The first book in The Michael Saga series, Gathering of Angels, brings together the 12 leaders of the 144,000 incarnated angels with their mentors, the 12 archangels, atop Glastonbury Tor in the darkest time of the year. Each one holds a key to awakening the whole of humanity, and every character aligns with a specific ray of divine light. Here are the 12:

Michael James Joseph Browne grows up in Northern California with his parents and two brothers. He loves his family but never feels that he fits into this world. His fondest moments are spent hiking by himself in the mountains or among the redwoods or walking by the ocean. Always a quick study, he does well in school, yet he never quite ignites a passion for his career. After college, he goes to work for an R&D company in Los Angeles. His fiancée ends their relationship after he is laid off from his job. His Labrador retriever, Buddy, dies three weeks before he begins his new job. This is where we find Michael when the book begins. When a constant humming sounds across the world, his psyche begins to awaken to a higher reality. In his search for answers, he is guided to the one person for whom he has waited his whole life.

An artist and sensitive soul, Melody Childress endures a difficult childhood in Southern Nevada with her strict, abusive, and overbearing father, her mother, and her younger sister. Longing for a different life, she escapes to Venice Beach at the age of 20, where she finds solace in ocean sunsets and a more relaxed way of looking at life. Born to paint and draw, she creates beauty as often as possible, painting seascapes that speak to her soul and drawing passersby to earn extra money. She works as a server at a local restaurant and dreams of one day making a living from her art. The hum that shifts the planet also transforms her inner world and her art. Seeking answers, she encounters Michael Browne, and their instant connection fuels a complete reshaping of her life. The two of them together undertake a journey that, in time, will change the world. But Melody must first heal the wounds of her past, which she hides even from the one person with whom she shares everything.

A member of the Navajo nation, Yas Hataałii lives in northwestern New Mexico near his grandfather, a medicine man who is his mentor and closest relation. Yas keeps to himself and seldom speaks to strangers. Outside the company of his grandfather, he prefers to walk alone in the mountains or desert. All his life he has gone into the silence to speak to the elders and ancestors who had long since shed their bodies. Thanks to his strong spiritual connection, he knows there is much this world does not understand. When Yas meets Michael and Melody, he recognizes them from his dreams and knows the time his ancestors foretold has come. He welcomes the remembrance of his spirit’s truth.

Anaishe Tsdhuma works as a travel agent in Harare, Zimbabwe. She has been in mourning since the death of her mother, who was her best friend and closest counsel. She still connects with her mother in dreams but longs to embrace her in the physical world. Her life is simply work and sorrow until the great hum happens. Her dreams and inner knowing guide her visit Glastonbury in the winter. When she encounters Michael and Melody and the others in that faraway land, she knows she is no longer alone, and her gentle heart rejoices.

Tomiko Omichi comes from Tokyo, Japan. Well educated and well traveled, she works for an international company and speaks fluent English. Although she manages to succeed in the business world, she has a sensitive nature and, like Melody, she has always felt like an outsider. She loves deeply and with her whole heart and longs to see more kindness in the world. She’s shy and reticent to speak to strangers, but all that changes when she meets those whose spirits she knows.

Baiju and Aasmi Gupta live in northern India where they grew up together. Their marriage was arranged when they were small children. Baiju works for a fast-paced R & D networking center while Aasmi spends her days at home devoting her time to her fledgling business as a bookkeeper. The two of them are soul mates, and their deep, abiding love permeates the atmosphere around them with the golden sunlight of their spirits. Both meditate and live in harmony with their souls, which has been their practice since childhood.

Samuel Santos, who is from Brazil, speaks his native Portuguese as well as Spanish and English. He emanates a quiet feeling of clarity and strength. His strong sense of justice and fairness guides him to a career in law. Samuel advocates for clients who have suffered from the actions of large corporations and other unfeeling entities. His heart reaches out to theirs, and in his presence everyone he meets feels more at ease. His protective nature bolsters those for whom he fights in the courts. Focused on his career, Samuel tends to guard his heart, but he instantly lets in his spirit kindred whom he meets atop Glastonbury Tor.

Argentinian Sophia Rodriquez feels a strong connection to the divine feminine. Patient, kindhearted, and highly spiritual, she volunteers one day a week at a shelter for women and children who have suffered from family violence. Her own childhood was fraught with uncertainty and cruelty, which beckoned her to find a place of solace for others. In addition to her compassionate heart, she has always had a brilliant mind and since childhood has had a desire to understand the inner workings of life, which led her to a career as a molecular biologist.

Alistair Carmichael grew up on his family’s barley farm in Scotland. His four brothers help their father farm the land that has been in their family for generations, but Alistair himself works at his uncle’s print shop. With a sharp mind and a quick wit, he’s a good-natured friend who sets those around him at ease. Alistair’s love affair with music goes back to childhood, and he delights in singing along with the radio. When the great hum sounds across the globe, Alistair hears more than a high-pitched tone; he perceives the music of the universe playing and unconsciously finds himself humming along. He’s close to his family and the apple of his grandmother’s eye, but meeting his spiritual family awakens him to another level of love.