ABOUT ME
My Bio
As a young child, everywhere I went I would entertain myself by conjuring up stories. There were times in my life I considered writing as a career but when the time came, I chose a more practical course and earned my degree in business. Over the years, stories continued to enter my head until finally relatively late in life I wrote and published my first book. Although I love mysteries, I enjoy exploring different genres. Ultimately, whatever genre I choose my goal is to create page-turners involving interesting characters that will keep the reader guessing until the very end.
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Your thoughts and feedback regarding my work are always welcome! You can also purchase a paperback version of my novels at a reduced price. Details below.
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TO (NO LONGER) BE PERFECTLY CLEAR
BOOK THREE IN THE PERFECTLY CLEAR SERIES
August 2021
The series finale now available for purchase. Amazon Kindle and paperback versions available.
Beware the shadows of the past. They may shatter your dreams without warning.
EXERPT
To (no longer) be Perfectly Clear
Part One
A New Way of Life
Changes in life are a given, it’s a fact we can all be sure of. The impact of them, of course, varies considerably—from the mundane to the monumental, for better or worse, temporary in nature or enduring, by choice or not.
Two months had passed since my family and I escaped from the prisons where Gary had held us captive. Life for us had changed dramatically, and it certainly hadn’t been by choice.
Gary had been a major factor in that change. During our escape he’d fled the scene, leaving no traces as to where he’d gone, and so far he hasn’t been found. We couldn’t be sure the same was true for him. Undoubtedly he’d be searching for us as well, and if he’d enlisted the old council’s network of spies, he could have a distinct advantage in locating us.
He hadn’t, however, been entirely responsible for the uprooting of our lives. Mother Nature had played her role, for the fury she’d unleashed the day Gary kidnapped my parents and Josh was extensive. A drive-by inspection revealed it wasn’t only my parents’ home that had suffered substantial damage—Amber’s and mine had as well. Between the potential danger Gary posed and the conditions of our homes there was no option; we’d been forced to relocate.
As unplanned as our situation was, through a stroke of good fortune and generosity we’d been staying in a lovely house rent-free. Royce, my mother, and my father earn their living at a biotechnology company—Holloch Biocorp. The home we’d been living in belonged to their team leader, Ron Vanderling.
Our absence had been explained to Ron using a tale of survival we’d concocted—a weekend camping trip gone awry when a sudden deluge had washed away the trails. As the flood waters rose we’d climbed to higher ground waiting for the waters to recede. When they had, without the trails to guide us we’d been lost, and it had taken quite some time before we’d found our way back to civilization.
Their boss had been entirely sympathetic in his response. He’d granted a sabbatical for Royce and my parents, giving them time to recover. While the story shared with Ron may not have been true, the need for recovery certainly was. We didn’t want our story to get out and potentially start a media frenzy, and so he’d done us another favor by agreeing to keep it to himself.
With our homes uninhabitable due to the same storm that had allegedly trapped us, Ron had offered us the use of his vacation home—a lodge-style house that overlooks a beautiful lake. Mark, Amber, and Josh, whose house was also unlivable, had been permitted to stay with us.
Where we’d been living wasn’t the only change in our lives. With Gary at large, we’d been taking every precaution. We’d traded in our vehicles for new ones, had worn disguises wherever we went, keeping our outings to a minimum. The freedom we’d enjoyed before our abduction had diminished but compared to what could have happened, we’d been grateful to be alive, well, and together.
Although relatively secure and physically healthy, my mental state had initially been a mess. Despite the precautions we’d been taking, I jumped at the faintest unfamiliar sound, glanced over my shoulder to identify anything that came into my peripheral vision, and flinched at the slightest unexpected touch.
As the weeks passed without incident, my nerves had begun to ease. My family and I had settled into our new way of life. For the most part, we were enjoying the existence that had become our norm.
That was until trouble struck again.
TO (STILL) BE PERFECTLY CLEAR
BOOK TWO IN THE PERFECTLY CLEAR SERIES
Available on Amazon: Kindle and paperback.
Be careful what you wish for.
Dreams can turn into nightmares!
EXERPT
To (still) be Perfectly Clear
Part One
How the Whole Thing Began
It was early on a cold, mid-February morning, the dawn just breaking when I went to examine myself in the full-length mirror situated in the corner of my bedroom. I’d repeated this activity for so many months it had become as much a part of my morning routine as washing my face or brushing my teeth. The order in which I performed these tasks never altered: get up, check the mirror, be disappointed, go to the bathroom. This morning, however, something was different, something had changed.
“Royce,” I said breathlessly.
There was no answer.
“Royce!” I called out louder.
He awakened with a start and raised his head off the pillow. “What, Alison, what’s going on . . .”
His voice trailed off when he noticed I was standing in front of the mirror. He leaped out of bed and ran towards me. By the time he was close, the vision that had excited me was gone. I went from ecstatic to heartbroken in a matter of seconds.
“You saw something?” he asked.
“For a moment. It was sort of an outline of myself, almost like a ghost, and that was it. Why isn’t the genome editing working for me, Royce? Mom and Dad said they started to become visible in less than a month and were completely visible in four. We began editing my DNA sequence five months ago. Do you think it has to do with the CRISPR technology, or is it me?”
“Hard to say at this point. There’s little doubt CRISPR is a far more precise editing tool than the method your dad used. I suppose it could have something to do with it, but we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. We should try to be patient.”
“My patience is wearing pretty thin.”
“I know, sweetheart.”
“What if it never works? What if there’s something in my genetic makeup that prevents my alteration?”
“Unlikely it has to do with your genetics in view of your parents’ transformation. Perhaps the guide we injected is off and isn’t repairing your genes in the way we’d anticipated. Visible or not, I’ll always love you, Alison. If for any reason we can’t isolate the problem and you remain invisible, I won’t mind in the least. I’m sure by now you know that.”
“I know you won’t mind; you never have. You’ve been so sweet and understanding about the way I am, practically from the moment we met. The trouble is I mind; I mind very much.”
Tears streamed down my face, tears Royce still couldn’t see, but he must have heard me crying since he gathered me into his arms and rubbed my back soothingly.
“Don’t worry, Alison. We’ll figure out where the problem lies. We’ll fix it, I promise we will.”
If only I could have foreseen the significance of those words.
And Then, A Week Later
I was on my way to my mom and dad’s house. The weather had turned unseasonably warm and so I’d decided to walk there from the home Royce and I share several streets over. It was close to noon when I arrived. I tapped on the door before I opened it and stepped inside.
“Mom, I’m here. Are you there?”
I set my bags and the pet carrier that held my kitty on the floor before I removed my jacket, silk scarf, and cotton gloves.
Mom entered the foyer. “Hello, darling.” She gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Sorry I’m so sweaty.” I pulled off my wig and sunglasses to wipe my forehead. “Can’t believe how hot it is today.”
“You certainly are warm! Why did you walk over? Amber was supposed to pick you up.”
“I thought it would be nice to walk before we’re cooped up in the car for hours. If I had any idea just how warm it is, I wouldn’t have called her to say I’d changed my mind about the ride. That half a mile seemed like ten.”
“Rarr, rarr!” Panda groused.
I opened the door of the carrier and picked her up. “Sorry, Panda, you must be hot too.”
She purred as Mom scratched her head. “She seems pretty chipper today. What did the vet say?”
“He told Royce it was exactly what we thought: the hairballs, but they were worse this time. The vet gave us a new product to use and changed her food. She’s not too happy about it.”
Mom nodded. “I’ll bet not.”
“Let’s take her stuff to the kitchen and I’ll show you how to use the medication. Then we’ll see if she’ll eat. She’s been so fussy she hasn’t eaten much. The vet says she’ll get used to the new food, but I brought some of her old food in case. Try mixing the old with the new if she keeps being picky.”
“She does have to eat,” Mom agreed.
About ten minutes later, the front door opened again. “Mom? Josh and I are here,” Amber announced.
We heard them enter the living room. I poked my head out of the kitchen to peek around the corner.
“Is that my nephew? Is that Joshie I see?”
“Aunt Awison!” he cried out and ran to me.
I picked him up and swung him around, pretending it was an ordeal to carry him to the living room. “Oh, my goodness, you’re getting way too big to hold! Or maybe I’m getting too old!”
“I not too big and you not too old,” he said in his toddler jargon. “I only fwee.”
“I know. I was at your birthday party last week, remember?”
“I weemember.”
My mom entered the room. “Amber, sweetheart.” She gave her a hug and a kiss before she turned towards me. “And there’s my grandson!” She clapped and then reached for Josh.
When I handed him over, Mom kissed his cheeks repeatedly. “How’s my good little boy?”
“Mama and Dada leaving on a twip again so I gonna stay here.”
“You sure are,” Mom said. “We’re going to have so much fun, aren’t we?”
“Aunt Awison be here too?” Josh asked. “She stay here and have fun with me?”
“Sorry, buddy, but I’m going with your mom and dad to the trail and the commune.”
“No, no, dat’s not fair!”
“But, guess what? Panda will be staying here, and Royce isn’t leaving. He says he’ll come over as often as he can.”
“Woyce be here? Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!”
Josh tried to wriggle his way out of Mom’s arms. She set him down, and he ran around the room giggling with delight.
“Well, I guess we know who his favorite is,” I joked.
Amber laughed. “We sure do. You say Royce isn’t coming with us? Why not?”
“There’s been a major breakthrough in genetic editing,” I explained. “It was announced a few days ago. It seems very promising in the treatment of any number of diseases. Royce didn’t want to abandon the research he and Dad are doing in their lab at Holloch BioCorp. They’ll be putting in some long hours there.”
“Will whatever the heck you’re talking about be able to help you?” Amber asked me.
“I’m very encouraged by it. I’m convinced we’ll have the answer to my issue soon.”
“Great to hear. I know how important becoming visible is to you.”
“It is promising,” Mom said. “Since I’m taking a vacation to watch this little guy, I’ll run tests on Alison’s sample in our private lab. Hopefully, I’ll have a precise sequence by the time you return, and this time the genetic editing will work as it should. In the meantime, try not to dwell on it.” She put her hand on my shoulder. “You need a break from the pressure you’ve been putting on yourself.”
“I believe I’ll be able to. I’m far more optimistic than I’ve been lately. I’m certain it won’t be long before something dramatic happens.”
“Glad to hear it,” Amber said. “I’d like this trip to be fun for all of us. Well, let’s get a move on. Mark was battening down the hatches when I left to drop Josh off. He should be ready to head for the trail by the time we get to our house.”
“Have a good time, you two, and don’t worry about a thing. I’ll call to let you know how your kids are doing, and how my research is progressing.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Amber and I said in unison.
I grinned deviously as I replaced my wig and sunglasses while my sister gave Josh a goodbye squeeze. What no one knew at the time was I’d already completed research of my own. I had such confidence in my findings I’d decided not to wait; I’d already introduced the updated editing sequence into my DNA strand. I was certain it wouldn’t be long before I began my transformation to visibility.
Curious how frequently overconfidence leads one into trouble.
RECENT BOOKS
TO BE PERFECTLY CLEAR
Alison and Amber aren’t typical teenagers. Invisible and on the run from a ruthless council, will they avoid capture or be met with a terrible fate?
THE NORTH WING
In 1888, Abigail Parker, young, naive, and desperately in love, will follow her heart in the anticipation of wedded bliss. But a shocking secret awaits her inside the north wing of her new home, one that could destroy her chance for happiness.