Women are the heart of the home. (Unless it’s a home with a man as the heart!) This volume is about women. The stories are a melding of truth from my own experiences and fiction created from both observation and fantasy. Mademoiselle, a novella, started out as young adult genre. But as I wrote, Philipa grew up into a young woman who found her way after a short detour, choosing the more difficult path. The Golden Boy ended up exactly as I imagined it would. A family deals with a loved one’s mental illness with love and support, but when there is no longer any hope for normalcy; prayer and grace allow them to step aside. Tribute to a Dead Friend is my tribute to every woman who’s lost a close friend but continues to be inspired and comforted by her spirit. A Night Encounter, currently published on Amazon, is a short story about regrets and self-forgiveness. A daughter's disrespect borne of sibling rivalry comes back to haunt her in a most unusual and gentle way. As in every work, there are elements of truth in the story, but it is pure fiction. I spent time in my garden last summer, convinced my late mother was there with me. It was a very therapeutic and comforting experience. Vapors, selected to appear in Willow Review 2013, is a fantasy in which a wife discovers a way to make her presence known after her husband reveals a painful secret.

After Cindy's husband admits a painful secret, she discovers a satisfying way to make her presence known. Although it is mostly out of her control, she uses it to its full advantage, almost as good as having X-Ray vision!

Friendship between women lasts forever, sometimes gently inspiring us beyond the grave. In this short story, a chance meeting at a retreat forges a relationship shortly before a harrowing time in Julie's life begins. It's what happens afterward, after her death that makes the greatest impact, and the best legacy in Julie's memory.

Thinking her life was ruined after her boyfriend left for another, a chance encounter brings two people together in a quest for safety, freedom, and love.