In The Delta

In The Delta
In The Delta

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Darkness Update

My newest book, Darkness, has hit a snag - 2 new bunnies and 1 new German Shepherd.  The bunnies have been with us a couple of months and that particular aspect of our life is settling down.

However, we are in the processing of taking in a new (to us) German Shepherd named Rhett.  Rhett's age is not known but we're guessing around 5.  He was found on the street - so emaciated he could hardly stand and (sorry to say) covered in maggots.  He received wonderful medical care and fostering thanks to Grace Konoksy's German Shepherd Rescue in Burbank CA.  Unfortunately, he had a failed adoption and has medical problems, including severe arthritis so came back to the shelter.

We lost our 2 shepherds to old age and illness last year.  One of our remaining dogs, Polly,  has been in a severe decline, in part, we believe, because of the loss of her close companion Gunnar.  Rhett is very bonded to Ingolf and is so sweet.  We believe he will be happy in our home and we will be so happy to have him.  We will be working hard to assure that all goes well, as Polly has some dog aggression to strange dogs.  We began the intro process today by bringing home some dog towels with Rhett's scent. Of course, she also could not help but notice that mom has a delightful German Shepherd fragrance as well when she returns from her walks with Rhett.

Send your best thoughts our way.

Back to the book - Darkness continues the adventures of Rick Sandler and Katie O'Hara.  Their relationship is a little rocky right now and they are off the The Delta for a houseboat vacation to rekindle the romance.  Unfortunately, Lily is back in L.A. with a professional assassin close behind.  When she and John Cameron follow Rick and Katie to The Delta to evade the killer, things get dangerous.  Who better to come to the rescue than Jessie Red Cloud and her partner Bodie McDonald.  For any readers who liked Bobby Lento in A Place Called Locke, he's back in Darkness to come between Lily and John.  Hope to be writing again by the end of May.


Monday, May 6, 2013

We have lost a great, good and gentle soul.  His name was Tarzan.  He got that name because he could holler really, really loud.  I remember the first time I saw him cantering across the field at Martinez Arena - a great big red horse with a long flowing mane.  Magnificent!

Personality - and then some.  Everyone loved Tarzan.  If you had any riding fear at all, you could trust Tarzan to make you feel safe.  He would amble along, taking in the scenery, pausing for a bite of grass.

We could all learn a little bit about how to live life just by being around him.

He has left us - gone to join his friends who went before him - my own Missy Van Go aka Shasta, his brother Tally, our dear shared rescue Rio, Dos Equis and the many rescued rent horses who lived out their days up in Tehachapi thanks to the efforts of Tarzan's mom Amy, among others, who rewarded those dear horses' years of service with a wonderful place to enjoy the rest of their lives.

I picture them all, reunited and frolicking together in a place where the grass is abundant and sweet, the sun warm, and there is no pain, no care, only peace.

We will miss you Tarzan, but we know that your mom gave you the most wonderful life and wish all horses everywhere could have as good a life as yours.
Tarzan with his brother Joker



Tarzan

Sunday, May 5, 2013

17 Days Free Download


I haven't done a give away for awhile now.  So for anyone interested who missed 17 Days the first time around, you can download free from Friday May 10 through Tuesday May 14.

Description -  Kimmy - She hid in the dark, like a frightened child.  But when she’d been a child, she had never had anything to hide from, never had anything to fear.  She had been safe.

When she heard his footsteps on the stairs, she lowered herself to the floor and crawled under the bed.  He found her, of course, and dragged her out by her ankles.  When she tried to hold onto the bedpost, he kicked her wrist until she had to let go.

Matthew - He pulled a big suitcase down from a closet shelf and threw her clothes into it, as much as would fit.  Then he dragged it and her to the front door.  He threw the suitcase onto the porch and pushed her out after it.  He closed his ears to her pleas, locked the door and when she called out from the other side, he answered coldly “Go somewhere they care”.

!7 Days is a road movie but the road is a river and each day of the journey brings a new encounter: with Bikers and Deadheads, an Elvis impersonator and a wild pig, a man who fell in love with his own wife, and Paco and his Coyotes, among others.  All have their own small stories filled with love and laughter, tears, and adventure, stories that carry the reader along as surely as the river's current and the winds that echo off the canyon walls.

Kimmy and Matthew are people profoundly damaged by their pasts, coming to know and to love each other as they share a canoe and try to live a lifetime in just a few days.  The two become three when they rescue the little dog Tachi, an act that leads to a confrontation with a trio of deadly Asians.

The half Maori Kimmy, a free spirit whose mother taught her that she is a warrior and the Lakota Matthew who learns from her to let go of his pain and live again could never have known how far the river would take them in 17 Days.