Beneath a Wild Sky: Forest Cat and Other Stories

The eighteen thought-provoking stories in this collection provide shivers, laughs and more. Here are brief descriptions of each.

1. Forest Cat – Veterinarian Shea Maroney heads into the forest in search of a cougar wounded by a hunter, and encounters the legendary reclusive Bess Milton, “Witch of the Forest.”
2. The Light Gatherers – Somewhere in a galaxy far away, Aviva rises early to complete her annual task.
3. Skinny Dipper – A young woman takes an early morning swim to a lake island.
4. Shiny – Orphaned Carlie feels doomed to more years of her slave-like existence with her brothers, until help comes from an unexpected ally.
5. The Eco-Trio – three short tales with an ecological perspective:
   a. Too Early – Imagine what it’s like to wake up looong before breakfast, lunch or dinner will be ready.
   b. Equinox – A short introspective.
   c. An Arbor Day Dream – Who planted all those trees along the prairie river banks?
6. The Tribe at Fist Mountain – Damaris has come of age; her rite of passage includes a terrifying experience inside the caves of Fist Mountain, where she meets a Monster.
7. Zoo Dream – FBI agent Teresa Martin returns to her hometown in search of a criminal. When her investigation leads her to the town’s abandoned zoo, old memories surface, including those of her first boyfriend, Denny, and the service tunnels below the zoo.
8. Hunter – Alex thinks the con he and Michael have pulled on beautiful Sandra is nearly complete and he’s home free.
9. River Crossing – Hopelessness leads a young woman to a river where ghost explorers from the past give her something new to consider.
10. Lost – A woman loses her way on an abandoned nature trail, after her lover’s funeral.
11. Homecoming – Chauncey returns home after years away with one thing on her mind - revenge.
12. Escape from White – Melene contemplates the possibility of life outside of the white world she lives in. Could Mikal have been right? Is there another world out there?
13. Persistent Downpour – A heavy thunderstorm causes Grace to evaluate husband Fred.
14. Shedding the Skin – Life on a houseboat with new husband Harry is going great, until teenager Merlayne ditches her dad and comes aboard.
15. From the Transom – Undercover for the FBI gathering info on a drug dealer, agent Lara McDougal sees more than she wants to see.
16. Whale Song –Sade, a fourth grader, is studying whales in school, and has no idea that those creatures aren’t the only ones who can feel vibrations across long distances.
17. Dancer – A new chapter in life begins when an unemployed widow meets an old woman with an amazing past.
18. Playing the Dulcimer – Melanie Barkin wants to learn to play the hammered dulcimer. It’s all part of The Dream.