Book Tour: A Flair For Goblins by Deborah Garner

NEW RELEASE....
When Sadie Kramer agrees to help decorate for San Francisco’s high- society Halloween Spooktacular, she expects to find whimsical ghosts, skeletons, and jack-o-lanterns when she shows up at the Wainwright Mansion, not a body. Especially not the body of the woman in charge of the charity event. 

With two detectives, a paranormal investigator turned television star, and a cauldron full of Wainwright Foundation staff and family members cackling around her, Sadie and her sidekick Yorkie are determined to find out who the killer is. Will an old superstition help lead to the truth? Or will this simply become one more tale in the mansion’s haunted history? 

*Recipe for Butterfinger Krispie Bars included!

Available to buy from....
Amazon Kindle    Paperback 
*Free on Kindle Unlimited

"Deborah Garner is gifted at bringing each character to life. She adds details seamlessly, making it seem like you know these people. She presents scenarios that have you thinking you know who did it, and then in the next sentence you are second guessing yourself. And that is to say, this is a great “who done it” … it gets 2 thumbs up from me :)" 

"I loved the quirky charm of Sadie, for she is loveable, -nosey in a fun way- and has the ability of building a rapport with all the weird and wonderful characters on the resort. She is has a knack of finding clues as she goes about her day to day business." 

"Deborah Garner is a wonderful, fun author who can deliver a story that you will want to read to the end and the characters are witty, entertaining and a lot of fun." 

Above reviews from Amazon

Guest book review by Carly Louise Wilson

‘A Flair For Goblins’ is the latest Sadie Kramer Mystery by author Deborah Garner, and it is perfectly timed for the up and coming Halloween festivities.

Sadie Kramer has been enlisted to help customer and acquaintance Roberta Wainwright in decorating her mansion for a Halloween Spooktacular fundraiser. But unfortunately the mansion has lots of spooky tales associated with it; Goblins, ghosts and various other ghouls that Sadie is determined to shrug off. But when she attends the mansion and hears frightening sounds and discovers a body, Sadie is brought into a whole new mystery. Wondering whether it be paranormal activity or something even more sinister... a murderer.

I have previously read books by this author, so I was already familiar with Sadie and her little Yorkie who she carries around in a tote bag. Her and the little dog always tend to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and in this instance, are the ones to discover the body rather than hear about it. This can be read as a stand-alone and Sadie is endearing and her love of fashion, chocolate and her dog definitely make her an intriguing character in her own right.

Sadie is unable to help herself from getting embroiled in the mystery surrounding the death, and all of the clues she learns, allows you as a reader to guess alongside her.

An exciting read that kept me guessing, and is the idea read for those who love ‘who done it’ murder mysteries and fancy themselves a detective. If you love romance, you also have the sweet chemistry between Sadie and her handsome detective friend Broussard.

I loved the history of the mansion, the intrigue around each and every character, and Garner really brought this Cluedo style mystery to live so that I could vividly imagine it. Thoroughly entertaining.

A Flair for Chardonnay (The Sadie Kramer Flair Mystery Book 1)

When flamboyant senior sleuth Sadie Kramer learns the owner of Cioccolato, her favorite chocolate shop, is in trouble, she heads for the California wine country with a tote-bagged Yorkie and a slew of questions. The fourth generation Tremiato Winery promises answers, but not before a dead body turns up at the vintners’ scheduled Harvest Festival.

All four Tremiato siblings have possible motives, as well as a few peripheral acquaintances, but only one could be the guilty party. As Sadie juggles truffles, tips and turmoil, she’ll need to sort the grapes from the wrath in order to find the identity of the killer.

Available to buy from....
Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk 

*Free on Kindle Unlimited

A Flair for Drama (The Sadie Kramer Flair Mystery Book 2)

When a former schoolmate invites flamboyant senior sleuth Sadie Kramer to a theatre production, she jumps at the excuse to visit the Monterey Bay area for a weekend. With quaint Carmel shops a short drive away and luxurious linens in her hotel accommodations, the excursion promises to be both entertaining and relaxing.

Plenty of action is expected on stage, but when the show's leading lady turns up dead, Sadie finds herself faced with more than one drama to follow. With both cast members and production crew as potential suspects, will Sadie and her sidekick Yorkie, Coco, be able to solve the case?

Available on the following sites....
Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk 
*Free on Kindle Unlimited

A Flair for Beignets (The Sadie Kramer Flair Mystery Book 3)

When Sadie Kramer heads to New Orleans with her sidekick Yorkie, Coco, her sole expectation is a spectacular vacation. With fabulous music, exquisite cuisine, and rich culture, how could a week in The Big Easy be anything less than fantastic? And it is - until a customer at popular Chez Lisette Patisserie drops dead face-first in a raspberry-almond tart.

A competitive bakery, a newly-formed friendship, and even Hotel Arnaud-LeBlanc’s luxurious accommodations offer possible suspects. As Sadie sorts through a gumbo of interconnected characters, will she discover who the killer is? Or will the killer discover her first?

Available on the following sites....
Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk 
*Free on Kindle Unlimited

A Flair for Truffles (The Sadie Kramer Flair Mystery Book 4)

Sadie Kramer's friendly offer to deliver three boxes of gourmet Valentines truffles for her neighbor's chocolate shop, Cioccolato, backfires when she arrives to find the intended recipient deceased. Even more intriguing is the fact that the elegant heart-shaped gifts were ordered by three different men.

With the help of one detective and the hindrance of another, Sadie will search San Francisco from the prestigious financial district to a low-life bar, to iconic Fisherman's Wharf, looking for clues. With the help of her trusted sidekick Yorkie, Coco, will Sadie manage to find out "whodunnit" before the killer finds a way to stop her?

Available on the following sites....
Amazon.com    Amazon.co.uk 
*Free on Kindle Unlimited

A Flair for Flip-Flops (The Sadie Kramer Flair Mystery Book 5) 

A vacation on the Southern California coast promises rest and relaxation for flamboyant senior sleuth Sadie Kramer and her mischievous Yorkie, Coco. But when the body of a heartthrob celebrity washes up on the beach outside her luxury hotel suite, Sadie's fun-in-the-sun soon turns into sleuthing-with-the-stars.

The resort's wine and appetizer gatherings, suspicious behavior of hotel guests, and casual strolls along the beach boardwalk may provide clues, but will they be enough to discover who the killer is?

Or will mystery and mayhem leave a Hollywood scandal unsolved?

*Recipes included!

Available to buy from....
Amazon Kindle    Paperback 
*Free on Kindle Unlimited

About the author

Deborah Garner is an accomplished travel writer with a passion for back roads and secret hideaways. Born and raised in California, she studied in France before returning to the U.S. to attend UCLA. After stints in graduate school and teaching, she attempted to clone herself for decades by founding and running a dance and performing arts center, designing and manufacturing clothing and accessories, and tackling both spreadsheets and display racks for corporate retail management. Her passions include photography, hiking and animal rescue. She speaks five languages, some substantially better than others. She now divides her time between California and Wyoming, dragging one human and two canines along whenever possible.

Find the author on the following sites...

Website   Facebook   Twitter   Goodreads   Amazon Author Page   Bookbub

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I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY !!

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Ending on Sunday 1st November at 11.59pm EST

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Book Tour: On Toby's Terms by Charmaine Hammond

Celebrating ten years of On Toby's Terms!

When Charmaine and her husband adopted Toby, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, they figured he might need some adjusting time, but they certainly didn’t think he’d be a holy terror, beset by severe anxiety and destructive behavior that would take a miracle to curb. Turns out, Toby routinely opened and emptied closets, turned on water taps, and pulled things from the bookshelves. Oddest of all was his penchant for locking himself in the bathroom, and then push the lid of the toilet tank onto the floor, smashing it to pieces. After a particularly disastrous encounter with the knife-block in the kitchen—and when the couple discovered Toby’s blood and paw prints on the phone—Charmaine decided Toby needed professional help. 

"Readers Favourite” GOLD Award -- An Amazon #1 International Best Seller 2x -- Finalist, Alberta Exporting Award -- Global eBook Award Winner Finalist -- Hollywood Book Festival Finalist -- Indie National Book FINALIST -- Finalist Great Southeast Book Festival Finalist -- Runner up in Southeast Book Festival Awards

Available to buy from...

Amazon.com  Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble   Paperback   Audible

“Simply a beautiful book about life, love, and purpose.” — Jack Canfield, Chicken Soup for the Soul series 

"What a beautiful story about life with an extraordinary dog who was bound and determined to live his life on his own terms." — Miki's Hope, Amazon reviewer

"His work with patients, as well as young students, bring joy, hope and unconditional love. I admire Charmaine and Chris for not giving up on Toby's potential....For believing in new beginnings.A beautifully written story of love and devotion." — Debby Denny, Amazon reviewer

Also available in audio!

The Team Toby PAWsitively improved lives by teaching kindness, acceptance and respect. Team Toby accomplished the mission through professional speaking and corporate training, presentations to schools and organizations, through the Team Toby Global Speakers team, our books and products, philanthropy and causes projects, and philanthropy efforts.

2015 - A Million Acts of Kindness Tour across North America!
Charmaine and Toby Sr., and their new Toby, have presented to more than 30,000 students across North America, raised more than $10,000 for charities, and have donated books and presentations to schools and organizations to support healthy character development in children.

Enjoy this excerpt!

Other Toby Books!

Toby the Pet Therapy Dog and His Hospital Friends (A CHILDREN'S DOG STORY)

Toby is a big, brown, happy dog. Every week his owner takes him to visit and comfort children who are in the hospital. Follow Toby the service dog for a day and see how he makes friends, and makes others happy. Beautifully illustrated, this simple story sends a positive message about community and the importance of kindness and being helpful to others.

Available to buy from...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Paperback

Toby the Pet Therapy Dog says be a Buddy, not a Bully

When Toby steps into the path of a dog who bullies him, and shreds his beloved stuffed teddy-bear toy, we see the hurt feelings it creates. This beautifully illustrated book teaches children about the importance of kindness, acceptance, and being considerate of others, including pets. A wonderful story to start discussions in ages 3 to 10. Winner of the Gold in Global eBook Awards!

Available to buy from...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Paperback  

About Charmaine Hammond

Charmaine Hammond is a 4x best selling author of 5 books and is featured in 8 others. She has written in the personal development genre (GPS Your Best Life), memoir (On Toby's Terms), and has written two children's books in the Toby the Pet Therapy Dog series. Charmaine was most recently featured in a collaboration book, 4x international bestseller: Voices of the 21st Century. She has also been featured in two Chicken Soup for the Soul books. 

Charmaine Hammond, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) is a highly sought-after business keynote and workshop speaker, entrepreneur, author and educator who teaches and advocates the importance of developing trust, healthy relationships and collaboration in the workplace. She has helped clients in many industries build resilient and engaged workplaces, develop high trust/high accountability relationships, and solve workplace issues that get in the way of success and profitability. She is respected as a "no fluff" and "rich content" speaker who delivers tangible tools to step into action immediately. 

This former Correctional Officer (yup! She worked in jails) and Corporate Dispute Resolution Expert now travels the world teaching the principles of collaboration, communication/conflict resolution and resilience. She also has an extensive background facilitating process to help collaborations when they go sideways. As a former mediator she has helped facilitate some of the most complex collaborations and partnership arrangements. 

Her corporate clients have included all 3 levels of government, oil and gas sector, trade associations and companies (health, nursing, engineering, safety, and more), technology businesses, human resources, community partnership departments, educational institutions, police/fire and rescue, non profit organizations and everything in between. She has presented to more than 300,000 people worldwide. Her extensive background in the corporate, small business and non profit worlds, her past role as a contract negotiation specialist for government, and a business owner, she has an interesting perspective of being on all sides of the collaboration table. She has owned several businesses over the past 21 years.  

She has a Master's Degree in Conflict Management & Analysis is a bestselling author (of 5 books & featured in 6 others), and CSP™ Certified Speaking Professional. Charmaine has been featured in renowned publications such as Inc., Occupational Health & Safety Magazine, and many others, as well as having appeared as a guest on numerous TV and Radio Programs.

Find the Author on the following sites...

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Meet Toby Snr

A. Wells Photography

In an effort to get Toby’s behaviour under control, a K9 behaviourist worked with Toby on his behavioural issues and stated that Toby was a dog who needed a job, a purpose. Christopher and Charmaine found Toby a job as an Animal Assisted Therapy dog. After training and testing, Toby was approved as a volunteer with Chimo Animal Assisted Therapy and received a volunteer placement at an adult mental health hospital.

Wednesdays with Toby were life changing for the patients he visited, as well as for Charmaine and Christopher. While Toby was bringing unconditional acceptance and happiness to those he visited at the hospital, he was also becoming a teacher for Charmaine and Christopher, teaching them powerful life lessons, about patience, purpose, persistence, the power of unconditional acceptance, and showing up as your authentic self.

The patients that Toby worked with at the hospital and all of the children that he met in schools experienced the benefits of a therapy dog’s whose mission in life was to leave pawprints on hearts everywhere he went x






Toby Snr and Jnr even have their own Facebook!

Toby ready for volunteering

Toby and Charmaine at a book signing

Charmaine and Jack Canfield, who wrote an endorsement for the book

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I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY !!

Win this set of Toby's children's books!

One winner

Ending on Sunday 11th October at 11.59pm EST

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Blog Tour: Into the Woods Anthology by Mindful Writers Retreat Authors + Giveaway

Into the Woods is the title and theme for this assortment of short stories, poems, essays, music, and one walking meditation. Each piece is unique in tone and genre and the result is that the collection captures the fascinating, frightening, fun, healing, and fantastical wonder of time spent in the woods. The twenty-six contributors who attend Mindful Writers Retreats in the mountains of Ligonier, Pennsylvania, are donating one hundred percent of the proceeds to support the research and work of The Children’s Heart Foundation.

Available at....

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble   Kobo   iBooks   Paperback

Book Excerpts

Short Story

TRAIN WRECK

by Kathleen Shoop

Ellie Trumbull squinted out the window of the Uber, gripping the door handle. The car swerved and bounced up the long driveway leading to the retreat center where the courts had sent Ellie for punishment. She grabbed her stomach to stave off nausea, but when it began to launch itself she smacked the driver’s arm. He slowed and stopped. Ellie pulled the handle, and tumbled out of the door onto all fours, heaving.

She gasped for breath, dizzied. Voices sounded as she struggled to stand. She focused on the group heading toward her: two women, a man, and several children who simply bolted past her, their squealing laughter filling the air.

A graceful woman with gray, bunned hair and dark skin approached. She took Ellie’s arm and pulled her close, leading her into a building. “Welcome. I’m Vera.”

“I’m Alice.” A stout woman with platinum spiked hair followed along.

A lanky man with hair so perfect it looked plastic picked up Ellie’s duffel bag. “I’m Brandon. Your husband’ll send the rest of your luggage shortly.”

Ellie grunted. They led her upstairs. Brandon rushed ahead to open a door. Ellie shuffled inside.

“Your room,” he said. “I’ll set your bag here.”

Ellie looked over her shoulder to see him smiling, as he’d been doing since she arrived. “Thanks, Guy Smiley.”

“What?”

She ignored his question, held onto one of the top bunks and surveyed the space. Three large windows at the end of the room and three sets of bunks with plastic mattresses belted the perimeter.

Ellie collapsed onto a bed.

“Plastic makes it easy to clean,” Vera said.

“Shut those.” Ellie shook her hand at the windows.

The woman sighed, closed the curtains and lowered the blind that covered the center pane. She lifted Ellie’s feet off the floor and swung them onto the bed. “Housekeeping’ll make up the bed in a little bit.”

“Fine,” Ellie groaned.

Vera loosened Ellie’s shoelaces.

Ellie snatched her feet away. “I’m fine.”

Vera backed away, her large hands flailing for a moment before she tucked them against her belly. “Our healing circle begins in an hour.”

Ellie turned away and balled up. Leave me alone.

And a few seconds later the door clicked shut.

***

Giggling children and the sound of feet running down the hallway outside Room 2 woke Ellie. Her mouth was desert dry, so she headed downstairs to the great room where she saw a kitchen area. With the kids gone, the silence felt good.

Ellie startled at the sight of Alice, Vera, and Guy Smiley sitting around an island. Guy Smiley poured coffee. Healing circle.

“Ellie,” he said. “Welcome.”

Vera sliced banana bread. The scent threatened Ellie’s stoic facade. A smile tugged her lips, but she tucked away the fleeting happy sensation, hid it where it wouldn’t remind her how Maggie’s face would light up when she bit into her favorite treat.

Alice clomped her feet onto the coffee table. Vera batted them away and pushed the banana bread toward Ellie.

She looked away.

“I’ll take hers,” said Alice.

“I’d like to begin,” Vera said, her voice gentle and melodic. “The healing circle guides us into continued acceptance and strengthens our endurance as we grow through the pain that comes with losing a child. Each of us understands the daily shock of waking and realizing our lives will never be the same. So how do we go on?”

Guy Smiley sipped coffee. “Feels good to be with everyone.”

“Each time we meet I do better back home,” Vera said.

“Same,” Alice said.

“We hope you’ll find our group helpful, Ellie,” Vera said.

When Ellie didn’t respond the others went around describing how they lost their child. Ellie blocked out every word, rubbing her temples. Her own pain was enough. She wasn’t about to invite theirs inside. Her gaze strayed to the kids outside, the game of tag that left them breathless, rolling down the hill and out of sight. How lucky they were.

“Ellie?” Alice asked. Ellie turned her gaze back to see Alice glaring.

“It’ll help,” sweet Vera said. “To share.”

Guy Smiley slid forward in his seat, fingers steepled. “Change brings…blah, blah … comfort, healing…” He droned on and on and finally Ellie’s mind snapped back to what he first said.

“Change?” Ellie said.

He nodded. They all did.

Ellie’s anger surged. She wiped spittle from her lip. “I don’twantchange. I feel Maggie more now than I ever did… before she died I couldn’t wait to get to work, or girls’ night out or go away with my husband. My daughter… difficult from the day she was born… is dead. I’ll never sit with you people thinking about change and eating stinking banana bread.”

She stood and stomped away.

“She don’t want help,” Alice said.

“But her husband…” Brandon said.

Ellie got farther away, unable to hear what they said. Her husband? He was finished with her. She jogged to her room and crashed onto the mattress that housekeeping hadn’t yet returned to make. She covered her face and held back tears. With balled fists she tried to resist.

But she couldn’t.

Up off the bed, Ellie dug through her duffel and found it. Vodka. Cap unscrewed, she gulped, washing away the scent of banana bread, the thought that she’d never again see Maggie’s smile when she took a bite of it.

***

Short Story

EIRA

by Wende Dikec

The lights went out, and Eira held her breath, waiting for the emergency generator to work. It started with a shudder and a horrific crunching noise, but at least it continued to function.

She closed her eyes, feeling the fear in her chest ease when she heard the comforting sound of the humming engine. She couldn’t bear the thought of being left cold and alone in the dark.

Tugging her pale, blond hair into a ponytail, she pulled her ragged wool cardigan tightly across her body and walked over to the window of Alexander House, a grand name for such a Spartan hunting cabin, to peek outside. She waited for the sun to come up, looking out the dirty glass pane, and continued to stare out the window long after the sun rose in the sky. She didn’t know why she bothered. She saw nothing outside except the same white expanse she’d seen every day for the last five lonely months.

Eira opened the door to grab some wood from the pile for her fire, her body flinching from the chill of the icy wind. She had enough wood to last a few more weeks, and then she’d have to make the dangerous trip into the forest to chop more. She dreaded it, but not as much as she dreaded living without the generator. If she rationed carefully, she’d have enough fuel for another month, but she wasn’t sure what she’d do after that. She hadn’t planned on being stranded for such a long time. Spring should have arrived almost two months ago.

She blinked in surprise when she saw a figure moving toward her house, struggling in the waist deep snow. Eira squinted against the harsh sunlight reflecting off the white landscape, trying to make out if the approaching form was human or animal, friend or foe, but she could see very little at this distance. She stumbled back into her warm little house, and reached for her heavy coat. She quickly slipped on her snowshoes before grabbing her gun, a nervous sense of excitement building inside her. If it was a person, it would be the first human being she’d seen in months. If it was an animal, she’d shoot it and have food for a week. And if it was one of the strange ones, the creatures that were no longer human yet not completely animal, she’d kill it without remorse and leave its carcass for the hungry bears to find.

She waited on her front porch, her gun ready as it came closer. It looked human, bundled under layers of heavy clothing, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice echoing in the quiet wilderness.

The figure stopped moving and looked directly at her. She could see a dark beard covering the skin exposed beneath protective ski goggles. It was a man.

“My name is Ben,” he said, his voice sounding scratchy and strange, as if it hadn’t been used in a long time. “I saw the smoke from your fire. Can I come in and warm up?”

Eira paused, considering his request. He seemed human enough, but it was a risk. He could steal her food, hurt her, or take her precious fuel. She weighed her options quickly. Loneliness won out over caution, but she wasn’t stupid. She clenched her gun as she waved him in.

***

Poem

FOREST BATHING

by Martha Swiss

I am alone in this place that is alive, anticipating the gift before me.

I open it slowly, with grateful breath, footsteps and heartbeats,

then thankfully sink into the purifying molecules of chlorophyll and humus.

I bask, now able to sense the purpose of ferns, snakeroot, noble trees and the creek that tumbles past my feet.

Crayfish pay me no mind in their muddy caverns.

Trees skyrocket overhead, on a mission.

Chipmunks skitter through leaf litter

and a kingfisher pounds its teal wings heading upstream.

I am dwarfed by the hillside vaulting from the floodplain. Boulders and saplings cling to its spine.

I am free to bathe here in clarified cells of cambium, xylem and phloem.

I wring my sponge in the generosity of flora.

The stream’s effervescence cleanses the tangled energy seeping from my pores.

I celebrate my fresh spirit with a confetti of scarlet, orange and yellow leaves that bob on the breast of the creek

as silently,

the trees disrobe.

***

Short Story

LIGHT OF THE MOON
by Ramona DeFelice Long

After three weeks in jail, Mama asked me to talk to Judge Rousseau about getting her some decent food to eat.

“Mon Dieu,I am wasting away,” Mama said from her cell. Behind her, the narrow cot was covered with a quilt from home, and on top of the wooden crate she used as a table was a kerosene lamp on a doily. She’d left a half played game of solitaire spread over the doily. Where she got playing cards, I didn’t know. The Bible that had been on the pillow was nowhere to be seen.

She showed me her bowl of half-eaten stew. I think it was stew. “That old cow Lorraine Badeaux is poisoning me.”

“Hush, Mama,” I said. “Mrs. Badeaux is doing no such thing.”

Mama pressed her face between the bars. Her eyebrows and cheeks lifted up. That, plus the pounds she’d lost eating jail food and all the naps she took out of boredom, made her look as young as me. Trust Mama to turn getting arrested into getting prettier.

“Geneva,cher, just go ask him,” Mama wheedled. “That sheriff can hardly look at this slop. He passes me my plate and runs away. Or maybe he believes I’ll bewitch him, too.”

I begged her not to joke about that.

She narrowed her eyes at me. “And pour l’amour de Dieu, when you go see the judge, don’t wear what you got on. You look like a blind nun dressed you.”

“Mama—”

“Your hair’s all right, but get you some lipstick and rouge and use it. Judge Rousseau is old, but he ain’t dead.”

No, he wasn’t, but his brother-in-law was, and that’s why Mama’s bail was set high as the moon. But explaining that to her was like talking to a tree stump.

I said I had to leave. I was Mama’s only visitor, and she was bitter. Where was our family? Where were her friends? She was lonely and felt forsaken. I never told her that, at home, nobody came to visit me either, and I had not even murdered anybody.

Most days she begged me to stay, but tonight she told me to get on home. I suppose she thought I had a busy evening ahead tarting myself up before going to see the judge.

***

When the young deputy was on duty, he sat in a chair five feet away from Mama’s cell, as if he thought I’d help my mother escape by slipping a bolt cutter under my dress—a dress fit for a convent, indeed, because my teacher contract said I had to “act and keep my person modestly.” I worried every day I’d be fired over Mama’s scandal.

Sheriff Reyes usually sat in his office up front and read the newspaper. When my visiting time was over, he always asked, “Things all right, Miss Geneva?”

I answered, “Yes, Sheriff, thank you,” except for the time or two when Mama asked for a warmer shawl or the quilt off her bed.

Once, horrifyingly, I had to say I needed to come right back; when he frowned, I whispered that Mama needed some womanly things. He let me into her cell with a paper sack that he did not inspect. Had I been wily, I could have slipped her anything—a pistol, liquor, tonic from Madame Velda—but wily was Mama’s way, not mine. The sheriff trusted me. If you can’t trust a twenty-year-old spinster schoolteacher who dresses as modestly as a nun, you have faith in no one.

Tonight, Sheriff Reyes stood at the window. The kerosene lamp on his desk lit him up from behind: tall, broad-shouldered, brown hair cut short but still wavy. On one of those shoulders was the scar from a shell that blew him out of the sniper’s nest he’d sat in for three days, picking off Germans but never giving away his position. I’d read that in the Bossier City newspaper, when he’d come home a hero after the war ended.

He turned around and said, “Your mother’s right. Mrs. Badeaux can’t cook.”

I didn’t speak; he was also very handsome.

***

Mindful Writers Retreat Authors 

Many of the writers who contributed to the anthology. 

The retreats happen at Ligonier camp and conference center in Ligonier, PA. Tenth retreat is coming up this fall!

Twenty-six Mindful Writers Retreat Authors contributed to Into the Woods. The group consists of bestsellers, award-winners, first-time authors, seasoned veterans, poets, memoirists, essayists, musicians, journalists, novelists, and short story writers who are traditionally, self and hybrid published. At Mindful Writers Retreats the labels don’t create a hierarchy, but instead reveal the richness of those who attend. Every single writer contributes to the magic and the fun that results from meditation, walking in the woods, and hour upon hour of mindful writing.

Authors in alphabetical order:

Lorraine Bonzelet

Wende Dikec

Teresa Futrick

Selah Gray

Hilary Hauck

Michele Zirkle

Eileen Enwright Hodgetts

Larry Ivkovich

Lori M. Jones

Kimberly Kurth-Gray

Laura Lovic-Lindsay

Ramona DeFelice Long

MaryAlice Meli

Gail Oare Sher Pensiero

Kim Pierson

Cara Reinard

James Robinson, Jr.

Larry Schardt

Linda K. Schmitmeyer

Carol Schoenig

Kathleen Shoop

Martha Swiss

Amy Walter

Madhu Bazaz Wangu

Denise Weaver

Many of the writers who contributed to the anthology. 

The retreats happen at Ligonier camp and conference center in Ligonier, PA. Tenth retreat is coming up this fall!

Find the Mindful Writers Retreat Series on Facebook HERE

Follow the tour

I have volunteered to share my review and all the opinions are 100% my own.

NOW FOR THE AUTHOR'S GIVEAWAY

1st Prize 
$50 Amazon GC and a copy of into the woods 
2nd Prize 
$25 Amazon GC and a copy of into the woods
Open Worldwide

Ending on Sunday 5th August at 11.59pm EST

Enter Below and Good Luck !!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Are you a book reviewer or book blogger? Join our book tours reviewers team - Apply Here x

Current book tours open for sign ups HERE