A Little Menagerie
(placed in the top 100 of the 2007 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest)
Signe Hansson has made one mistake after another--
wrong marriage, wrong career, and wrong student to
befriend. After a student accuses her of sexual
misconduct, Signe retreats with her son to a rural home
where she surrounds herself with rescued animals;
offers a dog obedience class; and forges friendships
with the quirky dog owners. When a troubled neighbor
threatens her, putting her animal and human friends at
risk, Signe learns happiness doesn't come easily and
isn't always what it seems. What will it take for Signe
to finally make the right choices? A romance? Exposure
of her past? A death?
Cages (a middle grade novel)
Learning
who you are at twelve is hard enough, but for Billie Erickson it seems
impossible. Her mother is off meditating in Colorado,
her father is traveling with his blues band, and Billie is stuck with her aunt
on an organic vegetable farm in the middle of nowhereville, USA. To make matters worse, it
looks like she’s going to have to start seventh grade at a new school.
Discovering
a soda-pop drinking bear at Wild Al’s AnimalPark
helps Billie take her mind off her troubles. She also meets Puck, a dramatic,
quirky, and wise-for-his-age boy, who challenges her to be herself. Together
they embark on “Operation Animal Rescue” to save the bear and put Wild Al out
of business.
Things
get more complicated when school starts, and Billie is torn between her desire to fit in with other students and her
friendship with Puck, who doesn’t mind that other kids think he’s weird. Her
sudden popularity and a budding romance distract Billie from her
important mission with Puck, and she makes a choice that leads to disastrous
consequences. Ultimately, Billie learns about listening to her inner voice,
daring to be different, and finding the courage to break out of the cages other
people create.
Still Life, with Coyote
(ayoung adult novel)
Description coming...
