Settling Family Ties takes place about 5 months after the first novel ended. Stephanie is forced to leave Washington State for a time due to all the legal action that is levied against her. So she returns to her roots in Cascade Montana only to find troubles there as well.

She inherited everything from her great Uncle Raymond who may be dead, but is not gone. Whoever it is that wants Steph’s family line dead follow her and bodies start being found. They are trying to frame her and Joe for the murders. Her symbol studies are ongoing, but not going well. The more complicated symbols are difficult to align for effect. She and Joe are learning to be a couple with an emotional tie and it has its normal compromises. She also is the High Priestess to a Deity that may speak English but can’t communicate. Stephanie is constantly trying to figure out what her deity is really trying to say.

Stephanie Blackraven doesn’t believe in Magic, as an engineer geek with no social skills, she believes in science. Her PhD studies involve the applied physics of symbols and the potential energy they contain. She has the “knack”, the ability to draw those symbols in the air and make them do things. Not many can do that. None of this vague mumbo-jumbo for her, with hand waving and swaying while speaking Latin, it is science.