trouble without even trying.  Magical creatures also enter Zephrum’s life with greater frequency as she gets closer and closer to discovering who she really is.

            Zephrum is a core player in uncovering the mystery of the “purple haze” that has enveloped her closest town, Haversville.  Following clues to uncovering the mystery, Zephrum encounters spiritual beings, strange wind phenomena, fairies, moss folk, goblins, a leprechaun, a very wild horse ride, and the very scary man behind the chair.  As she gets closer to solving the mystery of the “purple haze”, a variety of hidden talents reveal themselves to her.  The most important thing that she discovers in the midst of all of her challenges is that being herself is the best gift she can give to the world.  It is also the thing that helps save her and all of her friends from the looming presence of the “purple haze.”

            This book is filled with wild characters, strange situations, funny dialogue, and a deep message for us all. 

About the Author

Trish has been involved in creative pursuits of all kinds since her first big role as a snowflake at age 5.  She has a Bachelor’s degree from the Visual & Performing Arts School at Syracuse University in NY and a Masters Degree in Acting and Theatre Arts from Humboldt State University in CA.  She has written numerous stage plays, has some of her early poems published, and hopes to publish more children’s books in the future.  She was involved with the performance art scene in San Francisco for some time & also performed numerous educational plays for kids throughout the SF Bay Area.  For a number of years, she has worked as a drama teacher for kids at “Kids on Camera” (a TV Acting School in San Francisco, CA).  She just started as a physical coach at “Circus Smirkus” in Vermont, has headed numerous theatrically based after school programs throughout the SF Bay Area, and also teaches theatrically based classes in Northern California, Rhode Island, & on Martha’s Vineyard.  She juggles, works as a clown, a bodyworker, and an Astrologer. She does contact improvisation, is a voice trickster, practices gymnastics, and does a variety of circus arts.  She has a trapeze in her living room and she loves to work on films and travel internationally.  She has the most amazing dog in the world, and she wrote most of this book while hiking in the woods.  She can also write while she sleeps.