Chronicles of MatiLou and PerryAnn

In 1973, the summer of change, Perry Ann lost her parents in a tragic accident. Then, in 1983, the summer of hard choices, PerryAnn and her best friend, MatiLou, pursued answers to what happened on that fateful day. A past love interest, Billy, who may have been involved, accosted PerryAnn, forcing her to make hard choices.

MatiLou is 11, the brightest one in her class, and an only child.  She’s wished for a sister and on the hottest day, PerryAnn, who is 14, appears on Grandma Waters’ cactus farm next door. PerryAnn’s grandmother sells the minerals rights under the farm and begins drinking heavily while in the midst of grieving the loss of her only son, PerryAnn’s father. The threat of external change to the beloved cactus farm looms throughout the story because three men in steel toe boots have come to stake a well right in front of Grandma Waters’ house.

Summer of Hard Choices is a mystery with a mission to find the truth. In the first novella Summer of Change, PerryAnn’s parents died when their VW bus careened off the road. Now, 10 years later, she and MatiLou embark on the quest to find out what happened that fateful day. In the search of truth, they brush imminent danger. PerryAnn deals with trauma from losing her family. MatiLou still deals with scars from bullying during her childhood. The truth about the accident offers some solace, yet they have hard choices to make as they navigate their experiences. 

In Alone on a Cliff, the girls return to the cliff where they spent a night stranded in 1973 while on a trek PerryAnn hatched to find Billy. Now, over 20 years later, they are on a trek to find Billy again, only this time, it isn't only Billy they are searching for. Unhealed wounds, the healing balm of forgiveness, and gratitude for those who stand by us weave the story like threads running through a tapestry. Through it all, MatiLou and PerryAnn always return to the most important quest they share: to care for Mother Earth.

In 1973, Perry Ann lost her parents in a tragic accident. Then in 1983, Perry Ann and her best friend MatiLou pursued answers as to what happened on that fateful day. A past love interest, Billy, who may have been involved, accosted Perry Ann, forcing her to make hard choices. And in 1995, he continued to push Perry Ann to the brink of desperation.