Hopeless, an orphan slave girl who inherited an insurmountable debt at birth, faces a dreary life of oppression along with her only friend, Athaliah. But unlike the rest of the slaves held under the malicious Master Omri, Hopeless has an unexplainable urge to risk everything on the faintest hope of finding freedom. Scared to even acknowledge her desires, she longs for the impossible-to reach the king and queen, receive their protection from her owner, and someday return to rescue Athaliah. Little does she know that meeting the royal family will change her life forever, marking only the beginning of her dreams which are about to take shape in a way she never imagined possible... This story inspires hope in the darkest circumstances, courage to face the past, and acceptance of one's true self; it demonstrates the power of sacrifice, forgiveness, mercy, and unconditional love. Elizabeth Strombeck is from Orlando, Florida, and dreamed from childhood of becoming a missionary like her grandparents, Rick and Bette. At age seventeen this dream was fulfilled as she moved to Kiev, Ukraine. A few months later, she was inspired to write Dreams of Ivory while camping on the Black Sea (see cover photo) and completed it two weeks later. She returned to finish her bachelor's in Russian studies at Florida State University, then went on to Peru in 2006 where she wrote and directed a two-hour theatrical production of Dreams of Ivory in Spanish (where all other photos were taken). After two more years of ministering in Zhitomir, Ukraine, she moved back to Orlando. Elizabeth currently attends Northwest Community Church and is pursuing her dream of becoming an established author, developing stories for children and youth, including a fantasy series. www.dreamsofivory.com