Author Nicholas Andrefsky never envisioned that he would one day be a caregiver. Nothing in his life prepared him for that daunting task, but he was in need of money and his dearest friend on the planet asked for his help. Caring for Mary documents the ups and downs of his time as a caregiver to the strong-willed Mary as she struggled with dementia. Mary was no pushover, but Nick took a unique approach to understanding her needs. They bonded, and she came to view him as a trusted ally instead of an enemy.He recalls several different scenarios that occurred as he cared for Mary, complete with straightforward, occasionally humorous, and always honest in the assessment of how to handle each situation. His message is that you must understand that the person for whom you are caring will not change, that the best way to work with them is with humor and understanding, allowing them to maintain their dignity.Being a caregiver is not easy, but it can be rewarding... Views: 25
Science Fiction. 66931 words long. First published in SynergEbooks, 2007 Views: 25
Never fear, Nanny Piggins is here!When Mr Green rings from a tropical island, begging to be rescued, Nanny Piggins first instinct is to say no. However, a principle is at stake. No-one kidnaps her employer -- at least not without written permission from her. So Nanny Piggins sets out to save the hapless tax lawyer, and to do so she must first dabble in a spot of bungy jumping, deceive immigration officials wearing a fake moustache and seduce the President with her most powerful weapon -- the dance of the seven cakes. Views: 25
When her jerk of an ex-boyfriend turns her into a lion shifter, Sienna just can't accept that she's no longer human. She's determined to live a normal life despite PMS as a shifter being off the charts. When she meets Toron, the leader of the pride, she can't deny how sexy he is or her attraction to him, but Toron has a power that threatens to sweep away all the plans she's made for her life. No one man should have that much control over the people around him. After a night of unbelievable sex, Sienna leaves Toron, and he lets her go. Five years later, she is forced to seek the help of the man she's never been able to get out of her head. Will he forgive her for the decision she made so long ago? Views: 25
Darryl's on the run – from controlling boyfriend Chris, an air-conditioner called Dave (deceased), an intolerable, claustrophobic situation and a person he just can't be any more. The trouble is, he doesn't have a plan – or any money – and all he knows is he needs to get away from everything. That's where a lucky lift to Glasgow comes in, which turns out to be just the beginning of a whole new life ... Views: 25
In 1959 Ray and Daisy Cook and their five children were brutally slain in their modest home in the central Alberta town of Stettler. Robert Raymond Cook, Ray Cook’s son from his first marriage, was convicted of the crime, and had the infamy of becoming the last man hanged in Alberta. Forty-six years later, a troublesome character named Louise in a story that Betty Jane Hegerat finds herself inexplicably reluctant to write, becomes entangled in the childhood memory of hearing about that gruesome mass murder. Views: 25
Ring of Flowers is a Novella (only 46 pages) and is a companion piece to the full length novel The Calypso Directive, written by the same author... In 1665, in the Derbyshire village of Eyam, the tailor, George Vicars orders a bolt of fabric from London to make a wedding dress for his betrothed daughter, Kathryn. To escape her fate of marrying the town's wealthiest and most odious bachelor, she elopes with her true love, farmhand Paul Foster. Kathryn's departure is fortuitous, because when the fabric is delivered, the parcel is infested with fleas carrying bubonic plague. First bitten and first to die, George Vicars' misfortune becomes the community's death sentence when the town Rector boldly imposes a quarantine on all Eyam residents. Months later, expecting a child, the newlyweds return home to find their world turned upside down. Once inside the township, they are forbidden to leave and Kathryn is forced to give birth in quarantine. Under the shadow plague, and against all odds, Will Foster's paternal ancestor is born . . . with a genetic mutation that will change the world 345 years later.From the AuthorNOTE TO THE READER: Ring of Flowers was originally a historical subplot that wove throughout The Calypso Directive. At first blush, it was meant to be an origin story for my protagonist Will Foster. Also, I had hoped for it to function allegorically, reinforcing two of the novel's main themes: (1) the costs associated with the morality of serving the "greatest good for the greatest number of people", and (2) the hardship of being forced to choose between a path of self sacrifice and one of self-interest. As the backstory blossomed to 40+ pages, it became clear to both me and my editor that this tragic love story deserved to be a stand alone novella. I hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please consider reading about Paul and Kathryn's progeny, Will Foster, in the 21st century thriller: The Calypso Directive (available on Amazon in hardback and Kindle editions). Views: 25
Following on the heels of The Wings of Morning, the first book in Murray Pura’s Snapshots in History series, comes this compelling saga of the Civil War. In April 1861, Lyndel Keim discovers two runaway slaves in her family’s barn. When the men are captured and returned to their plantation, Lyndel and her young Amish beau, Nathaniel King, find themselves at odds with their pacifist Amish colonyNathaniel enlists in what will become the famous Iron Brigade of the Union Army. Lyndel enters the fray as a Brigade nurse on the battlefield, sticking close to Nathaniel as they both witness the horrors of war—including the battles at Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, and Antietam. Despite the pair’s heroic sacrifices, the Amish only see that Lyndel and Nathaniel have become part of the war effort, and both are banished.And a severe battle wound at Gettysburg threatens Nathaniel’s life. Lyndel must call upon her faith in God to endure the savage conflict and to face its painful aftermath, not knowing if Nathaniel is alive or dead. Will the momentous battle change her life forever, just as it will change the course of the war and the history of her country?The Face of Heaven is a dramatic story that will release on the 150th anniversary of the historic battle of Antietam, September, 1862. About the AuthorMurray Pura earned his Master of Divinity degree from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia and his ThM degree in theology and interdisciplinary studies from Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. For more than twenty-five years, in addition to his writing, he has pastored churches in Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Alberta. Murray's writings have been shortlisted for the Dartmouth Book Award, the John Spencer Hill Literary Award, the Paraclete Fiction Award, and Toronto's Kobzar Literary Award. Murray pastors and writes in southern Alberta near the Rocky Mountains. He and his wife Linda have a son and a daughter. Views: 25
