Patrick and Grace

LET'S HIT THE ROAD WITH THEM

Patrick and Grace are my very favorite characters. They are more fun than a barrel of monkeys and they get into more trouble than a couple of two-year olds. The series started out with IN ST. PATRICK'S CUSTODY at The Haven of Rest, a homeless shelter in New York City, but they can't be confined to just one place. This series will take them to sites all over the country, following a minor character from a former book.

RECIPE FOR MURDER (Book #2) takes them to Albany, Nebraska, where Walter (the cook from The Haven of Rest) is found hanging in the apple shed.

Each alternate book will again find them at The Haven of Rest. OLD HABITS DIE HARD (Book #3) centers around a missing Mother Superior.

The Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN is the site of Book #4, MALLED TO DEATH. It is centered around a PI convention, and you just never know who might pop up!

FRAMED (Book #5) uncovers some picture-proofs for Grandma Bellazoni, from IN ST. PATRICK'S CUSTODY. It is again set at The Haven of Rest in NYC.

Patrick and Grace follow an old recovered alcoholic to Gettsyburg, PA, where he is convinced that the soldiers of the Civil War are "out to get him." Sure enough, he is found dead on the battlefield. The secrets seem to be buried somewhere at Ike and Mamie Eisenhower's farm. Book #6 is titled MAMIED ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

A new resident shows up at the Haven of Rest Homeless Shelter. He tells Mr. Douglas, the director, that he didn't have enough money for his rent, so he went to his (very fundamental) minister to get help. The minister refused, sending Mr. Douglas off to try to right the wrong. When he couldn't get satisfaction either, after listening to the minister whine about how BURNED OUT he was, Mr. Douglas returned to Haven of Rest. The next morning, the paper announced that the minister had died in a fire during the night, obviously the result of arson. The new resident at The Haven of Rest is suspect # 1. Patrick and Grace know he didn't set the fire, but there are a lot of fingers pointing in his direction, and he can't explain his whereabouts at the time of the fire. In BURNED OUT, Book # 7, Patrick and Grace definitely have their work cut out for them.

Patrick and Grace take Grace's granddaughter to Disney World, but it has been closed due to a fire. Patrick is certain it is arson, but Grace persuades him to leave, her "woman's intuition" telling her they are needed somewhere else. On their way back north, Grace spots a sign for "Four Flags Over Georgia." She convinces Patrick to stop for the night. While there, they meet up with an old Italian woman who is out for blood. She spent her life's savings getting her book (a murder mystery, of course) published, only to find out the publisher is running a real scam. Grace's daughter is horrified when Grace tells her that they are "helping Ma Fia figure out what's up." Fiadora Manzoni (known affectionately as "Ma Fia") gets all of them into deep trouble, and Grace's daughter steps in to keep her daughter safe. MA FIA'S MURDER (No. 8)is a little scary, but a whole lot more fun! You won't want to miss this one.

Readers from all over the country (and even as far away as Australia, Germany and Japan) are telling me that Patrick and Grace are their favorite people, too. Naomi Donovan, a Grand Forks (ND) Herald reporter in a review of IN ST. PATRICK'S CUSTODY, said, "You are going to love Patrick and Grace. You will want to sit down and have coffee with Grace; I just know you will."

And if you want to join the dozens of people who are offering relief in an unexpected way after reading IN ST. PATRICK'S CUSTODY, why not mosey on over to your local homeless shelter and volunteer? My favorite story about this was the director of a homeless shelter in Tennessee e-mailed me to explain.
"These three old ladies came into my office. One of them handed me a copy of IN ST. PATRICK'S CUSTODY and asked me to read it. I agreed, and thoroughly enjoyed it. About a week later, the same three ladies were back at my door.
'Did you read the book?' one of them asked. I said I had.
'Good,' said the second one. 'We want to be your new Graces!'
I told them Grace was hired at The Haven of Rest, and we didn't have any money left in the budget.
'Oh, no!' exclaimed the third lady. 'We want to be Grace before she was hired. We want to volunteer.'
I gladly accepted their offer, then asked, 'What are your names?' Instantly the women said, 'Grace 1,' 'Grace 2' and 'Grace 3.'
Thank you for your part in making our world a better place for the less fortunate."

So if you are feeling alone and want a new friend, or if you just want to add a little fun to your life, order a copy of IN ST. PATRICK'S CUSTODY quick! RECIPE FOR MURDER is also available now.