Ruby Rufus

Water-loving goslings Ruby and Rufus play at the pond every day, no matter what the weather is.

SPECIAL EDITION: MURDER Not even in Alpine, Washington, could the death of octogenarian Jack Froland be considered big news—except by his drinking buddies at Mugs Ahoy. But that suddenly changes when in the middle of the funeral, Jack’s widow hysterically insists that he was murdered. Emma Lord, publisher of The Alpine Advocate, who is already investigating a threatening letter received by the town’s beautiful blonde judge, now suspects she has two hot stories to unravel. Backed by her House and Home editor, that bottomless repository of scandal Vida Runkel, she prepares for a triple-threat special: murder, blackmail, and—as wildfire sweeps the mountainside— possible arson as well. But success will not come cheap. With a killer roaming the woods, it may cost Emma her life. . . . READ ALL ABOUT IT! The Alpine Advocate Novels by Mary Daheim

Following on the heels of Lisa Cron's breakout first book, Wired for Story, this writing guide reveals how to use cognitive storytelling strategies to build a scene-by-scene blueprint for a riveting story. It’s every novelist’s greatest fear: pouring their blood, sweat, and tears into writing hundreds of pages only to realize that their story has no sense of urgency, no internal logic, and so is a page one rewrite. The prevailing wisdom in the writing community is that there are just two ways around this problem: pantsing (winging it) and plotting (focusing on the external plot). Story coach Lisa Cron has spent her career discovering why these methods don’t work and coming up with a powerful alternative, based on the science behind what our brains are wired to crave in every story we read (and it’s not what you think). In Story Genius Cron takes you, step-by-step, through the creation of a novel from the first glimmer of an idea, to a complete multilayered blueprint—including fully realized scenes—that evolves into a first draft with the authority, richness, and command of a riveting sixth or seventh draft.

Set in the fictional town of Bouvier, Missouri, a small community located in the Ozarks of southwest Missouri, the novel The Rev of Bouvier captures the moral dilemmas facing the Reverend Durwood Hardy. The Reverend Durwood Hardy is a man who appears to be practically perfect to his adoring church and community. But, Reverend Hardy has a past that is less than perfect. When his past sins come back to haunt him he faces the test of his life. Will he live his faith and, in doing so, potentially destroy his family, his career, and his glorious standing in his community? Or will he take the expedient route to cover up his past misdeeds? The Rev of Bouvier takes you through Durwood Hardy’s journey and demonstrates the power of our actions through their unintended consequences. Plus, it reveals how one person can impact the lives of people in so many unexpected and unintended ways.

Brief history of Hereford cattle: v. 1, p. 359-375.