New Romance and Fiction from the Wild Rose Press

 

Click on covers for more information and to purchase

The Witch & Her Knight $.99 Myra Clerica is a knight of the Temple of the Holy Mother, sworn to chastity and to fight magick in all its forms. However, when she meets Vulcura Hexana, a voluptuous sorceress, her resolve is tested. Myra must choose between the life she has always known or a life with the woman she loves?

To Entice a Spy $4.99 Widowed Countess Eseld Trehearne seeks revenge for the brutal death of her female companion during a Paris riot. On her return to England, Eseld delves into espionage to defeat the French rebels. Baron Robert Penhale, Eseld's childhood love, rejoins the Secret Services after his wife's death. He's determined to protect England from the revolution terrorizing France. A ruthless French spy fights for the common man while disguised as an English aristocrat. He's intent on revenge against those who oppose him. With the spy stalking them and Robert in fear for Eseld's life, the fate of the couple verges on disaster.

Wylder Bachelor The Wylder West $3.99 When Maryanne Wagner's father runs into money trouble at his bank, he trades Maryanne's hand in marriage for a loan. Her intended is a mean man who likes to hurt women. Maryanne refuses the marriage and robs her father's bank to get his attention. Wounded during her getaway, Maryanne stops at the livery in Wylder, Wyoming and hides in one of the stalls. Chet Jackson Daniels runs the livery in Wylder and is looking for a new beginning. He discovers Maryanne in his livery and helps her against his better judgement. Fresh from a tangle with the law in Boston, Jackson has black and white ideas on what is right and wrong, until Maryanne comes into his life and shows him different.

Crush $4.99 It was love at first sight when Maria met Jack on a beach all those years ago. But when Jack suddenly disappears, Maria is thrust closer to Hunter, their long-time friend, taking them on a journey that changes all three of their lives forever. Maria is a lonely young woman who finds love and acceptance with Jack, a free-spirited musician. In Maria, Jack finally has the girl of his dreams by his side. When Jack introduces Maria to his best friend, Hunter, he feels an instant connection to Maria, but he buries his feelings—along with his secret that he's a vampire—for the love of his friend. Set in Saint-Tropez, Crush is a vampire tale with a twist. Spanning decades and delving into the past of each character in this thorny love triangle, it is about a woman who must choose between the man she's in love with and the man who is her soul mate. Adventure, love, romance, and vampires all collide in this unique novel filled with powerful emotion, heartbreak, and the question of undying love.

(In)Human $4.99 Amitiel is a hybrid creature on the cusp of adulthood and faced with a life-altering question: Be ye angyal or be ye daemon? She lives in one of two neutral realms that survived a civil war fifty years prior. Walled off from that war-torn Barren, Amitiel's West Realm home flourished in isolation. Within its insular cities, where all creatures once peacefully coexisted, Amitiel and her friends see neutrality slowly dying away, strangled by roots of bigotry. With acceptance and gender equity balancing on a seesaw, mixed-bloods are encouraged to declare fealty to one race upon reaching their eighteenth year. As Amitiel's birthday approaches, ghastly rumors upend her reality and send her franticly searching for the truth.

Rogue Shift The Wolves of Rock Falls $4.99 An outcast all his life because of his half-human, half-werewolf genes, Kyp is finally getting a chance to belong with the Wolfe pack. Though fully human, Rachel never cared about his mixed blood. When a family tragedy strikes, Rachel makes an impulsive decision with deadly consequences. Kyp must come to her rescue. But when saving her turns her into a werewolf, it sets off a chain of events that puts them at odds with the Wolfe pack, and brings them straight into the path of the Wolfe's greatest enemy—Victor Atwood. War is coming to the packs, and Kyp and Rachel are at the center of it. With their fledgling love and a tenuous mental tie their only weapons, they must overcome the wrath of Atwood. But a toxic secret threatens to devastate them, destroying not only them but the entire Wolfe pack as well.

Julie Howard - Author of The Three Widows of Wylder

 

Hello Julie

Tell us about you and your new book.

Have you ever cried while writing a book?

Absolutely! It seems strange that an author would cry while they write, but I get very attached to my characters. When they hurt, I hurt. When they triumph, so do I. I cried at a couple of spots in The Three Widows of Wylder, even after numerous times of editing it through. It gets me every time.

 

How did you do in English as a kid?

I always loved to read and English meant I got to read and then write about what I read. I was a total nerd about it. My father was a high school English teacher, so we had all the classics at home along with bookshelves full of mysteries, encyclopedias, romances, and thrillers. I read it all including quite a bit of the encyclopedias! So I did very well in my English classes.

 

Do you have trouble saying goodbye to characters?

I still miss the characters from my first series, Wild Crime. I catch myself wondering what the rest of their lives are like before I realize they aren’t real people. In one way, I’d like to write another book that includes them so that I can be in their world a while longer, but their story is concluded and I’m happy with the ending.

 

What are your current projects?

I have three underway. One is a historical fiction, another the first of a new contemporary mystery series, and the third is a continuation of my Spirited Quest series. The next Spirited Quest novel (the fourth), which follows the adventures of a ghost-hunter, will take the main character Jillian to central California during the 1930s to solve a murder. I’m not sure when this one will be completed as I have lots of research still to do.

 

When you wrote this book, did you have an idea of how it would end at the beginning?

When I start a novel, I always have the ending in mind. I create a rough outline before I begin and know the story I want to tell. The plot rarely stays the same as the original outline as the characters take over at some point and drive the story forward to a logical conclusion. In my first book, a murder mystery, I had one murderer in mind but went back and completely changed this to a different character. The story made so much more sense!

and now for a bit of fun.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to be a novelist so I’m living my childhood dream. I had a career as a journalist too so I’ve earned a living by writing most of my life.

 

Are you fun to go on vacation with?

Hmmm, a good question. I’m a planner so I usually know exactly what I’d like to see when I travel. And I’m terrible about relaxing while the sun is up. If it’s light outside, I want to be outside either hiking or exploring. So if someone isn’t into that or isn’t a morning person, I can be impatient.

 

Are you jealous of other writers?

Very much so. Every time I read a great book, I wish I could write so well. But this drives me to do better – write better plots, craft more interesting characters. I learn so much by reading, and I’m inspired to work harder.

 

Do you have any hobbies?

I collect and send postcards around the world – an interest I share with my sister and father. I love to go cycling, and pedal 10-20 miles most days. There’s a wonderful trail by the Boise river that I usually take and the views are lovely. I also quilt and crochet, and enjoy my vegetable garden and growing roses. And of course I’m an avid reader and have a huge TBR pile – several of them, in fact, all over the house.

 

What is your favorite time of year and why?

Autumn. I love the crisp mornings and the brilliant colors in the trees. I walk quite a bit and there’s nothing like hearing the crunch of leaves underfoot or being caught in a shower of falling leaves. Cool nights are a great excuse to curl up with a cozy blanket and a good book next to the fireplace.

and where can we find out more about you?

Website: http://juliemhoward.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/juliemhowardauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_JulieMHoward

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18116047.Julie_Howard

Find The Three Widows of Wylder on Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/Three-Widows-Wylder-West-ebook/

and other online retailers

LB Griffin, debut author of Secrets, Shame, and a Shoebox Podcast

 LB Griffin, debut author of Secrets, Shame, and a Shoebox, has been invited to be on Frome Radio! FWC's WRITERS ON RADIO: 96.6 FM Next show: October 15th 2-3 pm GMT. Lynn said, “The Wurzel I thought I lost so many years ago has returned. I can hear the nervous giggle already.”

Lynn finds it amazing that people ask for her autograph. She is gratified by the kindness of those who have bought her book – hardcopy and kindle and have given such brilliant reviews. Lynn is dumbfounded when asked to sign her book. From a simple kind of girl, who started life in a very simple place, she writes stories not only for people to enjoy, but to acknowledge the courage of survivors. This is LB Griffin’s debut novel – now out on Amazon. So please support and share. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Shame-Shoebox-L-Griffin-ebook/dp/B0971T3RGC

Books and Authors - interviews with Lynn Griffin, Annette Burkitt and Amy Jeffs. PODCASTS of past shows here: https://frome.fm/programmes/talk/writers-on-radio/

New Romance and Fiction In The Garden

 

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The Fog Ladies: In the Soup A San Francisco Cozy Murder Mystery $4.99 The Fog Ladies are back, in the third installment of this endearing cozy murder mystery series. "There was a man in the soup." When the Fog Ladies volunteer at a San Francisco soup kitchen, these spunky elderly friends plus one overworked young doctor-in-training envision washing and chopping and serving. Not murder. Now the soup kitchen is doomed, and the mysteries have just begun. Was the death rooted in a long-ago grudge? Can they save the soup kitchen? Will they find the killer? Could the Fog Ladies, too, end up "in the soup"?

The Roast $4.99 Tess has loved Adam for over ten years, but tonight, he's on his way to the altar with somebody else. Tess is left wondering how the situation got this far. When her friends throw a roast, they attempt to convince Tess she doesn't need Adam. With the help of strong friends and stronger drinks, she begins to believe she can move on from Adam. But drinks also reveal truths that could change her friends' minds about Adam and his true devotion. Was Adam tricked into marriage by a woman with fiancée-itis? Lamenting is fruitless and frustrating. Does Tess have one last chance to fight for the love of her life?

By Mortal Slain Deputy Kyle Shaw Mysteries $5.99 By 1298 the iron sword of English oppression has sunk deep into the heart and soul of the Scottish populace. Deputy Kyle Shaw is not surprised when an English nobleman is murdered in a Scottish tavern. Was the man's death part of a rebel plot or was he killed for a more sinister reason? When Kyle comes across another murdered English nobleman, he begins to wonder if a seer's prediction may hold the key to the untimely deaths. And a possible plan to assassinate the king.

The Texan's Favor $4.99 Ambushed, Texas Ranger Jake Fontaine's a dead man until a Kansas spinster raises her shotgun in his defense. Despite the rogue lawman's obsession to bring in his brother's killer, duty demands he escort her to the next town. Kat Collins is a thief, though an honorable one. She's on the run from controlling kin and aims to escape her past. Traveling with Jake offers the perfect cover—until her uncle finds them sharing a campfire and imposes his own kind of justice—a wedding. Marriage will cost Jake his freedom, but refusing may cost him his life. Kat figures he's bound to recognize her on a wanted poster. Would sharing passionate nights in his arms be worth the peril?

Peculiar Activities A Henry Ike Pierce Novel $5.99 Junior Detective Henry Ike Pierce is hired to reassess cold-case killings. On the third day of his new job, a dismembered body appears in a local park. The corpse's desecration is like slayings from over two decades ago, and his boss assigns Henry to his first investigation. He must uncover the present-day killer while his boss pushes him to resolve crimes from the past. Henry seeks a killer within a community of rival ethnic groups, refugees from the 1990s Balkan wars. Rumors point to a killer called 'the hooded one.' As his investigation unfolds, the young man from western Virginia's coal country discovers that 'trust' has a flexible definition.

A Daughter of the King $5.99 Paris, 1663. King Louis XIV sanctions a program to send destitute women to Quebec to settle his new colony. They are called, "Daughters of the King." Jeanne Denot is one of them. Of noble birth, she assumes a false identity and boards a ship to Canada, narrowly escaping death at the hands of those closest to her. But when Jeanne encounters a mysterious stranger onboard, the course of her life is altered forever. After braving turbulent seas and hardship in the New World, she decides to risk everything to reclaim what is rightfully hers.

New Romance and Fiction from The Wild Rose Press

 

Click on covers for more information and to purchase

Unexpected Masonville Series $5.99 Single dad Ben Greyson wants only to retain custody of his two stepdaughters. A dysfunctional childhood has made family the most important thing in his life. When his late wife's parents sue for custody, a desperate Ben is left with two choices – run away with his girls or marry his next-door neighbor. Jamie Garven wants to be a mother. She's intrigued by her handsome new neighbor and falls in love with his little girls. Then Ben is faced with losing his children, and Jamie agrees to marry him for a chance at motherhood. They're determined to show the world, and the girls' grandparents, two loving parents. Their marriage of convenience turns into unexpected love. But Ben interprets Jamie's efforts to save their family as betrayal—they could lose everything, including each other.

Murder Undetected $4.99 The moment psychologist Brittany Ann Thornton thinks she has her life all dialed in, her perfect little family falls apart and the FBI seizes all her assets. Trouble follows her from Seattle to Paris to the south of France. Viane Thibaudet, darling of a quaint hilltop town in Provence, has been getting away with murder. But when she attempts to poison her husband, Brittany steps up to stop her.

The Wanting $5.99 The Wanting is an intimate account of Serena and Teddy's sexual awakening. They undeniably have a magnetic pull and connection that leads them to each other. It is an erotic tale of relationships and their internal struggles as told through dialogue with themselves. One night, Serena and Teddy are out at a bar and they both meet and fall for another person. Serena meets Ben, an attractive eBook writer and Teddy meets Melina, a sexually charged school teacher. The story that unfurls, is a roller coaster ride of two erotic journeys. Questions arise...Are two people meant to be together? What is serendipity? Do soulmates exist? The Wanting is a book about the confusion between sex and love. It is a modern romance into the mysterious world of sex and the power it holds over our minds.

YOKAI Enchantments $5.99 Yokai Magic When Val unearths a Japanese scroll and a cat figurine inherited from her grandfather, magic invades her world. The statuette, actually a cat spirit named Yuki—a yokai—enchanted into that form for her own protection, comes to life. With her old high-school boyfriend, she searches for a way to vanquish the threat from the spirit realm, while facing the attraction they thought they'd long since put behind them. Kitsune Enchantment On the verge of losing her job, Shannon leaps at the chance to sell her graphic novel series to a major publisher. She'd love to have a closer relationship with her artist collaborator, Ryo, but how can she count on a man who keeps disappearing with the flimsiest of excuses? Ryo feels the same attraction to Shannon, but he isn't sure how she'd react to the truth. He's a kitsune—a fox shapeshifter—prone to transforming at awkward moments. When a wannabe wizard follows him to a science-fiction convention, Ryo's secret, liberty, and budding romance with Shannon are all threatened. Kappa Companion Two years after her husband's sudden death, Heidi hopes to make a fresh start with a new love and a new home. But she hasn't planned on sharing her century-old house with her son's not-so-imaginary friends—a ghost child and a Japanese water monster. At least the creatures aren't dangerous—or are they?

Arborview $4.99 Ellen Cahill's financial future rides on the success of her new pastry shop. A bruising divorce has drained her bank account, along with her spirit. A man enters her life promising love, but Ellen, haunted by the past, questions whether she can pull off this new beginning. College student Rosa Escamilla has her own culinary dreams—and a difficult mother who's dead set against them. Rosa won't be deterred. She scrapes up the money to enroll at a prestigious culinary school, setting out to prove everyone wrong. When hidden betrayals by the people they love most surface for both Ellen and Rosa, can they overcome the blows they never saw coming on the road to where they want to go?

Friends to the End $3.99 Twelve-year-old Zach is convinced he'll never be happy without his best friend Jeremy by his side. But both of their lives changed with a bang five months ago, and as far as Zach's concerned, it's his fault Jeremy will never see his twelfth birthday. When Zach moves with his family to a Chicago suburb, he quickly becomes friends with a group of thrill-seeking kids trying to find a disappearing haunted house. But Zach's not worried. He doesn't believe in ghosts, so he follows them into a wild, dangerous encounter that becomes a battle to decide what's real and what's not.

Looking for a way to relax? Read a new book from The Wild Rose Press

 

Click on covers for more information and to purchase

Tempting Fate $4.99 Carrie Thomas arrives in Las Vegas with one goal in mind: land The Grand Portofino Casino account. So getting stuck, twice in one day, with the hottest man alive puts more than a little crimp in her plans. Especially when she learns the man she's craved since their accidental tryst in the elevator is her new client. Jack Dillon is at the top of his game. Burned by women in the past and consumed with building his empire, falling in love is the last thing on his agenda. But when Carrie walks into his life, all bets are off. Too bad she's determined to keep their relationship strictly business. But Jack is used to getting what he wants. And he wants Carrie. Two weeks of giving in to their desires and fun in Sin City. It's an offer she can't refuse. Can they mix business and pleasure, or are they just tempting fate?

Twisted Lies $5.99 Athena Cooper's tragic past drives her to seek solace in a bottle. The addiction threatens her legal career, and she risks spiraling out of control. When her dog engineers a meeting with an all-too-handsome hunk, it's lust at first sight…until she discovers his identity. Businessman Russell Crawford is desperate to find the woman who cheated him out of his inheritance. His shock when she's the gorgeous redhead he'd met briefly is only intensified when she claims his father was a murderer. Athena and Russ declare a truce and join forces to investigate the mystery of her parents' disappearance from an isolated island off the rugged Northwest Coast of British Columbia. Along the way, they uncover long-buried secrets that rock her very foundation. Can she overcome a lifelong distrust and open her heart to love?

What Happens in Denver $5.99 Meet Andi Rigby. She and her husband own a famous bar. Andi can mix a cocktail, change a beer keg, soothe ruffled customers, and drink you under the table. Life is good until the day she finds herself divorced and unemployed. After a suitable period of ice-cream and whiskey infused mourning, she heads to a beer conference in Denver on a mission to rediscover her joy and find a new job. Between fielding gossip, saving a drunk woman from herself, and dodging a hot but ill-advised boozy hookup, the weekend leads to a few surprises. She ends up employed with an unexpected bonus—a new friend. Oh, and the guy she kissed? Turns out her new job includes selling his brewery's beer. No big deal. Except the bit about him being practically perfect for her at a moment she's determined to focus on her own success. A story of new friends, fresh starts, and a side order of romance served up with a nice cold pint.

Redeemed by Fire The Fire Chronicles $5.99 Cassanne Thomas returns to New Orleans to start her life over and becomes the target of a supernatural serial killer. Escaping her close call with death, Casi is the only witness to the crime and finds herself placed in protective custody by a handsome Cajun detective. But with her dark, troubled past, trusting the police is the last thing she wants to do. Detective Lucas Avery, the top homicide detective in NOLA, is unaware of the supernatural world surrounding him. With the killer stalking the streets, he vows to shield the beautiful, enigmatic Casi with his life while fighting his growing attraction to her. He's been burned before. Danger chases Lucas and Casi from the streets of the French Quarter to the wilds of the bayou. Will they be able to stop a monster, straight out of a nightmare or become victims themselves?

Tempt Me, Trust Me $5.99 Damaged by her past, Morgan Fletcher moved to a quiet cottage in rural Montana wanting solitude and a fresh start. The very last thing on her mind was allowing someone new in. Ex-convict Nick Evanoff didn't need anyone. After his time in prison all he wanted from life was to train and rescue horses. But the moment he spots Morgan something explodes in him that he never felt before. Could Nick work the same magic on her as he did the horses he rescues? Could he teach her that it was safe to trust?

No Plans for Tomorrow $4.99 How can she make plans for tomorrow when she might not live through today? Carmen Santiago can't escape her tenacious ex-husband. He tracks her everywhere, even to a small mountain community where she hoped to find some peace. Local mountain sheriff, James Thomas, vows to protect Carmen to prove good men still exist, but Carmen's dangerous confrontation with her ex at a mountain overlook rocks the very foundation of his growing feelings. She endangered his daughter, and for that, he will never forgive her. How can Carmen convince James of the truth when her only defense is trapped inside a little girl too afraid to speak?

New Romance and Fiction from The Wild Rose Press!

 

Click on covers for more information and to purchase

Beautiful Eyes In Their Eyes $5.99 Entrepreneur Smith MacLean is obsessed with Alessandra Soriano, a woman he met briefly who disappeared six months ago. After a shocking reunion at Club Kink, he insists she stay with him. He means to find out where she's been. Alessandra walked away from her life after making a mistake that cost everything. Her self-imposed penance is living in poverty and doing questionable things with questionable people. Now she's in Smith's luxurious condo, under his hand, and obeying his rules. He has thirty days to convince her to come back from limbo. She has thirty days to convince him she needs to be forgotten. Unless the flames of lust consume them first.

Scarlet at Crystal River The Haunted Shores Mysteries Series $5.99 All Darrell Henshaw wanted was to enjoy his honeymoon with his beautiful wife, Erin, in the charming town of Crystal River on the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida. But his carefully laid plans go sideways when they discover a hidden painting of two young Latino children, which turns out to be haunted. Is Darrell willing to derail their entire honeymoon in this perfect, quiet corner of the world to unravel the mystery of the children's deaths?

In From the Cold $3.99 Matthew left his family ranch to make it on his own. Alaska seemed far enough away from his brother's wife to heal his broken heart.

The Witch of Rathborne Castle $5.99 Lady Jane Lenwood is abandoned and left penniless and alone at Rathborne Castle in the middle of a dark, twisted forest. She yearns to live a normal life and blames her misfortunes on the current duke. But Lady Jane has a secret, a voice in her head warning her of the future, which brings unwanted visitors to her gates. Wounded, Max Radley is found inside the gates of Rathborne. He is intrigued and drawn to the beautiful red-haired woman the locals call a witch. After spending the winter snowed in, Max must resume his search for a traitor but finds he cannot forget Lady Jane. Treason, enemies, lies and deception surround them. Jane must give everything to save them both, as well as Rathborne.

Bouncing the Bustle Victorians Unlaced $5.99 Lilwen Jones bounces her bustle down the stairs—she is finally free! But her father has gambled away her plant nursery, her sole livelihood. She has one chance to save her fortunes and her dreams: to seek the legendary white waratah in Australia's wild southern island of Tasmania. Sawyer Thane is a wildlife hunter, explorer, and a man with secrets. He organizes a luxurious ship journey to remember. He plans their expedition to the last detail. He doesn't lose his temper—not totally—when lovely Lilwen insists on her own way. And he absolutely won't fall for a contrary, plant-loving witch in trousers, as he is not the marrying kind. As Lilwen and Sawyer scour the wilderness for the elusive plant, rules are optional, danger mounts, and their scorching attraction threatens to set the entire forest ablaze.

Gone But Not Forgotten PK & Lt. Carson $4.99 Officer Bob Carson, a rookie police officer in a small California town, discovers a young woman's body minutes after her murder, and he might have seen the truck involved in the incident. The case becomes an obsession, with Bob wondering if he could have prevented the brutal crime. He follows clues wherever he can find them, even as he advances his career with other police agencies. When a similar case happens in California, as well as others around the country, Bob identifies a suspect - a long-haul trucker. As he closes in, the suspect vanishes and another trucker similar in appearance is murdered. Bob knows this cannot be a coincidence. The trail leads to a showdown on a rainy day in Portland, Oregon. But can Bob bring the cold-blooded killer to justice and wrap up the case that has haunted him for years?

The Nighthawk Series The Complete Boxed Set $4.99 Storm Rising Rhythm of Deceit Cobwebs in the Dark The Girl in the Painting

Welcome Raymond Lowrie to the blog!

 Hello Raymond

Thank you for stopping by today.

Tell us about The Elephant's Grip 

I had a general idea about how the story should end, but plot scenes unfolded as they were being written. Most of the ending came about owing to plot developments. I had read several books about how to write a successful novel. That really helped. It has five star reviews on Amazon. And, it was recommended by US Review of Books

Historical figures (Lincoln, Horace Greeley) are used to cement the pre-Civil War era in a reader’s mind, but the principal characters are all fictitious. Members of my family speculated that I might have been the story’s old-time prospector, Roscoe, due to my background and knowledge of mining.

I, like many others, fantasized for years about writing a novel. Upon retirement I had the time. I came to realize that if I was ever going to actually do it I had to sit down and make myself “put pen to paper”. Finally, after much procrastination I worked for two years on a computer and did it. To avoid distractions and to stay on task, the final month was spent alone in a motel out of town.

The title of my book (The Elephant’s Grip) includes the word “elephant”. It’s in the sense of a large and powerful force. The “elephant” is a metaphor for gold, which has a powerful grip swaying the characters in the story. It could just as well have been “gorilla” in the title.

 

A message of the book is that the lust for gold gripped people in the opening of the American West to the extent that they did unconscionable things to one another and to the indigenous tribes. An attractive Black woman, who had escaped from slavery and become a singer in a cabaret, influences the protagonist, Jeremy, to have more humane and civilized values.

 

And tell us about you. 

 

I’ve never given an interview similar to what is done by celebrities or politicians. However, I’ve had many job-related interviews. Some were on live television. Also, an oral life history of my jobs and experiences was recently recorded by my professional society (American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers). It’s soon to be publicly available on the internet. Following such interviews often there was a pleasant and satisfying release of tension.

I enjoy most all drinks: beer, wine, hard liquors included. On the soft side, hot cocoa is hard to beat in the cold of winter. Iced tea with a slice of lemon from a tree in my backyard is best in the summer. A Starbucks latte will do anytime.

I’m a relaxed person with acceptance of a broad range of opinions, differences, and circumstances. Over the years my inner fire has cooled to permit wide tolerance. However, my temper can flare upon provocation.

It wouldn’t be honest or accurate for me to say which season of the year is best. I have different but important feelings about all four. The onset of each has distinct virtues: Spring – new life and regeneration, Summer – freedom and liberation, Fall – crisp and necessary preparation, Winter – release and decline. But skiing in the Colorado mountains made winter close to wonderful.

My favorite book is a professional one titled “SME Mining Reference Handbook”. I was the editor of its 1st edition and oversaw and synthesized the work of thirty-three registered professional engineers. It was published in 2002 and honored as an outstanding academic title by Choice, an entity of the American Library Association. It’s 2nd edition is the single title allowed during a States’ examination of engineers sitting for professional registration.

The Elephant’s Grip was published by The Wild Rose Press in 2016.

https://www.amazon.com/Elephants-Grip-Raymond-Lowrie-ebook/dp/B01M3QK28G