The Lost Coast - Chapter Two

by Patrick E. Craig

Chapter Two from "The Lost Coast"
Volume Two of The Adventures of Punkin and Boo
Comments appreciated
Thanks so much,
Patrick

                          

 Chapter Two

A Real Cliff Hanger

 

         When the yellow car screamed around the corner on the wrong side of the road, John Roberts swerved to the left to avoid it.   The RV shot straight toward the cliff on the left side of the narrow highway.   His wife, Carol, shouted, and he slammed on the brakes, trying to stop the RV.  

         In the back, Punkin and Boo were thrown into the space between the wall and the bed.   Boo landed on top of Punkin with a thump and the mattress followed, pinning them beside the bed.   Up front the four adults grabbed their seats and braced for what looked like a certain and terrible crash into the ocean.   Suddenly there was a grinding noise and the RV jerked to a halt.  

         John cautiously looked over the dashboard to see where they were.   All he could see was the ocean below.  

         "I think our front end is hanging over the cliff.   Be very careful and don't move.   Punkin, Boo, stay right where you are!" John shouted.  

         "Gee," whispered Punkin, "it seems like every adventure we have starts with you crashing into me.”   

         Even though she was really scared, Boo giggled.   She was thinking about the day she had met Punkin, when she had flown down the stairs and crashed into the younger girl.   The image of a cheerio on the end of Punkin's nose and a milk-soaked city-girl outfit came into her mind and despite the precarious situation they were in, she began to laugh out loud.  

(Click on "read more" to read the rest of the chapter.)

Second Chance Angel - Chapter One

This is the first chapter of my new book "Second Chance Angel."  I hope to have this sent to the publisher within the month.  Written for all ages.  Inspirational/Devotional. Please leave constructive comments.  
Thanks,   

Patrick

  

Chapter One

Rejected

            The little lamb was born early one morning. It was the 3rd of April, but it was still raining in Northern California.  His mama was Sarah.  Sarah was only one year old and this was her first lamb.  The pains had started in the night and Sarah had become frightened and disoriented.  After she delivered her lamb, she began running around the pasture crying loudly.  Then, drawn by her instinct, she went back to the newborn and started to lick him clean.  After a few minutes she left him by himself and went back to running around the pasture. 

            That is how Farmer John found them when he came out early in the morning to feed the sheep.  There was Sarah, running around and crying, and there was her lamb, a white and forlorn little wet lump, lying in the mud.

            "Uh-oh," thought Farmer John, "looks like we got ourselves a bummer lamb."

            Carefully picking the little lamb up, he held him low to the ground so Sarah could see him, and began to walk to the barn.  He hoped that Sarah would follow him, but she didn't.  Instead Sarah began crying again.  She would take a few steps toward Farmer John and then start to run after the other sheep.  It took Farmer John an hour to get them in the barn.  He closed the door behind them and rustled around in a big cardboard box by the alfalfa bales until he found a rope with a clip on it. 

            Tying Sarah in a stall, he filled a bucket with warm water and added some molasses to help Sarah get her energy back.  He looked at the two sheep, the nervous ewe and the brand new lamb.  The barn was more like a shed, but Farmer John liked it there.  It was warm and dry and he smelled the alfalfa and the straw in the stall, slightly damp where the sheep were standing.  He looked around the barn, taking in the hay hooks on the shelf, the vet supplies in the plastic box that Farmer's Wife used to clean up foot rot and ringworm, and the empty bags in a pile that he had slit open to pour the sweet grain into the big blue plastic garbage can.

The Lost Coast - Chapter One

Chapter One from "The Lost Coast"
Volume Two of The Adventures of Punkin and Boo
Comments appreciated
Thanks so much,
Patrick

                           

 Chapter One

A Rocky Beginning

 

          "Oh pancakes," said Boo Roberts when she flubbed a key on the computer as the RV swung awkwardly around a curve on the California Coastal Highway.  It wasn't easy to search the internet while riding in the back.  "You better do this," she said to the girl lying next to her. 

         Outside it was a beautiful day on the California coast, north of Fort Bragg.  The sky was bright and filled with white clouds.  Sunlight reflected off the blue Pacific Ocean like millions of dancing candles, and shorebirds circled above the rocky cliffs leading down to the narrow beaches and teeming tide pools.  Picturesque Highway 1 meandered along the side of the cliffs high above the waves.  The sleek new RV followed the curving road headed north at sightseer speed.

         Inside the RV were John and Carol Roberts and their 14-year-old daughter, Hannah Elise Roberts, known to all as Boo.  Bob and Sharon Masters and their 13-year-old daughter,  Jacie Elizabeth Masters, affectionately known as Punkin, were traveling with them.  John Roberts was driving and Sharon was in the passenger seat.  The Masterses relaxed in matching captain's chairs behind the driver's seat.  John was concentrating on his driving but enjoying the trip.  He noticed an old man walking along the side of the road with a backpack.  The man had scraggly white hair and a torn floppy hat to keep the sun off.  He was dressed in an old wool shirt and Levis with a patch on one knee.  As John drove by, the old man looked up and smiled.  He waved as he watched the RV go by. (Click on "read more" to read the rest of the chapter.)

The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch - Chapter One

Here is a sample from my current book for your enjoyment. Please leave any constructive comments. Thanks so much.
Patrick

                                       Chapter One

              The Old Ranch

            Hannah Roberts leaned on the sill and looked through the small panes of the second story window in the old farmhouse. 

"Oh pancakes," she thought, "another gray day."  

It wasn't exactly raining, but the fog had blown in from Bodega, loaded with moisture from the cold Pacific, and the Cypress trees along the fence line dripped and looked mournful.  The mist condensed on the window and ran down over the sill in errant rivulets to attack the peeling paint on the outside of the house.  Grandpa had told her the ranch was well over one hundred years old and it really showed today.  Hannah frowned and leaned her face on her hands as she watched the billowing fog stream by.   

"I've been in Petaluma almost a week and we haven't had one sunny day yet."   

Hannah studied her reflection in the window.   Her brown hair was pulled back from her face showing her dark eyes, and the touch of red and gold in her bangs softened the strong brow and determined looking chin. "Of all the places in the world, how did I end up in California for the summer?  I miss my friends!"  

Just then she heard her Grandma call up the stairs, "Boo, breakfast is ready, honey."  The thought of Grandma’s cooking cheered her up a bit, and she liked that Grandma already called her Boo, like her folks did.  It made her feel less homesick.  "I’d rather be in Michigan," she thought and then began to get dressed. 

Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do about her situation.  Her Dad had gotten an offer for a new job in Texas, so she was staying with her grandparents while her parents looked for a new home.  Hannah hated the thought of moving from Michigan.  All her friends were there and she had been getting ready for the riding competition at the stable where she took lessons when her Mom gave her the news.  She really missed her youth group at the church.   

"My whole summer is ruined!  You'd think I could at least have a sunny day to make up for it."  The only good thing about being here was that her cousin, Jacie Masters, whom everyone called Punkin, was coming for a two-week visit.   

"I hope she’s not stuck up," thought Hannah.  "I could really use a friend right now."  Pulling on her sweatshirt, she started down to the kitchen. 

First Day on the Job

Greetings!
Today marks the beginning of what I hope will be a fruitful blogging venture. I am determined to write something every day since it is my desire to polish my craft and tune up my skills.
I am the author of one self-published book - "The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch," the first book in a series of Christian children's mystery stories. I also have several other books completed or in the works and will be writing more about them soon. Here's a bit of info about "The Adventures of Punkin and Boo" series, and about me.

The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch

Against their wishes, cousins Jacie Masters, (Punkin), and Hannah Roberts, (Boo), are thrown together for the summer at their grandparents’ Ghost Dancer Ranch. What starts as a very boring summer turns dangerous when they find themselves in the middle of an insidious plot to steal the ranch and turn it into a Casino. By clinging to their faith, and with the help of a guardian angel and a young Native American man who hopes to lead his people back to prosperity and power through the resurrection of the Ghost Dancer Religion, Punkin and Boo overcome all obstacles to solve the mystery and save the ranch.