Peering Through Life's Window

Having renounced killing people in mystery novels for a while, I am excited to announce my first venture into women’s general fiction. HOLD UP THE SKY (Isbn 978-0451-22914-4 - $15.00) is the story of four strong women in Georgia who face individual crises during a summer of dreadful drought, and discover that true strength comes not from independence, but from interdependence. It tells the story of Billie Waits, a single mom with a disabled child whose support comes from her estranged husband’s checks and the sale of peaches from a small orchard; as the book begins, Porter’s checks stop coming and her peaches freeze. Meanwhile her sister Margaret, an affluent housewife who lives happily in Marietta with her husband, Ben, and two delightful sons, is startled when Ben announces at breakfast that he wants a divorce and is moving out; her son Jason vandalizes a new commercial building and tells the juvenile judge he wants to live with his dad; and Ben informs Margaret they will need to sel...

Today, I’m all bundled up with a snuggly housecoat wrapped around me. I have on my red polka dot knee socks with a pair of red, fuzzy bedroom shoes. Still, it’s so frigid I think the heater is broken, until I hear the clicking noise it makes just before it comes on. Ahh, the warm air drifts into the room, and it’s comfortable. It’s my birthday, and my daughter gives me a pretty tee-shirt. The bright colors and sparkling tiny beads that look like chipped crystal on it lift my spirits. I try it on -- a perfect fit. Outside snow and ice cover the deck. Brrrrr, even though I can’t wait to wear my gift, I need to put on a heavy sweater. I lay the piece of clothing aside and dress warmly. Later, after my daughter leaves I get out the shirt. Considering the weather conditions, I probably need to put it away with my summer clothes until spring. No, I look at it again. I will hang it in my closet where I can see it. Every time I look at it, it will remind me that spring is coming. It will be a ...