Announcing the Arrival of Family Matters

I've been a mystery fan since I began reading my dad's boyhood favorites, the Sugar Creek Gang mystery books way back when. With a mystery, you have to put on your thinking cap to discover the murderer and really get to know the characters. One of them is the bad apple, but he or she is not always easy to find. The scare factor is part of the thrill, too. Spooky old houses, storms, cryptic letters, hidden rooms, creepy suspects...all great fun.

Writing about what I know, Family Matters is set in my hometown area of Western New York. It's a wonderful place to live, except for the winter part. The people are friendly and care about each other. When bad stuff happens, people show up to help. You can relate if you grew up in small town America. The local restaurant is the hub of information and the church is the other.

Family Matters introduces you to the fictional village of Deer Creek, located somewhere in Wyoming County. Gracie is a recent widow, reinventing her life by starting a new business with her late husband's dairy farm partner. As a lover of dogs, she's now running a boarding kennel. Her aunt's death precipitates spiraling events that put her life in danger. Perhaps she should have let "sleeping dogs lie," but Gracie isn't built that way. She's a determined redhead with a rather interesting family. Then to top it off, the kennel seems headed straight for bankruptcy after a successful start.

I hope you enjoy a little murder, some mayhem, and a few laughs as you get to know the folks of Deer Creek. Gracie and Haley, her goofy black Lab are waiting to get to know you.

Comments

Four Ways to Improve Your Pastor

Management expert, the late Peter Drucker once observed that the four most difficult jobs were: President of the United States, a university president, hospital administrator, and you guessed it--pastor of a church. I can hear some of you saying "Are you kidding? He only works on Sundays." Well, that's not quite true, is it? The research shows that pastors are burned out, prone to moral failure (and not just sexual), and their marriages are often troubled. Who in their right mind would want to be a pastor? It's a tough gig, and God most definitely needs to call you to the pulpit. It's not for the faint of heart or the thin skinned. There's also this warning from James: Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. James 3:1 NLT The job is 24/7/365, shepherding the flock of human sheep who, if we're honest, aren't great at following. The church is full

Choosing a Puppy for Your Children

"But, Mom the puppies are really cute. I'll take care of it. Honest. We need a dog. I'll walk him and feed him. Pleeeeeese, can't we get a puppy?" The age old parent-child exchange about getting a puppy. The big decision to bring a baby canine into your family. How the passionate promises of feeding, walking, and cleaning up after the puppy pour so easily from your child's lips. You know, however, you'll be the one doing all of the above and more. Of course, puppies are adorable, soft, cuddly, entertaining, annoying, labor intensive, and sleep disrupting. But, most likely you'll cave and get one anyway. Companion dogs are members of the family, and the puppy you add to the mix needs to be a good fit. Emotions run high over that furry, roly-poly critter whose antics can melt the heart of the stone. Take a deep breath and do your homework before making the commitment. Don't get a puppy at Christmastime. The excitement of the holiday will make it

Barbecue Season

It's officially here according to the thermometer at Casa Wallace. Summer is blazing a trail through the desert right now. June is the hottest time of the year, which entices the monsoon season to finally show up. With summer comes barbecue time. Steaks, burgers, chicken, you name it, we'll grill it to keep the heat of the house. Veggies are great too. The smell is my favorite summer air freshener. Every region has its own particular flavor for barbecue. Arizona is famous for that mesquite flavor. I haven't discovered THE Arizona barbecue recipe since we're greatly influenced by Texas. Smoked, slow cooked with a tomato based sauce, and fallin' off the bone, the ribs are finger lickin' good. We're lovers of Memphis barbecue, especially Corky's which is famous for its dry and wet seasoning. The dry rub is wonderful with a little kick to it. It's good on any meat, just rub it in, let it sit a spell and grill. Memphis elevates barbecue to divine hei

SimplyLife

Search This Blog