First I’ve titled my untitled work.  Target of Vengeance is expected to be released the end of July. Please look under other works and untitled to read that.

Second, I’ve started novel number four. Return to Oak Grove revives some of the characters from my first novel Secrets. The following is an excerpt:

Chapter 1  

uck Wise sat on the patio with his cup of coffee reading the morning paper and enjoying the early spring. He could hear his wife, Ruth in the kitchen and knew she would join him soon bringing breakfast. He liked retirement.

Buck had been constable in the small town of Oak Grove, Michigan for thirty years. During that time the only really bad thing that had happened was the murder of Miss Emily Meeks, the town’s beloved librarian. It had taken the help of the FBI to bring her killers to justice. They had broken up a mob connection and brought down a U.S. Senator in the process. Buck retired three years ago, and left the safety of Oak Grove in the capable hands of his son, Joey, the current Chief of Police and his other son, Jake, the local District Attorney.

  The doorbell rang making Buck put down his newspaper. As he rose he wondered who would be calling on them this early in the morning. Before he could get to the kitchen he heard his wife scream. He ran the rest of the way to the door.

     At the door he found his eldest son, Joey, holding his mother. She was crying uncontrollably and hardly able to stand. Also standing there were his best friends, Rob Cotton and Jim Weston, former FBI agents he had worked with when he was on the police force. Buck felt something bad had happened. He was in police mode once again.

     Buck helped Ruth and invited everyone into the living room. It was time to sort out what had happened and get to the business of taking care of it.

     So, what brought everyone to his door this early on a Monday morning? He was retired. He learned soon enough.

     “Dad,” Joey began, “we got a call from campus police at Eastern Michigan University this morning.”

     “Oh, my God!” Buck could hardly contain himself. “What has happened to Sarah? Is she hurt? Where is she?”

     Rob said quietly, “Calm down, Buck, that’s why Jim and I are here.”

     “What do you mean that’s why you are here?”

     “Dad, there is no easy way to say this,” Joey started.

     “Just spit it out, son.”

     “The campus police got a call at six this morning saying that Sarah had been kidnapped.”

     Ruth cried out and dissolved into tears again. Buck absently put his arm around her and pulled her close. Then he looked at Joey and asked, “What are they doing to find her? Do they have any clues?”

     Jim answered, “Buck, they are doing what they can do and the state police were called. They are talking to all her friends and canvassing the college. We came here because you are the most methodical police officer we know. We need you to be a police officer and not a father. We need you to make your lists and give us direction. We want  you to help us find her.”

     This was high praise coming from one of the most decorated FBI agents of the past twenty years. While Buck was flattered he was having trouble not being a father.

     Sarah his beautiful redheaded daughter, so much the image of her mother, was missing and believed kidnapped. How did this happen? She was finishing her junior year and would be student teaching in the fall. She was staying in Ypsilanti for the summer to take her last two classes. She was due home at the end of the week. He could not grasp that someone had taken her. He held Ruth tight as he tried to get his mind around this new development. He looked at his son and his friends and slowly nodded his head. Buck Wise would assist in saving his daughter.

Happy reading.

The school year has ended. I cannot say that I am sorry. It has been a year. The fall will bring changes; new principal, two new staff members, new crop of students with new problems. I’ll be team teaching so that will also be a new challenge.

Jamie and I took a trip to “paradise.” Well, maybe not. We spent 4 days on St. Thomas. It was hot and muggy. The hotel was a major screw up.. I won’t go into that. Someday there maybe a story there, but not right now. Snuba diving was a great experience. I could not do it all. Jamie had a blast. We won’t talk sunburn. I still have one and I got burned the first day. After that I swam with a t-shirt on. Cinnamon Bay Beach was nice, but too many mosquitoes. The Lime Inn on St. Johns was wonderful. I highly recommend it if you go. Magen’s Bay Beach was the best. Clean, clear, no condos, or hotels. Just water and sun, and of course, refreshments. I could have spent the whole trip there. Too bad we didn’t find it until Friday. The airports were awful. The Sprirt airlines terminal in Ft. Lauderdale has ten gates, not enough seating, no place to get food and only 5 restroom stalls. What a joke. Cannot say that the Spirit terminal in St. Thomas was any better. Plenty of seating, no air conditioning, no place to get food,(good long walk from gate). And the sign that said “San Juan to Detriot.” Yes, they did spell Detroit wrong.

To make matters worse, I come home to heat and humidity and no air conditioning. I’m dying of too much heat. I cannot stay hydrated. I’m trying and failing  miserably.

I hope to start the word a day again. So keep watching and keep writing.