"AJ's Ireland" is the prequel to the Saving Sailor Trilogy~

In 1967, Nine-year-old AJ wins a trip to Ireland to spend Christmas in a medieval castle. There's only one drawback; she has to bring her big Italian family along. It doesn't take long for AJ to drive her Prom Queen sister crazy with her newly acquired Irish accent and the gift of gab, or to take revenge on her brother with her Spooky Sally doll. Come enjoy Ireland through the eyes of quirky AJ, you will never see Ireland the same again.

A story set in 1968 about a quirky girl, a faithful dog, and one unforgettable summer... Set in a simpler time, Saving Sailor is a heartwarming tale of how hearts can change and relationships can be restored through love and forgiveness. After spending the first half of summer driving her Italian family crazy with her fake southern accent, A.J. finds a soul-mate on the other side of the island to divert her attention to. She is intrigued to learn that Danny shares her same love of star-gazing, and the bigger mysteries of life. Together they share an enchanting summer, along with A.J.'s faithful dog, Sailor. As A.J. and Danny endure family hardships together, they learn a lot about the price of betrayal. Set in a simpler time, Saving Sailor is a heartwarming tale of how hearts can change and relationships can be restored through love and forgiveness.  Based on a true story, sort of . . .

Spend a whole year in Tuscany with the entertaining Degulio family. What could be more fun than inheriting a crumbling castle on a hill with a cracked swimming pool? Or having your mother put on a mock Winter Olympics for the entire neighborhood--until A.J.'s sled hits that jump going a little too fast....  It's the perfect story to curl up with in front of a warm fire on a cold night ... 14 year-old A.J. may not agree that it's the perfect story, however. She's had to move away from her beloved Indian Island and her dog, Sailor --not to mention her best friend, Danny Morgan. A.J. ends up half way around the world  in Tuscany, Italy. And, she is far from thrilled about it. Thank goodness for Ceasar the horse, Napoleon the dog, and a few interesting characters living in the hills near her villa. Between nutty relatives and Italian culture A.J. finds some pretty humorous ways to try and navigate her way back to the island she longs for. And she might learn a few things about life and perspective along the way. Taking Tuscany, based on another true story . . .    sort of.

Meet the real AJ as Renee takes you back to her happy childhood full of love, laughter, neighborhood pranks, BFF's, dogs, hamsters, guppies, sibling rivalry, Hostess Twinkies and thankfully, no cell phones or computers. So grab a Twinkie and come along for the ride down memory lane! You won't want to leave!

When Liza Braun tries out for the Rainier Theater Production of Anne of Green Gables, she has no idea that the assistant director is going to do everything she can to make sure her daughter, Charlotte, is the star of the show. But when Liza wins the lead role, the play is suddenly revised so the character of Diana Berry upstages Anne Shirley in every scene---until Dillon Derry gets the part of Gilbert Blithe and decides two can play that game ..... Knowing the kind of pranks Dillon is capable of, Liza can only imagine what he has in store for OPENING NIGHT~ Join the chaos as Liza and Dillon have the time of their lives adding a little creative license to help spice things up.

“It was just me, Daddy and Sammy that made up our family after Mama went to heaven in 1956. I was only nine years old when she left us. I remember thinking she must have been needed pretty bad up there, ‘cause I sure needed her down here, but heaven got her anyway.
The three of us ran the dime store winter, spring, summer, and fall, without any outside help. We lived right above the store with a slide that landed us in the backroom, so we could look forward to going to work everyday. Summers were my favorite time of all and got a little crazy at times—but a good kind of crazy—‘cause when it got real busy, I got to work the soda fountain counter. The best part about that was getting to know everybody’s business, and believe me, there was a lot of business to know in Hog Eye Holler. “
There is something special about one’s first crush, and first waltz at the innocent age of twelve, especially in a small Southern town in the 1950’s. Farley’s Five and Dime is all of that, and more~