Oklahoma is where East and West collide on Route 66, where
the rolling hills that reach across its borders from Missouri and
Arkansas give way to red earth and Big Sky Country. It is a land of
agriculture, oil, and Native America. Route 66 stamped itself into the
landscape here in 1926, extending from the state's northeast corner
through Tulsa and Oklahoma City to the Texas Panhandle in the
west. It was Oklahoma Highway commissioner Cyrus Avery, now
known as the "Father of Route 66," who originally championed a major
route stretching from Chicago to Los...

Daydreams Alongside Surf: Cinquain Magic, brings us short poetry in the Cinquain and Butterfly Cinquain form. Tight, as the form allows ( five lines or nine, respectively, ) a brief read inspires the magic of daydreams. Whether sitting alongside a soughing sea, or by a crackling fire in a winter snow storm; whether enjoying a spring moment in the morning sun on the deck, or sensing autumn and falling leaves from an urban balcony, cinquain brings us such magic. Jim Ross has given us the magic before, in his books, Scattered Reflections and A Plea to a Wine Cork. He now works his wizardry in...

A Plea to a Wine Cork is but one of many "happenstances" that befall the characters in this charming chap book, the stories revealed in many poetic forms. Here, the author reflects on life's dimensions in rhythms and tones befitting the vibrancy of all stages of life. Playful, inventive, and immensely accessible, we are treated to dreams and first-impressions, passionate stirrings of first loves, overcoming multiple traumas of disappointment, and unwanted resignation. A Plea to a Wine Cork satisfies the soul whether you're the disintegrating cork or the anxious connoisseur.

Frances Kildare returns in Volume 2 with two more intricate case files that add to the criminal history of world-renown Pike County: Blasted Memories, in which three war buddies, explosive experts, return home to blast their futures from granite, only to find one of them presumed drowned on Pike Lake. Charlene Grayson's Stash finds the beloved movie star's jewelry stolen, and Frances working to unravel the crime. Frances and her cohorts will be back with four more dual-charged mysteries: Volume 1-Fishy and A Diamond's Curse? Volume 3-Vinson's Madonna and Savagery Afoot Volume 4-Soccer Moms...

Frances Kildare returns in Volume 3 with two more intricate case files that add to the criminal history of world-renown Pike County: Vinson's Madonna and Savagery Afoot. Pike Valley may be a small town, but it has a world-class museum and a high school hacker who knows security systems. Savagery Afoot escalates from a geriatric dog dispute to injury and criminal coverup. Highstakes crime and fanning local flames keeps Frances on a tightrope to sway her election for Sheriff. Frances and her cohorts return with four more dual-charged mysteries: Volume 1-Fishy and A Diamond's Curse?...

Frances Kildare returns in Volume 5 with two more intricate case files that add to the criminal history of world-renown Pike County: Cinema Madness and Shades of Belladonna. The architect of downtown revival is murdered in his theater and it falls to Frances to piece the frames so they make sense. In Shades of Belladonna, an insecure cook show host dies over a menu of her own creation. Frances works to find the bad guys and keep the films and restaurants running. Frances and her cohorts return with four more dual-charged mysteries: Volume 1-Fishy and A Diamond's Curse? Volume 2-Blasted...

The Frances Kildare Mysteries Series brings us suspenseful case files worked by the Pike County Sheriff's Department, in particular, the intrepid lead detective, Frances Kildare. In Volume 1 two cases treat us to the intricacies of the world renown mountain lake community: Fishy, where the mysterious deaths of two executives of the world's largest outdoor outfitter stun the townfolks who, with economic jitters, demand answers. A Diamond's Curse winds its way from a stormy marriage to the bottom of Pike Lake and a grisly murder for Frances to solve. Frances and her cohorts will be back with...

Frances Kildare returns in Volume 4 with two more intricate case files that add to the criminal history of world-renown Pike County: Soccer Moms and Galey's Dance. Not all crimes have an evil mastermind behind them but they must be attend to by Frances if peace is to be kept. Galey's Dance is an Heirloom skiff that MUST be found before it leaves Pike Valley forever.Can Frances keep the scales of justice balanced? Frances and her cohorts return with four more dual-charged mysteries: Volume 1-Fishy and A Diamond's Curse? Volume 2-Blasted Memories and Charlene Grayson's Stash Volume 3-Vinson's...

First-time travelers to Florida often imagine the state as just a vacationland or a swamp - a place to visit and to leave behind. But the writers in this collection discover the truth that everyone who's lived in the state knows. When you venture into Florida you won't find what you expect, and what you do find will stay with you forever.