A Mother's Love

 A mother's love can come from our own mother or, as in this excerpt from Desperate Deeds, it can come from someone who may not be our natural mother but who is always there for us.

     

          Olivia felt so helpless. It wasn’t often that she was at a loss for words but this was one of those rare times. She didn’t know what she could say to Ann to help to ease her pain. What could you say to a woman whose child was missing? That was a parent’s worst nightmare! She hoped her being there would be enough to comfort the woman she’d come to think of as her daughter. Ann’s been through so much. Why did this have to happen?

     “Ann, would you like a cup of tea? It might help you to relax.” The second the words were out of Olivia’s mouth, she realized how ridiculous they sounded. Relax? There was no way Ann would relax until she held her little boy in her arms again.

     Ann looked at her through red-rimmed eyes. “No, Liv. Thank you. I . . . . I can’t right now.”

     “Well, tell me if you change your mind or if there’s anything else I can get you.”

     “I will.”

     Olivia saw that Ann was shivering. She reached behind Ann and pulled the afghan from the back of the sofa. “Here, Ann, put this around your shoulders.”

     Ann gave her a weak smile as she wrapped the afghan around herself and pulled it up to her chin. “I love this afghan. Nana gave this to me when I was a little girl. She said it was for my hope chest. I remember I had to ask her what a ‘hope chest’ was.”

     “Well, it’s beautiful.” Olivia ran her fingers along the edge of the afghan. “It’s so soft and I love the color. Sage green, isn’t it?”

     “It is. Actually, I used this color as the inspiration for decorating the whole room.”

     Olivia smiled. “Well, you did a great job. It matches the green in your sofa perfectly. Did your grandmother make it herself?”

     “Yes. She could knit, crochet, sew and she taught me how to do all of that.”

     “She must have been a great teacher because I’ve seen some of the things you’ve made and they’re incredible. All your own curtains and bedding, the kids’ Halloween costumes. Amazing!”

     Ann nodded. “I owe all of that to Nana.”

     An idea suddenly occurred to Olivia. What if she could get Ann to keep talking about her grandmother? That might help to take her mind off of the immediate situation. “From what you’ve told me, I gather your grandmother was quite a woman. I mean, besides her sewing skills.”

     “Oh, she was! She was a strong and determined woman. I don’t know what would’ve happened to Marnie and me after our parents died if it hadn’t been for Nana. We didn’t have any other family. I guess we would’ve had to go into foster care and we might even have been separated. That would’ve been awful.”

     “Sounds like you were lucky to have her.”

     “Oh, we were. I don’t know if I ever told you this but, after my mother and father were killed in the car crash, Nana sold her house in Dayton and moved in with us. She gave up her friends, all of her church and social activities, everything, to take care of us. She made a wonderful home for Marnie and me. She always put us first. That’s the kind of person she was.” She cleared her throat. “I still miss her every day.”

     Ann began to sob. “Oh, Olivia, I didn’t think it was possible to miss anyone more than I miss Nana. But I miss my little boy more!”

      Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, my stepmother, Helen, and my ex mother-in-law, Marion!

Mystery of the Month: Mission Impastable

Gina and Alli, best friends since 2^nd grade, have a rocky start-up to their personal chef business when their first customer, Gina’s boss at her day job, ends up poisoned. Since they are the prime suspects, Alli sets out to clear their names. She finds there are many who wanted the dreaded “Dragon Lady”, her nickname at the hospital, out of the way.

Perhaps she was murdered by her abused administrative assistant, or the former CEO ousted when she was hired, or the antique dealer who sold her a jade dragon, or maybe by her husband who might have a gambling problem.

Along the way to solving the mystery, Alli confronts abandonment pain from her past. When she unmasks who killed the hospital CEO, she also deals with a threat to Gina’s family. Alli does what she must to get the murderer in jail despite the angst she suffers from the revelation.

Buy Link:

http://amzn.to/1eYJ4AY

Sharon Arthur Moore

Bio:

After 39 years as an educator, Sharon Arthur Moore "transitioned" to the life of full-time fiction writer. She's an intrepid cook, game-player, and miniatures lover. She experiments and creates new dishes all the time. Too bad if her husband likes a dish; she may be unable to replicate it.

She writes culinary mysteries, women's fiction, historical fiction, short stories, plays, paranormals (under the pen name River Glynn), and erotic romance (under the pen name Angelica French). The first book in the culinary mystery series, Mission Impastable, just came out. Prime Rib and Punishment is the second book in the series that should be out by year’s end.

Sharon has lived in every region of the country except the Pacific Northwest and loved every single one of them. Her current favorite region is the desert Southwest. She is married to the most extraordinary man and claims four children, one daughter-in-law, a grandson, and yellow lab Maudie.

Getting to know Jennet Ferguson

I’d like to welcome Jennet Ferguson, the main character in Dorothy Bodoin’s Foxglove Corners mystery series.

Patricia: Jennet, where did you grow up and where do you live now?    

Jennet: I grew up in Oakpoint, Michigan, a city in the southeastern part of the state with a population of about 60,000.  Now I live in Foxglove Corners, an hour’s drive from Oakpoint.  Foxglove Corners is a magical place, very rural, with woods and lakes and more than its share of haunted houses.  I live in a green Victorian farmhouse on ten acres with my husband, Crane, and six collies: Halley, Candy, Sky, Gemmy, Raven, and Misty 

Patricia: What’s your occupation and how did you come to choose it?

Jennet: I teach English in Marston High School which is located in Oakpoint.  That means I have an hour-long commute, but I car pool with my good friend and fellow teacher, Leonora.  I sort of drifted into teaching.  English was my favorite subject in school.  I thought my classes would be like the ones I’d attended as a student.  I was wrong.  Teaching can be a real challenge, but it adds an exciting dimension to my life.  Sometimes it adds danger.

I love collies.  When I first moved to Foxglove Corners, I had one tricolor collie (black, tan, and white), Halley.  I always seemed to come across collies in distress and finally joined the Lakeville Collie Rescue League.  Often I become involved in mysteries and crimes as a result of rescuing a collie.  Since moving to Foxglove Corners, I’ve had several supernatural experiences.  Recently I started writing a book about them but had to set it aside when I ran out of material.  Maybe someday I’ll leave education to become a full-time writer.

Patricia: Tell us about one of your most memorable “adventures.” What drew you into the mystery?       

Jennet: One of my hobbies is reading, and my passion is reading Gothic novels.  Naturally one of my special friends is the town’s librarian, Miss Elizabeth Eidt, who donated her family home to the town as a library.  During a renovation, contractors discovered a furnished room sealed off from the rest of the house.  Miss Eidt, who was raised in the house, never knew it existed.  Jennet is curious, especially when it appears that the room is haunted.  I refer to this adventure as “The Secret Room of Eidt House.”

Patricia: Are you married or involved in a serious relationship? Tell us about that.        

Jennet: My move to Foxglove Corners was a lucky one for me.  On my first full day in Foxglove Corners, I met Deputy Sheriff Crane Ferguson, and it was practically love at first sight.  We’re married now, and I’ve never been happier.  Anyone would think I wouldn’t risk my life by getting involved in mysteries.  Well, I never set out to do that.  It just happens.

Patricia: How would you describe yourself, physically and personality wise? How do you think others see you?    

Jennet: I’m of average height with shoulder length dark brown hair and bangs.  I’m on the thin side and usually don’t gain weight even though it seems as if I’m always eating some rich dessert.  Sort of like my creator, except she does gain weight.  I’m generally easy going; I try to cultivate a calm exterior which helps me cope with rebellions teenagers.  But if I encounter someone who hurts a dog—watch out. 

Patricia: What are your plans for the future?

Jennet: I’ve often talked about leaving Marston High School, but I don’t do it.  I’m attached to the staff, with the exception of the Principal Grimsley who is a thorn in my side, and to the classes I teach, especially Journalism.  I suppose I’ll continue my life as it is now and maybe finish that writing project that I call my “spirit book”.  Maybe the next time mystery rears its head, I’ll try to look the other way.  In my latest adventure, I faced down a gun on two occasions.  But in neither of those instances did I court danger.  It came to me.

 

To purchase one of the Foxglove Corners mysteries :   

www.wings-press.com  

www.amazon.com            

Link to website: www.dorothybodoin.com

Dorothy Bodoin, a full time writer of mystery and romantic suspense novels, lives in Royal Oak, Michigan, with her collie, Kinder, who provides plenty of inspiration for the fictitious collies in her books.  Prior to attending Oakland University where she majored in English, Dorothy worked for two years as a secretary in southern Italy for Chrysler Missile Corporation.  

After earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English, she taught high school English for several years and wrote short stories and one Gothic novel, Treasure at Trail’s End, later published by Wings ePress.  Her first published work was Darkness at Foxglove Corners, the first in the Foxglove Corners Cozy Mystery Series.  Dorothy is also the author of five novels of romantic suspense which were recently reprinted for the Harlequin Worldwide Mystery Bookclub.