A Bookish Conversation with Owen Sypher, author of The Song of Solomon Revealed

Owen L. Sypher is a devoted servant of the Lord. At eleven years old, he started a spiritual journey to discover and understand God and his word.

In 1979, he received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Since then, he has had fellowships with the same group. Song of Solomon is his first book.

You can visit his website at http://www.sypherbooks.com.   

What’s inside the mind of a Bible book author?

My mind is full of a love of the word of God.  I like to meditate and think about God’s word most of the day.  I like to try and see how does the word of God work in my life.

What is so great about being an author?

People is impressed when you say you are an author, that is nice but the greatest thing is knowing that what I wrote can potentially help a lot of people get a closer walk with the Lord.

When do you hate it?

When I am tired and have writer’s block, and when I have a self imposed deadline or goal to reach.

What is a regular writing day like for you?

When I am thinking about a verse, I take the verse and just think about that one verse or setting from morning to night, sometimes for a few days and just let the Lord stir up scriptures. I try to always have a pen and paper with me so that when an idea comes I can write it down even if I discard the idea later.  If I don’t write it down I tend to forget the idea. Then I transfer it to my rough draft that I am doing which I go over  several times later on in the process.

How do you handle negative reviews?

I realize not everyone is going to like my books, I look at the star rating and read what they have to say about it. I try to see if there is anything positive said about my book and dwell on that. The negative part I try to use to see if I could have improve my book anyway, or my writing style so when I write another book it will be better.

How do you handle positive reviews?

I get real excited about positive reviews, they are like a pat on the back for a job well done.      

What is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?

First response is usually surprise, you wrote a book? And then it gives me an opportunity to discuss my book with them, and to explain the wonderful things that are found in the word of God.

What do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break?

I usually take a break from writing, sometimes I waste my time playing a game on the computer.  I had to force myself to write at the end because I had my own deadline of when I wanted the book done and published by, but this was in the finishing process.

What would you do if people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby?

It is ok if they don’t take it seriously; I had to do it because it is what I felt like God wanted me to do.  I did not get much encouragement or discouragement while writing my book people were just neutral on it until after it was written.

Some authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?

Yes I can the most beautiful thing about writing this book is that I feel like I have imparted some words of wisdom to this world that will help people.

The worst part about writing is that it can be very time consuming especially if you have a full time job also.

Do you think success as an author must be linked to money?

No the true success is if you impart something of value into your readers lives to where they can improve or have a better life.  Money is just a small part of the equation.

What has writing taught you?

The most important thing it has taught me is that I can start a long term project and finish it.  This is important to me on a personal level; I grew out of writing this book.

It also taught me that I do have knowledge that I can pass on to future generations in the form of this book. Also that people wanted to hear what I had to say.

Leave us with some words of wisdom.

That is a tall order to leave words of wisdom, but I will try.

Write about things you are passionate about, and describe it in your own way. Speak from the heart.  Do your homework so you can be more detailed about what you are writing about.

Enjoy the process it will have it’s ups and downs but stay focus on your goal of finishing.

I have enjoyed writing this book.

God Bless

About the Book:

Title: THE SONG OF SOLOMON REVEALED
Author: Owen Sypher
Publisher: Litfire Publishing, LLC
Pages: 308
Genre: Religion/Bible Studies

BOOK BLURB:

The book of Song of Solomon is a spiritual book full of allegories or pictures where God used the natural to show the spiritual. By using the keys of understanding found in the Bible the author has unlock the hidden meaning of the book of Song of Solomon.

The book of Song of Solomon is about the love that Jesus has for his bride. When looked at from this angle a lot of the verses makes more sense.

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BOOK FEATURE / STAIRWAY TO PARADISE: GROWING UP GERSHWIN BY NADIA NATALI

 We're thrilled to have Nadia Natali, author of the memoir, Stairway to Paradise: Growing Up Gershwin today! Leave a comment below to let her know you stopped by!

Title: STAIRWAY TO PARADISE: GROWING UP GERSHWIN
Author: Nadia Natali
Publisher: RareBird Books
Pages: 304
Genre: Memoir

Growing up as Frankie Gershwin's daughter, the sister of George and Ira Gershwin, was quite a challenge. I didn't have the perspective to realize that so much unhappiness in a family was out of the ordinary. But I knew something was off. My mother was often depressed and my father was tyrannical and scary, one never knew when he would blow up. I learned early on that I had to be the cheery one, the one to fix the problems. Both sides of my family were famous; the Gershwin side and my father who invented color film. But even though there was more than enough recognition, money and parties I understood that wasn't what made people happy.

As a young adult adrift and depressed I broke from that unsatisfactory life by marrying Enrico Natali, a photographer, deeply immersed in his own questions about life. We moved into the wilderness away from what we considered as the dysfunction of society. That’s when we discovered that life had other kinds of challenges: flood, fire, rattlesnakes, mountain lions and bears. We lived in a teepee for more than four years while building a house. Curiously my mother never commented on my life choice. She must have realized on some level that her own life was less than satisfactory.

Enrico had developed a serious meditation practice that had become a kind of ground for him. As for me I danced. Understanding the somatic, the inner body experience, became my way to shift the inner story.

We raised and homeschooled our three children. I taught them to read, Enrico taught them math. The kids ran free, happy, always engaged, making things, and discovering. We were so sure we were doing the right thing. However, we didn't have a clue how they would make the transition to the so-called ‘real world’. The children thrived until they became teenagers. They then wanted out. Everything fell apart for them and for Enrico and me. Our lives were turned upside down, our paradise lost. There was tragedy: our son lost his life while attempting to cross our river during a fierce storm. Later I was further challenged by advanced breast cancer.

It was during these times that I delved deeply into the somatic recesses of myself. I began to find my own voice, a long learning process. I emerged with a profound trust in my own authority. It became clear that everyone has to find his or her way through layers of inauthenticity, where a deep knowing can develop. And I came to see that is the best anyone can offer to the world.

Enrico and I still live in the wilds of the Lost Padres National Forest, a paradise with many steps going up and down, a life I would not change.

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Nadia Natali, author of the memoir, Stairway to Paradise: Growing Up Gershwin, published by Rare Bird, Los Angeles, 2015, and The Blue Heron Ranch Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Zen Retreat Center published by North Atlantic Books, Berkeley CA, 2008, is currently working on a second cookbook titled Zafu Kitchen Cookbook. 

           

Natali, a clinical psychotherapist and dance therapist, specializes in trauma release through somatic work. She earned a master’s degree from Hunter College in New York City in Dance/Movement Therapy and completed another masters degree in clinical psychology with an emphasis in somatic psychology at the Santa Barbara Graduate Institute. Nadia is a registered practitioner of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (RCST) and is also a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) who trained with Peter Levine.

DanceMedicine Workshops is Natali’s creation where participants move through their trauma with dialogue and dance. She also offers the Ojai community, DanceMedicine Journeys. In addition to her private practice, Nadia and her husband offer Zen Retreats at their center.

Born into a famous family that was riddled with dysfunction, Nadia Natali made the choice to turn her life inside out and step away from fame and fortune. Against her parents’ consent she married an artist and moved to the remote wilderness in California. It was there that she found grounding as she and her husband raised and homeschooled their three children and opened a retreat center. As she gathered her own momentum, she enrolled in a doctorate program finally becoming a clinical psychotherapist specializing in psychosomatic work. She and her husband live in Ojai California.

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Q&A with M.K. Theodoratus #therebedemons @kaytheod #paranormal #fantasy #YA

Fantasy has always been part of M. K. Theodoratus’ life, starting when she starting playing with an imaginary friend when she was three. Comics, books, TV, and movies followed throughout her life. A northern California girl, many of her Andor alternative-world stories are firmly rooted there. Today, she lives in Northern Colorado with her husband and two lap-cats, and writes when she’s not wasting time on social media.

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What’s inside the mind of a paranormal fantasy author?

Weird stuff? All fiction starts off with the question “what if? But fantasy tends to explore the realm of stuff that doesn’t exist. Then, you add a dollop of the supernatural, and you travel through the truly weird.

Does that mean I believe in demons. I’d ask you first to define what you mean by “demon”.

What is so great about being an author?

You get to play “god”…or “goddess”. Hey you get to create a world of your own…where you call the shots…unless your characters get in the way.

When do you hate it?

When I have to market. It’s fun to dither at my desk, pretending. But there’s a hard real world outside my house. The rules are different. You have to perform to someone else’s standards.

What is a regular writing day like for you?

I do my best to ignore social media in the morning and write at least 500 words when I turn on my computer. But the day before is just as important. I’m addicted to jotting ideas on sticky notes, so I usually have a bunch of ideas to incorporate into what I’ve written…or what I might write in the future. If I’m lucky, I get to play with the news, Twitter, and Facebook before lunch.

How do you handle negative reviews?

Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. But criticizing “fantasy” because it isn’t realistic or complaining because a short story isn’t 200 pages seems a little ridiculous to me.

How do you handle positive reviews?

Mostly I think the writer mentally in my head. If it appears on Amazon and I notice it, I’ll like it. That includes the three-stars because that means the author constructed a believable make-believe world.

What is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?

I can’t remember the last time I made a new acquaintence. Since I’m a hermit, I don’t talk to too many people. People who know me know I write or “pretend” to write. [The thought of doing a book signing sends shivers down my spine.]

What do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break?

I don’t write on the week-ends unless an idea hits me. Then, I do the sticky-note bit. On week days, I write, whether I’m productive or not is another story. Frankly, I spent years writing non-fiction, some of that time for a newspaper.

My philosophy: “You don’t wait for ‘inspiration’ to be perfect. You just write it down. You can always go back and revise [which is the hardest part of writing].

Any writing quirks?

Quirky’s my middle name and my first name and my last name.

What would you do if people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby?

Who gives a “*($Y%”?

Some authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?

I would ask them: “Why are you wasting hours of your life writing when you could do something more productive and/or fun?”

Do you think success as an author must be linked to money?

No. Just putting “ the end” on a draft of a story is a great accomplishment. You’ve got something to sharpen your writing craft skills on.

What has writing taught you?

How to spell. I’m still the “Queen of Typos”, though.

Leave us with some words of wisdom.

Relax and enjoy.

About the Book:

Title: THERE BE DEMONS
Author: M.K. Theodoratus
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 360
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Paranormal

BOOK BLURB: 

Heroes come in all shapes.

The war for Andor has lasted a century. Humans and their allies, the Angeli, fight demons from another plane who need a warmer planet to hatch and raise their young. Trebridge becomes Ground zero when Abraxas, a minion of the demon Prince Vetis, opens a secret portal into the city. The demons’ goal is to build an army to subjugate the city before the humans realize they are under attack.

Standing in the demons’ way are two disparate groups: the humans of Andor and their Angeli allies who command gargoyle warriors.

Leading the four gargoyles guarding Trebridge is Gillen, a proven war hero who uses magic to fight demons. But Gillen is an outcast, mocked for his tuft of hair that normal gargoyles lack. It’s up to him to prove once and for all that he’s worthy of his command, in spite of dissention in his ranks. When Gillen asks the Angeli Commanders for reinforcements to fight the growing demon menace in Trebridge, headquarters send four human teens from the projects.

The leader of the humans is Britt, a 14-year-old half-Hispanic girl who is one of the four magic-possessing Chosen. But Britt was never trained in the art of magic, and like most girls her age, spends her days preoccupied with school and romance. Like Gillen, she must rise above her station in life--if she is to save the ones she loves.

But Gillen and Britt are facing formidable demon foes, Abraxas: a chicken-headed demon who possesses several humans as part of his plan to build the demons’ base in Trebridge and power-hungry Prince Vetis who is his commander. Neither will let the deaths of expendable humans get in their way of the conquest.

In There Be Demons, author M.K. Theodoratus spins a brilliant tale of good versus evil. In this thrilling Young Adult fantasy novel, unlikely heroes rise to challenge a relentless enemy. Join them as they risk everything to save their city.

 

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Wordless Wednesday - Writing

BOOK BLAST: HER FINAL WATCH BY MARGUERITE ASHTON - WIN $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD

We're really excited to be hosting Marguerite Ashton's HER FINAL WATCH Book Blast today! Leave a comment below to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Title: HER FINAL WATCH
Author: Marguerite Ashton
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Pages: 296
Genre: Crime

Speaking second-hand truths can be deadly …

Detective Lily Blanchette will stop at nothing to solve a murder. Her current case involves the killing of an undercover cop working to bring down the mob for prostitution and drugs.

But Lily's usual laser-like focus on the case has been disrupted.

Two weeks earlier, she learned she was pregnant by her murderous husband whom she'd killed in self-defense. Unsure whether to keep her baby or place the child of this cruel man up for adoption, Lily keeps the pregnancy a secret from her colleagues.

Under mounting pressure to solve the case, Lily arranges a sit-down with a local mob boss only to find out her suspect is also wanted by them. But before Lily can warn her team, she and her new partner, Jeremiah, are shot at, and another body is found.

When she discovers Jeremiah has a connection with the underworld, she is pulled into a conflict that swirls around the boss's son who's hell-bent on revenge.

To add to the complexity of the situation, Lily learns that her victim might still be alive if it wasn't for opportunistic Assistant District Attorney, Ibee Walters, who has a twisted vision of justice.

As Lily gets closer to finding the killer, she unravels ugly secrets that point to Ibee and Jeremiah - placing Lily's life and her unborn child in danger.

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Detective Ariel Weeks stabbed at the small block of ice until it split into several pieces across the counter. She tossed the jagged cubes into the glass and made her client a drink.

In less than twenty-four hours, Ariel would no longer have to use the name Jasmine and keep men company to protect her cover. All she needed to do was make it through this last night and she’d be allowed to be who she was; a mom just doing her job.

After gathering evidence and recording all the data she had, it would be hard to detah. Towards the end, she’d learned things she wished weren’t true, leaving her stomach in tattered knots.

Back at home, there were two reasons Ariel would never take on another undercover assignment.

Click.

Ariel ground her teeth as the door to Cabin D opened and closed. She could feel Mikey Surace, the mob boss’s son, staring at the backless white dress she wore at his request.

The man who smiled at the sight of blood was standing behind her, breathing heavily.

When Marguerite Ashton was in her twenties, she took up acting but realized she preferred to work behind the camera, writing crime fiction. A few years later, she married an IT Geek and settled down with her role as wife, mom, and writer. Five kids later, she founded the Crime Writer’s Panel and began working with former law enforcement investigators to create; Criminal Lines Blog, an online library for crime writers who need help with their book research.

She’s a workaholic who hides in her writer’s attic, plotting out her next book and stalking Pinterest for the next avocado recipe. 

A member of Sisters in Crime, Marguerite grew up in Colorado, but is now happily living in Wisconsin and playing as much golf as possible.

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Marguerite Ashton is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Terms & Conditions:

• By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
• One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter
• This giveaway ends midnight October 31.
• Winner will be contacted via email on November 1.
• Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

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A Bookish Conversation with 'A Wanted Man' Robert Parker

Robert Parker is a new exciting voice, a married father of two, who lives in a village close to Manchester, UK. He has both a law degree and a degree in film and media production, and has worked in numerous employment positions, ranging from solicitor’s agent (essentially a courtroom gun for hire), to a van driver, to a warehouse order picker, to a commercial video director. He currently writes full time, while also making time to encourage new young readers and authors through readings and workshops at local schools and bookstores. In his spare time he adores pretty much all sport, boxing regularly for charity, loves fiction across all mediums, and his glass is always half full.

His latest book is the crime/thriller, A WANTED MAN.

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About the Book:

Title: A WANTED MAN
Author: Robert Parker
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Pages: 307
Genre: Crime Thriller

It’s down to fathers and fatherhood.

Ben Bracken, ex-soldier, has just got out of Strangeways.

Not by the front door.

With him, he has his ‘insurance policy’ – a bag of evidence that will guarantee his freedom, provided he can keep it safe – and he has money, carefully looked after by a friend, Jack Brooker.

Rejected by the army, disowned by his father, and any hopes of parenthood long since shattered, Ben has no anchors in his life.

No one to keep him steady. 

No one to stop his cause…

The plan: to wreak justice on the man who had put him in prison in the first place. 

Terry ‘The Turn-Up’ Masters, a nasty piece of work, whose crime organisation is based in London.

But before Ben can get started on his mission, another matter is brought to his attention: Jack’s father has been murdered and he will not rest until the killers are found.

Suddenly, Ben finds himself drawn in to helping Jack in his quest for revenge.

In the process, he descends into the fold of Manchester’s most notorious crime organisation – the Berg – the very people he wants to bring down…

This action-packed and fast-paced story will keep you turning the pages. Manchester is vividly portrayed as Ben races around the city seeking vengeance.

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What’s inside the mind of a crime author?

Too much, but I think that’s mainly because I live a fairly hectic lifestyle with two young kids and a third due any minute now. So I’ve got a mad ever-evolving checklist of things that need doing everyday, interspersed with the darkness, murder and mayhem which I write about - it’s fairly chaotic place in that skull of mine.

What is so great about being an author?

The freedom to create is liberating and exciting always, and when a story, moment or character just clicks, it can be immensely satisfying. It also lets me spend a lot of time with my family, so I see myself as very lucky indeed.

When do you hate it?

Never. Maybe one day I’ll feel the pressure to create, the pressure to find that spark, but at the minute, I’ve noted down everything for so long that I’ve got literally years with of books and stories in my notebooks ready to go. It feels, at this point, I’ve always got something to write about – and I’ll hold onto that for as long as I can.

What is a regular writing day like for you?

Get up at 5.30/6am with the kids, do the whole breakfast and cartoon stuff, then Mrs Parker takes them off to school. I’ll have a coffee and get to it, breaking for lunch and the gym, a few errands too if needed, before stopping at 5pm. When the kids are in bed, if there’s nothing going on, more often than not I’ll get straight back to it. I try to do 2000 words a day.

How do you handle negative reviews?

I love them. Always have. It just drives me on, makes me want to succeed even harder.

How do you handle positive reviews?

With gratitude. If someone has said they like one of my books, I’m totally over the moon, because giving people enjoyment was, is and always will be the only thing I ever set out to do.

What is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?

They ask what genre – then I say crime, and they have this look on their face which betrays instantly that they are wondering if I’m a closet sociopath.

What do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break?

Make myself, if I need to. But if I’m wrestling with something and I’m struggling to get my head around it, I’ll take a break – ordinarily that sorts out a new perspective so you’re good to go again.

Any writing quirks?

Movie music, on a low to medium volume. Weird maybe, but it never fails to work.

What would you do if people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby?

Wouldn’t care one bit. Anything negative just makes me go at it with more grit.

Some authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?

Nope, I’m afraid not! I love it, and never thought I’d get to do it full time, so I’ll never hate this thing.

Do you think success as an author must be linked to money?

No, not at all. Obviously there is a purely economic factor that has to be there if you want to do it full time, but everything is relative. If your happiness is the size of your cheque from your publisher, then that’s up to you. For me it will always be if someone enjoyed my work – and if you think about it, if you are making something that people are enjoying, more people will want to enjoy it too. And if more people are enjoying it, the more money you’re likely to make, so one can lead to the other in any case!

What has writing taught you?

Giving up is not an option if you want to get somewhere.

Leave us with some words of wisdom.

See my last answer! Don’t ever stop until you get there.

BOOK BLAST: A TANGLED WEB BY MIKE MARTIN

 We're happy to bring you Mike Martin's A TANGLED WEB Book Blast! Please leave a comment for Mike to let him know you stopped by!

Title: A TANGLED WEB
Author: Mike Martin
Publisher: Booklocker
Pages: 338
Genre: Mystery

BOOK BLURB: 

Life is good for Sgt. Wind­flower in Grand Bank, Newfoundland. But something’s missing from the Mountie’s life. Actually, a lot of things go missing, including a little girl and supplies from the new factory. It’s Windflower’s job to unravel the tangled web of murder, deceit and an accidental kidnapping that threatens to engulf this sleepy little town and destroy those closest to him. But there’s always good food, good friends and the love of a great woman to make everything better in the end.

Find out more about when this book will be released at

Mike’s Facebook Page

Book Excerpt:

“Life doesn’t get much better than this,” said Winston Windflower. The Mountie looked over at his collie, Lady, who wagged her tail at the sound of his voice. If dogs could smile, she smiled back. His world was almost perfect. He had the love of a great woman and a good job as a Sergeant in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrolling one of the lowest crime regions in the country. Plus, the weather had been mild so far, at least for Newfoundland in early December, and that meant no snowstorms with forced overnighters at the detachment. Life was very good indeed.

He had good friends, including Lady, who was amongst the best of them. And he had a child on the way. His wife, Sheila Hillier, was pregnant and at the clinic for her three-month checkup. He was waiting to hear how both Sheila and the baby were doing. His Auntie Marie had told him the baby was a girl, and if anyone knew about these things, it was his Auntie. She was a dream weaver, an interpreter of not just dreams but of messages from the spirit world. Windflower had recently spent a week with her and his Uncle Frank, another dream weaver, to learn more about the dream world.

Interpreting dreams was part of his family’s tradition. But it was an imperfect tool that gave information, not always answers. Perhaps the most important thing he learned was that dreams do not predict the future. Instead, as his Auntie told him, “Dreams tell us about our past, what has already happened. They also point to actions we should take if we want to get the right result in the future and to the signs all around us that we need to follow.”

Windflower was contemplating that piece of wisdom when he noticed a very distraught woman get out of her car outside the RCMP detachment in Grand Bank. She ran towards the front door. He walked out to meet her, but the administrative assistant, Betsy Molloy, beat him to it.

“There, there now, Molly. What’s goin’ on?” asked Betsy as she put her arms around the other woman and guided her to a seat in the reception area.

“It’s Sarah, she’s gone,” said the other woman between sobs. “I told her to stay close by the house where I could see her. I went out back to put the wash on the line. When I came in, she was gone.”

“Okay, Mrs. Quinlan,” said Windflower as he knelt down beside the two women. “How old is Sarah?” He didn’t really need to know how old the girl was. He wanted to help the mother calm down so she could give them as much information as possible.

“She’s going to be six next month,” said Molly Quinlan. “She’s growing up so fast. But she’s still such a little girl. And now I’ve lost her. Brent is going to kill me.” She started sobbing again.

“What was she wearing so that we can help find her?” asked Windflower, trying to get information but also trying to help Molly Quinlan feel useful.

The woman stopped crying and said her daughter was wearing jeans and a favourite t-shirt. “It was pink and had sparkles. She said it made her feel like she was a princess. And she had her light blue jacket on with a hood.”

Windflower smiled. “I’m sure she’ll show up soon. But let’s go over to where you last saw her, and we’ll start looking. She can’t have gone far. Leave your car here, and come with me. I’ll drive you over.” The woman smiled weakly at Windflower through her tears and allowed him to take her arm and guide her to his Jeep outside the door.

He returned inside to give directions to Betsy. “Get Constable Smithson in here. I’ll call Frost and get him to come in from his rounds.”

Betsy nodded her agreement, and Windflower went outside to drive Molly Quinlan home.

Meanwhile, it turns out, Sarah Quinlan was fine, perfectly fine. She had wandered a little way from home in the centre of town. She was going to go down to the nearby brook to feed the ducks. She knew better than to go into the water, but she couldn’t see any reason why she couldn’t just look. She’d done it before, and nobody seemed to mind. As long as she didn’t stay away too long, everything was okay.

Sarah had that great fearless attitude of a child who grew up in a small and very safe community. She knew most of her neighbours, and they all watched out for her. She also had the natural curiosity of little children, especially when she saw something new. The truck parked on the roadway above the brook was new, so Sarah went to take a closer look. Even better, the back door of the truck was open, and there was a ramp leading inside. This was certainly worth a closer inspection.

Sarah Quinlan was having fun exploring the back of the large truck when she heard a loud, rumbling noise. She didn’t know it, but the driver had started the engine. It was so loud, and Sarah was so frightened by it, she froze. The next thing she remembered was everything going almost completely black and the back door of the truck slamming shut. She cried out, but by then it was too late. Seconds later she, the truck and the unsuspecting driver were barrelling out of town and onto the highway.

Windflower drove Molly Quinlan to her house and got her to show him where Sarah had been playing. Together they walked through the house to see if the little girl had come home and hidden there. But no such luck. While they were searching the house, they were joined by two of Quinlan’s neighbours who took over Molly’s care and made her a cup of tea. Soon afterwards Constable Harry Frost arrived from his highway patrol.

Windflower gave him a quick update and directed him to go to one end of town to start the search. He would begin the house-to-house search through the neighbourhood when Smithson showed up.

He first checked out back and looked in the storage shed, a favourite hiding place of every little kid and probably where Windflower himself would have taken refuge. But Sarah was not there. As he went to the front of the house, Constable Rick Smithson showed up.

“Afternoon, Boss,” said Smithson. “Any sign of her yet?”

Windflower shook his head. “Frost is doing the big circle search. You and I will start the door-to-door. Ask them if they saw the girl this afternoon. I’ll start from here. You go down to the brook, and work your way up.”

Smithson returned to his cruiser and sped off. Windflower wasn’t worried. Yet. But he knew that the first few hours were crucial in finding a missing child. If they didn’t, then it was almost always something more serious. Not time to panic, but no time to waste. He walked up to the first door and knocked.

About the Author

Mike Martin was born in Newfoundland on the East Coast of Canada and now lives and works in Ottawa, Ontario. He is a longtime freelance writer and his articles and essays have appeared in newspapers, magazines and online across Canada as well as in the United States and New Zealand.

He is the author of Change the Things You Can: Dealing with Difficult People and has written a number of short stories that have published in various publications including Canadian Stories and Downhome magazine.

The Walker on the Cape was his first full fiction book and the premiere of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. Other books in the series include The Body on the T, Beneath the Surface, A Twist of Fortune and A Long Ways from Home.

A Long Ways from Home was shortlisted for the 2017 Bony Blithe Light Mystery Award as the best light mystery of the year. A Tangled Web is the newest book in the series.

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