The Knowing Ones

by Lisa Aldridge

THE KNOWING ONES is the story of Adriana, a seventeen-year-old healer who makes cures and remedies from plants, herbs, and barks that grow in the woods near the village of Ozark where she lives. Unfortunately, Adriana’s stepfather forbids her from using her special knowledge, especially if it’s to help the Knowing Ones. But Adriana can’t stop thinking about the Knowing Ones’ colorful wagons, mysterious way of life, and most of all Marko. When she sneaks out of the cottage to take poultices to the sick members of this unusual group, someone follows her.
When her stepfather finds out that she disobeyed, he betroths her to the loathsome, Cotton Vibrio. She has no choice but to fake her own death. As she spreads chicken blood and her own shredded clothing in front of Devil’s Den cave, bears unexpectedly emerge. Marko rescues her and takes her to the Knowing Ones’ camp where Adriana learns that her father was a member of the Knowing Ones. She has also inherited a position on the Council of Knowing Ones. Each member of the council has special abilities that can be used to help people or hurt them. Marko helps Adriana unlock her own abilities. Things become complicated as she falls in love with Marko and discovers that the villagers from Ozark poisoned several members of the group, including her deceased father. She also learns that her mother, who is presumed dead, was betrothed to her stepfather as a young girl, but, much like Adriana, she ran away from him and married Adriana’s father. But when he died, Adriana’s mother returned and eventually married Adriana’s awful stepfather. Now, Adriana, as the seventh member of the council, must decide whether to side with the Knowing Ones who want to avenge the deaths by cursing the entire village or side with the Knowing Ones who seek reconciliation to protect the innocent villagers. All the while, Cotton Vibrio continues to stalk her!

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Lisa Aldridge lives and writes in a 19th century Catholic church which she and her husband are renovating while carefully not disturbing the ghosts. She is the author of The Knowing Ones (YA fantasy/romance), Dangerous Impressions (NA romantic adventure), The Ring 'O Callum Brodgar (Time Travel romance), short stories and more.

Before becoming a writer, Lisa was a cultural anthropologist and spent a lot of time in dusty rooms with Native American effigy pots and skeletal remains that were thousands of years old. They whispered intriguing stories to her imagination. She also taught Sociology, History, and English college classes. But when she wrote a novel for her college students, she realized her passion for writing.

Lisa has an MFA from Lindenwood University and has published short stories, creative nonfiction, poetry, and flash fiction in various literary journals. She received the Samuel C. Dellinger Award from the University of Arkansas Anthropology Department.

She loves hanging out with her poet-husband and her hilarious kids, she has eight of them! She also loves painting and dark chocolate. Someday she hopes to paint an edible landscape with melted chocolates.