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Valentine’s Day Special!! Buy both books (regular $20.94) for $9.35 plus .65 tax for a total of $10.00 with free shipping. Stories of love, inspiration, and hope. Contact me for information about shipping and payment. mirikal1210@gmail.com (Please put “Valentine’s Day” on the subject line.)

“When Shadows Linger” is the story of Maggie Sinclair, a thirty-one year old therapist, who is widowed when her husband dies in a car accident following a winter storm in Wisconsin. Moving to Vermont to start a new life, Maggie meets Ben Grayson. Still in love with her husband, Maggie is confused about becoming involved with Ben. As their relationship intensifies, Maggie’s husband appears to her in various ways. Through the therapy that she provides to her clients who are dealing with loss due to death, family issues and adoption, Maggie also works on resolving her own grief. ($7.99)

“The Primrose Garden” is the story of the hurdles encountered by siblings as they try to keep their family together after the sudden deaths of their parents. When it is determined a year later that their parents did not die in an accident, the reader accompanies the siblings as they each struggle with the fact that their parents were murdered.For those who read “When Shadows Linger,” they will recognize some of the characters in this sequel. “The Primrose Garden” deals with family, loss, substance abuse, suicide prevention, and love. A mystery romance, it is sure to hold the interest of readers who enjoy both genres. ($12.95)

“My Name is Rebecca: A Novelette” is the story of a father and his sons who emigrated from Russia to the United States in the early 1900s, living in New York and then settling in Wisconsin. The reader accompanies the family as they leave behind their homeland to escape persecution and poverty, searching for religious freedom and a better life. The voyage to America, the ordeal of going through Ellis Island, and a description of the Lower East Side of New York, are all detailed in the story. They bring not only their beliefs and traditions to America, but they also bring the story of their family to pass down to future generations. While the story is historical fiction, there are some true stories I heard and witnessed while growing up. As an added note–the photo on the cover is my mother when she was 4 years old in 1931. ($5.99). Appropriate for all ages. (Available on Amazon or directly from me with free shipping.

When I wrote “My Name is Rebecca: A Novelette” it was to honor my mother’s family who came to America from Russia in the early 1900s. As it evolved, I realized that their story is shared by millions of other families. While it is historical fiction, I did include some stories that I heard while growing up. I have donated the book to various libraries and museums, such as the Milwaukee Jewish Museum, The Holocaust Museum in Miami Beach, The Racine Public Library, The Racine Heritage Museum and The Tenement Museum in New York. I have recently had the honor to send the book to the National Library of Israel after it was requested. The little book that started out as a tribute to my family has now made its way to another country. Wouldn’t they have been proud? I am.

As a young couple starting their life together, Barbara and Jim Randolph settled in Middlebury, Vermont. Known for its quality education system and low crime rate, they wanted a good environment for the children they hoped to have. Jim’s law practice flourished and Barbara was a respected family therapist. With the birth of Carolyn, followed by Amanda two years later, the family they hoped for was complete. As Amanda’s behavior began to decline and she sank into the darkness of substance abuse, Barbara and Jim endured their own journeys as parents who were losing their child to a dangerous world. Barbara questioned herself as a therapist who was unable to help her own child, while Jim felt helpless and frustrated with the situation. There would be years of not hearing from Amanda, with occasional letters that would raise their hope. With the strength and support of her family, Amanda finally deals with her inner demons and leaves the world of drugs behind her, finding the love and happiness that escaped her for so long. ($3.99)

When my daughter passed away suddenly in February 2020, our initial reaction was that she had suffered a cardiac arrest. Until the autopsy report was completed six weeks later, all I could do was wonder what had happened from the time I had spoken to her until an hour and a half later when I received a call that she was found unconscious. When I found out from the medical examiner’s office that she died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, I was devastated. Sara had had a substance abuse problem for over thirty years before finally going to a rehab program in 2016. For the first time since she was a little girl, we were finally able to develop a friendship. And then she was gone.
After Sara died, I decided to write a book to help educate parents about the dangers of drugs. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a mother of someone with a drug addiction, I wanted to provide knowledge and resources to help prevent others from taking the path that Sara went down. There is so much information and so many resources that are available now that weren’t in the 1980s. While parenting has always been challenging, it is more complicated today because of technology that is available to our children.
My goal in writing this book was to provide knowledge about drugs, parenting techniques, and resources that are available for parents. I hope that I achieved that goal.