#BookReview - The Fourth Wall by Scott Petty

The Fourth Wall

By: Scott Petty

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: January 2021

ISBN: 978-1639881178

Reviewed By: Amy Lignor

Review Date: December 13, 2021

When you’re a diehard reader like myself, the wish you have is for 2022 to be filled with new authors, great sequels, fresh trilogies, distinctive voices – both old and new – providing an endless supply of awesome books to read. So, with that in mind: How do you close out a year and start a new one off right? Be lucky enough to work for a company that delivers to you an advanced copy of this fantastic book you literally can’t put down! Now, if you do not work for one of these companies, no worries, just make sure to buy this book as fast as possible.

Not only does the synopsis hit you right between the eyes, but you break open this cover and immediately start walking the frightening path that main character, U.S. Army Reservist Captain Thomas Jett, walks while he meets up with demons, a witch who knows a thing or two, and mass murderers…just to name a few vivid, colorful characters the author adds to this unable-to-put-down story.

The journey begins on a cargo plane where a member of the U.S. Air Force grins and jokes about heading to Afghanistan; the man is one who speaks loudly and, apparently, likes to hear himself talk. One of his superiors, although the airman doesn’t see it that way, wears the uniform of the Army, and is a man who’s thinking of home and not what the future holds. This man is Captain Jett, who left home for an adventure. He was a lawyer in Houston at the time he was “chosen” by others to serve. He was needed for a strange mission and was called upon because he had a background in everything from law to archaeology to, oddly enough, the occult. These skills, and others, will be needed in order to carry out his specific orders.

During his last night in the States, at Ft. Benning, Georgia, the captain had crossed paths with a witch by the name of Lady Mist. This woman took out her tarot cards and began a reading. But after turning the cards over, one by one, the witch looked at the man in a whole new light. She had gone from friendly to frightened, and asked Jett, when he returned from his mission, to come back and see her; she desperately wanted to know that her belief for his future and the monsters that lay ahead turned out to be wrong. After pocketing one of her infamous cards, he leaves her establishment as well as Georgia. And when Jett finally lands in Kandahar, he eyes the Black Hawks sitting on the Alamo-type landscape and gets ready to play a game; a game that will include his own personal invention: The Fourth Wall.

Oh, there is so much this reviewer wants to reveal here, people. But I must stay silent in order to not ruin the intricacies off this story; the amazing, surreal plotlines that include an investigation into a mass murder; as well as a compelling cast that encompasses a myriad of both the good, the bad, and things that go bump in the night that Captain Jett has experienced many times before. From real war to paranormal elements, this author (a veteran of the War in Afghanistan) has taken his background, his personal experiences, and his imagination—combined them with determination and passion to create this book—and hit it out of the proverbial ballpark!

Quill says: If 2022 books are anything like this, readers everywhere are in for a very Happy New Year!

For more information on The Fourth Wall, please visit the author's website at: www.tspetty.com

#AuthorInterview with Holly Brandon, Author of Nothing's As It Seems

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Amy Lignor is talking with Holly Brandon, author of Nothing’s As It Seems (Chastity Series Book 2).

FQ: Hi, Holly. As a huge fan of Book I (now an even bigger fan), I have to ask: Did you have any idea while writing the first book that you would receive the plethora of excellence awards and accolades that Life in the Chastity Zone gained?

BRANDON: First off, thank you! It means a lot when I hear someone say they are a fan of my work. Life in the Chastity Zone has been many years in the making. That said, I never imagined my novel reaching the publishing stage, plus receiving so many awards which every time I look at my awards hanging on the wall above my ping pong table, I pinch myself. The pinch reminds me that I am an author and that my achievements have gone far beyond my wildest dreams. I feel humbled, honored, and blessed that people like you enjoy reading my novels and provide me with such high praises for my ability to tell a story.

FQ: Did you have the “world” of Chastity already written before you put her life on paper? I know there are many “facts” in this novel because Chastity is based on parts of you and your life, but did the fiction come easily as well?

BRANDON: Unfortunately, the fiction part was a struggle. I reminded myself that it was okay to mesh past men or events together to make a better story. That’s what fiction is all about. When I first started writing Life in the Chastity Zone, I wanted to tell it exactly how it happened. But after the tenth revision, I tossed that idea out the window and let the characters decide where they wanted to go.

FQ: Will there be three in total when it comes to this series; or are you looking at more? Will Roxie, perhaps, have a series of her own one day?

BRANDON: The third novel will definitely close out this series. It’s not a bad idea to have Roxie have her own series. I already have an idea for another book, and perhaps Roxie will be the love interest. I like that.

FQ: Along those same lines, are you already penning the third, and is it possible to give a ‘sneak peek’ to our readers about what comes next?

BRANDON: I am indeed penning the third and final novel, but I’m not quite sure where it’s going to go. I do know much will be revealed, and there will be many twists, including reincarnation, along the way.

FQ: These guys that Chastity meets up with are just beyond astounding. Do you have a favorite amongst them, personality-wise? Such as, does Casper downing his Appletini’s hold some fondness for you? Or is there another that just stands out as being the funniest “failed charmer” in the books?

BRANDON: Ronnie is my favorite failed charmer. When I think of him, I can’t help but smile. He is as crazy as all get out, but on the flip side, with his love note, he’s probably one of the nicest people Chase met. He knew how to command a room and make people feel invigorated and charmed, and yet the tables turned when the dancing grandma showed him her moves.

As far as Casper, he’s one of those who was perfect on paper, and I had high hopes of him being the one for Chase. When I first put him to paper and wrote about his image and resume, I thought, is he for real? Is he Chase’s needle in the haystack? Then I realized perfect is as perfect does, and it was time for him to show his true colors. So, when he corrected her English and tried to suck the joy out of Christmas and had the nerve to say that LSD is okay to take because it opens up your creative pathways, I couldn’t make Chase run away fast enough.

FQ: A structural engineer to a writer. What are the pros and cons of each for you? Do you enjoy writing as much as you do life as an engineer?

Author Holly Brandon

BRANDON: I enjoy writing much more than engineering. Pro: I love engineering in that it gives me entrance into a secret club with my dad where we can bond. We can talk shop and build things together, like the chicken coop we designed during COVID. Con: Being an engineer is very stressful, which doesn’t always resonate with my body. For quite a few years now, I have tried to listen to my body. Writing makes me happy because I love telling stories. There are no cons, and therefore, I have no pain.

FQ: Hopefully, now that COVID has subsided a bit, there will be more conferences, events, etc., coming back into the life of writers. What is it like for you when you get to meet and greet a fan whose life you have absolutely bettered with your books?

BRANDON: I feel humbled. I had one girl say to me, “I thought my love life was bad, but then I read about yours and thought mine could be worse.” She asked me how I managed to get over my fiancé dumping me because I’m all smiling. I told her that it wasn’t always like that. I had a few rough months until I realized that I was crying about a person who didn’t even want me. Once I realized that I became stronger, knowing that the person meant for me was out there, somewhere. Even though he seems to be doing an excellent job of hiding, I know that one day I’ll find him. Until that day comes, I’m not going to wallow over a guy who doesn’t deserve me or sees what makes me unique.

Thank you for this second great story. As a romantic, I am genuinely rooting and hoping for Chastity to get to that “place” she wants so badly. Goodness knows she has worked hard enough to deserve it! I hope you and yours have a great holiday season.

#BookReview - Nothing's As It Seems (Chastity Series Book 2)

Nothing’s As It Seems (Chastity Series Book 2)

By: Holly Brandon

Publication Date: November 2021

ISBN: 978-1737784203

Reviewed By: Amy Lignor

Review Date: November 10, 2021

The first time I met and fell in love with Chastity (AKA: Chase) Morgan was when Holly Brandon released Life in the Chastity Zone – the first book in this incredible series. I met the girl who dreamed of a perfect life that included all those perfect things: great career, great husband, great family. She even remains a virgin at 31, God bless her, but in the first book the “fairytale” Chase longed for was riddled with holes, like a block of Swiss cheese. Grant, the love of her life, hightailed it away before wedding bells could ring in order to take up with a new partner...this time, a male. And in the odd aftermath, a psychic/clairvoyant stumbled into her life who ended up giving her advice.

Here we are, with a new “chapter” in Chase’s life, and all the fun, quirky characters have returned; her one beloved who came “out” has arrived back in her life as a friend; the Morgan clan that surrounds her still has their opinions on her lonely life, most especially her outspoken Nana; and even the “evil” girls from high school are back in Chase’s realm, yet there are things truly different when it comes to each character’s life.

We open on Chase having a perfect, yet odd, dream of a 1920’s love scene featuring the face of the man who helped her a while back when she passed out at an airport. In her dream, however, he has a British accent and is basically the James Bond-type who sets the female heart aflutter. She believes these new dreams occur because of the hit she took to her head those few months ago, but lately they wake her out of a dead sleep and are happening more and more, causing her confusion.

Roxie, her best friend and a creative woman who started up her own party planning business, is the memorable character who brings Chase back to the present. They are in a car racing at breakneck speed to a getaway Roxie planned for Chase to celebrate her birthday. Roxie is hoping this will calm Chase down a bit. What isn’t calming is the fact that when they get there, Chase’s entire family is also there to celebrate with them – a family readers would love to sit down with because they are a blast. From loving Uncle Mason to Nana, who is more than a bit mean when it comes to Chase’s love life to her father, mother, and more, they’ve all come to this resort in Idaho where people are walking around in Christmas reindeer costumes in the middle of August.

Meeting at the Village Station, a newly opened restaurant that has murals depicting a medieval Austrian ski town, Chase loves the place because of her architectural engineer background. She’s also surprised to learn that she’s been set up on a blind date with some guy at a nearby restaurant that she goes to meet in order to stop Nana from annoying her anymore. She meets Casper Donwood. A good-looking divorcee, he’s a composer, teacher – you name it, he has the brains. And, at first, he’s a nice guy. Then...he speaks, eventually saying enough to anger Chase once again. Yet another strike out with a useless guy.

Back home in L.A., because Chase has been through the break-up with Grant and the death of her own brother, she’s been out of a job and heads to an interview where Grant suddenly appears and starts fighting for her to land the job. Until she finds work, however, she has to spend a great deal of time with Nana as she has some “work done” to remove wrinkles and look younger. Through this scenario, Chase is faced with Doctor Butkus who seems nice at first, and then turns into yet another dud she can’t stand.

Perhaps best of all for Chase is the fact that Paul, her long ago best friend who she hasn’t seen in forever, is in a relationship with someone he simply doesn’t like but is on the verge of getting married to, which both Roxie and Chase will not allow because the girl is a witch. Not to mention, Paul still owns an attraction for Chase which, in the end, may make him the one to knock her off her chastity track.

In this book, however, nothing is as it seems. Characters have hidden agendas, Chase will find herself in various situations where her strength, courage, and/or humor will be tested, and there will even be a “healer” showing up that has her own interesting story to tell. It’s no wonder that this author has won a bevy of awards, considering her first foray into Chase Morgan’s life was absolutely bewitching. She knows what she wants to say, and it will be a reader’s dream to see how it all works out for Chase and her cronies. This book ends with a ‘quake’ of monumental proportions; an event that may make you more than annoyed because NOW you (and I) have to wait for Book III.

Quill says: A series you need to read; Chastity Morgan’s life has all the perfections and flaws known in life, and her journey is one of pure enjoyment!

For more information on Nothing’s As It Seems (Chastity Series Book 2), please visit the author's website at: authorhollybrandon.com

#BookReview - The Shiny Shenanigans of Aunties and Squirrel

The Shiny Shenanigans of Aunties and Squirrel (6 of 1/Half Doz of the Other Book 4)

Written and Illustrated by: Ron Roecker

Publisher: Be Differently

Publication Date: August 2021

ISBN: 979-8540996259

Reviewed by: Holly Connors

Review Date: December 8, 2021

Three squirrels take on an acorn shortage and show readers what can be done when you jump out of your comfort zone, break stereotypes and risk everything to help your friends and neighbors.

Before getting into the “meat” of the story, Fynn the snail, the narrator, explains that every squirrel has a role. And how did each squirrel get their role?

Chasers are boys that chase other sprinters.

Hunters are girls that hunt nuts for winter.

And then, a few lines later, Fynn asks,

If you were a squirrel, would you fit your box?

Or would you stay outside & dance in your socks?

An interesting question indeed. And as the adventure begins, readers will realize that the story will have them re-thinking gender roles and stereotypes and why we follow ancient rules about such things.

When Squirrel asked The Aunties why girls have one role and boys have another, they explain, “It’s not about smarts. It’s about who was given the role from the start.” That gets Squirrel thinking…and the three talk about a key, a penny, and...well, some very cool things. That is until they have to head to town to hear the mayor speak.

The mayor tells the townsfolk that it’s time to gather acorns but there’s a problem because there’s been no rain and nuts are scarce. He also warns The Aunties and Squirrel that if they don’t fulfil their assigned roles and bring back nuts, and just nuts, they will be banned forever. But Squirrel might just bring back something else, something perhaps better, or different...but is it worth risking banishment?

Book 4 in Ron Roecker’s “6 of 1/Half Doz of the Other“ series, The Shiny Shenanigans of Aunties and Squirrel, takes on the topic of gender role stereotypes and biases and spins the whole outdated mode of thinking around like a whirl-a-gig. Squirrel and The Aunties are expected to act and do things a certain way, but they know if they follow those expectations, things for the village won’t go well. Instead, they break out of their assigned roles and by following their instincts about what works for them, they succeed in finding a vast acorn stash. Along the way, characters in the story, as well as readers, discover new ideas of what each individual is capable of, and how staying confined to what others say we should do, can stunt our growth, happiness, and health.

The entire tale is told in rhyme and has a sort of sing-songy light-hearted feel to it, particularly with The Aunties repeated use of “Wooty Toot Tooty!” There’s also an abundance of illustrations, with at least one per page, and frequently two per page. The author did his own illustrations and his artistic background shines through in the happy, expressive faces on every page.

Quill says: The Shiny Shenanigans of Aunties and Squirrel is a unique and refreshing way to point out the problems with gender roles and stereotypes and the great things that can be achieved when we break out of those stereotypes.

#AuthorInterview with Charlie Suisman, author of Hot Air

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Barbara Bamberger Scott is talking with Charlie Suisman, author of Hot Air (Arnold Falls Book 2).

FQ: Did you grow up in a place like Arnold Falls?

SUISMAN: No, I grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut, which, for its many charms, is not long on idiosyncratic, non-conforming characters.

FQ: If not, what brought the inspiration to create this bucolic setting, especially since you have written previously and copiously about Manhattan/New York City?

SUISMAN: I lived in, loved, and wrote about NYC for many years but in 2011, I needed to make a change in my life. That brought me to Hudson, NY, two hours north of the city. Like Arnold Falls, it's a small town with a red-light past, and I was very lucky to spend five years there. While it is a small town, it's also a complicated one. There are, let's say, competing interests in what the future should be for the town (which I suppose is not a unique circumstance) but it makes for a sometimes fraught atmosphere. What I learned, though, is that places like Hudson offer a sense of community that big cities can not replicate. I have long sensed that yearning for community in myself and friends and, in retrospect, it's what spurred me on to create the little world of Arnold Falls.

FQ: Is Hot Air the second in an even longer Arnold Falls series, or do you have other, different, works in mind?

SUISMAN: From the start, I thought of Arnold Falls as a four-part series, each book set in a different season. I don't know yet if book three will follow immediately or if there might be an off-series book in-between.

FQ: What influences in your life or reading gave you the gift of irony, punning and the other deft humorous touches seen so consistently in this book?

SUISMAN: Some of my favorite authors include P. G. Wodehouse, E. F. Benson, and Armistead Maupin, so that might tell you something - not that I'm comparing myself to them, only that it felt natural to me to steal from my favorites. I don't think of myself as a particularly funny person, though I'm invariably drawn to people who make me laugh.

FQ: Who are your favorite characters in the Arnold Falls series?

Some of the varied characters from Arnold Falls

SUISMAN: I guess I'm closest to Jeebie in personality, but I do love Judge Harschly. He manages to be appropriately exasperated by life and yet retain kindness and decency. And Bridget is, to me, extremely annoying and yet reliably funny. She would like to be in every scene and makes that clear when I'm writing. One has to take a firm stand with her.

FQ: Do you envision a TV series about your fictional town, like the one depicted in this book?

SUISMAN: I suppose the question is does anyone else envision a series? Of course I'd love to see these characters have an additional life. The two books in the series are largely written in dialogue, which to my ear is more fertile ground for humor. They're already heightened characters, as you might find on the stage or a television series.

FQ: Did the diligence and investigative skills needed to write in detail about a big city give you the “nose” for looking at all the nooks and grannies in Arnold Falls?

Some of the residents of Arnold Falls

SUISMAN: I don't know if you did this on purpose, but you asked about looking at all the nooks and grannies in Arnold Falls, which is brilliant and, one way or another, I am going to steal. But to answer your question, whenever I'm around people I'm always making up stories in my head about them, even if they're just passing by on the sidewalk. I'm not sure investigative skills play into this as much as curiosity about people. Identity is the key theme of Hot Air - people are rarely exactly who you first think they are. That's interesting to me in a big city or a small town.

FQ: Would you describe Arnold Falls as a dystopia – or a utopia?

SUISMAN: The people of Arnold Falls are sometimes bumbling, or foolish, easily distracted, occasionally deluded. But that doesn't mean the town is a dystopia, it just means they're human. By the same token, they're sometimes kind and generous and tolerant and loving, not in a utopian way, just in the way that sometimes, at our best, we rise to the occasion.

#BookReview - Inhabitant by Charles Crittenden

Inhabitant

By: Charles Crittenden

Publisher: Atmosphere Press

Publication Date: October 2021

ASIN: B09DPFCNPM

Reviewed by: Barbara Bamberger Scott

Date: December 6, 2021

In poetic reverie, an earthly being leaves his planet, and alone or at times with others, he navigates through space and time, giving him moments of insight: why did he leave Earth? Can he return? Does he truly want to go back?

A four-part saga in free verse with intriguing spacings and clusters of words, Crittenden’s work begins when he, as the first-person narrator, realizes that he has fallen, broken his heart, and no longer experiences the sensation of earthly gravity. Where he awakens is an alien landscape, fiery and seemingly timeless. He begins to feel regrets for his former life mistakes, blaming his new condition on events of the past, even as he is flying, perhaps in a single-man craft, through darkness, observing his former planet from far outside and above it:

a ship to find a home,

built for one intergalactic passenger,

with only what I need to survive.

As he speeds through darkness, he sees constellations up close, bringing memories of the science books he read as a child. He finds a spider in his ship, eventually accepting it as his friend and companion, just as he has accepted his fate as a space traveler, with stations to visit and explore, and ever-changing visions of the solar system he once called home. He notes that those on his planet take it for granted, just as he once did:

never planted what I ate, never returned the trail how I found it,

never saw its majesty.

He begins to wonder if he ever lived on earth at all. Occasional unnamed others join him to explore new realms, but ultimately he journeys alone but for the spider, not finding what it is he seeks, what he left behind, and once concluding, “no matter how far I travel, I’m an alien.” His final destination will be – unknown.

Crittenden as the poet’s yarn spinning “I” writes with the plain statements of a practiced wordsmith, but always with an etheric feeling that borders on Zen meditation. He, the inhabitant now without a place to inhabit, is constantly thinking, remembering, and wondering, as his reader will, what can happen next. One may surmise that his lonely space trek is an elaborate metaphor for piecing together the events of his life and trying to make sense of them. But the true intent lies securely hidden in the mind of the poet, and readers will make of it what they will. What is most significant is that they will enjoy the trip and admire Crittenden for bringing it to the printed page.

Quill says: Charles Crittenden’s Inhabitant is a journey of closely held inner speculation and far-reaching outer realities, a rich combination of psychology and sci-fi couched in poetic episodes and offering much food for contemplation.

#AuthorInterview with Kellye Abernathy

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Barbara Bamberger Scott is talking with Kellye Abernathy, author of The Aquamarine Surfboard.

FQ: In the Acknowledgments section of your book, you state that the idea for The Aquamarine Surfboard came from “a magical trip to Laguna Beach;” can you say a bit more about that?

ABERNATHY: A few years back I was visiting Laguna Beach, a trip intended to be a time of reflection and remembering. I’d lost my mother, and the week of her birthday can be an especially hard time.

The room I was staying in was amazing: a cozy place, windows flung wide over a high terrace, overlooking a wild and craggy stretch of rock pocked with the most marvelous sea caves. From the terrace, a long zigzag flight of stairs stretched down to the sand, just as the stairs from the yellow cottage do in my book, The Aquamarine Surfboard. One misty morning, I tiptoed down the stairs to the palette of sand to do an early yoga practice. No one else was up, only me. The beach was deserted, except for a few ancient old ladies, collecting shells and picking up trash. Curls of mist off the water, split with pastel tendrils of breaking morning light, made them appear other-worldly. At peace with the world, I closed my eyes and began my yoga practice, breathing in the clean ocean air… water droplets from the mist running down my cheeks like tears. As I often do when I practice yoga, I lost track of time. When I finished, the old women were gone, along with the mist. I looked out to sea. A silver star of full morning light was glancing off the water beyond the sea caves. That’s when it happened. A dark-haired boy in a wetsuit popped up out of the water beyond the point. He easily hopped up on his surfboard and made a clean run to shore. I was awe-struck. I didn’t know where the surfer boy came from or how he possibly got out to that rough and tumble line of waves. After all, that part of the shoreline is a tangle of scattered rock, a few ruins of old homes slipping down a steep hillside toward pools of churning water.

The experience was magical—and the idea for The Aquamarine Surfboard was born that mystical day.

FQ: Why have you chosen to focus most sharply on young people in this story?

ABERNATHY: Young people are the hope of the world—and the future of healthy community-building. For so long, we adults have often chosen to focus on personal identity, concentrating on differentiating ourselves from others—bonding closely with people most like ourselves.

To build creative and healthy communities, inclusive communities, we must change that focus—by concentrating on how we are the same, rather than how we are different.

Having fun, learning from each other, building friendships while having open-minded (and often difficult) conversations is something kids are great at. I believe that building diverse relationships will lead to effective and creative solutions to big problems. It’s a mindset change. Kids will lead the way.

FQ: Are the characters of the Beachlings based on people you have known and/or worked with in your role as a life skills advocate?

ABERNATHY: Yes! One of the first lessons I learned when I became an advocate is that trauma survivors are our true teachers and mentors. It takes incredible bravery and heart to step out of abuse or poverty to share your story and ask for resources and support to build a fresh start for yourself and your children. The women and kids I work with inspire me every day. Leaving a bad situation often has stripped them of everything, including housing and financial resources. Taking shelter in a car, a boat, a tent, or a highway motel is often an act of fierce courage. Like the Beachlings in my book, I’ve seen the far-reaching power and formidable strength of the survivor community. They protect and care for one another. Many of the women and kids I’ve worked with have found their way… and are now helping others. One of the first rules of community is: pass it on by offering friendship and providing a non-judgmental hand-up. We all need a boost sometime.

FQ: When and how did your love for poetry (Millay, Frost, et al) arise?

ABERNATHY: My love of poetry and lyrical language was born in the earliest years of my childhood. I’ve always read and written it, for as long as I can remember. I read poetry every morning—it’s one of my quiet-time practices. Cadence, brevity of thought and imagery keep me tapped into all that’s right with the world...as well as providing a soothing balm for grief and pain. I like the great contemporary poets, too. Oliver, Giovanni, Baer...so many more...haunting, memorable...singing out messages essential to our understanding of the world.

FQ: What writers inspired you as you composed your story?

ABERNATHY: Oh, I love this question! Where shall I begin? Madelaine L’Engle, L.M. Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, C.S. Lewis, Astrid Lindgren, Johanna Spyri, Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Sy Montgomery, Lois Lowry.

FQ: Do you have hopes that The Aquamarine Surfboard might become a tool for life skills workshops and study groups?

ABERNATHY: Yes. I am hopeful that classrooms, life skill groups, study groups and book clubs will find the book to be a rich source of discussion and reflection.

My author website, kellyeabernathy.com, contains a detailed discussion guide with questions on the book’s content as well as self-reflection questions and sensory activities for groups of all ages.

FQ: Could you envision your book as an animated fantasy film?

ABERNATHY: Oh, yes. In fact, the vibrant images in such a film play in my mind frequently these days! Writing the book, I’ve adored hanging out on the top of Windy Hollow, snuggling into the cozy security of the yellow cottage, surfing the big ones and and plumbing the vast mysteries of the ocean’s wildest depths. How I’d love to see The Aquamarine Surfboard find life on the screen!

FQ: Do you have a next creative work – possibly a sequel to this one - planned or in the works?

ABERNATHY: Yes. The second work, a companion novel to The Aquamarine Surfboard, is halfway finished. A third novel will surely follow. The continuing story of Dipitous Beach and the Beachlings of Windy Hollow awaits!