The Mystery of the Scroll

The Mystery of the Scroll cover

Transform what you think is possible in a human life

Join a young couple setting out on their careers, as they unearth a fantastical object in the desert. The treasure has traveled through time adding to its mystery. As Sunny and Jer try to unravel the mystery, she in dreams and trances, he with science,  a chasm forms between them threatening their relationship. Cosmology and the Akashic Field shape her understanding of not only the scroll but of who she can be. Meanwhile, Jer stays stuck in the material sciences - and the temptations of a new “professional” relationship with his sexy boss.

As Sunny evolves through her experiences in the metaverse, you may find that you also change your perspective on the nature of human life. Engage with this remarkable story on whatever level works for you.

Meet the Artists

  • Susan Lutzenhiser

    Susan Lutzenhiser

    Susan Lutzenhiser is a visual artist living in Laguna Woods, California and Portland, Oregon. The COVID shutdowns created remote learning opportunities that allowed her to experiment with new media and subjects. This is her first collaboration in book illustration. Susan created all the internal images, and in the process forced me to think through what I really imagined.

  • Collin Murphy

    Collin Murphy

    Collin Murphy, is a visual artist also living in Portland, and Susan’s neighbor. Collin has created a prolific array of paintings developed from a diversity of media. She has exhibited frequently in Oregon and California, held an Artist’s Residency at Yosemite National Park, and been in 8 exhibits at the Yosemite Museum. More than 100 of her paintings are in private collections in the United States and abroad.

    Collin's amazing artwork, Gallactic Birthplace, forms the cover of the book.

    See Collin’s art

  • Tony Beltran

    Tony Beltran is a beginning artist and created the Joshua and Baobab trees of life that are bookends to the story. He is also my husband and in-house book critic. 

“There are no words! It was beyond awesome, seemed to speak right to my soul …nothing conveys the depth and authenticity.  So enjoyable and enchanting.” — Mary Sinclair

“An engaging story about a mystical scroll weaving history, world geography, and complexity into a young couple’s love affair … a page turner!” — Lynn Finkelor

“A complicated romance between a young couple and the ancient scroll they explore … like an exotic journey.” — Tom Finkelor

“I particularly enjoyed the two threads of this novel.  First,  the story of the scrolls themselves. Its  passage through time and the people that connected to it and moved it  along across the planet. Secondly, the story and struggle of the main characters: two very different people who approached the scrolls and life from different and often contradictory viewpoints.  These differences not only impact their approach to the historical artifact, but brings  challenges  to their  relationship…can their love be strong enough to survive?!” — Bonnie Y. Holloway

“This engaging story has so many layers and fascinating characters! It's certainly about the mysterious scroll and how it has traveled through time, gaining character and complexity with each passage through human lives and hands. But what really intrigued me and kept me glued to the book was Sunny and Jer’s relationship – their deep love, but also how their shifting context – and the scroll itself – forced them to confront their differences. The mystery of the scroll yes, but it’s indeed the mystery of love and life!” — Catherine Bradshaw

“Ann Beltran’s tale is both an unusual take on the difficulty of being female in the world of scientific research and a novel approach to science fiction, a fascinating combination.” — Collin Murphy

“The two protagonists drew me in immediately...due to their interpersonal dynamics, the struggles they endure ...and their complex and imperfect, yet relatable and loveable characters....I loved how the scroll reveals the universe's eternal, circular, and infinite being.” — Lisa Lungren