Cyber Monday

Hello online shoppers!  It's Cyber Monday.  Are your fingers ready to shop? Is an e-reader on your shopping list?  The recipient will be doubly surprised if they unwrap their gift to find it pre-loaded with e-books.  My books are only $1.99 through Christmas on Smashwords.  Prefer paperback?   Shop Amazon.

Lessons Learned from Summer Camp has been re-written

Below is an except, a brand new scene from the fully revised version of "Lessons"...

“Oftentimes, whenever I was really angry about something I would clean house. Take all that negative energy and put it to good use.  The taxes were done on a Friday. Saturday morning I start cleaning. By mid afternoon, the kids were playing outside and Dean was sound asleep on the couch in front of the TV.  As I am putting things away and cleaning out an under-the-bed storage drawer I see something that should not be there.  I very gingerly grab it by the handle with two fingers and stand up.  My jaw dropped as I stared at a handgun.”

“Oh, no!” cried several of the girls.

“I’m in complete shock.  I had no idea it had been there.”

“What’re you doing?” asked a voice inches from my back.

“Dean scared the life out of me.  I had no idea how long I had been standing there staring at the gun or how long he had been standing behind me.  I jumped at the sound of his voice.  The gun slipped out of my fingers and hit the tile floor.  The sound was ear-shattering as the gun fired, the window shattered, and the kids screamed as they ran into the house.”

I paused as the room went dead silent. My heart began beating hard in my chest as I remembered that moment.  “As soon as I heard the kids slam the back door, I turned around, shoved Dean out of my way and ran to my children.”

“Did the cops come?” asked Keri.

“No,” I said.  “We lived in a very rural area.  Lot of trees, neighbors far apart. I don’t know if anyone heard anything.  When I got to the kids they were frightened, but unharmed.  The bullet had hit a tree near where they were playing.  I sent them to their rooms then went back to where Dean was, still standing in our bedroom.”

“A gun in the house?!” I screamed.  “Are you insane!  A loaded gun?  Right where the kids could get it, too.  They were in here playing hide and seek just days ago. What? Why?  You do know it is a felony for you to even own a gun much less have a loaded one in the house!  Get that thing and get it out of this house. Immediately!!  Do not even think about returning until you have disposed of it and bring me proof that it is gone.  And believe me, I will be searching your truck to make sure you didn’t just hide it!” I was absolutely livid and he just stood there like it was no big deal.

“It’s your fault it went off,” he said, trying to blame me.

“Get out!!” I screamed at him. “There had better not be anymore anywhere on this property or believe me, I will call the cops!”

“You wouldn’t dare call the cops. It was an accident. We don’t need to call the police!”

“I’m sure I said much more and much worse.  I hate guns, always have.  The fact that he was hiding a loaded gun after being convicted of a gun charge was more than I could handle. He took the gun, left, and didn’t return until after I was asleep that night.

“We went to church as usual the following Sunday. I sent the kids and Dean to Sunday School class and I made a bee line for the bathroom.  When I left the bathroom and didn’t see Dean, I found an elder and poured out my soul to him.  I told him that I felt like I had done everything I possibly could to make my marriage work. I told him because of what Dean did in front of the children it was no longer healthy for him to be in our home, not healthy for me either.  I told the elder I would be asking Dean to move out, immediately, that day.  He was very understanding and said he and the other elders would support me and my decision.  He thought it would be a good idea to tell Dean there at the church.  After church, the elders and I met with Dean.  I told him he would have to move out as soon as we got home. I didn’t say so at the time, but I knew divorce would be the end result. Needless to say, he was shocked.   Out in the parking lot, he let me have it.  I don’t remember everything he said, but a few things I will never forget.”

Find this book and many others at Smashwords and Amazon.

(The print version  has not been revised.)

"Sanctuary", a book excerpt

Book sample from "Sanctuary":

"Where to now, Ruth?" Noah asked as he took her by the hand and began to lead her to the truck.

"Hold on," interrupted Adam. Claire had sensed that something was troubling him. "I don't get it. What's thepoint of calling ourselves anything at all? I mean, in two days Jonah found Ruth, Noah and I found them, and now we've found Claire. I don't think things are as bad as you think they are. I think only the south east US was wiped out and the rest of the world is still out there. You guys are getting way ahead of yourselves."

Noah shook his head, "Adam," he said softly, "Remember."

"Remember what?"

"Yesterday, the day before that, and...."

Jonah cut in, "Look in the sky Adam. What do you see?"

Adam looked up, looked all around, trying to figure out the riddle, "Clouds, sun."

"What else do you see?" asked Noah. "More importantly what don't you see? What's missing? What haven't we seen in days?"

"Sky lines," Adam sighed.

"No airplanes," whispered Ruth.

"That's right," answered Noah. "And remember the radio?" Noah nudged Adam to the army vehicle and opened the doors on the drivers side. Claire gazed at amazement at all the equipment and dials and stuff she couldn't name on the dashboard. "What is all that for?" he asked, pointing at various equipment.

"Don't know," mumbled Adam.

"You do know, man," blurted Jonah, "you know they work, there's just nobody on the other end. No electricity either.

Noah explained to Claire, "When we found this thing, first thing we did was try out all the equipment, see what worked, what didn't. It has computer, GPS, satellite, you name it, oh even an old fashioned HAM radio. Everything works fine, Adam is a techie, he knows all this stuff. Anyway we didn't so much as get static on any of the channels. Adam," Noah turned towards him and laid a hand gently on his shoulder, "There might be a few others out there, might be, but life as we knew it was over a long time ago. We band together and call ourselves a tribe because it gives us hope. It gives us a purpose. We can't randomly wander in search of civilization because, like or not, we're it."

Adam slowly leaned his head onto Noah's shoulder and heaved a long sigh and let loose a stream of tears he had probably been holding in for a very long time. Claire, who had such compassion for him began to cry, then Ruth, and then finally followed by Jonah who tried to hide his tears by stepping toward Adam giving him a bear hug.

A couple minutes later, Jonah broke the silence, "Okay, so we're officially a family, or tribe, or whatever. Are we going to sit here all day or what? Time's a-wastin' and I'm hungry."

Sanctuary, on sale now at Smashwords.com

Book sample for "Black Purple Sky"

CHAPTER ONE

Mirrors don’t lie. They are not capable of it. They merely reflect what exists on the other side.  It is the viewer, the one who looks into the pane of glass, who interprets what they see. Sometimes the viewer loves what they observe whether it be beauty, happiness, or transformation. On occasions, specifically an occasion like this one, reality hits hard.  It lands square in the face and jolts the viewer to accept what is, what has become of them, and what must be done.

Gretchen’s jaw dropped, her stomach churned, and she gasped audibly as soon as the woman’s hands uncovered her eyes and she looked into the mirror. Her face, under the garish makeup was ashen gray. Who was that poor, pitiful, hideous creature in that awful dress?  She was oblivious to the chatter and bustling activity around her, the fingers fussing with her hair, as she stared at the girl in the mirror.  She was unrecognizable. Sure, she knew she was staring at herself, but it wasn’t.  The girl’s eyes were sad. Dark circles were covered with heavy make-up as was the rest of her face.  The eyelids had been painted a particularly ugly shade of blue, which clashed with the brilliant blue of her eyes. Her cheeks were orange, and her lips, oh my.  The lips were bubble gum pink.

Gretchen forced back tears. What did these horrible women do to her? Gretchen’s long blond hair had been curled, teased, piled high and glued with a case of hair spray.  On the top of her head was a silver crown with poufs of satin and lace which was her train and veil. She dared not look down.  It was like looking at a bloody accident. Horrible, but compelled to look. The garment started under Gretchen’s chin. It was an ugly, vaguely off-white satin with ruffles.  Lots and lots of ruffles.  The top of the collar, just under her chin was lined with ruffles.  Its shoulders puffed up as if a child had cut and sewn the dress and stuffed it with pillows then glued all the scraps onto the shoulder and sleeves.

“Oh my God,” Gretchen thought to herself as she touched her cheek, “kill me now. What have I done to deserve this? He told me I was beautiful. I used to be...”

Ready for more???  Get your full version at Smashwords, Amazon, or if you want it in paperback it is available at Create Space.

This book has been nominated for a Global E-book award

New Release

New book release

Young and beautiful, Gretchen Deen was beginning to live the life she always dreamed of. She was successful in her budding career, nice apartment, decent car, and well-liked by everyone she met.  As head personal trainer, she was accustomed to the flirtatious male customers at the gym where she worked. Rarely did she date any of them, however, one very persistent young man swept her off her feet into a whirlwind nightmare.  Objections were disregarded violently.  Gretchen desperately needed to take a bad situation and turn it into something good. 

Paperback also available.

Free book!

Now through the end of February, "Lessons Learned at Summer Camp" is free with coupon code DU95W.  


If you have teen daughters or know someone who does, this is a great book to read together. It will have the two of you discussing all the sensitive issues that are so difficult to initiate.  Based on a true story, this is a life no parent wants their children to experience.