A NOVELLA WITH HEART AND SOUL - WILL SADIE AND NELLIE ESCAPE THE AUCTION - THE AUTHOR OF DINKY: THE NURSE MARE'S FOAL - MARTA MORAN BISHOP BRINGS US THE NURSE MARE'S TALE

The Nurse Mare's Tale is in a way the prequel to Dinky:

The Nurse Mare's Foal, as it tells the story of Dinky's mother. This lovely story is told from the viewpoint of two aging nurse mares about to give birth, and the trials they go through. It tells us of Sadie and her friend Nellie and is accompanied with charming dialogue (both speaking and thinking). The plight of these animals is described in empathetic detail.


After enduring years of breeding and loss, the older nurse mares must face the auction with the promise of being slaughtered, as they have become too old for breeding and thus unable to be rented out as nurse mares to feed the foals of the high-dollar mares.


Do they accept their fate, or will there be another ending for the nurse mares that have given everything and received little in return?

The ending may surprise you. It is a poignant story that will rip your heart out and put you back together again.

 

“This lovely story portrays two aging mares about to give birth, and the trials they go through to give birth and protect their newborn babies. The reader is drawn into the story, culminating in the wonderful escape coup the mares plan, and are able to carry out, to gain their freedom and find a new life.” Sherrill S Cannon award-winning author.

AUDIBLE

AMAZON

"I LOVE THE WAY BISHOP'S IMAGINATION CAN WEAVE SUCH ODD ENTERTAINING STORIES." HIDDEN REALMS BY MARTA MORAN BISHOP & PATRICIA MORAN WILL TRANSPORT YOU!

 From the horror of a psychopath killer with extraordinary powers, to true ghost stories, and stories that leave you wondering, if their 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.

Three short stories of the paranormal and the unknown, to delight, chill, and make you wonder. This book contains The Hollowers, The Other Side, and The Night of the Fairies, published under single stories and now together. The Hollowers is a strange tale of Jerry's discovery of an old box. Jerry is a man who has chosen to do as little as possible to get by. He lives in a pretend world where the main character is himself, until he finds the mysterious box. The Other Side is the story of Ed and Isle. Ed is a successful businessman until one day under the most unusual circumstances he discovers a new world. A world that holds the woman of his dreams, but can he live there or will his learned behavior keep them apart? The Night of the Fairies, takes us into the realm of a young girl, who was adopted into the tribe, but never fit in. She sees fairies, which no one else can see and has a horror of becoming the wife of one of the tribe, she is changing you see, but into what?

Cover Art by R. Jade Lazlow

AMAZON

HAVING BEEN A CARETAKER I FOUND 'A WALK WITH VIRGINIA' BY JILL ZAPATA - NOT ONLY A GREAT READ, BUT SO TRUE TO LIFE AS A CARETAKER - IT IS WELL WORTH THE READ FOR EVERYONE - WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE OR WILL EVER EXPERIENCE IT!

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 stars Excellent 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.

AMAZON

A MAN GOES UP IN FLAMES. WAS IT AN ACCIDENT OR MURDER? ROOKIE PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR GWYNN REZNICK RETURNS – WILL HER SLEUTHING BLOW HER COVER, BEFORE BACK UP ARRIVES? BOOK 3 BY USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR INGE-LISE GOSS

 

A Man Goes Up in Flames.

Was it an accident or murder?

Gwynn Reznick returns as a rookie private investigator…

…to find the truth.

Placed in an accounting role to watch the key players up close, she uncovers financial irregularities while delving into clues that lead her into dangerous situations. To obtain information, she becomes entangled with a tough crew of oil field workers. Their interpersonal jealousies and mysterious pasts intersect to obscure the truth.

Unraveling connecting threads that link to multiple disappearances, Gwynn discovers she’s pitted against polished criminal professionals and finds herself in the center of a devious scheme.

Money shortages and illicit affairs…

…point to several suspects.

Will her sleuthing blow her cover before her backup team arrives?</p

Any reader who enjoys action, adventure, murder mysteries, or just a plain good read will love Burning Water, the third book in the Gwynn Reznick series.

Serenity...

HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWER

5.0 out of 5 stars ~~Lots of sleuthing in this one~~

Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2021

Verified Purchase

Gwynn Reznick is at it again! This novel contains some 'super sleuthing' by Gwynn and, in addition to the mystery of a murder, the author has written a novel containing a lot of excitement and thrills.

Starting with a man engulfed in flames, the action intensifies from there. The H & E Oil Company offers employment for Gwynn as she attempts to assist in a mystery in the office environment. What is going on with this oil company? Lots of missing details to begin with but one thing is for certain and that is no matter what , the oil must keep flowing!

The author writes a skillful murder mystery which offers several solutions in this 'who dun it'. One by one, the clues are unraveled and the murder is solved.

Characters are well defined and definitely contains a multi-level plot...The addition of strong female characters enhances the story, as well...Rosie, the safe cracker, did entertain me at the end of the novel...Would like to meet her in person!

Lots of thrills, action and a really intriguing mystery will keep the reader entertained until the last page is turned.

AMAZON

WE NEED MORE STORIES LIKE LOTTIE’S ADVENTURE: FACING THE MONSTER IT SHOWS JUST HOW IMPORTANT FAMILY CONNECTIONS ARE.

 

 

An action-packed children's book written especially for ages 8 through 14. Children will enjoy this exciting read while also improving their reading skills. Twenty-nine chapters filled with twists and turns keep kids reading to discover the outcome.

 

Lottie, a lively ten-year old Hispanic girl, longs for something new and different in her life. Her summers up to this point have all been, more or less, the same.

Then the arrival of a magical letter and a TV newscast transforms her vacation time in a high adventure.

 

Her great adventure includes trying to relate to a cold, estranged, and rich grandmother, freeing a kidnapped ten-year-old African American boy from

a locked room, hiding him in a safe place, and then fleeing with him from a kidnapper who is always just a step or two behind.

DAW, Austin, Texas

Nothing can bring young people together quite like facing a monster & recognizing that working together will save the day. A chapter book full of suspense & adventure for the young and young at heart.

Lottie's Adventure: Facing The Monster by Award-winning author Barbara Frances

While reading Barbara Frances’ chapter book Lottie’s Adventure: Facing the Monster, I was swept back to the books of my childhood. A place where tweens helped each other and became heroes without the use of make-believe or magic brooms. Just plain old smarts, ingenuity, and integrity.

I was engrossed in the story of Lottie, a Hispanic girl, as she helped Charles Ray a black boy, who had been kidnapped escape and confront the bad guy, outsmarting him, while facing their own fears. The friendship that grew between the two was a lesson in how people all want the same things out of life regardless of their upbringing, race, or nationality.

It is a compelling and wonderful tale that I’d recommend to both adults and the tween alike.

LOTTIE'S ADVENTURE

“LOTTIE’S ADVENTURE” KEEPS INTEREST HIGH AND PAGES TURNING WITH EXCITING PLOT TWISTS AND TURNS AND BELIEVABLE CLIFFHANGERS THAT JUST KEEP EVOLVING.

An action-packed children's book written especially for ages 8 through 14. Children will enjoy this exciting read while also improving their reading skills. Twenty-nine chapters filled with twists and turns keep kids reading to discover the outcome.

 

Lottie, a lively ten-year old Hispanic girl, longs for something new and different in her life. Her summers up to this point have all been, more or less, the same.

Then the arrival of a magical letter and a TV newscast transforms her vacation time in a high adventure.

 

Her great adventure includes trying to relate to a cold, estranged, and rich grandmother, freeing a kidnapped ten-year-old African American boy from

a locked room, hiding him in a safe place, and then fleeing with him from a kidnapper who is always just a step or two behind.

Rebecca Hoeft, Retired Teacher

Reading Lottie's Adventure was an imaginative excursion back to the heart of that warm summer day from my childhood when I quickly hopped on my bike and furiously rode down the street to save the deaf children from the evil ice cream man who came only to make fun of them. I think the spirit of Lottie lives in all of us and is celebrate in this delightful tale of innocence that know no social boundaries or limited thoughts but rather heart driven compassion!

Hailey Helm, Co-owner, Tinsel Delights, LLC

While reading Barbara Frances’ chapter book Lottie’s Adventure: Facing the Monster, I was swept back to the books of my childhood. A place where tweens helped each other and became heroes without the use of make-believe or magic brooms. Just plain old smarts, ingenuity, and integrity.

I was engrossed in the story of Lottie, a Hispanic girl, as she helped Charles Ray a black boy, who had been kidnapped escape and confront the bad guy, outsmarting him, while facing their own fears. The friendship that grew between the two was a lesson in how people all want the same things out of life regardless of their upbringing, race, or nationality.

It is a compelling and wonderful tale that I’d recommend to both adults and the tween alike.

LOTTIE'S ADVENTURE

LOTTIE HAS THE MOST INTERESTING, SOMETIMES KIND OF SCARY, ADVENTURES. & SHE MEETS WEIRD PEOPLE, FUNNY PEOPLE, WACKY PEOPLE, SERIOUS PEOPLE. LOTTIE’S ADVENTURE BY BARBARA FRANCES IS A FABULOUS READ FOR ANY AGE.

 

An action-packed children's book written especially for ages 8 through 14. Children will enjoy this exciting read while also improving their reading skills. Twenty nine chapters filled with twists and turns keep kids reading to discover the outcome.

Lottie’s Adventure is a vibrant chapter book mystery for preteens that emphasizes the importance of intergenerational communication and love as well as the immense value of thinking beyond cultural stereotypes. To develop a new moral code or vision, both these elements are crucial. Perhaps the most striking quality of “Lottie’s Adventure: Facing The Monster” is its powerful positive energy. Featuring a spunky 10-year-old Hispanic heroine, “Lottie’s Adventure” keeps interest high and pages turning with exciting plot twists and turns and believable cliffhangers that just keep evolving. The author allows her characters to develop very naturally, with total authenticity. There are many excellent ideas embedded in the story, not the least of which is that people, even wise adults, can learn to admit they are wrong. “Lottie’s Adventure” goes a long way towards building a viable alternative to prejudice, and for that and many other reasons, it is highly recommended juvenile reading for kids age 10 and up.

(Review from The Midwest Book Review)

M. M. Bishop Award-winning author and poet

5.0 out of 5 stars A WONDERFULLY TOLD CHAPTER BOOK FOR THE TWEEN

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2020

I bought this book at the local bookstore for my niece and just had to read it too.

While reading Barbara Frances’ chapter book Lottie’s Adventure: Facing the Monster, I was swept back to the books of my childhood. A place where tweens helped each other and became heroes without the use of make-believe or magic brooms. Just plain old smarts, ingenuity, and integrity.
I was engrossed in the story of Lottie, a Hispanic girl, as she helped Charles Ray a black boy, who had been kidnapped escape and confront the bad guy, outsmarting him, while facing their own fears. The friendship that grew between the two was a lesson in how people all want the same things out of life regardless of their upbringing, race, or nationality.
It is a compelling and wonderful tale that I’d recommend to both adults and the tween alike.

LOTTIE'S ADVENTURE