Irene Hannon Presents In Harm's Way - Christian Romantic Suspense - Heroes of Quantico Book 3

 

Claudia Barnes savored another spoonful of her soup at Le Bistro. The chef had a way with mushrooms, no question about it. And the desserts were to die for, despite the dent they put in her reporter’s salary. But tonight, the conversation between the couple in the booth behind her was even better than the food. After setting down her spoon, she pulled out her notebook, opened it to a blank page, and tuned in, pen poised. 

“Tell her to forget it.” A man’s voice. “But Mike, she’s really spooked by this.” A woman speaking now. “And Rachel isn’t the type to go for any of that supernatural stuff. We’ve worked together for two years, and she’s very levelheaded. She thinks it’s weird too.” “That’s understandable. I mean, come on, Marta. She finds a Raggedy Ann doll buried under a pile of snow in a Bread Company parking lot and says it’s sending her a message?” “I know. If it wasn’t Rachel telling me this, I’d dismiss it. But I told her I’d check with you and see if the police would be interested.” “Nope.” The sound of ice tinkling in a glass. “You’re sure?” “Honey, if she shows up at the station, no one will take her seriously. They’ll listen to her story with a straight face, but once she’s gone, everyone will have a good laugh. Trust me on this. Save your friend the embarrassment.” A heavy sigh. “That’s what I thought.”

 Cutlery clinked against china. “What do you think she should do with the doll?” “Pitch it.” “That’s what I told her. But I might have to do it for her. I don’t think she wants to touch it again.” More ice rattled. “Don’t get involved. Stay away from the doll.” “I thought you said her story was a bunch of nonsense?” “It is. But weird things happen sometimes.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “I don’t know. Nothing.” “Hey, I’m not letting you off the hook that easily.” The woman’s tone was half-teasing, half-serious. “’Fess up. I sense a story here.” “Not much of one.” “Come on, Mike. Out with it. We always said there’d be no secrets in our marriage, remember?” “This isn’t a secret.” “Then tell me.” “Fine. I had this friend in high school. Nice guy, on the quiet side, very strait-laced. Anyway, a couple of days after I got my first used car, I tossed him the keys and asked if he wanted to drive it. He stood there, jingling the keys, and out of the blue he said, ‘I’d lay off the booze and smoking if I were you. It could cause you a lot of trouble.’ That blew my mind.” 

“Why?” “Because the night before, I’d met up with some friends who were a little more on the wild side, and we shared a twelve-pack and some cigarettes at a picnic table in one guy’s backyard. No one was around—but I was scared to death we’d be caught. That was the first time I’d ever done anything like that. The thing is, my keys were on the table the entire evening.” “Are you saying the keys...transmitted...your secret to him?” “I have no idea. I never asked. I wasn’t about to admit my guilt, so I passed it off as a joke. But I knew he knew. I told myself he must have seen us, but I never did quite buy that. He lived on the other side of town. And he didn’t socialize with the fast crowd.” A few seconds of silence followed. The woman sounded more serious when she responded. 

“Maybe the police should check into Rachel’s story.” “It’s not going to happen, Marta. Trust me.” “Can you offer her some other options?” “Pitch the doll.” “Besides that one.” “She could always try the FBI.” “Would they be more receptive?” “Probably not. But it’s the only alternative I can think of. Hey, do you want to split this chocolate decadence thing for dessert? I won’t feel as guilty if we share it.” 

As the conversation shifted to mundane matters, Claudia set her pen down, dipped her spoon into the cooling soup, and considered her own options. The features editor at the St. Louis tabloid where she worked was always on the hunt for unusual stories. A local woman with some sort of telepathic power ought to qualify. Her tale would be a great lead for a story on ESP or clairvoyance. Claudia stirred her soup. She ought to be able to find some interesting material connecting ESP and crime-fighting too. Better yet, if she dug deep enough she might be able to put a local slant on the piece. If nothing else, a story like that should help circulation. Readers might claim they didn’t like sensational stuff, but it sold papers. Look at the National Enquirer. And anything that boosted circulation boosted advertising revenue. Her editor would love that. Too bad she hadn’t tuned into the conversation earlier. All she had was the ESP woman’s first name. Claudia propped her chin in her hand and toyed with her spoon. She should be able to trace this Rachel through the cop’s wife, though. All she had to do was check the last name on their credit card. Unless they paid in cash. Nursing her soup, Claudia listened to the exchange as the server presented the couple’s bill. Smiled when it was clear the twosome was paying by credit card. Followed the server and positioned herself behind a pillar. Ran into him as he passed on his way back to the table from running the card. Beat him to the ground picking it up as he apologized. Scanned the information she needed. You didn’t get to be an ace reporter by being meek. And ace reporter was her goal. Working at the tabloid wasn’t great, but she was only twenty-four and two years out of J-school. Everyone had to start somewhere. If she could write some unique stuff that got noticed, she could move on to bigger things sooner rather than later. After returning to her table, she jotted down the cop’s name in her notebook. Not bad for a night’s work. Spirits ticking up, she signaled for the server and ordered dessert. Maybe she’d even charge her meal to the paper. Chalk it off to research that just might pay big dividends. 

~~~~~~

Sometimes she wished she didn't have a mind that was both curious but committed to helping others if she could... She really had not choice when she saw the doll lying in the cold ice, as if it had fallen from a child's fingers. Well, she would at least dig it out of the ice and allow those in the nearby building to handle it as lost and found... At least that was her plan...

But as soon as she picked it up, she was overcome with a shocking feeling of terror. What happened as she dropped the doll and began to recover, still feeling fear, confusion, and still hanging on to the terror?

Assuming, of course, there was no question about her sanity.

Rachel had tried to think through all that had happened until she couldn't think anymore. Her first thought of going to the police was not a pleasant one--she figured they would all laugh and think she was one of those kooks who were always claiming they could help solve crimes. But, finally, she knew she had to do something; she couldn't just ignore what had happened. Perhaps the FBI would be better able to deal with a strange situation...

She shouldn’t have come. The knot in Rachel’s stomach tightened, and she squeezed her laced fingers, whitening the knuckles. Though she’d never been claustrophobic, the walls of the small, sterile interview room off the lobby in the glass and concrete FBI office building in downtown St. Louis seemed to be closing in on her. With each minute that passed—ten and a half so far—the urge to flee before she made a total fool of herself intensified. But the vibes from the doll were even stronger. Strong enough to counter the dubious glance the woman behind the bulletproof glass in the reception area had given her. And strong enough to convince her she needed to pass the Raggedy Ann on to someone who was in a position to investigate—whether they chose to or not. Based on her conversation earlier today with Marta, “not” was the likely outcome. While her co-worker had been diplomatic in relaying her husband’s comments from their dinner last night, it had been easy to read “fruitcake” between the lines. And if a local police officer thought her story lacked credibility, she had little hope the FBI would treat it with any more seriousness. But she had to try. And if she failed to convince anyone to pay attention to the odd vibes emanating from the doll stashed in the small paper shopping bag at her feet, at least she could walk away knowing she’d done her best. 

One advantage of reading a trilogy is that we know that the FBI heroes will be the last of the three we've already met in previous books. Nick, was the one that was renovating an older home and had been providing housing for the other two agents who were stationed in the area. And, we can also surmise that Nick will be immediately attracted to Rachel, LOL... That didn't happen as quickly with Rachel, she was consumed with what was happening, needing help, but didn't want to be considered some type of "crazy..." Fortunately, Nick was the type of man who spent time with those he was interviewing, so he began by getting some basic facts, even though he immediately questioned what he was hearing...

It was an interesting connection while both of the individuals were watching every move of the other. But when she pointed out she saw what he was doing, it eased both of them into moving on without any preconceptions. Until she mentioned the "vibe" she felt when she touched the doll... A Raggedy Ann Doll to be exact...

She had remembered that she had once had a similar doll, many years ago when her mother was still alive... Now she was entirely on her own. And, sometimes, like now, she wished she had somebody with whom to talk and know that individual would listen carefully and explore what might have happened... Readers will discover that Nick was such an individual to whom she began to share... 

But that didn't help in trying to discover if some type of criminal act had occurred that resulted in the "terror" that Rachel had felt. But at least Nick agreed to take the doll and it sat in his office as days and weeks went by... In the meantime, be prepared to be an avid participant as Nick and Rachel begin a relationship that was moving beyond the exploration of a rag doll. Mainly because, a local news reporter had listened in on a conversation right from the beginning and had immediately decided that Rachel was into something dealing with the paranormal... And she wanted to tell the world!

A major twist came when they learned that a young child had been kidnapped quite recently... Contact was made and the FBI from two different states started comparing investigations... And I loved how this story immediately turned into a wonderful family drama where many are finding out secrets from long ago. One of which had been held from over 35 years... Could this be the beginning of the end of frustration and discovering the kidnapped child's location?

Irene Hannon ensures that readers carefully considers all of the women involved in this unforgettable mystery of a child kidnapping... A book geared for the women in a family who will understand how one woman can consider stealing a child, creating logical excuses that makes sense o her that she is actually helping the other new mother who was overwhelmed...

Later we watch another mother who kept a secret that should have been revealed years ago, but fear had kept that woman silent, not trusting in love's survival... 

We also see a connection easily rediscovered as two strangers meet after the separation...  Each of these stories are wonderfully framed so that readers will experience both the concern that a baby has been taken, and what that might mean in the end... So that, when we discover what has actually happened, we can find empathy and sympathy for all those who are caught in various webs that could only be weaved by someone who allows God into that story... 

This book keeps you tense, on edge, but, still, secure that only good will come out of all that has been disrupted through theft, but pulled together by all those who care and support others through their jobs, their lives and through a gift of Love that only God can provide that leads to knowing that everything is goin' be alright...

Amazing Storyline! - Highly recommended!

It was going to be tight, but she would finish the mural in his dining room by her self-imposed deadline of Fourth of July. Tomorrow.

Reaching for her purse on the seat beside her, she shook her head. Talk about a photo finish. While the date hadn’t seemed unrealistic when she’d begun, progress had been far slower than she’d expected thanks to the two fingers on her right hand that continued to give her problems, the tips alternating between tingling and loss of sensation. Thank heaven the aftereffects of the frostbite were diminishing, but holding a paintbrush—or playing the piano—still proved challenging. Who would have guessed it would take two months to recover enough dexterity to perform at tea again? Or that even her simpler pieces would be so taxing? Very frustrating. Likewise for painting. Completing a scene still took far too long. She glanced at the house where she’d spent so many hours over the past two months. Although Nick didn’t seem in the least concerned that his dining room had been transformed into an art studio and had urged her not to push herself, she wanted to finish before Coop and Monica came into town with their baby for the long holiday weekend. When they gathered here tomorrow for a barbecue along with Mark and a newly expecting Emily, she wanted them to be able to appreciate the tranquility of the scene she’d painted rather than be distracted by the clutter of a work-in-progress. As she stepped out of the cool car, the stifling air of a typical Missouri July enveloped her in a muggy embrace. The holiday would be a scorcher too. But never again would she complain about the oppressive heat of St. Louis summers. The other extreme was far worse. After pulling the key Nick had given her out of her purse, she slipped it into the lock of his stately brick home. Now that school was out, she was able to put in a fair amount of time on the mural during the week while he was at work. All that remained today were a few finishing touches that shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours to complete. She turned the knob and entered the gracious foyer, reveling in the sense of homecoming she felt whenever she stepped through his door. It was even better when he was there to welcome her with a warm hug and kiss, of course—but even alone in the house on workdays like today, she felt happy and content. The same way she always felt around Nick. Once she’d deactivated the security system and set her purse on the dining room floor, she inspected her mural. Like the painting, their relationship had grown in the preceding months, taking on depth and dimension. While they both believed in the value of prudence and patience, it was clear they were headed down a serious path. Barring some sort of bizarre twist of fate, a proposal should be in the offing in the not-too-distant future. Smiling at that hopeful thought, she took a step back and tipped her head as she examined her work. It was the largest piece she’d ever tackled, but the scale and subject matter fit the room. Two rows of tall poplars receded into the distance, flanking a formal garden of patterned boxwoods, reflecting pools, and fountains. It was the kind of garden common in France or England in days gone by, and it fit the character of the Federal-style house perfectly. Restful shades of green dominated, while overflowing stone urns of flowers added spots of color. Today she’d add a few more deep pink blooms to two of them, tuck a bench into the poplars on both sides of the pool, and declare the work finished. But before she rolled up her sleeves, a detour to the kitchen was in order. If his pattern held, Nick would have left some sort of decadent bakery item for her on the counter, along with a pot of fresh-brewed coffee. On her last visit, she’d found a fabulous caramel pecan roll. What treat awaited her today? She ambled toward the foyer, pulling out her cell phone. Maybe Rebecca had a better handle on their ETA by now, delayed due to an an emergency at Colin’s office. Hopefully they’d make it in before the afternoon barbecue at Nick’s. As she hung a left toward the kitchen, she glanced toward the living room. Froze. Tucked into the front corner beside the fireplace, right where she’d pictured it the first time she’d seen this room, was a Yamaha C1X, the patina of the baby grand’s black lacquer finish gleaming in the morning light. What in the world? Slowly she walked toward it, until she was close enough to read the title on the crisp, new piece of sheet music resting on the stand: 

“Our Love Is Here to Stay.” Her signature piece. “Like it?” At the soft question, Rachel gasped and spun around. Nick stood in the doorway leading to the study, one shoulder resting against the molding, hands in the pockets of his jeans, a tender smile warming his face. “I didn’t know you were home.” “I took the day off.” “But…the security system was on.” “There aren’t any motion sensors in the study.” She waved toward the corner of the living room. “You bought a piano?” “Yep. It was delivered yesterday.” “You don’t play.” “No. But I know someone who does.” He pushed off from the doorframe and strolled toward her. An undercurrent of excitement zipped through the air as he approached, sending a tingle racing up her spine. Taking her hand, he led her toward the Yamaha. “Do you like it?” “It’s gorgeous. But Nick...these cost a fortune.” “Splurges are allowed on special occasions.” “Is this a special occasion?” “I hope so.” He guided her to the piano bench and urged her to sit. She didn’t need much persuasion. Her legs were getting more wobbly by the second. After perching beside her, he tugged the phone from her grasp, laid it beside the music stand, and lifted the piece of sheet music. She stared at his fingers. They were trembling. Just like hers...

GABixlerReviews

Ari's Aria - Book 3 of Malt Shop Milestones Trilogy by Nadine C. Keels - Young Adults and Above Will Love the 40s Presented

Vicky had ordered her usual pink cow and took a sip as she responded to her new friend, Ari. They had been talking about a talent show that was coming up and Ari, who was very involved with music, was asking for details...

Of course, they were including comments about Hester, who had won the contest for the last two years... 

Hester? She was dating that cute, rich boy that Berta dreamed about before she met Howard. Let's just say Hester flung that connection around to all the girls in the school--"He's mine!" Even Ari, who was new to the school had already noticed, and after their discussion, she decided she would sign up!

And the jukebox played on...

If you all don't mind, I'd like to share one of my own past stories that I thought of as I was reading these books, the last one, by the way, is my favorite, maybe for that reason... But probably because of Ari's music interests... And her decision to compete...

Too many years ago for me to remember the year, I had just met a new member of my family, by marriage. The WVU fieldhouse was still on the main campus and she and I attended a basketball game... It was a small facility and I was seeing many people I knew. But one of the faculty members with whom I worked happened to be looking around at the same time and we recognized each other and waved hands, smiling... I got a strange look from this new female and she asked me if I knew him... Then, for whatever reason, she asked me if I would date a Black man... At that time, I had already been very conscious about prejudice against Black people, since I was already meeting many more non-white people than I had ever interacted with there... This is what I said: "Probably not, my main concern would be the children that could result from a relationship--everybody knew that other children still picked on children different from them. That was the end of that conversation. However, a week or so later, my aunt with whom I'd always been close, asked me, bluntly, "Are you interested in dating Black men?" I probably said, "ah, What?" She promptly went on and told me who has told her that. We looked at each other, immediately knowing what we were thinking... Then she told me, that she had talked so much about needing a coat, that my aunt finally gave her money. We would be on the alert from now on... And, I can't help but worry just a little, about what's happening, again, today... But I've learned to admire the Black Culture, especially those individuals I've met through their wonderful books, like this trilogy.

I bring this up because of the new family that came to the "Black Diamond district." You see, Ari's father had originally lived there many years ago... He had left and had joined the service, fighting in WWII but his greatest love and job was playing piano... And he knew he would always be able to find somebody who needed a piano player... Thing was, as he worked, he realized that nobody seemed to know he was a Black man. Even in the service... So, why would he make a point of it?

And what happened to make him come back home? He fell in love. With a beautiful Mexican woman... And Ari became a mixed-race child who knew as soon as she was old enough to understand that they were holding a secret. You see, at that time, Mexicans were classified, legally, as white. And it was illegal to be married to a Black man... It was time to go home to Black Diamond...

At first, the family was...watched... Many of the older residents knew he had passed for many years out in the white world... It seemed everybody adopted a wait-and-see about why he came back. But, that was the grownups... Berta, when she first say Ari sitting alone, she felt...empathy... And even though she was a little jealous of what Howard said about her being pretty, Berta went over and started talking... Soon, Ari had filled the place that had been vacated in the threesome which were Vicky, Berta, and now Ari...

You know that television that was new in town? Well, Ari was the first to be invited over, along with others from school, to watch TV... And if the young shall lead, Berta's family soon invited Ari's parents to watch a drama one evening...

So while that was happening the trio continued to ponder whether Ari should compete in the talent contest... So Vicki checked out the rules and discovered that it said nothing about whether a mixed-race individual could compete... BTW, Hester had told Ari that she should check the rules... That made the decision much more easy, of course. But Ari wondered about what should she do for her talent. Her Dad had been teaching her piano since she was very young. But, she was also had a beautiful voice. In any event, she was afraid her need for practicing would disrupt her home too much... So, that was quickly arranged by the pastor of their church being willing for her to practice--as long as the music didn't get to jazzy... LOL

When I heard Black Diamond, I knew this was the video to use... even if Ari would also be playing piano...

It was Ari's turn, she wore a beautiful gown she'd worn before to a special event. She sat down to play, but hesitated... At the last minute she knew the song that she really wanted to sing--and how to sing it...

Unfortunately, I've spent it seems hours trying to find a video, which I really wanted to hear and use... of exactly what Ari had chosen to do... She had sung the first time in English, and then she sang the last version in Spanish... Finding this song in Spanish? Even Latino stars chose to sing in English...Sigh

Of course when we read about Hester's talent, we knew who would win!

But, the more important part of the story was when Ari's mother came to her after she'd left the state... You see, Ari had missed her grandmother who they didn't see much since they'd moved... Little by little, the use of their Spanish had been eliminated from their daily lives... Ari, who was of two cultures, wanted to celebrate them both... And sharing the other part of her there in Black Diamond was something she felt she really needed to do...

Many have said lately that you cannot choose with whom you fall in love. In a single race community, or nation, it may never come up. But in a land where all people are welcomed, love comes, sometimes, from a different ethnic descent you meet--somebody who turns out to be their one and only soul mate... Does it matter? In the 40s, the government regulated marriage by color of your skin... Ari and her parents had to come to Black Diamond and felt safe for, maybe, the first time since they were married years ago... I so applaud Nadine for writing from a historical perspective that we are now once again facing... But, no matter who says what, know that we are all God's Children...

I recognize that I may have overplayed the historical part... But with this last book, I want to point out to our teen readers, that these books really are fun to read... watching teenagers back in the 40s, you may find, is not really different... Or is it? In any event, they are escapes from reality... Brining in the War was a small part of it all... The books rock with music, gossip by the local store boy who bags groceries repeating anything and everything that is most talked about as people check out...and then share to the next group of people... LOL Why wait for the newspaper, at least until Vicky is working there one day!

More importantly, it is a time when friends could be friends--both boys and girls--and find that they could be themselves. Only one girl seemed to have a problem with other students, but, really, there's probably more these days, right? Bottom line, I loved these books... I wish I had been able to find the final song, Nature Boy, sung by a beautiful teen who learned both English and Spanish from her parents. At least it was Nat's daughter, but his voice is so much smoother and dreamy...LOL Hint I was/am his fan!

GABixlerReviews

Third in Talon Series by Gigi Sedlmayer Best Adventure Story Yet! Child to Adult Readers Will Love!

These children have been saved from the streets of Peru and given a chance of a new life...

Enjoy While You Visit Matica and Talon!

Waking up again, Matica opened one eye to see if it was morning. Since she could make out some shapes, it was the crack of dawn, but no rays of the sun shone into her room, yet. She closed her eyes again and listened. Everything was quiet, but she could hear from far away some birds twittering, singing their mystical morning songs. Recalling the dream she had in the middle of the night, she pondered about it. Where do dreams come from? Are they telling you what you think, what you will have, the future, what you want to have, what you fear? Is it the conscious of oneself, the mind of yourself, what you think can happen? Or is a dream telling you what will happen, without you knowing that you think about it? Or is a dream just coming, not at all telling you what will be, or what should be. Or is a dream telling you something and is warning you of things to come, or not to come? Or should you dismiss a dream at all? Oh, I wish I knew, because that dream of mine was strange. Changing into animals? But I have to say it was a great dream. Particularly being Talon. Flapping my wings. Yeah. Talon. Only the ending. What does that mean? ‘All will be fine’. Will something happen on our trip? She quickly prayed that God would protect her and her father, that God would have his arms around them on the way to Cajamarca and back.



Talon: Flight for Life
Book Three of the Talon Series

By Gigi Sedlmayer

I loved this third book in the Talon Series! I guarantee you will too! If you haven't already read any of the series, check out my reviews for the first two:

Talon: Come Fly With Me and Talon: On the Wing, especially if you want to see some closeups of who Talon is! You see, the main character of the series is a Condor! And, of course, Matica!

Talon

Tamo and Tima

Matica is what we call in America a "Little Person." She is the daughter in a family of four who have moved from Australia to Peru to be missionaries. It was very hard for Matica because the Indians were either afraid of her or thought she was possessed...They didn't know that there were other people like Matica... Well, actually, during the stories, there is one little boy, but that is a sad part of the books, but does emphasize how the Indians reacted to Matica. Until... two large birds came into her life and, later, Talon, was born... Now the key thing was that, because of her size, Matica was able to fly on the back of Talon! That's now a long time ago and the three condors are just like members of the family, except for Matica's father who is not to sure about them...

Crayn said, shrugging his shoulders, "We don't
know where dreams come from or why we do
dream. I think that the mind is working out
something. Unconsciously. But the thing is when
you thought the dream might come true, the
dream told you not to worry. So don't worry."
Mira nodded then kissed her daughter, saying,
"That's right. It's nothing to worry about."
Mira grinned at her, but she knew she was
kidding herself. She was worried and fearful
but didn't dare to show the fear in her face
to her husband or her daughter...Mira prayed
a quick prayer in her mind: Lord, watch over
them. Let Tamo be with them and keep them
safe. She said, "Dad has walked that route
do many times already. Nothing will happen.
~~~

By now, everybody knows about Matica and her condors! At least those who are Indians, because the news spreads rapidly through their communities... But, in the third book, Matica is scheduled to go to visit a large city, Cajamarca, with her father. The trip will be for 5 days...they will walk there...

Because of how she was treated when they first moved to their village, Matica is worried about traveling to other places, but they are planning a trip home to Australia, which she's not sure about either, and they need to go, make arrangements, and get supplies. In the past, only her father has made the trip.

The main fear, however, is that Matica will be away from her friends, the condors. She has seen them every day and flown with them. She knows she will miss them, but what will they think?

The first thing readers will discover is that the condors are very intelligent. Of course, we don't know how they are truly, but in the story, most of what Matica says is understood and acted upon!

The other reason was because of the dream she had--she told her parents about it, but they didn't want Matica to become afraid...

But was the dream really foretelling something?

And then it was time to set off, but this time, Matica's sadness made the time much longer...She was hugging everybody as the condors watched. But even Matica was surprised when it happened!

You see, they had been watching all this and then jumped down to participate. Matica hugged Tamo and Tima, planning to save Talon for last...but he wasn't waiting!

She embraced them both, having her arms around their necks, but still her head was hanging onto her chest. Talon stood still in front of her, just looking at her. Suddenly she felt someone pushing and squeezing between Tamo and Tima. When Tamo and Tima stepped aside, Talon grunted and purred into her face , poking at her nose. But it didn’t cheer her up. Then he watched the flow of her tears as they ran down her cheeks like little streams. He licked them off. Next she fell around his neck, embracing him tightly. ‘Oh, Talon,’ she mumbled with a broken voice into his tummy, surrounding it with her arms and pressing it hard. But then Talon lifted his wings and embraced her again with his wings, pressing her into his tummy. ‘Oh, Talon,’ she said into his tummy again. ‘I love you so much.’ Her mumbled voice touched Tamo and Tima’s hearts and she could feel their beaks poking into Talon’s wings. Matica mumbled out of his wings, ‘It’s so great, wonderful, glorious, outstanding, superb, magnificent, splendid, brilliant.’ Her tears mingled with Talon’s tummy feathers. Minutes later Talon slowly opened his wings only to let Matica drop into Tamo’s embrace the same way, as he stood ready to receive her. Matica’s voice broke down. ‘Oh, Tamo. You like his cuddle. So do I. I love you so much. Thank you.’ Staying in his embrace for a while, she felt somebody knocking at Tamo’s wing. Matica peered between Tamo’s wing feathers and saw Tima with spread out wings ready to embrace her. Delighted, she said, ‘Thank you. You really know I’m going with Dad tomorrow and comfort me. Thank you so much. I love you so much.’ All three birds nodded in unison and grunted. Tamo let go of her and she fell into Tima’s embrace . For a second she saw that Talon shook his head in surprise. But she didn’t say anything to him yet because she wanted to enjoy the embrace with Tima. ‘I love you, Tima.’ But when she let her go after several minutes, she went to Talon and said to him, stroking him over his face, ‘Why are you surprised that your parents want to give me that wonderful embrace as well? Don’t be. They love it because they love me and certainly I love it from all of you, because I love you all so much.’ She embraced Talon. ‘I know you started it. But let them do it to me as well. I certainly love it.’ Next Tima and Tamo went to Talon and kissed him. It looked to Matica as if they were thanking him for showing them how to embrace their best friend. Talon just grinned, playing naive. ‘Well, I think it’s time to depart now,’ Matica said sadly, letting her head drop again. ‘That’s it.’ The tears flowed once more. She couldn’t control it.

~~~

Ok, a little mushy, but they all loved each other! LOL And, because this was the very first real embrace from the condors, Matica was hoping, although not totally confident, that they would join them sometimes on their trip. And they did!

An interesting thing happened for Matica's father, Crayn, as they started to walk. After Matica had gotten past being sad, she started noticing...everything! Crayn admitted that he'd not seen most of what she called attention to, since he had just walked, watching the ground. Well, there was just so much that Matica had never seen, her head must have been turning all the way around! Birds to the left of them...

And Spider Monkeys to the right!

Until one brave little guy decided to find out more...

Watching the monkeys and eating their lunch, Matica was on her last one when one monkey suddenly came running along the long, fat branch that was nearest to them. Hopping over another monkey that was sitting there grooming itself, the running monkey stopped short of the end of the branch and, bending down, it stared at them, making hilarious faces. Matica laughed. Crayn grinned. ‘Isn’t he cute,’ Matica said. ‘He? Oh, right, yes.’ Next Matica stretched out her arm towards him with the last piece of bread and, opening her mouth, she wanted to say, ‘You want this?’ But before she could say the words, that movement had frightened him. The monkey jumped up then ran screaming back over the branch, bumping into the other monkey. The other monkey lost its grip and fell, screaming. But quick as it was it curled its tail around the branch, dangling until it pulled itself up. Screaming, it ran after the other monkey who was running away. Catching up with him, it slapped him in the back. The bold monkey stopped and turned around then slapped the other monkey in the face. And now a screaming and slapping fight broke out between these two monkeys. But soon they both disappeared between the others. Disappointed, Matica pursed her lips. ‘That was a bold monkey, but now he’s gone. I can’t make him out between all the others. Do you think he’ll come back?’ Crayn shrugged his shoulders. ‘If he’s curious and bold enough, he’ll come back, if he’s finished fighting. Well, that was hilarious, wasn’t it?’

 ‘Yes, that was.’ And then she called, ‘Here monkey, monkey, this bread is for you. You can have it when you come back before I eat can have it when you come back before I eat it.’ She waited for a few seconds but nothing happened. ‘He’s gone,’ she said, disappointed and wanting to bite into her bread when her father said, ‘Don’t give up too quickly. We have a little time.’ Not biting into her last piece of bread and closing her mouth again, she held it out again. Matica prayed silently: Lord, let that one come again. It would be so much fun. Then she sang out, ‘Here monkey, monkey, monkey, I have nice and delicious bread for you. I know you would want it. But you have to come to get it...can have it when you come back before I eat it.’ She waited for a few seconds but nothing happened. ‘He’s gone,’ she said, disappointed and wanting to bite into her bread when her father said, ‘Don’t give up too quickly. We have a little time.’ Not biting into her last piece of bread and closing her mouth again, she held it out again. Matica prayed silently: Lord, let that one come again. It would be so much fun. Then she sang out, ‘Here monkey, monkey, monkey, I have nice and delicious bread for you. I know you would want it. But you have to come to get it.’

~~~

So do you think Matica made friends with that monkey? You bet she did, and she even saw him on the return trip...

Now one important thing I'll mention before I move on...Matica had been very young when they moved to Peru, so she had forgotten any of the modern conveniences that were found in a large city. But the best was that all of the children already knew her and were very friendly! Readers will enjoy her reaction to, for instance, the hotel where they stayed...and the grocery store where they could find so many different varieties of the same thing... Just like I always think--how do you make a decision which to buy?!

 

Ahhhh, but the excitement hasn't even started and it certainly surpasses all the amazing things Matica and readers had already learned about! 

Only one clue before I close... I'm just not sure which is the bad guy...but...if you're in Peru, walking along, watch out for the Spiders!

Give the Guy A Chance!

There is an underlying story in this series about the need to evaluate people...and animals...by more than just their looks! How many of you have loved Beauty and the Beast. If you enjoyed the TV program as much as I did, surely you won't mind meeting... Talon and his family!

In case you haven't realized it since I'm sharing so much! I loved this book and am adding it to my personal favorites for 2015...So much to discover--in so many wonderful ways! Don't miss this one...It's a long novel but older children and teens, I think, will enjoy it just like we adults!

By the way, Matica and her father also visited the Rain Forest and Machu Picchu in this book. We visited there yesterday, remember? So, if you haven't seen the pictures for these beautiful places, as well as my review of the children's cultural program and visiting Peru, do check it out before you leave!

GABixlerReviews

Gisela (Gigi) Sedlmayer was born on 19 May 1944 in Potsdam, a suburb of Berlin in Germany.
Her family escaped to the West just before the infamous wall went up. They moved around in Germany until finally settling in Munich where Gigi studied architectural drafting and met Albert in 1965, marrying in December 1967. She worked as a civil draftsperson in various private consultancies in Munich.
Since her uncle was a writer, she tried to write short animal stories herself. Nothing further came of it, but she developed a love for the written word and started to consume books.
In May 1975, Gigi and her husband moved to New Zealand. Because of language challenges, she started a handicraft business. As a specialty, she made colourful parrots of which she sold thousands in a few years.
In 1988, they decided to adopt and became adoptive parents of twin girls the year after. They lived in New Zealand for eighteen years and moved to Australia in September 1992.
Two years later Gigi was diagnosed with cancer. After operations and radiation, she withdrew, thinking that she would probably soon be dead, like her friend who died of cancer, but her two little girls gave her the courage to keep going. After a few years, still among the living, her brain started to work again, so she thought, 'Get a grip on yourself and do something good with your life'.
She remembered the time she wrote short stories and got inspired again, seeing her husband Albert writing the story of their adoption. Her English became increasingly better so she pressed on to develop her creative writing.
Albert taught her how to use a computer and she wrote many short stories. She entered them in competitions and often got very good reports back, which gave her confidence to go on writing. One day the idea for the TALON series came to her and she spent the next several years bringing the story and the characters to life.
She now loves writing and spends most of her time at the computer, developing new story lines. She also loves travelling, 4x4 touring, swimming, gardening, handcrafting, reading, fossicking and enjoys good adventure DVD's or going to the movies.