CRABAPPLE COURT

 CRABAPPLE COURT - an excerpt

PAGE 21 - 22

In this fashion Crabapple Court is the only street in Fairmont that is lined with these jewels. The boulevards of the five houses are deep and very long. Each boulevard boasts several crabapple trees and they provide an attractive and an ongoing all-season draw for camera-carrying tourists. Most often these visitors are spotted by the locals in the spring and early summer of each year when the pearly white to delicate pink to deep red blossoms have completed their journey toward full bloom.

These beautiful eye-catching trees do their best to hide the five houses from the curious eyes of the Fairmont residents as well as from those of the tourists who walk their dogs, their children; not to mention their jealousies, along the boardwalk on the fair weather days.

If one were to view only these five homes he might imagine he was looking at the homes of movie stars in California. Indeed, by viewing only these houses, it becomes difficult to imagine that Fairmont is a small, struggling mill town but that is exactly what it is.

However even such a town such as this requires professional people to serve the community. Every town needs a doctor, a veterinarian, a lawyer, an investment banker, and a dentist. Fairmont is no exception and in addition to these professionals Fairmont, being a one-industry town, is home to the mill's owner who just happens to own the only hotel and most of the small business establishments that hug the sidewalks along Main Street.  It is not surprising and in fact it is expected that, indeed, there will be some, if not many, upper scale homes found in a lunch-bucket town which will suit the needs of these upwardly mobile professionals.

Without exception the residents of Crabapple Court do not like to draw attention to themselves or to their homes. I know for a fact that they do not like publicity. No, sir, they do not appreciate media attention but this day, whether they like it or not, the Fairmont residents are keeping them under strict scrutiny. Indeed the eyes of the entire country are fixed upon them. ...............

CRABAPPLE COURT is available on all Amazon sites. You can find it on my Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR DIRECTLY at https://www.amazon.ca/Crabapple-Court-Audrey-Austin/dp/0978023870/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2UEL4YHJGCGAY&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9KyJHI59gjPEMyXNYCK6IA.QAfEREG9CsM0TXMGFow3rt6Hh1IFBHXkXTlZllI1OYI&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+crabapple+court&qid=1775486262&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+crabapple+court%2Cstripbooks%2C238&sr=1-1

Happy Easter 2026

 

WHEN GOD GIVES US SPRING

WHEN GOD GIVES US SPRING - an excerpt

PAGE 43 - 44

I always listened with care to the dinner and after-dinner conversations held by Master Alfred with his plantation owner friends. I learned that when a run-away slave was caught, if he was not hung by the neck on a tree branch or lynched or dragged behind a galloping horse until he was dead, he would be jailed and then delivered to a judge who would do a property evaluation before the slave was put up for public auction. Often this evaluation was reached dependent upon the number of whip welts on a slave's back.   Too many welts meant he tried to run away too often; was too difficult to control and therefore not worth as much as a run-away with fewer or no welts at all.

Of course some owners offered rewards, sometimes as much as twenty-five dollars, for the return of a run-away slave. I thought that when I ran away from home Master Alfred would probably offer a big reward for my return.

I felt fearful but I would not be deterred. I began to make my plans. 

There were many obstacles to be dealt with and overcome. First of all, I had no geographic sense of my location or of a feasible destination. Particularly during the War of 1812 I had heard talk about a place called Canada. I had no idea where this place was in relation to Alexandria, Virginia. I didn't know if it was five miles or five hundred miles away. My first goal was to determine this distance.

I wondered how I could accomplish this goal. Would I find my answer in one of Master Alfred's books? When he was not at home I would spend hours examining his bookshelves, not only those in the drawing room but also the many more books in his private library. In my entire life I had never seen a map. I had overheard maps mentioned in conversations but I had no idea what a map should look like. The fact that I did not know what I was looking for did not deter me.

For many months I searched at every opportunity and finally one afternoon in the summer of 1835 I found a large book on a library shelf. This book contained colourful shapes and I saw printed the names of many towns and cities. I was able to recognize the name Alexandria in Virginia. Such a small dot on the page for such a large place. Alexandria was the only world I knew much of anything about.

From these pictures I could see that Canada was massive. I could also see that Canada was very far away; more than three hundred miles away I figured not knowing whether my figuring was an accurate one.

I wondered how long a mile was; how long it would take to walk one mile. I had no idea and there was no one I could ask. ..................................

WHEN GOD GIVES US SPRING is available on all Amazon sites.  You will find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/When-God-Gives-Us-Spring/dp/1499106769/ref=sr_1_1?crid=112WOHSVBA4E2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.a9LsbqZla18K8mwP_OiBbhPeuJogsaTGC7_2RcO_cR0.-9lf7ppMFGLOSYxMXDY0sZdBdrkstJt1op_Whfch4F4&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+When+God+Gives+Us+Spring&qid=1775400855&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+when+god+gives+us+spring%2Cstripbooks%2C107&sr=1-1

RECOMPENSE

 RECOMPENSE: - an excerpt

PAGE 21 - 22

For thirty-nine years I lived in Salt River. Let me tell you a little about my home town.

Once a booming part of Cape Town, Salt River used to be its industrial heart. They have all since closed due to the influx of cheaper imported clothing but when I was a young fellow textile and clothing factories abounded. I also remember that on almost every street corner there was a grocery shop attached to a house. Each of these corner store houses was lived in by an East Indian family. I was told that it was only by agreeing to these living and working conditions that East Indian immigrants were permitted to live in Salt River.

My father was a black man and the law permitted him to buy a house. This is what he did and it was to this house that my mother came when they married. It was in this very same house that I was born.

My mother was a white woman and of course white people were always permitted to do anything in the world they wished. Being white in a black world guaranteed a life of privilege. But in spite of this life filled with advantage and opportunity my mother had a very difficult time.  Loneliness was her constant companion. She had few friends as there were practically none like her in Salt River.

Yes, there were other white women but these others were married to white men. These women looked down on my mother and would have nothing to do with her. No one, not the whites, not the blacks, and not the coloureds: no one looked with favour at a white woman who was foolish enough to marry a black man in Cape Town in those years. Because mother had no white friends come to our house I never met another white woman until many years later when I moved to my mother's Canadian birth place.

PAGE 23 - 24

At the time of my parents' death South Africa suffered prolonged recession. Many businesses in Salt River closed. Unemployment and crime had increased. Drug use and a rise in gangs was the situation and this combined with the fact that I had no family left there helped me to make the big decision to immigrate into Canada.

My parents willed their house to me. I was able to sell this property and it was the funds from the property sale that I carried with me into the small town of High River, Alberta.

Like I said, I was forty years old or more when Alison Pierce moved into my little bungalow in High River. Our lives together were simple. We never lived as husband and wife but we never let the rest of High River society know this about us. It was our secret ................................

RECOMPENSE is available on all Amazon sites.  You will find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

 OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/Recompense-novella-Audrey-Austin/dp/1500503010/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29UYB9LMI7VZB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FbEUoSHjD32_Xocixga_pYTgOgO7J00EDHYYcY5I7sjGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.t63fDT-j_NQsg-gbBuPIrUsGKTi0GiJYyThvC0Nmdjc&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+recompense&qid=1775316467&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+recompense%2Cstripbooks%2C106&sr=1-1

POETRY FROM A TO Z

POETRY FROM A TO Z - an excerpt

PAGE 79 - 83

JESUS 

I love the story I've been told

of a baby born long ago

in difficult times

to a young single mom

who seemed unprepared

for the power and strength

of the boy as he grew

into a manhood

admired and respected.

He walked on his journey,

was honoured and welcomed

into the hearts

and the minds of the people

he touched with his wisdom,

divinity,

touched with his hope and his love.

Two thousand and more years

have come and have gone

but

the message of Jesus has never been lost

and maybe

because the lesson is simple

or maybe

because his words were direct,

He is revered

and He is debated

but His directives

if not always followed,

are always remembered,

at least that's what they say.

Love one another

seems to be easy,

or

seems that this shouuld be a natural thing to do

but people decided

that Jesus was wrong

and they wrote their own words

to his original song.

Love one another

became

Love one another

except for

those of a different colour;

except for

those of a different religion;

except for

those of a different culture;

except for

those of a different sexual orientation;

except for 

those who make more money;

except for

those who are poorer than Job;

except for

your neighbour

and except for

yourself.

I love the story

I've been told of Jesus.

Too bad

people had to turn his story

into a fiction;

an excuse;

a reason to hate;

a church

and a building

with an ever growing number

of empty pews

because we choose not

to do as he taught

and

simply love one another.

I guess

it's not always easy

to be simple.

POETRY FROM A TO Z is an anthology of poems available on all Amazon sites.  You can find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at  https://www.amazon.ca/Poetry-Z-Audrey-Austin/dp/150098910X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=385ZRGNYF72H&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y4grRz-h0G8CDWP4uIdKcb3lm74ziGYAClccg03srUlax1Fy1S_s0gOnsDlDMvJ13EsaajgbWdUNs4Mx-7WUOw.IAeuzM6D7KXQroG_yYNx2oPN08v-cwGPCB0G7h6sVZw&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+poetry+from+a+to+z&qid=1775225685&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+poetry+from+a+to+z%2Cstripbooks%2C126&sr=1-1

ELLEN AND THE HUMMINGTREE

 ELLEN AND THE HUMMINGTREE - an excerpt

PAGE 114 - 115

Memory kept knocking on the door of my mind. I refused to answer. I refused to open the door. I felt frozen. I just wanted to go to sleep. But memory kept up its determined knock, knock, knock.

I grew tired of being stubborn and resistant. I grew plain old-fashioned tired. I gave up and I gave in. The next time memory knocked I listened as it talked to me.  Upon listening I became  vulnerable and it was my vulnerability that responded. Yes, I remember the day my mother gifted me with the beautiful, gleaming, glass angel of protection.

Once I acknowledged the memory I was able to pull myself out of the old chair. With two legs to stand on I walked across the floor of the living-room and stretched my needful arm up just far enough to allow my empty fingers to wrap around the angel's shiny, smooth body.

Touching the angel lifted my heart. Today this act of touch was very different from days past when I would quicky grab it just long enough to wrap the dusting cloth around it.

Today this act of touch enabled me to feel my mother's love as it flowed through me. It was as thouugh she were saying, "Didn't I always take good care of you? Wasn't I always a good mother? Just because I've gone to my heavenly home does not mean I won't continue to be with you. My child, don't you know I will be with you always?"

The tangled knot in my stomach began to unravel as I felt my mother's loving protection flow through the angel and throughout my body until I was filled with love from head to toe.

At last I was ready. I was more than ready to do what I knew had to be done. ...........

ELLEN AND THE HUMMINGTREE is available on all Amazon sites.  You will find it in my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/ELLEN-HUMMINGTREE-Audrey-Austin/dp/1926614674/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1MJWCPO7LF0I6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.JcIT7S9JcTSZVLHWqqDYTF0hzo9XJ0-PxTIby6Z3j67GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.-VYloX8XPD0Zl1Nxd5r6GLVlMcO3EdymDVCTE91L_4E&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+ellen+and+the+hummingtree&qid=1775142390&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+ellen+and+the+hummingtree%2Cstripbooks%2C112&sr=1-1

KEEPING IT SIMPLE - Imagine Being Whole

 KEEPING IT SIMPLE - Imagine Being Whole - an excerpt

PAGE 14 - 15

Working with light and dark, you are given the opportunity to shine a light on those aspects of self that lurk in the shadows of your being. Your fears and losses find avenues of expression. A safe way is discovered to acknowledge and honour the grief, hurt, guilt, and anger feelings that have been long repressed in the dark basement of the soul.

With the assistance of a trained therapist or counselor these represssed feelings can be felt, owned, and worked through in a safe environment. There are no good or bad emotions. There are simply emotions desiring recognition, gratitude, transformation and release in a manner which will enhance the student's life.  Meditation is a pathway leading to a desire for emotional, spiritual, and physical healing.

Through meditation, as a willing student, you will meet your wounded inner child; that aspect of your being that survived childhood but still bears the scars and burdens of not being seen, not being heard, and not being honoured for the wonderful person you truly are.

A willing meditation practitioner will begin to understand that the outward manifestation of poor physical health can be transformed through understanding the spiritual, emotional blockages that were formed as necessary defenses in childhood.

There are many reasons to make meditation a part of your lifestyle .....................

KEEPING IT SIMPLE - Imagine Being Whole is available on all Amazon sites. It can be found in my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/KEEPING-SIMPLE-Imagine-Being-Whole/dp/0978023838/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3VZ7N6XFUO8TV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wAkOhsE7Cqaky74BHeslAg.JfOZ0Hl2IEdKA7MDhwRB-W1VkN_UlHhDWJERMyACEbU&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+keeping+it+simple&qid=1774895770&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+keeping+it+simple%2Cstripbooks%2C120&sr=1-1

Is Age Really Just a Number?

 If you find yourself saying no more often than yes to invitations; if you find yourself saying no to new activities, new adventures, then I hope you will check out my latest publication titled "Is Age Really Just a Number? This is not a book to just sit back and read. This is a book that asks you to do the work, answer the questions, complete the assignments. Is Age Really Just a Number is a workbook and it is only by having paper and pen handy, and by doing the work, that you will receive the benefits offered by this publication.

https://www.amazon.ca/AGE.../dp/B0GHNT5N9F/ref=sr_1_2...

SOCIAL STUDIES, BOOK THREE - Weaving Alice plus Eleven

 SOCIAL STUDIES, BOOK THREE - Weaving Alice Plus Eleven

An excerpt from "It Doesn't Matter" - one of twelve short stories contained in this anthology.

PAGE 98 - 99

Back inside the trailer again Miles proceeded to remove the dresser from the wall. The screws were very rusty and it wasn't the easy job he had anticipated. Pulling the small dresser towards him he saw a letter fall from behind it. Curious, he picked the letter up. If he hadn't already been on his hands and knees he would have fallen to his knees in shock because written on the sealed envelope was the name Kimberly Patterson, Miles's mother. 'How is this possible?' Miles asked the empty space. He noticed the date stamped on the envelope was August 19, 1949. "That's my birth date! How is this possible?"

He slipped the unopened envelope into his pocket to read later. For now his curiosity drove him to open the two drawers in the dresser. The first drawer seemed filled with bed sheets but when he opened the bottom drawer the other strange thing he found screwed to the back of the drawer was a small, old wooden box that had been glued shut.

Miles unscrewed the box from the back of the dresser drawer. Holding it in his hands he was almost afraid to open it but open it he knew he must. It wasn't easy but with the screwdriver he managed to pry it open without doing too much damage to the box. Miles could not believe what was revealed to him..............

SOCIAL STUDIES, BOOK TWO - Weaving Alice Plus Eleven is an anthology of short stories available on all Amazon sites.  You can find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/SOCIAL-STUDIES-Three-Weaving-Eleven/dp/099371630X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=E5ILDIWTZKFS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.L4-dkbC0EQA92Un8cZEvUrY2A1FgDlH4MeYHcJPJDKs.Bwfp4oo-y3agDxXiPm9PjIISg3MlWC4rvTdxCFHrWOs&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+social+studies+book+three&qid=1774789751&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+social+studies+book+three%2Cstripbooks%2C115&sr=1-1

SOCIAL STUDIES, BOOK TWO - Shattered and Broken

 SOCIAL STUDIES, BOOK TWO  - Shattered and Broken - an excerpt

No Mercy for Magdalena - Page 69 - 70  (one of 12 stories in this short story anthology)

I felt I had no choice. I moved into the circle with Katie.  I removed my pretty yellow sundress and danced topless. The boys, including Andreas, circled us and I felt their filthy hands on my body. Where is the gun, I wondered. It did not appear that Andreas was carrying it nor did it appear that one of the other boys had a gun. As I danced I looked around. Then I saw the gun lying on a shelf on the barn's wall behind where Andreas was dancing.

Without motioning or saying anything to Katie I knew what I had to do. I danced toward Andreas. I danced as provocatively as I could. I wanted to make sure that he noticed nothing and no one but me. I danced close to his tall, lean, blue-jeaned body and I moved in such a way that he began to dance backward toward the wall.

"Let's be alone," I whispered in his ear.

Oh, yes, he liked my suggestion.  Once we were close enough to the back wall of the barn I reached out both my arms to put them around the neck of the handsome Andreas. It wasn't difficult. I soon had the gun in my hand.

"Move it!" I shouted.

Gun in hand I ordered the boys to stand together in the centre of the barn. "Come over here, Katie," I yelled.

With Katie standing behind me it was all I could do to keep my hand from shaking in order to keep it pointed where it needed to be; at the heart of Andreas Christakos. When I looked into his eyes, I saw no fear. I saw only mockery and amusement. He knows I won't shoot him. But do I? ......................

SOCIAL STUDIES, BOOK TWO - Shattered and Broken is an anthology of short stories focused on contemporary social issues available on all Amazon sites.  You will find it on my author's page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at  https://www.amazon.ca/SOCIAL-STUDIES-Shattered-Broken-Eleven/dp/0978023897/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Q9UEU726NLW3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BHL2BIlsT2nos8agrwG9-i4BTCdHKGquvCHv8e0cMp3GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.cF-jm2ilQBpSuAyMAuRq1a6o1toc2mHdp3c4BQPWzoM&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+social+studies+book+two&qid=1774541652&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+social+studies+book+two%2Cstripbooks%2C192&sr=1-1

SOCIAL STUDIES, Book One - 'Dying To Be Popular'

 SOCIAL STUDIES, Book One - Dying to be Popular - an excerpt

PAGE 59 -  62 - 'Quest for Cammirand'  (one of the twelve stories in this anthology)

"Don't know nuthin, don't care nuthin."

Not even slightly put off by the rude response, Peter calmly stated. "First of all, I need to know who I'm talking to. I'm not here to waste my time or yours. Are you the owner of this camp?"

Unused to people standing up to him the fellow recognized the authority in the investigator's voice. Since as a teenager he had spent his first stint in jail for stealing cars he was afraid of authority. His fear made the decision to back down and go along with whatever the guy had in mind. The quicker the city slicker was off his land the better he'd like it. "I'm Gordie Karlin. I'm the owner of this place. I don't know nuthin about no Cammy Gauthier."

Not missing a trick Peter smiled knowing he was first time lucky. "But  you know people called her Cammy, eh? How did you happen to know that if you don't know anything about her? When was she here?"

"Oh, geez! All right, so she was here. It's a long time ago, gotta be five or six years ago. Came looking for my sister, Liz."

"So tell me what happened, Gordie. Best to tell me now, eh? We don't want to bring in the police do we?" His subtle threat produced the hoped for result.

"Police? Are you crazy? I don't want no cops around here. I got enough trouble. Geez, I told you I don't know nuthin. She came here looking for Liz. She was Liz's friend, nothing to do with me. When she came looking for Liz I did what I always do, kept my nose out of other people's business."

"So tell me what happened, Gordie," Peter persisted.

"I don't know who did it, I swear to God. I didn't know a darn thing about it until Liz came and said she was leaving with Cammy."

"Tell me what happened, Gordie," Peter repeated.

"Okay, okay, but I'm telling you I don't know nuthin. Cammy had only been here about a week or so. She was staying with Liz in the trailer. Liz comes running here one night telling me two guys jumped Cammy when she was walking back to the trailer from the outhouse. I don't know who they were. Honest to God, I don't know nuthin. The girl was pretty beat up. She was crying to beat the band and Liz tells me she was raped by those guys."

"Did you report this to the police?  ...........................

SOCIAL STUDIES, Book One - Dying to Be Popular - is available on all Amazon sites.  You can find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at  https://www.amazon.ca/SOCIAL-STUDIES-Dying-Popular-Eleven/dp/0978023889/ref=vo_sr_l_dp_bo_ff?crid=39ZFOOUA9QAXH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yIDKNt6R1LSNHQkNulz5N0rrjOFJQO7tPdikNG1CpTvGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.RyDFQh_QrnGRzXto8o3zh52_VaiJjL3ENhzhuqNVHhw&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+social+studies+book+one&qid=1774449227&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+social+studies+book+one+%2Cstripbooks%2C181&sr=1-1

Beat the Bias Bazaar - March 21 2026

 

Beat the Bias Bazaar was a celebration of entrepreneurial women hosted by the Elliot Lake Women's Group on March 21st, 2026, at the Collins Hall in Elliot Lake.

I was pleased to be invited as one of those to have a vendor's table. I attended with a good selection of my books, and three paintings.

It was such a pleasure to see many good friends, old and new, at this event.  The turnout was low due to the fact that we had for days before endured a massive blizzard that did its best to bury Elliot Lake under snow.

Despite the low attendance, I was pleased to have sold all but two titles from my table.  And I am very happy to say that these two books have since sold.  

I received many compliments on my acrylic paintings but, alas, no sales.  I'm running out of walls at home and I truly do want to sell my paintings.  Until today I've sold about twenty-three paintings, but I still have plenty more to choose from.  Please message me if you are seeking colour for your walls.  I love colour and my paintings demonstrate that love.

Special thanks to Becca, Women's Group representative, for the invitation to attend.  It was a lovely day, and thanks to all who purchased one of my books.  

with my author friend, Margaret Fler

March 21, 2026, Collins Hall

me with dear friend, Kim Williamson

My vendor table, Beat the Bias Bazaar

Only two titles left on my table. They have since sold.

BEYOND THE BLUE

BEYOND THE BLUE - an excerpt

 PAGE 38 39

Before he even reached the sidewalk in front of their house he heard his mother's cry. "Anthony, dear God, what has happened to your arm?"

He offered his usual response. "It's nothing, mom. We were just rough-housing in the schoolyard is all."

"Let me take a look at that arm," she insisted. "Come along into the house and let me see what needs to be done this time. Have you been fighting?"

"No mom, honest. I haven't been fighting."

Suddenly from nowhere he had remembrance of the whisper, "Enigami." And the whisper caused him to carefully consider what his mother had asked.  Fighting? I'm not a fighter, he realized. I'm a coward. Dad was a fighter. He wouldn't let anybody push him around. If dad were here I would be a fighter too. He would back me up. Without him I'm just a hopeless weakling. No wonder the bullies pick on me this year. They know I'm a coward; might as well be wearing a big sign on my back. I know I should fight back. I know I should do a lot of things I don't do.

Tony knew twelve-year-old boys don't cry but the tears just seemed to be covering his face like a blanket. "There, there," his mother soothed. "It's okay, son. We can patch this up with a bit of salve. It will take the bite out of it and you will be as good as new. Don't cry, Tony. It's okay."

That evening after supper Anthony thought about the shadowy shape he had seen beyond the blue. As he finished his bath and climbed into his pyjamas ready for another night's sleep he thought about the upcoming school day. Pushing the worrisome thoughts about bullies out of his mind he turned his thoughts to the magical window. I want to see the shape more clearly. Tomorrow I will look beyond the blue and I will see the shape more clearly, he resolved.

BEYOND THE BLUE is available in paperback, kindle, and audiobook formats on all Amazon sites.  You will find it on my author's page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at  https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=Audrey+Austin+beyond+the+blue&i=stripbooks&crid=W0QX36VEXVNR&sprefix=audrey+austin+beyond+the+blue%2Cstripbooks%2C112&ref=nb_sb_noss

paperback cover

audiobook cover

DINNER AT SEVEN

 DINNER AT SEVEN, a romance novel - an excerpt

PAGE 32-33

I am sitting at the table enjoying my second-favourite pastime, people-watching, when I get the creepy feeling that I, too, am being watched.

I am surprised by the voice behind me. "Good morning, Marsha."

Turning at the sound of the now familiar voice, I smile.  "David, what a surprise to see you here."

Without waiting for an invitation he sits down across the table from me.

"I love antiques," he admits. "I come down here to visit the market, Marsha, but meeting you here is far more pleasurable than anything I could have planned to happen today. How are you?"

"Fine! Great!" I am surprised to realize that I am speaking the truth. My headache which has been incessant since awakening this morning suddenly disappears.

Reaching across the table, David takes my hand and playfully pulls me to my feet. "Let's walk."

I'm tired of fighting with myself. I return his smile. My headache is gone. My loneliness has vanished. We walk along the water's edge for a while and then up past the children's art park to Front Street. Heading east, we come to the Harbour Castle Hotel and the entrance to the Island Ferry Docks. "Let's escape to Centre Island, Marsha. It's not a Caribbean cruise but it's the best I can do on short notice."

I hesitate.

I can tell he notices my hesitation. He lowers his voice and quietly asks, "Please, Marsha, spend the day with me."

DINNER AT SEVEN is available on all Amazon sites. You can find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/Dinner-At-Seven-romance-novel/dp/1508636184/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Q4CD73C05HFH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.whMpDnM7iy6tCInxT1aC8A.yBlgbXHex9q9uDAsTMBXFP5eSImxJS5X2iqyiH7Rv2w&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+dinner+at+seven&qid=1774186598&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+dinner+at+seven%2Cstripbooks%2C107&sr=1-1

MOOSE ROAD, a Canadian Tragedy

 MOOSE ROAD, a Canadian Tragedy - an excerpt

PAGE 21-22

Angel is my name. I'm named after my mother who died twenty-one years ago on the day I was born. I've never had the pleasure of meeting her; at least not that I can remember. Did we meet when I nestled safe and warm within her womb? I like to think that we did but I don't know. I can't recall and I guess I will never know for certain.

I'm told by my dad that she died on her bed right here in this house even before she gave birth to me. I think being born to a dead woman is about as creepy as anything can get but I'm told that's what happened. Thinking about it grosses me out. Though I try not to let my mind dwell on it, this knowledge is ingrained within my very being. Until now I have found no escape route from this harsh reality but I continue to search. I can only hope that one day I will find deliverance,

It is true that I find it very hard if not impossible to forget about the way I entered this cruel world. The biggest reason for that is something I blame on my father. One of the greatest problems I have is that my dad always likes to remind me of my mother's passing. He heaps the blame upon my head and has done so since I was a very little girl. He condemns me for my mother's death. Too often he will say to me, "If it weren't for you she would still be here with me."

Like a broken record he is.  It's almost a daily ritual. 

He also likes to remind me of my dependence upon him. "Where would you be without me, Angel?"

When he asks this question he doesn't expect an answer from me and I don't disappoint him. I want to tell him to be quiet; to just shut up but I've grown accustomed to offering him silence and I don't know how to break this habit. I hide in my silence.  It is my refuge.

His question scares me because, though I don't like where I am, I fear that where I could be without him might be even worse. Then I ask myself how anything could be worse. How could anything be worse than this sick, evil existence I am forced to endure?

MOOSE ROAD, a Canadian Tragedy is available on all Amazon sites.  You will find it on my Amazon Author's page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/Moose-Canadian-Tragedy-Audrey-Austin/dp/1492860182/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1HAQE0MRSM2ZU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6oMcI_sZR0UNDB5Ld44r2diGjhc5Ixptq3-cR9eFm1-pSr-yUY6CPfyGEdJAq6Rt.jc8_TvLsRz9JfajJeiXSqtpxD7mLO4USwpuK229STTg&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+Moose+Road&qid=1774028150&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+moose+road%2Cstripbooks%2C123&sr=1-1

REAWAKENING

 REAWAKENING - an excerpt

Once he found an open wave he was quick to begin transmitting his data into the huge memory bank. For the first file he sent; George, 14879328; Numas, black, five feet seven inches, one hundred and forty pounds; accepted heat engagement; movement apparent at first inspection.

He went through all the files in exactly this manner until, once again, he needed to transmit the seventh. This time he slowed his transmission process a little and allowed a slight intrusion of his analytical process while he worked.

He sent; Linda, 775923, Nufem, white, five feet two inches, one hundred and five pounds, accepted heat engagement.  Then he stopped momentarily to analyze. He could see nothing unusual in the data, nothing that would explain his strange behaviour the previous evening. Again he began to send Movement apparent .....

He hesitated.  He wondered if he should record her unusual movements. Never in his career had a Newold actually grasped the hand of a Prime or even that of a Midescent. It was unheard of that an Analytical Prime could not make a quick decision, but Jim found it impossible to decide whether he should report the Newold's behaviour or keep the information to himself. He did not really want any extra work or hassle from his supervisor. He was over-worked as it was. Already, Jim had begun to think of Linda, 775923 as his very own and very special one in seven.  Realizing this, at last he was capable of making a decision. He decided not to transmit information about the uncommon occurrence and instead sent the message, Movement apparent at first inspection.

The data transmissio was complete. Jim stood up from behind his desk, walked across the office floor and stepped onto the travel platform. In an instant he once more stepped off the platform inside the Entry Centre.

REAWAKENING is available on all Amazon sites.  You can find it on my Amazon Author's page at https://amazon.com/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/Reawakening-Audrey-Austin/dp/1508652228/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1CS5S2841EGML&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.xVL88zY25fFalcGCqRY3ojbKHF9FgQrzLBZ3qsi1ZpbxYlnVoPyi_z02PIdXGvxpnBYt24UgWRlOw7MjHeIiQ-L_8FIZ8W7G52DNVhST1gw.-lWq-qv_TQhwhpdiQVUbnZoiCt5IdLkhh1yHNpoJOLE&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+reawakening&qid=1773756375&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+reawakening%2Cstripbooks%2C109&sr=1-1

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SARA, a Canadian Saga

 SARA, a Canadian Saga - an excerpt

PAGE 19

"Mama, why did you name me Sara? Am I named after someone in the family?"

"Now aren't you just full of curious questions today? No, my child, you are not named after someone in the family. I chose your name. I named you after Sarai in the Bible."

"Who was she, mama?"

"Sarai was a strong woman. She was someone who never gave up. And she was a dutiful wife to her husband, Abraham. Just like someday you will do your duty and be a good wife to someone.  Now enough of your questions! There, you've done a good job. I'll finish up here now and you run along out to play. It will soon be your bedtime."

"Okay, mama."

Alone once again in her kitchen, Rebecca sat in a chair. She leaned over the table and cradled her head in her arms.  With eyes closed she prayed, "Dear God, do I expect too much of Brent? After all men aren't supposed to know about the importance of new tables and other such things. If you had intended them to understand such delicate matters you would have made them female. And won't the women laugh when I tell them what Sara asked me. Couldn't I just look after myself? Indeed! Where on earth does the child pick up such foolishness? Looks like I named her well. Lord, give me strength. Amen."

Rebecca stood up and walked back to the kitchen sink. She wasted no time in finishing the supper dishes. She didn't want to be late for her meeting.

SARA, a Canadian Saga is available on all Amazon sites.  You will find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/Sara-Canadian-Saga-Audrey-Austin/dp/1492848697/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RLFLXIPE1S2F&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.MP4KMXSq6XywuTpYeSmjnw.vT2HTWpLJcvDZkHoDCuGnf8GSXdIeLaCuejFe1XKq1Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+Sara+a+Canadian+Saga&qid=1773587820&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+sara+a+canadian+saga%2Cstripbooks%2C114&sr=1-1

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IS AGE REALLY JUST A NUMBER?

IS AGE REALLY JUST A NUMBER? - an excerpt

PAGE 48 - 49

Without fail, at every single workshop I have facilitated, I have chosen to close each one with a song. I encourage participants to form a circle, hold hands, and sing from the heart. Everyone can sing! Yes, some carry a tune better than others, but everyone can sing. As for me, I say I can carry a tune as long as I don't have to carry it far.

In this instance, you are possibly alone reading this little book. You are not in a group setting. But that doesn't mean you cannot sing, does it?

Here are the words to the song. I'm sorry, but in this instance you will need to make up your own tune.

Everyone marches to their own drummer; everyone sings to his own delight, and with no question, everyone can sing!

How Could Anyone Ever Tell You

How could anyone ever tell you

That you're anything less than beautiful?

How could anyone ever tell you

That you're less than whole?

How could anyone fail to notice

That your loving is a miracle?

How deeply

You're connected to my soul.

PAGE 50

I was always a great fan of Shirley MacLaine. I loved her book titled "Out on a Limb". I often think of her out there on that limb.

Let's all get out on a limb, have faith, take a chance, and when we feel most alone, may we always know that we are all bound to the wheel.

We are never alone.

"Circle of Friends"

IS AGE REALLY JUST A NUMBER?  is available on all Amazon sites.  You will find this workbook on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/AGE-REALLY-JUST-NUMBER-Empowerment/dp/B0GHNT5N9F/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Y1XXDGIHFXBO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Y-mYmPdrniU9sf_nNPNbtw._yFa2EogZzDQ4FURsFd2OmzTw6O53bnmqXbYyl83uS8&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin+is+age+really+just+a+number&qid=1773409311&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+is+age+really+just+a+number%2Cstripbooks%2C107&sr=1-1

ALMOST TIME TO LEAVE

 ALMOST TIME TO LEAVE - an excerpt

PAGE 129 - 130

My apartment was in the basement. While living there, I learned that World Vision, an organization through which I had adopted a little girl, had left Peru due to the terrorizing activities of the Sendero Luminoso, or The Shining Path in English. The Shining Path is officially the Communist Party of Peru.

Sendero Luminosa was widely condemned for its excessive brutality, including violence against peasants. It was also violent toward trade union organizers, Marxist groups, and the general public.

They were regarded as a terrorist organization by the Government of Peru, as well as by Japan, the European Union, the United States and Canada.

The year I travelled to meet Yeny was 1991. This was my first and, so far, only visit to a country where military tanks and soldiers were evident on many corners.

My foster child, Yeny, lived in the City of Puno in Peru. And it was from this city that World Vision workers departed. Shining Path founder, Abimael Guzman was captured in 1992.

I visited in the home of Yeny Ponce, her mother, and sisters .............

ALMOST TIME TO LEAVE - a memoir is available on all Amazon sites.  You can find it on my author's page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/ALMOST-TIME-LEAVE-Audrey-Austin/dp/B0G4R9FNBJ/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1F00M81TE8CAI&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kuLPnuaPqcnv6nefgF0RPG0WLlG7NLkTstnu9yns3_pQZ7jQfYhaQ2jfa_wa6NNsmZm60Sp_fOVXWg-pQ8bRrBaHQuMyXKVZMxkC5foXbI7wDd06dQgq-FJ0NPo8s6HH1hmhFSyAlcw4YSvR8PtFvTKpA7t1aBUex2uCRTk9ki6XivqnVW3betJDZDMRqf5-mBCCnJLlBLwIp0xap-416wWBxhTf6lAqjZk5RZSVy_A.oe8kDKkYvW63n7E5WZ0abxSL2XSJsn6Ros0adOnlsCE&dib_tag=se&keywords=Audrey+Austin&qid=1773245127&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+%2Cstripbooks%2C122&sr=1-2

MORE POartRY and PROSE

 MORE POartRY and PROSE - an excerpt

PAGE 63

Our world is not the same world in which I grew up.

People have always struggled but I get the impression that today the struggle is tougher than it was in bygone days. I believe this is because too many people have lost hope in a brighter future.

Too many are devoid of faith in anything outside of themselves.

I don't know what the future holds. Our planet is filled with wars, hunger, drugs, homelessness, violence, hatred, and fear. Perhaps it always has been but, because of social media, we see and hear much more about this negativity.

We do our best to keep our homes peaceful and safe but with social media, T.V., and cell phones, it is difficult to escape all the ugliness taking place in our world.

I pray for all the little ones coming up.  I wonder what kind of a world my little Cecilia and her friends will find themselves in when they are grown.

PAGE 54

"Pretty in Print"

Even today in our modern 2023 world, I hear female friends saying, "Oh, this weather is perfect for hanging the clothes on the line."

Today, those women who have an outdoor space are blessed to be given a choice. They can choose to hang the clothes on the line or they can choose to throw the clothes into the dryer.

My mother had no choice. In fact, in the early being Mommy days of my life, I had no choice. The electric or gas dryers became popular in the fifties but weren't commonly used by the average family until the early sixties.

I have early childhood memories of my mother hanging clothes on the line in the backyard on good-weather days. I also remember the many bad-weather days when she would hang the wet clothes on lines hung in the basement and even in the kitchen where it was warm by the gas fire.

On cold winter days when she hung the clothes outside on the line, I remember the clothes freezing solid. I remember my poor mother's hands rough and sometimes bleeding. And I remember her carrying the stiff, frozen clothes into the house. The clothes thawed quickly and she would be faced with the task of hanging them again in the basement or kitchen.

As for looking pretty in print, yes, indeed my mother did wear pretty print dresses when I was a child. She called them housedresses, not to be confused with her afternoon dresses and her evening dresses.

MORE POartRY and PROSE is available on all Amazon sites.  You can find it on my Amazon Author's Page at https://amazon.com/author/audreyaustin

OR directly at https://www.amazon.ca/MORE-POartRY-PROSE-Audrey-Austin/dp/1979092613/ref=sr_1_1?crid=A1S5NKS29ODO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.72huPoxx4BXKx9Wtamsknp-edxBvHb6jvOw4ZJPjMplkDpXs6i3YCGftSCTFCiMjRVFCI8lWy79BaRIFC8d59lFSYc3kW12SOLIY8EPE74ZEZp-gaIVjQw_S-i8emwYe_oQam0eMRHGDN-fXXTvE2DFsR-ybeIQO5wdcfkdh4aM.rMFsEombHea0WHoU0uB41E14nWoaKkUMSWi133PpTKA&dib_tag=se&keywords=audrey+austin+more+poetry+and+prose&qid=1773173795&s=books&sprefix=audrey+austin+more+poartry+and+prose%2Cstripbooks%2C115&sr=1-1