“He’s dead!” Her voice was a whisper. “What am I going to do?” “Call the police.” I clapped my fingers to my mouth. I hadn’t intended to speak. “I can’t.” It was a moan. The moan turned into a strangled gasp. She looked wildly about. “Who’s there? Where are you?” Skirting the body, she hurried to the back door, flung it open, clattered down the steps. In an instant she returned to the porch, dashed to the rectory back door, yanked it open, seeking the source of the voice.

Bailey Ruth Raeburn is dead and living the the glories of Heaven, but there are times when an “emissary” from Heaven needs to be sent back to earth to help out those in trouble. Bailey Ruth has never had the honor of being returned to earth as an emissary so Wiggins, who is in charge of this Heavenly task, must teach her the rules and prepare her before letting her depart. Unfortunately, there is no time for preparation. In Bailey Ruth’s own home town of Adelaide, someone has murdered Daryl Murdoch right on the steps of the rectory. It becomes Bailey Ruth’s job as an emissary to protect Kathleen, who just happens to be the pastor’s wife, and hopefully find the real killer.

As Bailey Ruth approaches Kathleen, she knows that before she can help her she must first gain her trust without scaring her half to death. This isn’t an easy task since Kathleen can hear Bailey Ruth but not see her. The solution to that is to appear but that is frowned upon in the Precepts, which are the rules an emissary must follow.

After Bailey Ruth and Kathleen finally get a grip on the real situation, it’s decided that the best thing to do is to move the body away from the rectory. And where would be a better place to deposit a dead body in the cemetery. But doing that will take some imagination from Bailey Ruth. She can’t just snap her fingers and have the body moved, so she must find a mode of transportation and the wheel barrow seems to be perfect vehicle. As she and Kathleen wheel Murdoch’s body to it’s destination, they discover that the cemetery is occupied by a couple of teens who are attempting to remove the greyhound statue that watches over the Pritchard mausoleum. She accomplishes this by grabbing the crowbar away from one of the boys and flinging it out into the darkness. But, Kathleen has already dumped the body on the steps of the mausoleum where it’s discovered by the two frightened teens.

Ghost at Work is the first book written by Carolyn Hart in the Bailey Ruth series. In Ghost at Work, Bailey Ruth is an emissary in training and on probation. Following her antics as she tries to follow the rules of not appearing, speaking, nor scaring the living half to death unless completely necessary, I’ve found Ghost at Work to be humorous and creative. Hart’s characters are not only believable but you find yourself completely wrapped up in them, not wanting the book to end. And fortunately, Bailey Ruth is carried forward in Hart’s second book in the series titled Merry, Merry Ghost. I’ve had the enjoyment of reading both of these light hearted books and can’t wait for the next.

I’ve read many series books which spotlight the same character and have found that after a while, the character becomes predictable and over years “aged.” Bailey Ruth is one character that I feel that can never happen to. After all, she is a “ghost.”

Harper Collins Publishers
2008
290 Pages
ISBN 978-0-06-087436-0

The hospital Naya has been admitted to is the psychiatric section of the Newbury hospital. Naya was taken to the hospital’s emergency room after what her parents believed to be a suicide attempt. What would cause a 7 year old to attempt a jump off the balcony of her room? That’s what Dr. Peter Gram must find out before she tries it again.

While working with Naya, Dr. Gram finds that while sleeping, Naya goes into a trance like state. In her dreams she carries on conversations with someone that only she can see. Upon waking, Naya draws pictures of her dreams including the person she talks with. In one of her pictures she draws an elephant and a young girl who’s body has been dismembered. When Dr. Gram questions Naya about the picture she tells him about the girl, the conversation she had with her and the even the girl’s name. But what do these disturbing pictures mean and who is the girl?

In an area not far from the hospital, 5th grader Janet Troy is missing. When her book bag is found on the property of Senator Thomas Bailey, the FBI sends in their best agent Leia Bines to direct the search. When Agent Bines and Dr. Gram come together they discover a connection between Janet and Naya’s drawings giving them the clues needed to hopefully find out what happened to the missing Janet.

A Circle of Souls was not only a book that kept my attention from beginning to end but also a book that enlightened me in the care of children in the psychiatric units of these special hospitals. And who better to write this story than a doctor devoted to the care of these special children… Dr. Preetham Grandhi

One year, a friend brough over her version of a Jack-O-Lantern as a gift to me.  She had done the usual, cut off the top and taken out the seeds, but she didn’t scrape the walls and cut out the face.  Instead she drew a face, filled the hole with potting soil and planted pansies.  This was the cutest little Jack-O-Lantern I have ever seen.  And it was so easy to make.  This one lasted through the whole month of October and when it was time to take down the Halloween decorations and put up Thanksgiving, I simply dug a hole in the yard and put my pumpkin inside allowing the beautiful pansies to continue to grow.

When a young lady I know asked the question “when a recipe calls for egg yolks, can you use the whole egg?”  I said no and explained why.  When she asked the question “how do you separate eggs?”  I told her, showed her how and gave her an egg separator.  But when she asked the question “what part of the egg is the yolk?”  I was floored.

We aren’t talking about a child here.  We are talking about a young lady who is smart and intelligent in her own field.  No her field is not cooking.

When talking to a friend about these questions I was assured that she is not alone.  My friend told me about a young lady who was told to separate 2 eggs.  She did.  She placed them away from each other.  Again, this was the reaction of an intelligent young lady.

Unless we have mothers, aunts, grandmothers or someone to teach us the basics of cooking, then how do we learn?  As I said above, I cook like a robot that’s been programmed to make each step.  And when I think about it, I have been programmed by the teachers of my past.

So, the next time you fry up bacon, scramble an egg or make toast, slow down and notice the steps you take.  Then ask yourself.  Have I passed these steps on to my children?

This is also where I met a friend of my son-in-law named John.  We talked for an hour about the south and the difference in our cooking.  Later my daughter came in and asked me if I knew who I had been talking with.  I told her he said his name was John.  She then told me that he goes by J3.  He played with Tommy Lee.  My first brush with famous people!  And he enjoyed my southern cooking!

Now, if you would like to have my recipe for “Southern Chicken ‘n Dumplins” visit my website.  It’s found on page 118 of my book Stir, Laugh, Repeat.

Stir, Laugh, Repeat can also be found through Amazon or my publisher Tate Publishing Enterprises, LLC

ISBN #978-1-60462-818-0

Martha Cheves invites you into her kitchen and her life as she offers up superb dishes with a history.  You want to be right there watching as she cooks, shares with neighbors, plans a meal for a weekend away, gives practical tips for the kitchen, and nudges you through her stories to try her banana puddin,’ potato soup, country style beef, and on and on.  This book is packed with recipes for fruit, veggies, meats, breads and desserts.

You will never read a cookbook in which the author admits to not liking a dish, and then sets about concocting delicious new ways to make it so interesting that she ends up liking it.  And you will too!  I’ve already tried and enjoyed her recipe for squash patties.

You will never read a cookbook in which the author enourages you to change the recipe!  That’s what used to happen in Mama’s kitchen.  That’s what really learning to cook is all about.

Carol Brooks, Ph.D., Belmont Abbey College