by Rhett DeVane
“You’re gonna have bad times – keep you up worryin’ nights. When you can’t get to sleep easy, count your blessin’s. They’ll keep comin’, the more you count, and besides, who wants a room full of sheep anyhow.”
Piddie Davis Longman
Afterword
Ruth Hornsby’s latest painting hangs in a prominent position on a wall in the reception room of the Triple C Day Spa and Salon.
The scene depicts the hazy figure of a beehive-haired woman in a print dress standing in the middle of a vast field of yellow flowers. A small suitcase sits by her feet. A faint smile lights her indistinct facial features. One hand is lifted in a wave.
I suppose it’s left to the viewer to decide if the wave means hello or goodbye.
Goodbye is too final.
I like to think of it as a hello.
THE END
If you enjoyed this book, the author would appreciate the time you take to leave a review on the Kindle book’s webpage on Amazon.
Like the Southern folks in Rhett’s book? Take a look at her other titles available online with Amazon. Find info on future releases and current titles on her website, www.rhettdevane.com.
She thanks you, hon!
A Note from the Author
The tragic events of September 11, 2001, shook me, like the nation, with deep shock and lingering sorrow. The inclusion of the historic terrorist attack in this work of fiction is in no way my attempt to capitalize on the event.
At the time, I was busy composing in current time within a real-life setting. The characters were well established, and the plot plan stretched out in a seamless line. Nine-eleven jerked the action to a halt and forced the characters into uncharted territory, as it did for all of us here in reality-land.
I have attempted to handle the retelling with the reverence and respect it deserves. My prayers still include the family and loved ones who must carry on.
Acknowledgements
By the grace of God, I have been allowed to share my stories with the world.
A special thank you:
To all of the readers who have waited patiently for this book. I do not forget for one moment that you spend your hard-earned money to purchase my writing.
To manuscript proofreaders, Ann Macmillian and Joy Hevey.
To my wonderful family, for putting up with me over the years. To my mother, the most Divine DeVane.
To Denise Fletcher, for her devotion and support, and for hauling cases of books from pillar to post.
To law enforcement experts: Dick Barnes, Cathy Kennedy, Chris Garrison, and Kelly Walker.
To nursing experts: Mary Menard, RN, Tonya A. Harris, RN, MN, Associate Professor of Nursing(retired).
To Leigh Ansley for heading up the cheering section, and Stefanie Shippy for providing her bizarre wit. To Lillian Tilford for shining forth her brilliant light.
To my boss, Dr. Bill Cooke, and all of my coworkers.
And to all of my friends and patients who have continued to encourage me through it all.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’d kiss each and every one of you right on the lips if I had the energy.
About the Author
Rhett DeVane is a true Southerner, born and raised in the muggy, bug-infested forests of the Florida panhandle. For the past thirty-plus years, Rhett has made her home in Tallahassee, located in Florida’s Big Bend area, where she splits her workdays between her two professions: dental hygienist and novelist.
Rhett is the author of four published mainstream humorous fiction novels set in her hometown of Chattahoochee, a place with “two stoplights and a mental institution on the main drag”: The Madhatter’s Guide to Chocolate, Up the Devil’s Belly, Mama’s Comfort Food, and Cathead Crazy. She is coauthor of two novels: Evenings on Dark Island with Larry Rock and Accidental Ambition with Robert W. McKnight.
“One of the best things,” Rhett says, “is sharing my brand of Southern crazy with others. When I write, and especially when I step in front of a mic, the stand-up comedian that idles inside me snatches the wheel. I never know where that kook will take me.”
Rhett donates a portion of her book royalties to support causes in which she believes. “It is important—no, vital—that I use what life has provided, to help others. Even small amounts over time add up. I may be a tiny ripple in a big pond, but that ripple can still make a difference.”
Rhett writes to stay balanced. The way this world is today, it’s a must. “Humor lifts me. I think it lifts others. As long as I am on this side of the dirt, I will find a way to laugh, and to share that with as many people as possible.”
To learn more about Rhett and her writing, visit her website and blogs:
Rhett’s website:
www.rhettdevane.com
Rhett’s crazy Southern blog:
www.southernhat-titude.blogspot.com
The Writers4Higher blog:
www.writers4higher.blogspot.com
