From the Roman Nyle's psychopathic killer with extraordinary powers, to true ghost stories, and stories that leave you wondering, if there is a place for everybody or if some are really just lost in their own minds, you will find that story in this collection of short stories by Patricia Moran, Marta Moran Bishop, Roman Nyle, and Pat Marsden.
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsFun read
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2020
Verified Purchase
Thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short stories. Most were different from the usual paranormal stories as they ended leaving the reader to decide what will happen. Fun and entertaining.
To walk with another person can be as mundane as putting on one's socks and shoes, or it can be a twisting, turning, life-changing journey into unknown territory. It can also be everything in between. My walk with Virginia was life-changing. It was unexpected. It was challenging. It was frustrating and confusing. We had highs, and we had lows. Thankfully, it was also awe-inspiring and extraordinary.
Have you ever been a caregiver for a family member or a friend? Is it, perhaps, on the horizon of your life? Or maybe you cannot yet see the horizon. Make no mistake, it is not a question of love, whether to provide much needed and potentially long-term care. It is a question of necessity. Love, and devotion born out of love, are the firmly rooted footings on which you stand when providing this necessary care. Humor is the grab bar you grip tightly when the ground below you begins to shake or shift. Patience is paramount. I survived it, and you can, too. I believe I am a better person having had the experience.
My story is a true account of my caregiving experience with my mother-in-law. It lasted only a few short years and, in that time, carved such deep and permanent remembrances too good not to share. Some would ask, "why share something so personal?", and my reply would be, "why not?". Life is so much sweeter when shared with others. I hope you find comfort, a little guidance perhaps, enjoy a few laughs, and chew on some 'food for thought' as you journey with Virginia and I through the blessings and blunders of Caregiving!
Robert W Collins
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent book! A great read! Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2021 Verified Purchase If you are a caregiver or just want a little inside look into how one person handled that difficult position with love and created great memories A Walk With Virginia is the book for you!
M. M. Bishop Award-winning author and poet
5.0 out of 5 starsA HEARTWARMING, COMPASIONATE LOOK AT LIFE AS A CARETAKER
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2021
I just finished reading the most heartwarming, compassionate memoir by Jill Zapata ‘A Walk With Virginia.’ In it, Ms. Zapata recounts her time spent as a caretaker for her future mother-in-law Virginia. Having spent time as a caretaker for my mother, I can attest that there are both the funny, as well as those that were heartbreaking, confusing, and yet as Ms. Zapata puts it a ‘fellow feeling’ happens that can only be, between those who you have spent the time as their caretaker. For as they lose their mobility, ability to do things they once could, and sometimes even their ability to communicate, or hold onto a thought, or activity for long, they become not only your friend, but your child, and no relationship can you ever be quite as close to another, as you do when you become a caretaker. Yes, it is at times challenging, emotional, frustrating, and difficult, but the joys, and laughter lives on in us so much longer than those harder memories. I loved this book and shall be one I reread over the years.
Daphne Robin is ecstatic. She has just married Richard, the most wonderful man she's ever met, and they will honeymoon in Scotland. But on the eve of their departure, Daphne has a terrifying nightmare about Richard that leaves her shaken. The dream turns into reality when Richard begins abusing her in Scotland. Several months later, following his brutal attack, when Daphne announces she has become pregnant, he brutally attacks her--and then she suffers a miscarriage. The only place Daphne can find refuge from her wrecked life is within her dream world. She often dreams of a warm-hearted, tender man who comforts her and provides for her every need. Daphne retreats from reality more and more, and soon, as the years pass by, she becomes a shell of the woman she once was. Eventually, however, she reaches her breaking point; Daphne gathers the strength to escape her husband's clutches. She heads to her sister's place in Washington and meets Major Ursa-Barrios, a retired army officer who has pledged to help her. The two fall deeply in love, and Daphne wonders if this kind, generous man can possibly be her salvation. Although the Major is retired, Daphne's sister is still in service. When the sisters seek to explore their dreams through past life regression techniques, they discover secrets about their pasts that could reveal the purpose of their current lives..
Martha A. Cheves
VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars How many lives do we have
`Shortly before 2:30 AM, Daphne awoke from a vivid dream. She dreamt she was in Scotland and had just been widowed. Her husband had been murdered. It was some distant time in the past, and she was dressed in a long black gown with a stiff white headdress She could feel the tightness of her corset contrast the softness of her gown's material on her skin. Richard was there, but other people in the dream were saying he was responsible for her late husband's murder. She was confused and didn't know what to believe. She had thought she could trust Richard, but a voice in the dream announced, "During the Protestant Reformation, these sides were divided." As she wondered what that meant, Richard captured her and took her against her will to a castle, where he raped her. Then, when he left her alone with a woman companion to look after her, the two women escaped. They disguised themselves as men and used bed linens to climb through a window and down the castle wall. She was terrified. She and her companion rode across the nearby border to England, where they thought they would be safe. At first, when they told their story of what had happened, they were given sanctuary by kind people. But after about a week or so, word came to the household from the authorities that she was to be held as a prisoner again. She did not understand why. Then she was told that Richard had also fled Scotland and was also imprisoned, but in another country.'
Daphne Robin and her sister Deandra were both accustomed to strange dreams. Deandra has dreamed, since childhood, that she was a soldier with lots of brothers. In her dream she was a man and someone was beating her face in. Daphne's dream about Scotland came shortly after her marriage to Richard Gatorman, owner of a construction company as well as Daphne's boss. Scotland was a place Daphne had always wanted to go to so when the dream coincided with Richard announcing that they would be honeymooning in Scotland, she let her excitement override the possibility of a warning. But, Richard had always been the perfect mate. He was loving, caring and offered her everything she could ever want...so she thought. The honeymoon would turn out to be the beginning of her seeing the true Richard she had married. A marriage that she soon realized had been a big mistake. The only out for Daphne becomes sleep in which her dreams have her flying the skies with a handsome man. If it weren't for her dream time she would probably give up on life itself.
Deandra, being an officer in the Army, enlists the help of her friend Major Ursa-Barrios to help Daphne escape the abuse being inflicted by Richard. Major, as he likes to be called, has had his own dreams over the years. In his dreams he would help a young lady and falls in love with her. Could Daphne possibly be the woman in his dream? Could Major possibly be the man in Daphne's dreams?
As Deandra, Daphne and Major come together, they start searching for the answers to their dreams. Deandra wanting to know who the person getting their face bashed in is and who are the brothers. Daphne wants to know who the woman in Scotland could be as well as who she soars the skies with. And Major wants to meet the lady from his dreams.
Franki deMerle has done it again with a book of mystery, love and a certain air of suspense. The more I read, the more I wanted answers to the character's dreams but I wasn't really expecting what the dreams actually turned out to be.
M. M. Bishop Award-winning author and poet
5.0 out of 5 stars POSSIBILITIES
Verified Purchase
As a woman who is curious about nearly everything, I picked up Dragonfly Dreams looking for a sense of possibilities. I found that and more. Franki deMerle is a masterful story teller, combining the dream state with possible reality.
What is reality and what is truth. Have we lived before? Do we dream our way into a better future? Are all these possibilities just a magnificent story?
I loved this book. Ms. deMerle wrote characters that were captivating and three dimensional, whether they were reliving a past life or living in the present. Definitely a book to be read and enjoyed, and it left me with more than a good read. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reincarnation or just a great story.
When she witnesses Sheila, the aunt of her best friend, stagger out of the hospital and die from a traffic accident, Dora’s private eye instincts kick in. Something’s not right. Sheila had no known enemies… but someone wanted her dead.
Digging into the circumstances of Sheila’s death leads Dora on a devious path where she encounters lies, drugs, betrayal, and infidelity. She uncovers another mysterious death and stumbles upon a dark secret kept by some of the hospital’s top staff and privileged doctors.
Sheila was not the only nurse who had an affair with the hospital’s star surgeon. Would one of her romantic rivals stoop to murder? Or had she learned too much about the well-kept dark secret?
Fatal Limit is a spellbinding medical thriller that will keep you turning its pages. In this taut and gripping story, greed, love and envy come together to create a deadly toxin. And the only prescription is… justice
5.0 out of 5 starsStaggering into an accident, what was it that killed her? Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2020 Verified Purchase Dora Stephens, a private investigator, is about to pick up a nurse, Sheila for a drink, when she witnesses her staggering out the hospital only to be run over by a car. Dora can’t believe this has been merely an accident, even though at first glance, the victim seems to have no enemies. “Has Sheila been given a large dose of Activan?” The story is told in Dora’s voice, which makes it personal. Lies, drugs, betrayal, blackmail, and infidelity come into play, including Sheila’s secret affair with a surgeon. Did she have any rivals for the attention of her lover? Could jealousy be the reason for this murder? Can an antidote for it be found? The suspenseful writing has its moments of humor to relieve the tension. “I intended… to plant a bug on him, though I didn’t have a clue where I would put one… Why didn’t men carry purses with them? Bugging women was so much easier.” Armed with a nurse’s uniform, a pair of oversized glasses, and a bob-styled auburn wig, Dora’s best weapon is her wits.
A children's story about a puppy that is larger than most and therefore not wanted as a friend by the other puppies or as a playmate by the adult dogs or the smaller puppies. He seeks a home and someone to love and want him.
Algernon is an anteater, but he is a very ingenious one...He not only loves ants but especially chocolate covered ones. So, to find a supply of his new favorite food, he not only learns to read and to stand up tall, and to consequently join the circus!
This children's book is delightful, with a refreshing commentary describing Algernon's thoughts and his precocious stream-of-consciousness asides...
Meet Algernon the Anteater...you'll love him!
Deanie Humphrys-Dunne
5.0 out of 5 starsA fun story with good, thought-provoking messages Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2019 "Algernon" is a cute story about an anteater who loves ants of any type or size until he accidentally discovers chocolate covered ants in a jar. The problem was, he didn't know where to find more of them. Algernon was quite clever and creative. He decided to brush up on his reading skills, hoping that would solve the problem of where to find more of his favorite chocolate treat. One day, Algernon discovers the circus is in town. Thinking that would be a fun adventure, he discovered some skills he thought could be included in his circus act. The story will help children with imagination, problem-solving and more. No doubt they will cheer for him throughout the story. Highly recommended
Sherrill S. Cannon
5.0 out of 5 starsA Puppy With a Huge Heart Verified Purchase The Lonesome Puppy by Patricia Moran 2/10/20 – 5 stars A Puppy with a Huge Heart… What if you were a cute puppy, but not a cute “little” puppy? Would other pups or children love you, or just wonder why you’re so big and tease you about it? This pup finds the answer when he discovers a new family who is willing to love him just the way he is…and provides a happy-ever-after life for a Great Dane named Thor, who is just the size he is supposed to be!!
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2020
To walk with another person can be as mundane as putting on one's socks and shoes, or it can be a twisting, turning, life-changing journey into unknown territory. It can also be everything in between. My walk with Virginia was life-changing. It was unexpected. It was challenging. It was frustrating and confusing. We had highs, and we had lows. Thankfully, it was also awe-inspiring and extraordinary. Have you ever been a caregiver for a family member or a friend? Is it, perhaps, on the horizon of your life? Or maybe you cannot yet see the horizon. Make no mistake, it is not a question of love, whether to provide much needed and potentially long-term care. It is a question of necessity. Love, and devotion born out of love, are the firmly rooted footings on which you stand when providing this necessary care. Humor is the grab bar you grip tightly when the ground below you begins to shake or shift. Patience is paramount. I survived it, and you can, too. I believe I am a better person having had the experience.
My story is a true account of my caregiving experience with my mother-in-law. It lasted only a few short years and, in that time, carved such deep and permanent remembrances too good not to share. Some would ask, "why share something so personal?", and my reply would be, "why not?". Life is so much sweeter when shared with others. I hope you find comfort, a little guidance perhaps, enjoy a few laughs, and chew on some 'food for thought' as you journey with Virginia and I through the blessings and blunders of Caregiving!
Robert W Collins
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent book! A great read! Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2021 Verified Purchase If you are a caregiver or just want a little inside look into how one person handled that difficult position with love and created great memories A Walk With Virginia is the book for you!
I just
finished reading the most heartwarming, compassionate memoir by Jill Zapata ‘A
Walk With Virginia.’ In it, Ms. Zapata recounts her time spent as a caretaker
for her future mother-in-law Virginia.
Having spent
time as a caretaker for my mother, I can attest that there are both the funny,
as well as those that were heartbreaking, confusing, and yet as Ms. Zapata puts
it a ‘fellow feeling’ happens that can only be, between those who you have
spent the time as their caretaker.
For as they
lose their mobility, ability to do things they once could, and sometimes even
their ability to communicate, or hold onto a thought, or activity for long,
they become not only your friend, but your child, and no relationship can you
ever be quite as close to another, as you do when you become a caretaker.
Yes, it is
at times challenging, emotional, frustrating, and difficult, but the joys, and
laughter lives on in us so much longer than those harder memories.
I loved this
book and shall be one I reread over the years.
Five Flowers is the story of five women who find themselves drawn together through several lifetimes. The challenges they face deal with love, betrayal and finding their way to personal independence. What is the strange attraction they feel toward the sinister man around whom they orbit like satellites? Which of them will break free, and which will fall victim to him again and again?
Franki deMerle has rapidly become one of my favorite authors. I love her character portrayal and the depth she is able to pull out of each of them. It fascinates me to follow each character through lifetime after lifetime as their souls attempt to learn the lessons they failed at in the past.
This is one of my favorites for it takes one through some of the most fascinating and devilish periods of history. In her book Five Flowers we follow six characters, five of them women from the court of Henry the VIII through encounters with Jack the Ripper and finally to a Charles Manson like scenario. It is a book I could not put down as it drew me deeper and deeper into the lives, hearts, minds, and souls of the story.
The writing is rich in detail, the characters deep, and the plot well research and brilliantly depicted. I highly recommend this book
I was swept away while reading Five Flowers into the court of Henry III, and then on to the horrors of Jack the Ripper, and the Manson Family. As I followed the lives of five women who reincarnated through these times, I wondered who would finally break the cycle, and who would not. Highly recommend this well researched novel with deep character development and brilliantly depicted by Ms. deMerle.
New York Detective Sidney Langston is rushed to the hospital with excruciating chest pains the same night a woman who bears a remarkable resemblance to her is murdered in San Diego. Tests reveal that Sidney is perfectly healthy, yet the crippling pain persists until the dead woman reaches out from beyond the grave for Sidney’s help to vindicate her wrongfully imprisoned husband and to find her murderer.
˃˃˃ Ghostly Intrigue That Keeps You On The Edge Of Your Seat
Desperate to remain pain-free, Sidney embarks on a mission to exonerate an innocent man. With a ruthless killer at large, she soon discovers the crime is more than a simple whodunit when dangerous scenarios unfold. The dead woman’s spirit relentlessly pushes Detective Langston to solve the crime and correct an injustice ”" or forever be tormented by an invisible bullet wound.
Gold Medal Winner: Readers' Favorite 2017 International Book Awards ~ Fiction The Outstanding Mystery: 2017 IAN Book of the Year Awards Paranormal/Supernatural Fiction Finalist: 2017 IAN Book of the Year Awards
"A unique blending of the supernatural with classic mystery/suspense, "Compelled" by Inge-Lise Goss is an inherently riveting read from cover to cover. Revealing the author's genuine flair as a novelist for narrative drive storytelling, "Compelled"is decidedly and unreservedly recommended..." -Midwest Book Review
"Compelled is an excellent mystery/sleuth book with a bit of ghostly intrigue. I found it to be everything a mystery book should be and more. I usually shy away from ghost/spiritual sleuthing type stories, but Compelled was not overdone and the mystery and sleuthing were the main themes for the story with the ghost adding an important element of enjoyment. I urge you to read Compelled because it is definitely a five star plus story." -- Trudi LoPreto, Readers' Favorite Reviewer
"...well-developed cast of characters, along with a well-delivered murder plot."--The BooklifePrize in Fiction
"Compelled by Inge-Lise Goss is an unusual investigative novel; intriguing, beautifully paced, and gripping in an all-absorbing sort of way...The story starts with a bang,the tension mounts to a climax, and the denouement is as exhilarating as the very beginning." - Arya Foomonyuy, Readers' Favorite Reviewer
I’m a big fan of anything Inge-Lise Goss writes, but her book COMPELLED kept me on the edge of my seat. It is a fabulously written murder mystery, with just enough paranormal, and romance to satisfy even those who are avid readers of those genres’, and not so much that a man who is into murder/thriller/suspense can’t thoroughly enjoy too.
I both read it on kindle and listened to it again on audible, where the narrator did such a fabulous job of producing it, that it kept you listening way too far into the night, and barely able to keep your eyes open, but still not wanting to stop.
Daphne Robin is ecstatic. She has just married Richard, the most wonderful man she's ever met, and they will honeymoon in Scotland. But on the eve of their departure, Daphne has a terrifying nightmare about Richard that leaves her shaken. The dream turns into reality when Richard begins abusing her in Scotland. Several months later, following his brutal attack, when Daphne announces she has become pregnant, he brutally attacks her--and then she suffers a miscarriage. The only place Daphne can find refuge from her wrecked life is within her dream world. She often dreams of a warm-hearted, tender man who comforts her and provides for her every need. Daphne retreats from reality more and more, and soon, as the years pass by, she becomes a shell of the woman she once was. Eventually, however, she reaches her breaking point; Daphne gathers the strength to escape her husband's clutches. She heads to her sister's place in Washington and meets Major Ursa-Barrios, a retired army officer who has pledged to help her. The two fall deeply in love, and Daphne wonders if this kind, generous man can possibly be her salvation. Although the Major is retired, Daphne's sister is still in service. When the sisters seek to explore their dreams through past life regression techniques, they discover secrets about their pasts that could reveal the purpose of their current lives..
EE Wilder 5.0 out of 5 starsDeja Vu
Verified Purchase Was it a dream? Did it really happen? What did it mean? Daphne's dreams trouble her while at the same time lift her spirits. Was there truly a man waiting for her that will pull her out of her troubled marriage? A love that flies with her through beautiful vistas and brings a sense of a happy future. But there are others with vivid repeating dreams. Her sister Deandra, an army office and her friend Major, now retired. Author Franki deMerle pulls these fragments of memories together - some happy, some tragic and ties them in a bundle that allows the dreams to be broken and the past revealed. As the author writes - "There are places we can only reach in our dreams while our bodies sleep."
M. M. Bishop Award-winning author and poet 5.0 out of 5 starsPOSSIBILITIES
Verified Purchase As a woman who is curious about nearly everything, I picked up Dragonfly Dreams looking for a sense of possibilities. I found that and more. Franki deMerle is a masterful story teller, combining the dream state with possible reality.
What is reality and what is truth. Have we lived before? Do we dream our way into a better future? Are all these possibilities just a magnificent story?
I loved this book. Ms. deMerle wrote characters that were captivating and three dimensional, whether they were reliving a past life or living in the present. Definitely a book to be read and enjoyed, and it left me with more than a good read. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in reincarnation or just a great story.
To walk with another person can be as mundane as putting on one's socks and shoes, or it can be a twisting, turning, life-changing journey into unknown territory. It can also be everything in between. My walk with Virginia was life changing. It was unexpected. It was challenging. It was frustrating and confusing. We had highs, and we had lows. Thankfully, it was also awe-inspiring and extraordinary.
Have you ever been a caregiver for a family member or a friend? Is it, perhaps, on the horizon of your life? Or maybe you cannot yet see the horizon. Make no mistake, it is not a question of love, whether to provide much needed and potentially long-term care. It is a question of necessity. Love, and devotion born out of love, are the firmly rooted footings on which you stand when providing this necessary care. Humor is the grab bar you grip tightly when the ground below you begins to shake or shift. Patience is paramount. I survived it, and you can, too. I believe I am a better person having had the experience.
My story is a true account of my caregiving experience with my mother-in-law. It lasted only a few short years and, in that time, carved such deep and permanent remembrances too good not to share. Some would ask, "why share something so personal?", and my reply would be, "why not?". Life is so much sweeter when shared with others. I hope you find comfort, a little guidance perhaps, enjoy a few laughs, and chew on some 'food for thought' as you journey with Virginia and I through the blessings and blunders of Caregiving!
Robert W Collins
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent book! A great read! Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2021Verified Purchase If you are a caregiver or just want a little inside look into how one person handled that difficult position with love and created great memories A Walk With Virginia is the book for you!
M. M. Bishop Award-winning author and poet
5.0 out of 5 starsA HEARTWARMING, COMPASIONATE LOOK AT LIFE AS A CARETAKER Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2021 I just finished reading the most heartwarming, compassionate memoir by Jill Zapata ‘A Walk With Virginia.’ In it, Ms. Zapata recounts her time spent as a caretaker for her future mother-in-law Virginia. Having spent time as a caretaker for my mother, I can attest that there are both the funny, as well as those that were heartbreaking, confusing, and yet as Ms. Zapata puts it a ‘fellow feeling’ happens that can only be, between those who you have spent the time as their caretaker. For as they lose their mobility, ability to do things they once could, and sometimes even their ability to communicate, or hold onto a thought, or activity for long, they become not only your friend, but your child, and no relationship can you ever be quite as close to another, as you do when you become a caretaker. Yes, it is at times challenging, emotional, frustrating, and difficult, but the joys, and laughter lives on in us so much longer than those harder memories. I loved this book and shall be one I reread over the years.
To walk with another person can be as mundane as putting on one's socks and shoes, or it can be a twisting, turning, life-changing journey into unknown territory. It can also be everything in between. My walk with Virginia was life changing. It was unexpected. It was challenging. It was frustrating and confusing. We had highs, and we had lows. Thankfully, it was also awe-inspiring and extraordinary. Have you ever been a caregiver for a family member or a friend? Is it, perhaps, on the horizon of your life? Or maybe you cannot yet see the horizon. Make no mistake, it is not a question of love, whether to provide much needed and potentially long-term care. It is a question of necessity. Love, and devotion born out of love, are the firmly rooted footings on which you stand when providing this necessary care. Humor is the grab bar you grip tightly when the ground below you begins to shake or shift. Patience is paramount. I survived it, and you can, too. I believe I am a better person having had the experience.
My story is a true account of my caregiving experience with my mother-in-law. It lasted only a few short years and, in that time, carved such deep and permanent remembrances too good not to share. Some would ask, "why share something so personal?", and my reply would be, "why not?". Life is so much sweeter when shared with others. I hope you find comfort, a little guidance perhaps, enjoy a few laughs, and chew on some 'food for thought' as you journey with Virginia and I through the blessings and blunders of Caregiving!
Robert W Collins
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent book! A great read! Verified Purchase If you are a caregiver or just want a little inside look into how one person handled that difficult position with love and created great memories A Walk With Virginia is the book for you!
I just
finished reading the most heartwarming, compassionate memoir by Jill Zapata ‘A
Walk With Virginia.’ In it, Ms. Zapata recounts her time spent as a caretaker
for her future mother-in-law Virginia.
Having spent
time as a caretaker for my mother, I can attest that there are both the funny,
as well as those that were heartbreaking, confusing, and yet as Ms. Zapata puts
it a ‘fellow feeling’ happens that can only be, between those who you have
spent the time as their caretaker.
For as they
lose their mobility, ability to do things they once could, and sometimes even
their ability to communicate, or hold onto a thought, or activity for long,
they become not only your friend, but your child, and no relationship can you
ever be quite as close to another, as you do when you become a caretaker.
Yes, it is
at times challenging, emotional, frustrating, and difficult, but the joys, and
laughter lives on in us so much longer than those harder memories.
I loved this
book and shall be one I reread over the years.
