FICTION
Laural Merlington
I like to run at night.
— from Catalyst
Most acclaimed
Catalyst
Pilot, navigator, engineer, doctor, scientist--ship's cat? All are essential to the well-staffed space vessel. Since the early days of interstellar travel, when Tuxedo Thomas, a Maine coon cat, showed what a cat could do for a ship and its crew, the so-called Barque Cats have become highly prized crew members. Thomas's carefully bred progeny, ably assisted by humans--Cat Persons--with whom they share a deep and loving bond, now travel the galaxy, responsible for keeping spacecraft free of vermin, for alerting human crews to potential environmental hazards, and for acting as morale officers.Even among Barque Cats, Chessie is something special. Her pedigree, skills, and intelligence, as well as the close rapport she has with her human, Janina, make her the most valuable crew member aboard the Molly Daise. And the litter of kittens in her belly only adds to her value.Then the unthinkable happens. Chessie is kidnapped--er, catnapped--from Dr. Jared Vlast's vet clinic at Hood Station by a grizzled spacer named Carl Poindexter. But Chessie's newborn kittens turn out to be even more extraordinary than their mother. For while Chessie's connection to Janina is close and intuitive, the bond that the kitten Chester forms with Carl's son, Jubal, is downright telepathic. And when Chester is sent into space to learn his trade, neither he nor Jubal will rest until they're reunited. But the announcement of a widespread epidemic affecting livestock on numerous planets throws their future into doubt. Suddenly the galactic government announces a plan to impound and possibly destroy all exposed animals. Not even the Barque Cats will be spared. With the clock racing against them, Janina, Jubal, Dr. Vlast, and a handful of very special kittens will join forces with the mysterious Pshaw-Ra--an alien-looking cat with a hidden agenda--to save the Barque Cats, other animals, and quite possibly the universe as they know it from total destruction.From the Hardcover edition.
Susannah's Garden
2006
It was the year that changed everything… When Susannah Nelson turned eighteen, she said goodbye to her boyfriend, Jake—and never saw him again. She never saw her brother, Doug, again, either. He died unexpectedly that same year. Now, at fifty, Susannah finds herself regretting the paths not taken. Long married, a mother and a teacher, she should be happy. But she feels there's something missing in her life. Not only that, she's balancing the demands of an aging mother and a temperamental twenty-year-old daughter. Her mother, Vivian, a recent widow, is having difficulty coping and living alone, so Susannah goes home to Colville, Washington. In returning to her parents' house, her girlhood friends and the garden she's always loved, she also returns to the past—and the choices she made back then. What she discovers is that things are not always as they once seemed. Some paths are dead ends. But some gardens remain beautiful…
Thursdays at Eight
2001
Thursday, 8: 00 a.m. Mocha Moments, Breakfast Club! Every week, these words appear in the calendars of four women. Every week, they meet for breakfast—and to talk, to share the truths they've discovered about their lives. To tell their stories. To offer each other encouragement and unfailing support. Clare has just been through a devastating and unexpected divorce. She's driven by anger and revenge—until she learns something about her ex-husband that forces her to question her own actions. Forces her to look deep inside for the forgiveness she's rejected…and the person she used to be. Elizabeth is a widow, in her late fifties, a successful professional. A woman who's determined not to waste another second of her life. And if that life should include romantic possibilities—well, why not? Karen is in her twenties, and she believes these should be the years for taking risks, reaching for your dreams. Her dream is to be an actor. Except that her parents think she should be more like her sister, the very conventional Victoria! Julia is turning forty this year. Her husband's career is established, her kids are finally in their teens and she's just started her own business. Everything's going according to schedule—until she discovers she's pregnant. That's not part of the plan