Kirjahaku

What do women do when the criminal justice system has failed them? Four women band together to answer that question!

Words of wisdom meant to help make this a better world for all of our grandchildren. If they are compassionate, caring, loving, gentle, kind, generous, and peacemakers, then this world has a chance!

'Vairagya Catakam', 'One Hundred Verses on Detachment' by the Virasaivite Saint and founder of Perur Athinam, Santhalinga Swamigal, consists of 50 verses of teachings and 50 verses of praise. Whilst being entirely Advaitic in import, it is also a great devotional work in praise of Lord Siva. It includes the Tamil text, English translation, phrase by phrase word-split translation and extensive notes.

This book of poetry covers several different "topics," as it were.

America is at a crossroads. Either we remove the bullies and hate mongers from public office and return to seeking comprise with those who have differing opinions, or we watch our country dissolve before our eyes. This book address many of the areas of conflict and offers starting points for finding solutions that we can each live with instead of walking away angry, filled with despair. There are those in the public eye, both running for office or supporting candidates, who speak in anger, believing that there is only one answer, theirs. That is not the case and never has been the case. The United States, beginning with the founding fathers, knew that compromise was the only way this experiment would work.

I've always loved reading short stories. I suppose that I, like most other kids, read lots of shorter stories before I ever got to novels. They are quicker to read and able to sustain interest over a bried period, mainly for that very fact. One of my favorite literary devices is irony; which I grew to enjoy by reading O'Henry stories. I love little twists, whenever possible. If anything, those reading my stories will quickly learn to expect something different down the road as they read. I'm about to take a creative fiction class in Grad school, which I started in August of 2023. Hopefully I will gain some of the skills which I might lack and improve my story telling. It is my hope that anyone reading these stories will then want to move on to my novels. For me, writing novels is sort of like writing many short stories that are all related by characters.

Quite a few years ago, I developed the idea for a seasonal book series which would go under the title Shepherd's Inn, a place where young people would spend some time as a transition between life and the next existence, whatever that might be. Cathie, my youngest daughter, shared her thoughts about such a project, and the series was born. It is my hope that somehow this first story will become a Christmas tradition, and the future books will become part of those annual traditions, such as Mother's Day, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, etc. I hope to write stories which will touch the hearts of those who read them. I believe that this first story and those that follow will one day be "discovered" by Hallmark and become a part of that system. This particular edition was published originally in 2013, and I sent the manuscript and a copy of the self-published book to Hallmark without any comment, other than all submissions must come from agents. I am still seeking an agent. It's sort of like a Catch 22; you can't get published without and agent, but agents don't like unpublished authors.

I dedicate this to all the women, now and throughout history, in every nation of the world, who have been treated as second-class citizens or nothing more than a servant, in all ways possible. The crime which this novel addresses is one of the most heinous that can be perpetrated against, primarily, women. While the "actions" that are taken by the victims in this fictional story are certainly illegal and should only be used as a last resort, when men or the courts refuse to act swiftly and with appropriate punishment, they are not an unreasonable reaction of a victim. While I don't endorse violence of any kind, I certainly understand and sympathize with any victim of any crime who can't get satisfactory support from those who are empowered to protect and defend us: the courts and law enforcement officials.

I'm not a fatalist, not a survivalist in the strictest sense, nor a pessimist. I do, however, believe in being prepared for possibilities. If I could afford to do so, I would have done exactly what Henry and Carol did in this book for their family. It doesn't mean that you stop living today or don't plan for a "normal" future for you and your family. What it means is that you recognize that Mother Nature and the universe are not controlled by man, that anything can happen to this planet at any time. The Boy Scout motto of "Be Prepared" has been largely forgotten. I believe that we may be facing exactly the scenario that is envisioned in this piece of fiction, whether because of a Planet X or global warming or some other natural cycle that the earth faces. How many people now think that workable evacuation plans for New Orleans or Houston were a good idea? It's a little late once the water's up to your attic. The same thing is true of what may potentially happen to all of us in the next few years. Regardless, it is inevitable that planet Earth will face these challenges in the future. Anyone who doesn't believe that is a fool.

My novel is not meant to scare or panic anyone. It are meant to encourage people to prepare for the known and unknown. How many people now think that workable evacuation plans for New Orleans or Houston were a good idea? It's a little late once the water's up to your attic. The same thing is true of what may potentially happen to all of us in the next few years. Regardless, it is inevitable that planet Earth will face these challenges in the future. Anyone who doesn't believe that is a fool. Ask the people of Atlantis or Lemuria or the other civilizations that vanished almost overnight from this planet. Whether you believe that they existed or not, the evidence that there was some civilization that preceded ours is overwhelming. Machu Picchu, the Nazca lines of Peru, Easter Island, submerged roads off Bermuda, Kailasa Temple, the "stone of the pregnant woman," and so many others were created by someone, but no one knows who or how. Maybe it would be a good idea to prepare for the unexpected. That was the original intent of this novel. The sequels have happened as a natural extension of the first story. This book was never intended to be a series. I had planned to kill everyone at the end, but I just couldn't do it. I wanted to follow them and see how they adapted to their new environment, something that we may all have to do one day, soon maybe, without modern technology. It could prove quite challenging. Mostly, this novel was intended to be interesting enough for students to read. It is written with high schoolers in mind. Therefore, there is no vulgar language or "sex" in this novel, nor will there be in the sequels. This book can be read by anyone of any age without fear of being offended for those two reasons. However, many of the questions posed by the characters are questions that each of us asks at some point during our lives. Questioning the existence of a higher power is human, regardless of your religious upbringing. I believe that the more questions you ask, the better answers you get. Above all, I hope that you enjoy my story. It should make you laugh, cry, angry, sad, and happy. Those are what separate us from the other animals.

It is inevitable that planet Earth will face challenges in the future. Anyone who doesn't believe that is a fool. Ask the people of Atlantis or Lemuria or the other civilizations that vanished almost overnight from this planet. Whether you believe that they existed or not, the evidence that there was some civilization that preceded ours is overwhelming. Machu Picchu, the Nazca lines of Peru, Easter Island, submerged roads off Bermuda, Kailasa Temple, the "stone of the pregnant woman," and so many others were created by someone, but no one knows who or how. Maybe it would be a good idea to prepare for the unexpected. That was the original intent of this novel. The sequels have happened as a natural extension of the first story. This book was never intended to be a series. I had planned to kill everyone at the end, but I just couldn't do it. I wanted to follow them and see how they adapted to their new environment, something that we may all have to do one day, soon maybe, without modern technology. It could prove quite challenging. Mostly, this novel was intended to be interesting enough for students to read. It is written with high schoolers in mind. Therefore, there is no vulgar language or "sex" in this novel, nor will there be in the sequels. This book can be read by anyone of any age without fear of being offended for those two reasons. However, many of the questions posed by the characters are questions that each of us asks at some point during our lives. Questioning the existence of a higher power is human, regardless of your religious upbringing. I believe that the more questions you ask, the better answers you get. Above all, I hope that you enjoy my story. It should make you laugh, cry, angry, sad, and happy. Those are what separate us from the other animals.

JOURNEY HOME is the adventures of a young, Old West "Romeo & Juliet" who run away from their families in NW Arkansas in the late 1800's, heading west to make a life together since their families are "feuding," leaving them no choice, at least in their minds. What they don't know is that the young man's mother has asked a family friend, a "bounty hunter," to find them and bring them home. After a couple of months, he locates them in Tulia, Texas, close to the New Mexico border, where they have been forced to stop temporarily due to the winter conditions. The bounty hunter convinces them to return to Arkansas with him, with the promise that he will help them make peace with their families. The novel tells the story of their many "adventures" along the trail, events which bring the three travelers closer together as they struggle with the trials that they face along the way, and the creative way that the bounty hunter helps them solve their many problems and stand up to their families. This novel is a combination of laughter, tears, tragedy, surprises, and events which will warm your heart. It is written to be appropriate for adults and young adults as well.

Mostly, this novel was intended to be interesting enough for students to read. It is written with high schoolers in mind. Therefore, there is no vulgar language or "sex" in this novel, nor will there be in the sequels. This book can be read by anyone of any age without fear of being offended for those two reasons. However, many of the questions posed by the characters are questions that each of us asks at some point during our lives. Questioning the existence of a higher power is human, regardless of your religious upbringing. I believe that the more questions that you ask, the better answers you get. Above all, I hope that you enjoy my story. It should make you laugh, cry, be angry, be sad, and be happy. Those are what separate us from the other animals.