Showing results by narrator "Susan Boyce" in All Categories

It's no wonder that introversion is making headlines - half of all Americans are introverts. But if that describes you, are you making the most of your inner strength? In this book, psychologist and introvert Laurie Helgoe, PhD, unveils the genius of introversion. Introverts gain energy and power through reflection and solitude. Our culture, however, is geared toward the extrovert. The pressure to get out there and get happier can lead people to think that an inward orientation is a problem instead of an opportunity.

Joe Grey can't believe his human housemate, Clyde, would even consider volunteering him for the Animal Therapy program at the local nursing home - just when Joe was on the verge of solving the string of burglaries that has Molena Point residents shaking in their collective boots. But it turns out it's Dulcie, Joe's pretty little cat-friend, who came up with the idea of subjecting Joe to the cooing attentions of a bunch of doddering old coots. Dulcie believes there's more going on at the old folks' home than the care and feeding of lonely seniors.

The quaint warehouse district of Hokes Folly, NC, is hopping despite the drizzly November chill. The occasion? The mountain town's beloved antiquarian bookstore, Twice upon a Time, is throwing a bash for its grand reopening. But bookseller Jenna Quinn's peace of mind is shattered when the local library's director of antique books turns up dead in the parking lot - his head bashed in by a glittering pair of vintage glass bookends.

In the year since he lost his wife in a tragic accident, Lester Lehman has found healing and purpose—helping construct Dale Kraybill's new bulk store, enjoying the Kuhn sisters' hearty meals, and settling into a tiny, built-for-one lakeside house. Falling in love again is surely not on Lester's mind. Yet despite his firm "no," two available ladies have set their kapps on the handsome widower—in a boisterous rivalry that weaves mayhem among the wedding festivities.

Even the bright seaside village of Molena Point has been hit hard by the economic downturn. Sadly, former residents haven’t just left their homes; they’ve abandoned their pets, too. Luckily, Joe Grey’s human friends have joined together to care for the animals. But just as one problem is solved more arise. A suspicious fire leaves a twelve-year-old boy homeless when the body of his alcoholic elderly guardian is discovered in the smoldering ruins.

Stranded in the snow, 18-year-old Lena Esh and her boyfriend, Josiah Witmer, need more than a place to stay for the night. Lena defied her strict family and their judgmental beliefs to run away with Josiah and have his baby. But she's starting to wonder if he can prove as responsible as he is passionate, and she isn't sure how - or if - they can ever find a place to truly call home.

After a tree falls on Tom Riordan's house, landing him in the hospital, the police discover a mountain of junk piled high in his home. Locals in Excelsior, Minnesota - including Betsy and her Crewel World Monday Bunch - offer to help with the cleanup while Tom recuperates. But when Tom is found murdered in his hospital bed, the sole heir to his property - his cousin, Valentina - becomes the number-one suspect.

Owner of the Crewel World needlework shop and part-time sleuth Betsy Devonshire heads for the Minnesota north woods to renovate an old cabin. But beneath the awful linoleum is something even uglier--the skeleton of a Nazi. Betsy's investigation yields the site of a former German POW camp, a mysterious crocheted rug, and an intricately designed pattern of clues to a decades-old crime.

Delaney Nichols is delighted with her life in Edinburgh, working at The Cracked Spine - a shop that specializes in hard-to-find books and artifacts. Outside the church where Delaney is searching for a reverend for her upcoming wedding, she stumbles across Norval Fraser: an elderly man obsessed with the Loch Ness monster. Always attracted to the interesting and unusual, Delaney befriends Norval. But when his nephew is found dead, the police decide Norval's obsession has moved from monsters to murder.

There's a witch running loose in the town of Excelsior, Minnesota, and her brew is…beer. Actually, Leona Cunningham, co-owner of The Barleywine, is a practitioner of Wicca, which many mistakenly believe to be sorcery or black magic. Then, after one too many pints, local alcohol aficionado Ryan McMurphy accuses Leona of being a real witch, blaming her for the series of accidents. When Ryan ends up dead, without a mark on his body, Leona is not only the target of a witch hunt but also the prime suspect.

Heavens to Betsy Devonshire! She never intended to get so caught up in this year's antique car race. But as sponsor of one of the entrants, she can't help but keep a close eye on the outcome - and it's not pretty. One of the drivers never makes it to the finish line. His car is found exploded in flames. Now Betsy and her crafty friends must determine if it was an accident or the work of a jealous competitor. The answer may be in a piece of needlework, but pinning down a suspect won't be easy....

Betsy Devonshire has settled into her new home in Excelsior, Minnesota, as owner of the town’s needlecraft shop. So why is she suffering from terrifying nightmares? She hasn’t a clue—but thinks maybe it would help to get away for a while. With her friend Jill in tow, she heads north for a “stitch-in” at a remote, rustic lodge. But her nightmares only get worse—especially after she finds a dead woman no one else had seen.

As a bright season brings a fresh start to Willow Ridge, Annie Mae Knepp feels she can never make peace with the past. Her disgraced ex-bishop father is furious she has taken her five siblings to live with her. She's never been truly at home in her faith...or in believing in herself. And Annie Mae fears no man will want to take on the responsibilities she's gladly shouldered. True, her quiet neighbor, Adam Wagler, has been steadfast and unshakeable in helping her through her trials, but he surely couldn't think of someone so lost as more than a friend.

At Crewel World - the needlework shop in Excelsior, Minnesota, run by Betsy Devonshire - an array of beautifully hand-dyed yarns are supplied by Hailey Brent, an avid hand-dyer as well as a customer. But shortly after her most recent delivery of yarn, Hailey is found dead in her home, with a gunshot wound to the head. Betsy can't imagine who might have killed Hailey, but she is determined to find out.

The Monday Bunch and other local knitters are participating in a fundraising auction to save a community center, creating a growing pile of stuffed animals and toys right in front of the auctioneers as they bid. Among those contributing the most knitted goods is temperamental businesswoman Marsha Hanover, who keels over halfway through the event. After she is pronounced DOA at the hospital, an autopsy reveals that Marsha had been poisoned.

Even felines with such amazing talents as Joe Grey and his partner, Dulcie, need some down time. Using their amazing abilities to talk and read, they’ve helped their unwitting humans put bad guys away. But these clever four-footed detectives can’t possibly enjoy a little catnap, not when their lovely seaside village is in an uproar. It’s bad enough that Molena Point has been invaded by a famous writer and his suspiciously rude wife. Then the local yard sales set off a host of puzzling thefts.

When an elderly homeless woman is found dead on the shore of Lake Minnetonka, she's wearing something that holds the key to her identity but also opens up a mystery. Embroidered on her blouse is her will, in which she bequeaths everything she owns to her niece: Emily Hame, a member of the Monday Bunch at Betsy Devonshire's Crewel World needlework shop! Emily's aunt turns out to be the second homeless woman to be found dead under mysterious circumstances.

When the historic Hopkins ferry was raised from the bottom of the lake, who would have thought they were literally raising the dead! But there it was—a skeleton—right before their eyes. Unfortunately, the evidence is slim and soggy: the boat sank in 1949, the victim on board was a woman, and near the body is a piece of unidentifiable lacelike fabric. Sounds like a job for Betsy Devonshire. Betsy knows there's more to this story than what’s on the surface.

Popular creative coach Gail McMeekin, author of the best-selling The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women, offers a wealth of advice for the specific challenges creative women face today: thinking too small, underestimating the need for change, fearing the future, and lacking self-confidence. McMeekin combines interviews with some of today’s most successful women and her own proven success strategies to help readers transcend their “blocks” and achieve success.

Ever since the earthquake, things have been going from bad to worse in Molena Point, usually the most tranquil little town on the North California coast. It started with that suspicious "accident" on Hellhag Hill. The police might write it off to the night fog, but Joe Grey knows a cut brake line when he sees it - he may be a cat, but he's already solved more murders than your average police detective!