Generations of Secrets

When a prostitute is beaten on a Caribbean Island, no one realizes that this seemingly minor event will light a fuse to blow apart the old, corrupt social order. Pursuing healing for the wounded young woman and for other poor workers, members of the community become targets of ruthless entrepreneurs planning to reap big profits while despoiling the island's rich environment. MEET: Monica, a prostitute by choice, controls every aspect of her life and her bordello, until her world crumbles. Rosie, an American professor and healer, must forsake her roles of teacher and wife as she faces her husband's involvement in the schemes. Pide, a homeless beggar, brings unexpected wisdom, humor and friendship to those he touches. Abuelita and Don Tuto, leaders of the island outcasts who live in the darkness of its vast cave system and underground river, guide the way toward a new relationship with the land.

Part coming of age, part political intrigue, and Founding Stones questions what it mean to be a citizen of the world. Trouble simmers in a small Pacific Northwest town when generations of secrets collide. Hannah, the daughter of the largest berry farmer in the county, searches for her voice after her twin sister dies of cancer. She jumps into the controversy around immigrant workers at the farm, and naively causes further problems. Her boyfriend, Luis, forced to live without his deported family, seeks his place within the American dream. His elderly friend, Joseph, an undocumented immigrant from Russia, emerges from seclusion to confront an old vendetta and protect his mushroom cure for cancer and his prototype of a light silk-titanium airplane wing from outside forces.

In the Skagit River Valley-gateway to the pristine Pacific Northwest wilderness-vegetation, birds, and people are inexplicably dying. Does the river carry pollutants from illegal waste sites? One elderly bully's spiteful lies have trapped her victims in a toxic web: JoAnne, a former World War II pilot, is wheelchair-bound from a youthful accident involving sinister secrets. Maria, JoAnne's niece and professional pilot, masks the unresolved pain of childhood abandonment. Spencer, a young organic vintner, suspects the rich valley soil has been polluted by undocumented wastes. Russell, a spunky 95-year-old ham radio buff, intercepts curious messages that provide clues to the decades-long cover-up. Lies, even the little white lies told to protect themselves and each other from the past, suddenly conspire against them as the valley's secrets unravel. Threatened with exposure, the perpetrator resorts to more malicious behavior, and her victims must join with the community to stop her and save the valley. All must face difficult truths to halt the accumulation of more than one kind of toxic behavior. This is a story of challenge and triumph over demons both personal and environmental, inviting us to explore with its characters the nature of truth, trust, and accountability.

Three separate novels where, "You'll delve into political intrigue, betrayal, self-reflection, find inner strength, and what true friendship and trust can achieve (Kim Kat, verified reader), held together by one character who floats between the novels, Rosie. Rosie, an American professor and healer, takes you from the island of Puerto Rico into the small towns of the Pacific Northwest, where her astute insights guide characters to their better selves. In River of Angels, a prostitute beaten on a Caribbean island, lights a fuse that will blow apart the old, corrupt social order. In Color of lies, the Skagit River Valley-gateway to the pristine Pacific Northwest wilderness-vegetation, birds, and people ae inexplicably dying. Founding Stones, part coming of age, part political intrigue, questions what it means to be a citizen of the world. Kirkus Review read the entire series: 1. River of Angels, "an absorbing drama with extraordinary character." 2. Color of Lies, "a well-researched novel that highlights community. 3. Founding Stones, "the author's pithy writing helps retain a discernable tension."