Aliens have been here before... one was left behind. Eighteen-year- old Zoe must find him and she doesn't have much time. Along with the alien, a beacon was left on Earth which when activated, opens a portal through which the aliens will return. The extraterrestrials visit Earth to usurp Qi, Earth's vital energy. If the extraterrestrials go too long without Qi, people on the alien planet will die. However, when Qi is extracted from Earth, the weak and elderly of Earth will die. The beacon can only be activated by the alien who was left here and only when the planets are in a particular alignment. The next time is only two months away during the Autumnal Equinox. When Zoe discovers who the alien is, it's a complete game changer because the alien is closer to her than she ever could have imagined. The story takes place in a small town surrounded by forest near the Oregon-California border. Of course it does, after all, the highest concentration of Qi is found in forests where ancient redwoods grow. You might be wondering, what is Qi? In Japan it is called "ki," and in India, "prana"." The ancient Egyptians referred to it as "ka," and the ancient Greeks as "pneuma." In Africa, it's known as "ashe" and in Hawaii as "mana." Qi, Prana, Ki, call it what you will, this energy is the life force itself.

Nerdy astronomy geek Marsha, M to her few friends, has never been anybody special. Orphaned as an infant and reluctantly raised by an overly-strict "aunt," she's not even sure who she is. M's dream of someday escaping tiny Jewel, Indiana and making her mark in the world seems impossibly distant until hot new quarterback Rigel inexplicably befriends her. As Rigel turns his back on fawning cheerleaders to spend time with M, strange things start to happen: her acne clears up, her eyesight improves to the point she can ditch her thick glasses, and when they touch, sparks fly-literally! When M digs for a reason, she discovers deep secrets that will change her formerly mundane life forever . . . and expose her to perils she never dreamed of. Yes, the middle of nowhere just got a lot more interesting!