REVISED AND UPDATED-March 2010 A New Beginning An introducton to her "Tales of the Dragonfly" novels. The author discusses her attempts to find meaning and self worth in her life while having no choice except to be home full-time to care for her severely autistic and mentally impaired son due to the lack of vocational programming available to him because of the Illinois budgetary crisis. Illinois now ranks as one of the top three worst off states because of their over $13 billion budget deficit, and ranks 49 out of 50 states in their care and service to the disabled. She discusses the reality of the states abiity to service the individuals on the PUNS waiting list. Having not been updated since spring of 2009, the waiting list discloses over 11,000 individuals who are in need of services.

2013 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS- ROMANCE FINALIST 2012 PINNACLE BOOK ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER- _BEST BOOK SUSPENSE _ The dragonfly is believed to be a symbol of renewal after a time of great hardship._ _ Book I: In Tandem Separated by circumstances fifteen years earlier, Jake Loughlin and Danielle Reardon are fatefully reunited at Dragonfly Pointe. But the mysterious Dragonfly Pointe has a history of tragedy. An unsolved brutal assault and murder of a six-year old girl over twenty years before has remained unsolved. A successful entrepreneur, Jake has hidden his status as a special investigator for the FBI. As owner of the Dragonfly Pointe Inn, Jake has returned to restore and renovate the abandoned property. But, unofficially, he's investigating the theory that a ring of human traffickers is operating in the area. With three to five kidnappings occurring at the end of each year, over the states of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, Jake can trace a pattern going back as far as thirty-five years. And there could be a connection to the death of the little girl at Dragonfly Pointe twenty-two years earlier. Grieving after the death of her grandmother several months before, Danielle has finally returned to Crystal Rock. A former model and vocalist for a band, Danielle escaped her chaotic life as a celebrity when her boyfriend died of a drug overdose. After obtaining her horticulture degree, she opened a successful landscape business in New York. When Jake and Danielle finally meet again, it's magic. But something odd is going on at Dragonfly Pointe. Several times during the reconstruction process, a suspicious stranger is sighted in the area. When a young girl is kidnapped from a nearby community, the FBI investigation becomes official, and Jake is put into action. Then lovely, eighteen-year old, Lucy Callahan, is kidnapped. Granddaughter of the former police chief of Crystal Rock, Lucy is like a sister to Danielle. When the FBI investigation leads back to Dragonfly Pointe, Danielle, herself, is put in danger. Despite its tragic history, the beauty and power of the magic at Dragonfly Pointe enables new beginnings. Suffering tremendous loss, or surviving abuse and tragedy, each character featured in the series will create their own new beginning, aided by the power of love.

2014 Readers' Favorite International Book Awards Romance Suspense Winner 2013 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award-Best Book Suspense Second Round Romance Contender-2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards A woman who's afraid to trust. Successful designer, Penny Wentworth has arrived from New York to take charge of the wedding flowers for the new owners of the Dragonfly Pointe Inn. As a single parent of a severely autistic and mentally impaired son, she has no romantic illusions; her experience with an abusive husband has left her wary of relationships. A man who's afraid to love. Haunted by his past since discovering a six-year old girl brutally murdered at Dragonfly Pointe over twenty-two years before, Sam had intentionally avoided returning home. But after resigning from his job as a homicide detective in New Orleans when his marriage fell apart, Sam is now the chief of police in Crystal Rock, Wisconsin. An undying passion that's endured throughout the years . Penny's escort for the wedding, Sam had once been the object of every single one of her teenage fantasies. Despite his overwhelming attraction to Penny as a teenager, Sam had deliberately kept his distance because of their age difference. But from the moment Sam meets Penny again, he realizes she's always been the only woman for him. And when Sam and Penny spend the entire weekend of the wedding together, their sizzling attraction turns explosive. But unaware that his divorce was never legally finalized, Sam has no idea that Vanessa Gerard Danielson is on her way to Crystal Rock attempting for reconciliation. And now there's a killer in their midst . Sam is stunned when Vanessa's body is pulled out from the Crystal Rock River. Indian legend claims Dragonfly Pointe has a mysterious power to ensure new beginnings. When Sam's search for a killer, astonishingly, leads him back through his own tarnished past, will a woman who's afraid to trust be able to forgive a man who considers himself undeserving of her love?

When wounded warrior Aaron Davidson returns home from Afghanistan, he's devastated to learn his sister Karen is missing. On the streets of New York City attempting to aid in the investigation, Aaron somehow manages to save the life of a woman who’s intentionally shoved into oncoming traffic. The daughter of a notorious crime boss, Kiley Carlton believes her father might be the one trying to kill her. As a protective measure, Kiley accompanies Aaron when his search for his sister leads him to Crystal Rock, Wisconsin. But after arriving at Dragonfly Pointe, not only are surprising secrets revealed from the past, but the psychical ability Kiley has supposedly inherited from her Creole ancestors is brought to light. Although she’s hesitant to expose her abilities, Kiley’s visions are far too accurate for Aaron to discount. Both sensing a strange familiarity, their attraction has been sizzling from the moment they met. Will they be able to uncover the truth about who might be trying to kill Kiley, while discovering who's responsible for kidnapping Aaron's sister? EXTENDED FLIGHT is a STANDALONE FULL-LENGTH NOVEL from the award-winning series, which includes a Readers’ Favorite Book Award in Romantic Suspense. The author's combined #1 bestselling series books have earned over twenty-five awards, including six from Readers’ Favorite (the BRONZE (2018), SILVER (2016) and GOLD (2018) MEDALS in Military Fiction) and nine from the Independent Author Book Network (Women’s Fiction, Mysteries and Novellas.)