Author Description

A CDC scientist about to retire. An estranged mother of fifty years. Lives renewed despite environmental degradation. The story begins in 2024 when daughter and mother reunite at a sub rosa laboratory that promises to prolong life. The daughter, on her way to the Vatican, stops at the laboratory in the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) to identify and evaluate her mother. A driven epidemiologist-psychologist who investigates the causes, distribution, and possible control of epidemics, Leitis continues to explore scholarly interests in comparative mythology and religion. She hopes to find the lost meanings of ancient alchemical symbols to reveal transformative secrets. Her meeting with Pope Hormisdas II takes her into an unexpected journey-another laboratory of discovery-with her newly found partner, Drew. With ties to the NCRC, Drew also struggles to find new approaches to ward off the looming dystopia caused by industrial polluters. The resistance of the main characters is sparked by how the interlocking directorates of these industrialists seek better medical treatments and immortality for themselves at the expense of others less fortunate. Choir of Cloistered Canaries represents all of us-wanting cleaner air, fresher water, and a more bountiful earth. That is our song as canaries!