Hello, blog friends.

​This week Colleen Chesebro invites interested poets to focus on the sweltering heat in the Northern Hemisphere or winter in the Southern Hemisphere. My seasonal words (Kigo words) are parched wasteland, amber grasses, and desert solitude. I've composed two tankas (5-7-5-7-7 syllables) related to my surrounding area.

The vast desert, extending in all directions from the small town in which I live, is a constant reminder that we humans are guests on this beautiful planet.

My neighborhood is a quiet cluster of folks from across the United States. Some herald from New Hampshire, others from Connecticut, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and California. I don't know anyone who was born and raised in Arizona.

So how/why did we end up in the high desert? Though I don't have an answer, the residents all seem to have a special love for the natural world, and they enjoy quiet. Could that be the reason? Or maybe it's because many residents are veterans, and there's a VA hospital nearby. Then again, maybe we're all nomads. 😊

​I walk in the very early morning, just as the sun peeks over the mountains. I savor the silence and often meet little creatures. The rabbits have grown accustomed to my greetings and are patient when I take their photo. But yesterday I was surprised by something I've never seen before - a hog-nosed skunk. 

I grew up around skunks, but this one was much larger than any I've seen. He was about three feet long, scurrying across the pasture path, with tail raised vertically. I froze and got ready to run. I would have taken a photo, but I was afraid to move. My brother once got too close, and I did not want to repeat his experience. 😲

​Click here Wikipedia, if you'd like to know more.  

I hope you have a wonderful week, dear friends. And if you're familiar with skunks, I'd love to hear any tidbits you'd like to share. 'Till next week, all the best to you and yours! 

Dear blog friends,

It's been a tumultuous week for much of the world, but especially for the United States. On Saturday, hubby and I were on a road trip when we received a text message about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump. The news took me back to 1963. 

I remember November 22, 1963, vividly. I was in high school, and ignorant of all things political. A friend turned around in class and told me the news - President Kennedy was shot and killed. I didn't believe him at first. Who could do such a thing? 

Sixty years have passed but we are still facing political divides. 

I hike in the very early morning. Watching the sunrise quiets my busy mind. And hearing the songbirds and ravens brings me into the wonders of creation. Perhaps this is what all of us need - time away to simply experience the beauty of life. ​Rachel Carson wrote, There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature - the assurance that dawn comes after night, and Spring after Winter. I wish that healing for all of us.

Colleen Chesebro's poetry prompt this week is to focus on the season. I've used a couple terms to underscore my experience of summer: dry riverbeds, monsoon rains, clouds build and threaten. And as well, I've included a reference to the political threats. My simple tanka:

I hope you have a wonderful week. Perhaps we'll meet on the trail -- at least virtually. ❤️

Hello, blog friends.

It's mighty hot in the high desert of Arizona, and we feel the impact of the Silver King Wildfire burning in southern Utah. Our skies turned red orange yesterday, and the mountains disappeared from sight. 

Poet Colleen Chesebro's prompt for this week is to focus on our personal experience of the season. I've decided to share my photo of yesterday's sunrise. It was quite astonishing. And I've written a Tanka related to that experience.

Shifting to my garden, I've included a couple photos of my pumpkin patch. Who knew that a few seeds could take over the yard - rocks and all. I'm shocked every day by the speed at which these plants grow. Pumpkins seem to like the heat, even though they wilt midday when temps hit 100 degrees. My pumpkin Tanka is also below. 

I hope you have a wonderful week. And if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, I hope you have a good air-conditioned. It seems the summer heat is with us for several more weeks. 🌞

Hello, blog friends!

I've another poem to share related to summer. It is a response to Colleen Chesebro's #TankaTuesday prompt. Over the span of my life, I've lived on both coasts and in the Midwest. Now I live in the high desert of Arizona. Each locale is very different, but one characteristic they share. Beauty.

Daily I'm drawn into the natural world through solitary walks. I listen and merge into the silence. The journey is a prayer of sorts, because the dominant feeling is peace. 

Below is my three-Tanka poem. I hope you like it.      

Have a wonderful week, and if you live in the United States - enjoy the fireworks!

Have a wonderful week. 🌞

Hello, blog friends!

I've two surprises to share. The first is an encounter, and the second is my pumpkin patch.

Last week I walked out of a grocery store and noticed a homeless man sitting beneath a tattered umbrella at the edge of the parking lot. I drove to where he sat, rolled down the passenger window and offered some money. The man, with bright blue eyes and sunburnt face, walked over to the car and stared. This is our conversation.

He began with a question, "You don't know who I am, do you?"

     "No sir, I do not."

"You are a teacher."

     "I was, but now I'm retired."

"You are a teacher. I see it in your aura."

     "Maybe so, thank you."

"Do you understand what is happening in our world right now?"

     "I believe I do, sir."

"You are a reader. I see that. Have you read this book ---?

     "No, sir, I have not."

He then explained the thesis of the book, which involved outer planets. 

     "I will look it up, sir. But now I must go."

At this point, the man took the money and thanked me. Then with a lowered head, he muttered, "You will forget the title of the book."

​And I did. 

I think of this man often and if I ever see him again, I will ask his name and the title of the book.

                                                               ~  ~  ~  ~

The second surprise is my pumpkin patch. With leaves of 10-12 inches in size, it has outgrown my 4' by 8' raised bed. I didn't know that pumpkin vines grow six inches a day. Now I don't know what to do, as the vines have crawled over the siding and onto the rocks. Tucked under the leaves are the blossoms -- and the bees. 

Poet Colleen Chesebro asks contributors to reflect on the season. My poem is a simple Tanka (5-7-5-7-7 syllables). And my seasonal words are honeybees and pumpkin blossoms. In the photos below, you can see the density of the leaves and the beauty of the blossoms (only visible when you separate the leaves). 

I hope you have a wonderful week, dear friends. And if you've had an encounter such as the one above, I'd love to know. Also, if you have any advice about pumpkin patches, please share. 🌞

Hello, dear friends. 

It's been quite a week, right? It seems the entire planet is engulfed in flames - real or emotional. Here in the high desert, I escape from it all when I walk in the early morning. Just as the sun peeks over the mountains, I saunter. It's a quiet and refreshingly cool time of the day. I'm often moved by the miracles I see -- quail families, rabbits, songbirds -- and butterflies. 

The poem below is a response to poet Colleen Chesebro's prompt. It is a simple Tanka (syllables of 5-7-5-7-7), and my topic is a miracle.

Butterflies hold a special place in my heart. They are messengers of Light for me, and I always take time to listen - to their gifted tidings. Do you do the same?

I hope your week is gentle on you and yours -- and replete with miracles.

Hello blog friends!

It's Tanka Tuesday, and I've a poem to share. I wrote it after my husband and I drove to nearby Sedona for lunch. On the way, we encountered an area of 'controlled burn.' There are multiple ongoing fires in Arizona due to the severe drought. I've included a map of the fires and as well, a photo I took through the front windshield. 

Poet Colleen Chesebro invites us to create poetry related to our seasonal experiences. I've chosen to write a three-stanza Senryu (3-2-3 syllables). It's a form very similar to haiku. 

In the photo below, Jerome and Sedona are barely visible. The sky is hazy because of the controlled burning and the wildfires to the north. My poem: 

Have a wonderful week, dear friends. I hope you experience cool breezes. 

​Hello, blog friends!

I've another poem to share with you. It's different from my usual poem, in that it focuses on a local tribute.

This weekend the memorial to the Granite Mountain Hotshots was revealed. It stands near the entrance to the Prescott Courthouse.

This isn't the only memorial to the nineteen firemen who lost their lives, but this one is in the center of Prescott where all can read about the brave young men who tried to stop the Yarnell Hill Fire. 
​
Below is a photo of the plaque which is next to the memorial. It explains what occurred that fateful day, as does the movie, Only The Brave.

​

This week Colleen Chesebro​ invites us to create a kimo poem, stanzas of 10-7-6 syllables.

My three-stanza poem uses these seasonal words: weather dry, winds strong, fires roared, lightning, and inferno.  They are words familiar to anyone who experiences summer in the high desert. I hope you like it.​

Have a wonderful week -- hopefully with sunshine and cool breezes. 

Hello, blog friends!

I hope you've had a wonderful week. In the high desert of Northern Arizona where I live, radiant signs of summer abound. The trails are busy with large and little creatures. I spotted a wolf running across the path, but he was gone before I could pull out my cell phone. Instead, I've included a lizard. He waited patiently for me to take my photo. 😊

Colleen Chesebro invites us to reflect on our local experience of the season through poetry. I've created two tanka with pictures of some of the sights along my daily hike. And I've used expressions such as 'the desert's awakening' and 'a summer's feast' to capture the change of season. I hope you enjoy them. 

Have a wonderful week, dear friends! 

Hello blog friends,

Today I'm sharing the backstory of my first two novels: THE CONTRACT between heaven and earth and its sequel, THE CHOICE, the unexpected heroes. 

Reaching back through time and into the early mornings of 2017, a series of images haunted my sleep. These unexpected messengers focused on heavenly beings helping the human family. I glimpsed battlefields and leaders, and also, everyday folks like you and me. As one scene after another unfolded, an idea for a thriller evolved.

At the time, I belonged to a book club and one of the members was thriller writer John W. Howell. Though we had never met, we had worked together virtually on club projects. One day I shared my concept with him and asked if he'd partner with me to write the story. To my surprise, he said yes. Our agreement became The Contract between heaven and earth.

John and I collaborated on the story itself but divided other tasks. For example, I traveled to northern California and took photos and videos of areas frequented in the novel. John focused on all the tasks related to publishing. I suspect I had more fun.  😊 

I hope you've enjoyed reading the backstory of each of my novels. If you wonder why I do much of my creative thinking in the very early morning, I'll explain. My father was a farmer, and he was always in the fields by the first hint of light. He planned his day while it was still dark. Most of my sibs and I take after our father. We awaken in the wee hours and plan our days - or write our books.

Have a wonderful weekend and find time to laugh about your lessons learned.  😊

Hello, blog friends. 

I've another tanka to share, inspired by poet Colleen Chesebro. She invites bloggers to focus on the beginning of summer as it manifests in our home area. I live in Northern Arizona, and the area is alive with signs of new life. My poem attempts to capture that magic. 

The hedge of Lady Banks roses in the photo below lines the path where I walk every day. The surprise this weekend was spotting the Poplar Sphinx moth. She heralds summer and new beginnings - and for me hope. It's been a trying week with family emergencies, but the sun is shining now. All will be well. And, because of that, I'll have time to visit your sites. 

I hope you have a wonderful week. Stay well and laugh much! 😊

 Hello blog friends,

I've another backstory to share. This one is for The Culmination, a new beginning. You may recall that last week I focused on Redemption, A Father's Fatal Decision and also mentioned The Gift. And before these two, I talked about The Soul Whisperer's Decision. With each, I tried to explain my motivation for writing the story. 

The Culmination is a little different, because it is the result of a journey - one that is difficult to revisit. While watching network news one night, I heard a suffering Syrian woman say to a reporter, "Just take the oil and leave us alone." Her painful tears prompted my quest. Oil?

To understand international tensions, there was much I needed to learn. My long-standing aversion to all-things-political had to be set aside. First, I focused on geography. I affixed detailed maps of Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States on my wall - where they remain today. I then tried to track U.S. military deployments and the locations of U.S. Navy carrier strike groups on the maps. And I included the locations of the Level IV Bio-Defense Labs. Diving deeper, I subscribed to five newspapers and multiple military YouTube stations and websites. I also watched or listened to the BBC and Al Jazeera English for international perspectives. Through this immersion experience, I found myself in a world I did not recognize, and it changed my life - permanently. 

On a whim, I looked into the U.S. Senate Committees, particularly Appropriations and its Subcommittee on Defense. I noted how members voted and examined their investments in the large defense contractors and in oil. What I found left me with even more questions. 

Every day for hours at a time, I studied the unfolding global events. When I finally began writing, I tried to craft a path that I believed might lead to a new beginning. 

The Culmination was published in November of 2020. In February of 2020, I awakened from surgery to the news of a deadly virus spreading across the planet. The reporter claimed the origin was a wet market in Wuhan, China. I turned to my husband and said, "This is a lab leak." Then I learned that those who concluded the same were conspiracy theorists. I said no more.

I rarely discuss my findings, and I don't consider myself an expert on anything. But a question emerged from my research that remains, "Who profits?"

The Culmination, a new beginning is a book that changed my life. Though fictional, it is not just a story for me. Perhaps you've written a novel that altered your way of seeing the world. I'd love to know about your experience, I suspect others would as well. Won't you share? 

On a final note, fiction writers often create alternate worlds to express complicated truths. Most of these truths are either personal or interpersonal. But I suggest to you that these dynamics are at the root of international conflict.  

Have a wonderful week, dear friends, with plenty of time for writing your next best seller. I look forward to turning those precious pages. 

Hello blog friends,

The high desert of Arizona has a beauty all its own. As a newcomer, I'm often in awe of my local surroundings. Colleen Chesebro invites us to reflect on our natural environment as it changes through the seasons. In our area, those changes can be dramatic. Last Saturday it rained, then hailed, and by late afternoon, we had sunshine. 

I've three tankas to share. This first poem focuses on a crabapple tree in our front yard. The second poem reflects on a cactus cluster that I walk past every day. And the third tanka is a playful take on the geese that now visit. 

​I hope you enjoy my wanderings. 

Have a lovely week, dear friends. ❤️

Hello, blog friends. 

The high desert of Chino Valley in Arizona is ablaze with evidence of Spring. Flowering trees and wildflowers fill yards and line the local trails. Yesterday I watched children play with the puffs of dandelions in the open park area. These youngsters took me back to my childhood and inspired the tanka below. 

Colleen Chesebro invites us to consider Spring in our home area. I've tried to capture this beautiful season with phrases like: dandelions dance, pastures green, and puffs of seeds. I hope you enjoy it. 

I hope you have a wonder-filled week. ❤️

Hello blog friends,

Last week I shared a bit of the backstory for The Soul Whisperer's Decision, and I promised that I would do the same for each of my books. Since I've already shared with you about The Gift on an earlier post, today my focus is Redemption, a Father's Fatal Decision.

Every major religion speaks about redemption, and each has a staircase of steps toward that goal. My book doesn't focus on those steps, instead it looks at the choices made by a father with a questionable past. 

The book opens with a quote by Khaled Hosseini: "True redemption is...when guilt leads to good."

Within these eight words is the assumption that a person is sorry for his or her misdeeds and acts to remedy the harm done. It is a relational process. 

The book is a thriller focused on a seemingly average family. It opens with the father being shot. From that point forward, the two adult children work together to unravel why he was targeted. The process takes them into Connecticut and several cities in New York. As they journey, they learn about a man they thought they knew but then realize they did not. 

​The conclusion of the story brings the reader back to Hosseini's words: "True redemption is...when guilt leads to good." The reader decides if that 'good' occurred. 

What motivated me to write this story? I suspect all of us have struggled with forgiveness at one point or another. Certainly, I have. Maybe we were in a bad relationship, or we had a critical boss, or perhaps a friend let us down. Hurt is something everyone experiences. Forgiveness is what we know we should do, don't want to do, and struggle to embrace. It's a haunting virtue, but it leads to redemption.

In closure, I'd like to share a personal story. My dad passed at 97 years old. At the funeral, the space was packed. I knew the relatives, but not the others. Several unfamiliar men came up to me and told me how my dad had helped them - by giving them a job and loaning them money for their family. As I looked into their eyes, I saw my dad as a kid during the great depression in Oklahoma. He suffered unimaginable deprivation, including the death of a few of his siblings. I believe his early harsh experience shaped the man he became. Dad was a farmer and worked hard all his life. We lived very simply, but unbeknown to my siblings and me, dad privately helped those in need.

I mention the above because sometimes out of darkness comes great light. That darkness takes many forms. In my book, it is criminal activity. For my dad, it was deprivation. Either can lead to redemption - depending on our choices.

If you read Redemption, A Father's Fateful Decision, I'd love to know what you think.

​Have a wonderful week! 

Hello blog friends,

Recently, a neighbor asked me why I write what I write, and the question evoked a great conversation. Like most, I write from what stirs deep within. 

What are these passions that drive me to sit at my desk? To answer this question, I'll offer the backstory for each of my books. Today I'll begin with my most recent novel: The Soul Whisperer's Decision. 

The story begins with a tragedy. A father loses his little children in a car accident that almost kills his wife as well. The young man is a veteran, and he's pulled back into his struggle with Post Traumatic Stress. 

Why would I choose to have a suffering veteran in my story?

For a decade I worked with Marines and soldiers from all branches of the service, returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The proximity of the military bases brought many new vets to the college where I was an administrator. 

I soon discovered that most of those who were boots-on-the-ground, suffered from Post Traumatic Stress - in addition to physical injuries. At that time, the college had no place for these new veterans to congregate to process their experiences. It was assumed that they would simply adjust. 

Because of the distress I saw in these students, I transformed my large office complex into a Veterans' Center. I used a small room at the back for my work and another for my assistant. The larger space quickly filled with veterans - some of whom are in the photo above.

Keep in mind that overnight, these vets went from war to a classroom. And not just any classroom. The area in which the college is situated has a very large Middle Eastern population. As one struggling Marine said to me, "A few days ago I was fighting them, and now I'm sitting next to them." 

Working with these veterans was the highlight of my career. I have deep respect for each of them. But knowing that 20 or more veterans commit suicide every day, saddens me profoundly.

In The Soul Whisper's Decision, two veterans walk the El Camino de Santiago with the intention of healing their past. Where did I get that idea? One of my friends, an Army veteran now retired from the San Diego Sheriff's Department, has walked the Camino multiple times. This friend is in his late 70's, but he doesn't let age deter him. One day, I asked him why he makes this journey. He explained, "I feel at peace when I walk the Camino. My mind is finally at rest."

My passion? I'd like to end all wars. Since that is highly improbable, I reach out where I can. Through my stories, I try to illuminate the commitment we make to our young men and women who fight on our behalf. We each have an important healing role. 

Below are a few YouTube videos that may be of interest. If you've the time, I think you'll appreciate the stories. And, if you have a personal experience you'd like to share, I'd love to read about it in the comments. 💚

These two clips are focused on PTSD:

Do you have a special location where you sip and dream? I'd love to hear where that might be. One of the places I enjoy might surprise you. It's Panera Bread in Prescott, AZ. This fast-food chain is located high on a hill overlooking much of the area. The mountains and the change of seasons are particularly glorious from this elevation and always capture my imagination. 

I hope you have a wonderful week and find time to revel in the morning light. ❤️   

Hello blog friends!

I've another poem to share with you. Colleen Chesebro invites interested readers to write about their experience of the Solar Eclipse. In Arizona, we only have a partial eclipse, so my tanka reflects this limited viewing. 

It seems clouds dominate across the eclipse path through the United States, and this is true of my area. The photo below is not mine, but it is similar. 

I hope you have an extraordinary viewing point, and I wish you all the best! 

Hello blog friends,

Sometimes life surprises us by responding to our unspoken hopes and dreams. Since moving into the Prescott, AZ area two years ago, I've longed to meet other writers. And then I got an unexpected invitation to read from my book, Redemption. What a surprise!

Aside from a bit of apprehension, I am excited to meet the local writers, of which there are many. Prescott is renowned for its arts -- music, theatre, literature, and painting. To be among a few of these talented folks is a soul gift. 

​With much gratitude, I share: 

Have a wonderful weekend, dear friends. 

Hello, blog friends. 

I hope you had a wonderful weekend with family and friends. In my part of the world (northern Arizona at 5,000' elevation), Spring has arrived in all its fickleness. I even risked buying some potted flowers on Saturday to dress up my home for Easter. But, within 24 hours, skies went from sunny and warm to grey and snowing.

Poet Colleen Chesebro invites us to consider the season and write a poem that captures our experience. My two tankas reflect the overnight weather changes in our area.

On Saturday I walked a path close to my home. The normally brown gravelly dirt was covered with tiny pink blossoms. It was entrancing. 

Twenty-four hours later, the same path was covered with snow. Not one visible blossom. Then yesterday it warmed up to 50 degrees but dropped to below freezing as night approached. Fickle? I think so.   

Spring flirts with sunshine and budding trees as she ​coquettishly dances through the day. I've tried to capture this experience with words like tiny wildflowers, brisk breezes, spring blossoms, and grey skies. Won't you share your experience of the season?

​Have a wonderful week and let's all enjoy Spring's arrival.  

Hello blog friends,

Today I'm pleased to welcome award-winning writer Sue Coletta to my site. She has a New Release that she'd like to tell us about. But first, a little about Sue. She and her husband live in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Years back I traveled through that beautiful area with family, and it's truly a natural wonder. 

Sue is a prolific writer, and her books include psychological thrillers, mysteries, and true crime/narrative nonfiction. Now, she exclusively writes eco-thrillers. She is an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Feedspot and Expertido.org named her Murder Blog as “Best 100 Crime Blogs on the Net.” She also blogs at the Kill Zone (Writer’s Digest “101 Best Websites for Writers”) and is a Resident Writing Coach at Writers Helping Writers.

Her latest book, Savage Mayhem, is available on pre-order for only .99 cents until April 11th. With that kind of bargain, I rushed to place my order.

​Thank you for inviting me to your blog, Gwen!
​
The early novels of the Mayhem Series are pure psychological thriller. But the series began to change into the eco-thriller genre halfway through book 4. To explain why, I need to backtrack.

I grew up with a houseful of animals. My mother rescued injured wildlife and pet-sat for
anyone who needed a haven for their furred and feathered babies. At an early age, my
brother and I learned to respect the Natural World and to cherish every being within the
Animal Kingdom.
​
For years, I struggled with the atrocities committed against animals (still do). In 2015, a wealthy, entitled trophy hunter shot Cecil the lion with a crossbow and let him suffer for hours while he posed for photos beside him. 

Also in 2017, I learned about a three-year-old Orca named Tokitae aka “Lolita.” Poachers ripped her away from her family pod in 1970, transported her to Miami Seaquarium, and forced her to perform for food. Or starve. For over 53 years, Toki was imprisoned in a tank the size of a hotel pool, isolated and depressed, withering away until her death in 2023. I could never shake the details of Toki’s story. How can anyone think imprisoning an animal is okay?

In 2018, news hit about the death of Sudan, the last male white rhino on Earth. His death shattered me. For the first time, I witnessed how human greed and selfishness wiped out an entire species. And that changed me in such a profound way. No longer could I look away or pretend this crisis didn’t exist.

This passage from Unnatural Mayhem explains how I’d been feeling for years…

Hello blog friends,

I hope you are enjoying the season. In our area, the cherry trees are in bloom. Walking under their branches yesterday, I traveled through time to when I lived in Japan in the 1970s. I loved Spring there.

One of the most poignant memories I have is of little old ladies in kimonos sweeping the sidewalks of the fallen cherry blossoms. Because of this sweet memory, I've written a few tankas of my experience. Poet Colleen Chesebro invites all of us to try to capture spring in syllabic verse. I've included a few seasonal words - cherry blossoms, tranquil dawns, clear nights, Mother Nature, and seasonal attire. I hope you'll journey with me today.

Have a wonderful week, dear friend. ❤️

Hello, blog friends.

Today we celebrate writer ​Jacquie Biggar's new release. Most of you know Jacquie, but if not, she is an award-winning author of romance who has been listed on USA Today's bestseller list. Jacquie describes her books as centered around tough, alpha male characters who fall for strong and independent contemporary women. Sounds intriguing, right?

Jacquie has just released Book 2 of the Defiant Sisters series. I read the first book, Letting Go and couldn't put it down. I'm very much looking forward to Finding Me.

Let's hear from Jacquie!​

Thank you for sharing my new release on your blog today, Gwen. It’s deeply appreciated!

A few years ago, a regular customer of my restaurant lost her husband to suicide. It shocked our small community and devastated her family. They seemed like a happy, loving couple, so what happened?

The same occurred to a famous, well-loved dancer called tWitch. He and his wife had three children, the youngest only two years old. And yet, he, too, is gone.

This led me to wonder (and worry) about the children left behind. How do they handle the loss of their father? Do they blame themselves? Each other?
​
The Defiant Sisters Duet is an exploration of two sisters, Renée and Izzy, affected differently
by the loss and how it eats at the family’s dynamics.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

FINDING ME

Izzy: 
     My life is not like I dreamed it would be. I had the foolish fantasy of finishing high school,
going to college, making something of myself - maybe even becoming famous.
     Instead, I'm the infamous kid of the father who killed himself in the family's backyard.
     How's that for a legacy?

Renée: 
     I came home for my mother's funeral, but I'm staying to mend bridges with my sister. We have another chance, and whatever it takes, we need to come together as a family or live the rest of our lives knowing we let our brother down.
     They say pride goes before a fall, but it doesn't tell us how to avoid the scrapes along the way.

EXCERPT

Izzy

     My stomach is rolling as I walk out on Jay. I can’t believe I quit my job. What was I thinking? Me and my damn redheaded temper. It’s been the bane of my existence ever since I can remember. Dad used to call me his little Scotch Bonnet. It wasn’t until I started school that I
learned he was referring to the pepper in conjunction with my not-so-sweet disposition.

     Dad. It still hurts to think of him, but at least now I can see past the pain to the good times
we shared as a family--Before.

     We had our issues; I wasn’t so young I couldn’t tell Mom and Dad fought more than they
got along, but I figured it was the same in every household across America. Renée would turn up the music in her bedroom during those times; it hurt her to listen to the yelling and cursing. I sat on the bottom tread and gazed up the stairs, waiting for the moment Mom needed me. “Set the table, Elizabeth,” was code for “Get up here and settle your father down.” It didn’t happen often, and it wasn’t his fault. Dad worked hard, and sometimes he needed to let off steam, that’s all. He would drag me onto his knee, his thick arm holding me a little too tight, and tell stories about what he was going to do when his money came in—from where I never figured out—stories of travel and new cars, hotels, and Vegas. He always wanted to go to Las Vegas. Mom would say, “Don’t be silly. We can barely pay the bills,” and it would set him off again, his boozy breath hot on the side of my face. If only I knew then what would happen five years later, I would have… I don’t know, but I would have stopped it somehow. And that’s on me. Instead of being there when my parents needed me most, I was at a stupid party kissing a boy I barely liked on my sweet sixteenth. The night our lives changed forever.

In her own words: My name is Jacquie Biggar. When I'm not being a klutz, I'm a wife, a
mother of one, a grandmother, and a butler to my calico cat. Watching reality TV shows such as
The Voice and Amazing Race is one of my guilty pleasures. Every Monday night, you can find
me laughing at the judge's shenanigans as I'm plastered to my armchair. I love hanging out with
my husband at the beach, taking pictures, and reading romance novels (what else?). I have a
slight obsession with Tim Hortons, enjoy gardening, everything pink, and talking to my friends.