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La Petite Cathédrale d’Elsie
(Author’s note: This story was selected for the 2021 Napa Valley Writers group Anthology, Third Harvest, released December 8, 2021 – available HERE*) Father Paolo gripped his cloak tight around his face, bent into the snowstorm, and moved on. A numb grip held his walking staff; fingers a mottled pink and pale, ghostly white. Aroused by the assault of another gust, he realized he no longer climbed with each step. Was this the vale he sought? When the wind abated, snowflakes surrounding him held motionless, as if considering their mission toward earth. He caught the scent of burning wood. The snowflakes returned to their downward flutter. He stopped and turned toward…
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Laughter and a Boujee Camino
What makes you laugh (or cry)? I know it’s been a while. I’m finally feeling back to normal after returning from six weeks in Europe—where we launched the new novel Camino Child, and from New Jersey, where we saw one of our grandsons graduate from Coast Guard boot camp. Yes, we’re proud. In Europe, I spent weeks walking many a beautiful Camino mile and spreading the word about the book launch. I had tons of fun making new friends, breaking bread, walking, and talking. I ran into people I had met before and folks I had only known through Camino social media groups. I was even fortunate enough to see…
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New Camino Novel
CAMINO CHILD IS COMING SOON. This novel has been a labor of love, a learning curve, a way to virtually walk the Camino de Santiago during a global pandemic, and a passion. Pre-order your Kindle version today. The novel launches on October 4th, 2022. The story will be available in Kindle and paperback from Amazon. Other formats and outlets coming soon after. Click Shop now below to pre-order your copy today. ABOUT THE NOVEL Fifteen-year-old SUMMER DARLING and her grandmother have left their home in southern California to fly to the rugged coast of northern Spain, following a cryptic note and pages from a forty-year-old travel diary neither knew existed. The answers to…
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Cover Reveal
It was a close thing, a close race. Choosing the cover art for my new novel, Camino Child, was one of the hardest parts of this project. In general, writers liked the “red” version, and readers liked the “blue” version. In the end, my fifteen-year-old granddaughter broke a virtual tie. The blue (the dominant color in this cover) version it shall be, then. Camino Child will release at Amazon.com on October 4th. Pre-orders will open in the next two weeks. Keep a watchful eye for that announcement, coming soon.
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Quick Announcement
On Sunday, we will reveal the cover for the much anticipated new novel, Camino Child. Keep an eye out that morning. Pre-orders for the book, Summer Darling’s adventures across Spain on the Camino de Santiago, will open in the weeks ahead.
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Her Eyes Like Diamonds
An American Landscape Short Story Bodie Jacques is single. He drafts personal ads one after another, not finding the words. He casts his intentions to the universe. A shiny car parks near him. Out steps a supermodel. Over coffee, and from their respective tables, she talks Bodie into riding along on an errand she must run. At a ‘spooky’ mansion in the Heights, Bodie witnesses her take something. When the woman’s boyfriend wants it back, Bodie’s day goes from a happy Saturday off to a high-speed run for his live. The beautiful woman his pilot. Do you know someone who may like this story? Forward this page and they too…
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A Big Thank You and an Announcement
We’re coming to the end of a road. And I thank you. Camino Child, my first novel (first under my name), should see the light of day this fall. And there are people I want to thank for their inspiration and suggestions, coaching, training, and for sometimes just plain humoring me. “No one accomplishes anything in this life on his or her own. Even when we stare in awe at what might appear to be a solitary feat – like climbing to the top of a mountain alone – there is invisible support. There are loved ones at home who cherish the adventure. A mentor to teach. A colleague with…
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Thunder in the Mayacamas Range
An American Landscape Short Story Even though marijuana is now legal in California, illegal patches thrive in the hills of the state. And there is competition, even feuds among the growers. Why would they not be legal, you might ask? Regulations have proven challenging to work within, and—more commonly—these folks have been tending crops for generations and know no other life.Our tale, Thunder in the Mayacamas Range, shows us the tragic fallout from one night when two factions went to battle during a nasty thunderstorm.Who will survive, and who will have to live with the consequences? Do you know someone who may like this story? Forward this page and they…
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Not Your Average Contractor (AKA: Hitman)
A story about a hitman who doesn't kill his targets—what? Check it out.
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ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
The Eighth is a short story in my American Landscape series. Please enjoy. What if Lucifer were reborn to a catholic family in the Bronx? Eleni is the eldest of eight children. She inherited the family apartment in Little Italy. She needs her husband of six months, Robert, to understand why she doesn’t want to have children, ever. When Eleni tells Robert about the evils her youngest brother, Daniel, has brought to the neighborhood and her family since he was a toddler, she can only hope that he will understand. What horrible things could Daniel have possibly done to make Eleni fear raising her own children? The Eighth An American Landscape Short Story…
