Ripped From the Pages: Wild Horse Peaks

Northern Arizona University lies at the foot of the San Francisco Peaks in Flagstaff, Arizona. When I went to school as an art major, I fell in love with everything about the area. For years, I carried a romantizied version of the school and town in my head. Writing a romatic suspense series set there came naturally. Wild Horse Peaks is the series. I changed the moutain name, and Flagstaff became the town of Timberline. There's a famous haunted hotel in Flagstaff called the Monte Vista. It became the Gand View Hotel for the series.

In The Power of Love and Murder, the third book in the Wild Horse Peaks books, Penny gets the starring roll after her audition in the first book of the series, The Art of Love and Murder. This was her first scene in the first book.

Ripped from the pages... of The Art of Love and Murder

“Hello, Ms. Dahl. Were the tacos at the Kachina as good as I promised?”

Lobby of the haunted hotel and inspiration for the Grand View Hotel in the book.

The young hotel clerk greeted Lacy as she strolled through the nearly century old lobby on her way to the stairs and her room. The young woman’s petite stature and perky, twenty-something personality seemed in direct contrast to the black spiked hair, piercings and black rimmed eyes. Lacy had dubbed her the Black Fairy when she’d checked in two hours ago.“Every bit, Penny. And the margarita was strong.” She wondered if the young woman always dressed Goth or if she embraced the spirit of the Grand View Hotel’s reputation. The night shift and the Agatha Christie setting suited her look. “I think I’m tired. I better get to bed.”

Penny smiled an impish, close-mouthed grin. “Got big plans for tomorrow?” She crossed her arms on the white marble counter. Black, elbow-length gloves with the fingers missing displayed delicate fingers ending in black nail polish.

“I’m getting out tomorrow for some research I’m doing, hit an art gallery and maybe a museum.” Lacy breathed in the musky scent of the ages-old lobby. Or maybe the Black Fairy’s perfume? 

“Are you writing a book or something on Timberline?”

Standing in the stairwell of the real hotel  and inspiration for the book.

“No, I’m trying to find the artist of some sketches left to me.” She yawned. “And I better get to bed so I’ve got the energy for the long day tomorrow.” She hiked her purse strap higher on her shoulder. “Is there a park nearby or somewhere I could do a little running in the morning?”

“A small park. One block north and a couple of blocks west. But it’s pretty small.” 

“I’ll have to make do. Goodnight, Penny.”

“Goodnight, Ms. Dahl.”

The short flight of stairs challenged her as she trudged, tiredly pulling each foot up to the next step.The floral carpeting, narrow hallway, and gold patterned wallpaper transported her back in time. The renowned hotel, beautifully restored, reflected the era of the 1920’s. The antiquated wall lamps dimly lit the hall, casting warm shadows of the past. She walked where many famous people had traipsed in the last century.

One of the many famous who have stayed in the hotel.

Halfway down the hall, she stopped at her door and fished out her old-fashioned brass key from the pocket of her jeans. Had her mother and father walked this hall, slept in one of these rooms, maybe made love? Drowsily, she mused as the heavy key clicked in the lock. Had she been conceived here, only to be left orphaned months after her birth, before Kaya Mockta and Hartmut Luschin could be married? 

I've stayed in the hotel, and I did see orbs in the pre-dawn hours. Really! I also found the room Paul McCartney stayed in, and I touched the door handle. That's as close as I'll ever get to him. I hope you'll venture into the hotel and the town of Timberline through the books of The Wild Horse Peaks.

You can find all of the books here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BNC7LT9J

The Life in My Head

Living a real life while living an imaginary life…

There have been books, plays, and movies about doing just that—The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Hello, My Name is Doris to name two.

Writers have a secret life. We live it in our heads before ever setting it to paper. I’m often inspired by real-life and turn the circumstances into fiction. Luckily, my life won’t be blasted across the silver screen so you can see how nutty I am.

The Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery Books are a prime example of real life to fiction. My sister and I toast our birthdays twice a year with a chocolate martini in the historic Peacock Room in Prescott, Arizona. The people we have met while enjoying the atmosphere have lives we'll never know, but we can imagine. Huck is our favorite bartender. In all the years we've been doing this, we've only missed having him make our drink of choice once. Our alter egos, Em and Nic (The Chocolate Martini Sisters), also toast their birthdays twice a year, only their celebrations always include a murder mystery to solve. 

Twice a year, Emma and Nicole spend a relaxing weekend at the storied Dulce Inn in Wyatt, Arizona celebrating their birthdays. Toasting each other with a chocolate martini is their habit. But of late, knocking heads with surly Chief Homicide Detective Guthrie while solving murder mysteries in his town has given the sisters a reputation. Follow The Chocolate Martini Sisters for murder, mayhem, and fun.

Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder, Book 1

It’s a birthday weekend with the gift of murder. 

Recently widowed, Emma Banefield looks forward to a getaway birthday weekend with her free-wheeling sister, Nicole Earp, sipping chocolate martinis at the peaceful, historic Dulce Inn. When a rude stranger, a nasty food critic, and a madhouse of temperamental artists greet them, all hope for a tranquil weekend evaporates faster than dew on a hot desert morning. 

Overlooking the riotous atmosphere is doubly hard after Em discovers the body of a hotel guest, and a second murder affects Nic personally. Now, entrenched in a caper that pits them against a surly detective, they cozy up to a hotel staff hiding dangerous secrets to uncover clues to the killer.

Using their smarts and love of all-things mystery, will the Chocolate Martini Sisters solve the crime ahead of the obstinate Chief Detective or find themselves trapped in the middle of a third murder? Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder on AMAZON

 

Reading, Writing, and Murder, Book 2 

At the writers’ conference, murder tops the program. 

Aspiring mystery author Emma Banefield and travel writer Nicole Earp are excited to attend a writers’ conference during their latest sisters’ getaway. Nic’s birthday should be all about relaxation, writing, and a chocolate martini to toast another trip around the sun, but the climate at the gathering rumbles like a sudden desert thunderstorm. 

When sparks fly between the keynote speaker and her timid assistant over a handsome mystery author, the subtitle on this anticipated tranquil weekend spells drama. If a heated love triangle, bruised egos, and betrayal aren’t enough to upset the atmosphere, the conference banquet erupts into a drunken brawl and sends the place spinning. After a body is discovered, Nic and Em do what they do best—snoop—and become embroiled in a mystery that jumps off the pages of a true-crime bestseller. 

With more than enough suspects and little time, the amateur sleuths have their hands full finding the killer. But can the competitive Chocolate Martini Sisters solve the crime before the prickly chief detective does, or will a murderer outwit them all? Reading, Writing, and Murder on AMAZON

 

Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder, Book 3 

It’s a rib cookoff…with a recipe for murder. 

Nicole Earp and Emma Banefield are celebrating another birthday at the Dulce Inn with the added fun of a rib cookoff in the park of their small town. Not only are chocolate martinis in their plans, Nic is baking and has her heart set on winning the cornbread contest. But as the excitement heats, someone is stirring up trouble for the inn and its employees. 

Strange occurrences at the Dulce are on the rise. Slashed tires, menacing phone calls, and unsavory characters add a vibe that threatens the sisters’ anticipated fun-filled stay. When the hot-headed hotel owner is caught wielding a bloody letter opener over a dead coworker, the sisters are embroiled in a caper to help the one person who finds their sleuthing as welcomed as a rattlesnake in her bed. But is she innocent? 

In this cozy culinary mystery, these amateur sleuth sisters are primed to find out. First, they’ll have to eliminate a host of suspects that includes a dishonest restaurant owner, a jilted girlfriend, an ex-wife, the barkeeper, and a masseuse with a crush. If the Chocolate Martini Sisters can stay off the radar of the surly chief homicide detective long enough, they can put out the fire…unless the killer burns them first. Cornbread, Ribs, and Murder on AMAZON

Birds, Puppies, and Murder, Book 4

Lost puppies, endangered birds…

The sisters are birddogs on a murder most fowl. 

The sisters are thriving like mountain sage in an Arizona autumn. Nicole’s yoga business is gaining a foothold in Wyatt. Emma’s first mystery novel is scheduled for release. But a proposed, expansive building project in the pristine area of the bird sanctuary has the small town community in an uproar. It’s Environmentalists versus Big Business, and the sisters are caught in the cross-fire. 

When one of Nic’s yoga students is found dead near the planned resort, the amateur sleuths are back on the trail of a killer. Who has the most to gain from her death—the morally challenged developer, the money-grubbing boyfriend, her jealous brother, a nasty neighbor, or a co-worker with dark secrets? And where has Skittles, the dog, gone? 

While the Chocolate Martini Sisters sort through the litany of villains, they’re leaving no mystery unsolved. In this small town mystery, the stakes are escalating, throwing the sisters on divergent paths that all come together at a dangerous intersection. As they unsnarl the tangled mysteries, will these amateur sleuth sisters expose the murderer before the killer finds a way to silence them? Birds, Puppies, and Murder on AMAZON

Life's Adventures: Changing Latitude and Attitude

I'm compelled to do a personal update here when I see how long I've gone without blogging. Spring has sprung (as a dear uncle used to say) with new beginnings for sure.

Changing Latitude: FDW and I made a leap to split our time between Tonto Basin (fishing and the RV life) and being landlocked in an apartment in Scottsdale. The move was more complicated than I imagined it would be. If the paperwork didn't get me down, the dividing household items between two places had my head spinning. 

When we sold the farm in 2016 within three days of listing, we were smacked with not knowing where to go next. So we retreated to the Lazy JR Ranch and the RV life. Suited FDW to a T so he could rise and go fishing every morning if he wanted. I can write anywhere, so there we stayed. But we grew somewhat disenchanted after all of these years. And we wanted to be closer to family, so this is our solution...half the year in Scottsdale and half the year in Tonto Basin.

Of course, there are other family matters that have been brewing...that's the way life is. I've barely written any words since December because of all the hullabaloo. We're still getting settled in, which means those two books I'm working on are lingering, waiting for my attention.

Another ingredient in the pot is moving my 95-year-old mom in with us. She'll be spending our Scottsdale months here. When we head back to Tonto Basin, she'll be with my brother in the valley. 

Changing Attitude and more author news: I've discontinued my Brenda's Newsletter Group. I hope any of you who were part of the newsletter readers will come on over to Facebook and join me there for news, fun, and an occasional giveaway. My author page needs love. Facebook shut me down for crimes not committed two years ago. I'm building the page again. That's where I do the giveaways and more author news than on my personal page. But you are welcome to be part of both:

FaceBook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/brenda.whiteside.58/ 

or Personal Page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571687885846

Other places to find Brenda Whiteside author:

Webpage: https://www.brendawhiteside.com

X: https://x.com/brendawhitesid2

She blogs and has guests: https://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003V15WF8

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3972045.Brenda_Whiteside

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/brenda-whiteside

Stay tuned. More blogs to come!

Life's Adventures: Remembering Me at Age 10

A conversation with a sweet neice who is in fifth grade sent me down memory lane. My fifth grade year is vivid in my mind. 

We'd moved after the start of the school year, and so when Mom took me to Sunland Elementary School, they put me in the only room that had an open slot. Sunland formed the classes by the prior year's academic standing. Mine was high, but the class I entered was a mixture of average and below average students. I should've been able to blend in, but the teacher chose to use my schoolwork as an example of what the other students could achieve. At first, the kids shunned me. Thanks, Teach! But within days, I became the kid to tease. One day at lunch recess, I'd had enough. I went home. I declared to my mom I was never going back. Nah...that didn't happen. She drove me there the next day with strict instructions to find a way. I honestly can't remember how I managed it, but I soon had friends.

That was also the year I decided I wanted to be daring and different. I adopted the motto, "I'll try anything once." It could've been that devil may care attitude that gained me the friends. I don't remember. I do know I didn't actually try anything so daring. I just liked saying it.

Being in a relatively easy academic situation, I came up with straight A's every report card except for
one B in history. I was devastated as only a ten-year-old drama queen can be. My dad told me to get over it. He also told me to tell the teacher I was too busy making history to study history. I wisely kept his advice to myself. But he did make me laugh.

A New Year, A New Outlook

2026. Three weeks in, and I'm taking care of business the way I promised myself. I didn't make any New Year's resolutions. But as 2025 wound down, I knew it was time for some changes. My personal life as been a rollercoaster, so I decided my author life needed some adjusting. At least, this I can control...and I'm a bit of a control freak.

I've decided to stop doing the newsletter I've been putting out for ten years. The process has become increasingly more expensive and complicated. I'm looking for simplification. My efforts to keep in touch with readers will be through this blog and my Facebook pages. So, if you're reading this, I hope you will hop on over to Facebook and like and follow all of my pages there.

My author page was taken down by Facebook several months back. I lost the 1700+ followers I had. Facebook didn't like one of my posts. They misunderstood, and I fought it several ways. But since there are no real people to talk to, I had to give it up and create a new page. It is slow going. I hope to grow it and offer readers some fun news, giveaways, and conversation as the year progresses. Join in here:

CLICK HERE TO LIKE AND FOLLOW MY AUTHOR PAGE

I also have a page for my children's books written under the name of Brenda Sue along with my granddaughter, Sadi Belle. Not as much activity there, but you can keep up with Sadi Belle and me:

CLICK HERE TO LIKE AND FOLLOW BRENDA SUE AND SADI BELLE

Meanwhile, I plan to work on a prequel to The MacKenzie Chronicles, my award-winning series. Book one, Secrets of The Ravine is an Amazon best-seller. 

CLICK HERE TO FIND ALL THE BOOKS IN THE SERIES

I am also updating the front and back matter in all of my books. That's tedious, but will be a better experience for readers.

That's it gang! I hope your 2026 is fruitful!

Blog Tour, Giveaway, New Release

Joyce and I are excited to start the blog tour for Birds, Puppies, and Murder, the 4th book in the Chocolate Martini Sisters Mystery Books.  We have some great tour stops with fun interviews, articles, and reviews. Stop in on each one and be entered in a drawing for a $25 gift card. If you go in other than the listed date, you might have to scroll down to see our post. Hope to see you there! 

September 22 – Jody's Bookish Haven 

September 22 – Books1987 

September 23 – Cozy Up With Kathy 

September 23 – Salty Inspirations 

September 24 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea 

September 25 – Sneaky the Library Cat's Blog   

September 25 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews 

September 26 – MJB Reviewers 

September 27 – Socrates Book Reviews 

September 27 – Escape With Dollycas Into A GoodBook   

September 28 – FUONLYKNEW 

September 29 – Sarandipity's 

September 29 – Maureen's Musings 

September 30 – Boys' Mom Reads! 

October 1 – Christy's Cozy Corners 

October 2 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews 

October 3 – Infinite House of Books 

October 4 – StoreyBook Reviews 

October 4 – Bigreadersite 

October 5 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read 

AND in celebration of our new release, you can snag a $.99 deal on the first book in the series, Candy, Cigarettes, and Murder! One week only so don't delary. This sale is good for Amazon US and Amazon UK.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BN96RS4G

Muse Monday Philosophy with Sandra Holiday

 MUSE MONDAY

After two failed marriages and countless relationships, years of less than perfect choices that derailed her travel-related career and left her single and broke, Sandra Holiday still approaches life with humor. And she has her own brand of philosophical musings. I'd like to welcome the main character of my latest release (eBook is on preorder and print is available now) Sleeping with the Lights On to Muse Monday on Discover...

Me: Hi Sandra. I'm wondering if you'd share a few of your wisdoms from your story.

Sandra: I'd be happy to. I'm not sure how wise I am, but as a fifty-year-old woman, I do have some experience tucked away. 

From my own experience, I know nights are the worst time to be alone. The dark quiet intensifies your isolation. Instead of folding around you like a soft cocoon, the dark is endless nothingness, leaving you feeling exposed and vulnerable. It’s best to sleep with the lights on. 

Daddy said sex was ninety-percent of any good relationship. My mother and father were married fifty-eight years. Until he died. But Daddy hadn’t explained the other ten-percent. I happened to think the other ten-percent kept them together so long. Having been married twice, not to mention countless relationships, I had to admit the left-over ten-percent had been elusive for me. 

People often say, if I only knew then what I know now. I say, if I’d known as much then, I would’ve avoided way too much and wouldn’t know now what I know. Nor would I have been where I found myself that morning—the object of affection by a man I’d yet to fully discover on a lazy spring morning. I had to believe my future held some good possibilities. 

The fact he resembled my favorite Beatle, George, and I Got My Mind Set On You played from his jukebox when we met, may seem like a coincidence. But there are no coincidences. Regardless of the song having been written years before we met, it existed for us. Things like that happen. The energy of ideas lives in a timeless medium and will come together at the right moment.

Thanks for having me, Brenda. I hope your readers will enjoy the story you wrote for me. They can buy the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4M25SR6

Some of My Best Friends Aren't Real

 “Well, then, sugar. Let’s get started.” 

With those last words, I typed The End to book five in the Wild Horse Peaks books. Sniff, sniff. 

The Deep Well of Love and Murder ends the Wild Horse Peaks series. When I wrote that last sentence, I sadly bid farewell to a cast of characters I loved and lived with for the several years. Even now, I miss Lacy’s level-headed personality, Chance’s dedication to peace-keeping and to Lacy, Phoebe’s sassy, gypsy style, Mason’s sexy attitude, August’s feistiness, Wolf’s James Bond coolness, Penny’s braveness, Jake’s soft side, and last, but not least, from The Deep Well of Love and Murder, Laura’s independent flare and Randy’s…oh, there’s too much to miss about Randy. 

When I write a book, I know so much more about the characters than I can include between the pages. It’s a satisfying feeling, putting their stories to rest, but it’s also as if they move on without me. Can they? I suppose Randy and Laura will be just fine without my meddling, but honestly, I’ll miss checking in on them every day. 

The Deep Well of Love and Murder Excerpt:

“You let me be the judge of what messes I choose in my life.”

His hands twitched at his sides, longing to hold her and stifle her anger. He narrowed his eyes and stared deeper into hers instead. “Taking care of your ex is a mess I look forward to.”

“This is my mess, not yours.” Her tone grew more combative. “I’ve handled what I’ve been dealt, and I’ll continue handling whatever gets thrown at me.”

“I don’t see it that way.” He kept his voice level, but hard edged. His own emotions, convincing her while fear of losing her, hammered his self-control. “You’re locking me out. Why? Because you think you aren’t allowed to be happy?”

Her mouth pinched in a tight line, and she glared at him. “Randy—”

“I think it’s about damned time you stopped blaming your mother, your ex, or whoever for your unhappiness.”

She whirled away, ready to flee, but he couldn’t stop now. He needed her and had to make her see how much she needed him. “Don’t be afraid of me, Laura Jane.” He shuffled a half-step closer.

“I’m not afraid.” She faced him again. “But I don’t need you to tell me how to run my life, if that’s what you think you can do.”

Perro jumped and planted his paws on Randy’s hip, panting heavily. “For Pete’s sake, Perro—”

Laura’s brow furrowed. “Do you smell that?” “What?” As soon as he’d asked, the hot, smoky scent assaulted his senses.

Fire. 

The Deep Well of Love and Murder:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQ59LGT7 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/80583692-the-deep-well-of-love-and-murder 

https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-deep-well-of-love-and-murder-wild-horse-peaks-book-4-by-brenda-whiteside

Series Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BNC7LT9J 

If you’d like to get all four books in the series, I have a boxset available. You can receive the sequel, A Legacy of Love and Murder, by becoming a BNG member. See below. 

The Full Romantic Suspense Series

Danger, betrayal, secrets, murder, and love will keep you turning the pages. In northern Arizona, the mountain/college town of Timberline lies at the foot of the Wild Horse Peaks. This award-winning, five-star series is set in picturesque, rugged country, and the people who populate these stories are as colorful as the setting. 

The Art of Love and Murder, book 1

A woman searching for her past. A sheriff hiding in his present.

Their future together threatened by murder.

 

Southwest of Love and Murder, book 2

Writing murder mysteries is all in a day's work

until an obsessed fan brings Phoebe’s stories to life.

 

The Power of Love and Murder, book 3

Penny’s secrets can ruin the presidential contender who ordered her family’s murder

…and mark her as the next hit.

 

The Deep Well of Love and Murder, book 4

A vengeful ex-husband and bloody fight for land threaten a love-struck couple’s happiness. 

WILD HORSE PEAKS

COMPLETE SERIES BOXSET

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DD4Z1V6P 

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217473717-wild-horse-peaks-complete-series 

BookBub

https://www.bookbub.com/books/wild-horse-peaks-complete-series-the-full-romantic-suspense-series-by-brenda-whiteside 

Brenda Whiteside is the award-winning author of romantic suspense, romance, and cozy mystery. She writes children’s books under the pen name, Brenda Sue and Sadi Belle. After living in six states and two countries—so far—she and her husband have settled in Central Arizona. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW fishes, Brenda writes. 

To receive special offers, news about her latest books, and to be eligible for quarterly and year-end gifts that only members of BNG receive, join Brenda’s Newsletter Group.

https://us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4804e039587723cfe02e83f2c&id=5e4b22a4ac 

Visit Brenda at https://www.brendawhiteside.com

Or on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/brenda.whiteside.58/

X: https://x.com/brendawhitesid2

She blogs and has guests: https://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003V15WF8

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3972045.Brenda_Whiteside

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/brenda-whiteside

 

Life's Adventures: In Domesticity (Confessions of an Ex-Domestic Goddess)

Many moons ago, when I was first married, my husband told people we lived in a hospital. He’s prone to exaggeration, but I was kind of fanatical. I was raised by a stay-at-home mom who bought into the whole 1950s feminine persona. So, I cleaned the house every day, sweeping and dusting. I did all the grocery shopping and cooking. My first cookbook was a paperback entitled The I Hate to Cook Book given to me by my mother-in-law. I now think she was a visionary and knew how my house-wifey days would evolve. 

Fast forward a few years. Once I learned playing house got tedious, my love of shiny floors and squeaky-clean sinks died. I worked outside the house at a 9 to 5 job just like FDW. No way was I putting in 9 to 5 on the weekends inside the house. I luckily drew a mate who enjoys cooking. And he cooks good food from scratch. We lapsed into a nice routine of whoever got home first cooked. Whoever didn’t cook, cleaned up. We shared laundry and other details around the house so we could get out to fish, ride bikes, hike, or party with the Parrotheads. 

Then I found out I loved writing books. Now fast forward a few decades. Who the heck has time to do much of anything if you’re a self-taskmaster writing and promoting? Not this lady. I’m just very glad FDW still loves to cook, grocery shop, and a few other domestic shores I’ve pawned off on him. 

But once in a while, I like to step out of my self-imposed writing cave. Yesterday, while FDW vegged in front of sports on TV, I went grocery shopping…all by myself. When I hopped out of the car, I paused a moment. The carts were lined up on the sidewalk. People were rushing in and out of the automatic door. Could I do this on my own? I go with FDW once every couple of months just to see if there are new things I might want. Plus, he’s a very linear shopper…list in hand, in and out…same stuff every week. I might want to try that oddball fruit on sale or see if they’re carrying Peach Brandy yet. But I hadn’t walked those aisles alone in ages. Just inside the door is a Starbucks, so with a caffeine jolt, I did the deed. 

Costco was on the schedule for today. Naw, I’ve had enough of the grocery experience for now. FDW is there as I type. Yay, for him!

Life's Adventures: Hit and Run People Impact

I'm a believer in the philosophy, or is it a theory, that we are touched and changed by everyone we encounter in life. And of course, we do our own amount of touching and changing. There are those people who are in our lives for years, but the ones who only pass through, maybe one hit wonders, make a difference too. 

I'm not sure how some of these hit and runs have affected me, but the fact I remember them must add to the richness of life's ongoing adventure.

How far back can you remember? One of my earliest is of a tall, thin man with dark hair...a neighbor...whose dog ate my pet rabbit. I was three years old. It might be the realization that one animal could do that to another animal that sticks with me, but tall, dark-haired men always gave me pause.

When I was in fourth grade and the new kid at the school, Mrs. Tinharkle, my teacher, used me as an example of why she always let a fellow classmate, Betty, read to us each day. When a couple of kids complained about only Betty getting to read, she called me up to the front of the class and stuck the book in my hands. I read, but not smooth like Betty. I stumbled over words, and my voice shook with nerves. After a couple of paragraphs, she told me to sit down and said, "see. This is why I always choose Betty." In my mind, that teacher is an ugly witch. But I think she's the reason I forced myself to become comfortable speaking and presenting. No one would ever use me as a bad example again.

A few months before the transition to high school, I was talking to a guy about what it would be like. I shared I wanted to be on the cheer squad and date a letterman. His comment: "With your looks? You'll never date a letterman." I don't remember being particularly hurt by his opinion. He did go on to be a letterman in high school, and I did go on to date two lettermen over the course of my four years. Had my personality been different, that guy could've impacted my life horribly. I did bleach my hair blonde and start wearing a lot of makeup. Hmm...

I went to college in snow country. Having been raised in Phoenix, snow was an adventure. Between classes one snowy day, I slipped and went sprawling. From out of nowhere, big strong hands scooped me up. I gazed upward at beautiful blue eyes, chestnut hair falling across his forehead, and smiling lips. I don't remember what he said. I don't know if I said anything. And then he was gone. My embarrassment was huge, but his kindness has stuck with me all my life.

FDW and I celebrated one wedding anniversary by driving from Arizona to see friends in Minnesota. The first stop on our adventure was Tucson to see the kids. When we arrived, walking up their sidewalk, I fell and landed on my face, knocking out a front tooth. So the trip started with a bang. On the night of our actual anniversary, we stopped for dinner in Nebraska. We were on a tight budget, my mouth was a mess, and we talked about all of that. We also toasted each other for our anniversary. When we were done eating, the waitress informed us that the two men at the table over had paid for our meal. They were gone. I was awestruck. My mouth no longer hurt, and my heart swelled. 

There are plenty of people who I have in my life now or who have been in my life for prior years. I'm thankful for the lessons both good and bad they imparted. But it's these one hit wonders who have also shaped my life. Life's an adventure for sure, and the people we encounter are trail markers.

Life's Adventures: Truth is Funnier Than Fiction

Years ago, when my brother was in his tile laying days and working for someone else, he spent one awful night in a cheap motel. He had me in tears...the laughing kind...as he told the story of his misery. I knew I'd have to use it someday in a book. And I did eventually. In the book, I added my guy to a band and a struggle with sobriety, but the night was directly taken from my brother's mirserable night in the motel from hell. This is the fictional scene resulting from a true-life adventure.

At room number four, he unlocked the door and wrinkled his nose at the smell of mildew and stale cigarette smoke.

What do I expect for $44.95?

His boot sole caught on the carpet, bunched and torn at the doorjamb, and sent him on a stutter-step to keep his balance. “Damn.” The genuine fake leather upper had pulled away from the sole on his left boot.

He felt around on the wall and flipped on the overhead light. The bulb flickered for a moment, long enough to see the bedside table lamp, and went dark. He threw his bag on the mattress, switched on the lamp, and plopped down on the lumpy, squeaky bed. His stomach growled. After turning on the wall heater, he settled down to eat his fast food burger.

The TV sat lopsided on the scarred bureau. When a glance around the room didn’t give up a remote, he stretched forward without rising from the foot of the bed, and punched the on button. Static greeted him on the three local channels available. Maybe he should change rooms.

“Bugger that.”

It probably wouldn’t matter anyway. He’d read. What he needed was a good night’s sleep. A full stomach and a shower should help secure one. He vowed not to look at the bedding too closely when he pulled back the cover.

In a half-hour, naked, he slipped into bed, opened his book, and closed his mind to money woes as he began his ten-minute meditation. Relaxed, he focused on the book.

Sometime later, he jerked awake and knocked the book from his chest. He was freezing. Pulling the sheet and blanket over his head didn’t stop the chill that reached all the way to his toes. Silence. No click, click, bonk noise of the heater. He slid one arm out, brought his cell under the covers, and pushed a button. Four twelve a.m.

Reluctantly, he switched on the lamp, shivered out of bed, and padded three feet to the heater. He leaned over and shut it off, then turned it on. Punched low, high, and fan-only buttons over and over, then pounded on the plastic top.

“Son of a…”

Switching off and on once more got no results. His toes were iced by the outside air flowing under the door. He grabbed his jeans off the chair and stuffed them along the bottom of the door then climbed back under the covers.

The thin blanket and sheet were no match for the drop in temperature. After fifteen minutes of trying to think warm, he had an idea. Out of bed, he jogged to the bathroom and turned the shower to hot, full blast. Immediately, the air around him warmed. The chill on his skin subsided before he headed back to bed and yanked off the sheet, blanket, and pillow. He slipped on his shirt and underwear and carried the bedding back to the bathroom. The floor looked kind of nasty, but the sheet, doubled over next to the shower, covered the old linoleum. Wrapping the blanket around him, he settled on top, bumped his knees on the wall, and hunched his shoulders to fit. Good thing he wasn’t a particularly big man. His legs were long on his five-foot ten frame and difficult to fold small enough, like a stork squeezing into a wren’s nest. Hopefully, the running, hot water would keep him warm enough to get a few more hours of sleep.

“Ass wipe.” The curse, directed at his shyster boss, muffled into his pillow.

Another curse at himself for all the wrong decisions he’d made that landed him in this position didn’t fully form on his lips. Instead, he recited Step Ten. Continue the personal inventory. What the hell…this might be a crummy hotel, and he was cold and tired, but he felt every shivering, crappy moment of it. Not that a shot of Chopin Vodka to warm him didn’t cross his mind. He would’ve had several and a few snorts this time last year. And wouldn’t have felt the cold…or the hard floor…or much of anything else.

Thoughts of a few nights in crummy hotels when his band, Flash Theory, struggled to make a name for themselves played in his head. That brought him wondering about Ian, the English drummer who shared his arrest date.

“Bugger you, Ian.” The profanity he’d adopted from the Englishman rolled over his tongue with a smile. He hadn’t contacted his favorite band mate and best friend since sobriety. They weren’t a good influence on each other. Maybe one of these days…

About an hour and a half later, Jake woke, cold again and his legs cramping. He pulled his knees to his chest and rolled toward the bathroom door, glancing at the ceiling.

“What the…”

Strips of paint hung like confetti from a New Year’s Eve party. Had the ceiling looked like that last night? He scrambled to his feet, tangled in the blanket, and tripped on the sheet bunching on the floor. Catching himself on the back of the toilet, his hip hit the bar on the shower door. “Ow!”

After shutting off the now cold shower water, he extricated his legs from the bedding and surveyed the ceiling again.

“Ah, man.”

Surely he hadn’t caused that. The place was a dump. Yeah, probably already peeling long before he turned on the shower.

The time had come to flee the motel from hell.

After throwing the blanket and sheet on the bed, he brushed his teeth, and smoothed his beard with a comb. He ran a brush through his hair as he squinted into the cloudy mirror above the sink. Dark curls fell onto his forehead in spite of his effort. He stuffed his toiletries in the duffle, then loped to the door and retrieved his jeans from the floor. His frozen jeans. Damp air combined with below freezing wind from under the door had rendered his pants stiff.

He slumped back on the bed and laughed. “You know, Winters, if you weren’t so pitiful, you’d be amusing.”

You can find this story in full in either The Power of Love and Murder (A Wild Horse Peaks Book)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BPVTDH7B

 or in Wild Horse Peaks: The Complete Series.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DD4Z1V6P

In the Book

Blogging about life's adventures and books...

Adventures past, present, or future. And my books--then and now. 

RELEASE DAY OCTOBER 15, 2024

It took me three years to get around to it, but I finally compiled the short stories with a Christmas theme into a book, Have Yourself a Quirky Little Christmas. I've been so busy writing full length books in my series, I kept putting off getting the Christmas stories edited and polished. At last!

I had fun with these. They aren't typical, hence the name of the book. These stories are not meant for children, but adults and young adults can enjoy the quirky tales.

Six quirky Christmas stories sure to brighten your holiday lights. 

An Elfin Secret

Candy Cane has never actually seen her father. Could he be Santa Claus? Did her mother have an elf romance? What happens if she’s right? 

On the Way to the Snow Ball

Nicholas Claus could be delusional, or he might be the sanest person in the elevator. Christmas miracles come when you least expect. 

Never Alone on Christmas

After decades of dancing his way from woman to woman, Jonathan Jay Somefun now finds variety-is-the-spice-of-life tasteless. Will this be the Christmas he finds his new style and ends his lonely days? 

Love in the Vault

A kiss under the mistletoe, a gun in her ribs, and a lockup in the company vault. If her best friend Cricket arranged this joke, Eleanor will never speak to her again. Or is it a joke? 

A Tropical Holiday

Fresh off divorce, Yuma Camry is winging it alone in unreasonably cold Mexico. Whether she’s wandering through ghostly Mayan ruins under a cloudy sky or lying on a chilly beach in the bikini she paid too much for, can a stranger with even stranger ideas help her reconnect with herself this Christmas? 

No Room at the Inn

Sadi Anne hates Christmas. Volunteering to work through the holiday season is the only way to keep her mind off that heartbreak Christmas three years earlier. But when the hotel loses her reservation, a truck smashes her parked car, and three wisemen come to the rescue, this may be one Christmas she won’t want to forget. And neither will the man who broke her heart.

Available in eBook and print:

CLICK HERE TO ORDER ON AMAZON