The Lighthouse

by Mary Schramski

Published 25 October 2005

I've never been close with my father...

Even though I'm his only child. We were both held together by my mother, the warm, dancing flame attracting the quiet moths. Dad was always on the other side of the sun; I could never reach him.

Now Mom's gone. It's Christmas. And my unapproachable father is chasing a wild, crazy, impossible dream. He's putting everything he has into restoring an old, abandoned lighthouse that Mom loved.

Yet, after a while, something about restoring the landmark started to make sense. Because in the glow of that beacon, a wife and mother was not gone, but instead was showing her two most treasured people the way toward peace.


Falling Out of Bed

by Mary Schramski

Published 25 April 2006

WAKE UP! WAKE UP! LIFE IS HAPPENING WHILE YOU SLEEP...

Melinda had never questioned her perfect life. Why should she? Her husband's successful, she's not working for the first time in years and their only daughter is in college. Her father-a workaholic, perfectionist, runner and health nut to boot-is happy and healthy, too.

Or so Melinda thought until her father quite literally falls out of bed. Suddenly her formerly robust parent is in jeopardy, and their roles are reversed. Melinda's life changes in the blink of an eye.

But with the changes, unexpected blessings come her way, too. Because as she and her father bond, Melinda realizes she's been sleeping through life-and starts discovering what really matters....


Holiday Wishes

by Kate Austin, Stevi Mittman, and Mary Schramski

Published 21 November 2006

Whose Number Is Up, Anyway?

by Stevi Mittman

Published 1 August 2007

Literally, he's had it for every hour of the day for as long as Teddi's known him.

So it's no coincidence that minutes after Teddi stumbles accidentally on a corpse in the deep freeze at King Kullen, Detective Dreamboat is back on the scene. Her supermarket snob (among other things) of a mother will never let her hear the end of it. Nor will Drew, who has told Teddi time and again she's got to stop messing with murder scenes.

Until Teddi goes from material witness to potential next victim… But the woman whose smarmy ex dubbed her "Long Island's Most Dangerous Decorator" isn't going down without a fight. Or going down alone. Not when she's got an oh-so-irritating, way-too-irresistible cop watching her every move…


Seeing Is Believing

by Kate Austin

Published 1 October 2007

"What is it with you and murder victims?"

When Drew Scoones asks the questions, Teddi Bayer listens. Her latest decorating job for a restaurant spoiled by a murder, Ms. Bayer might just have to submit to the detective's line of interrogation. After all, her life depends on it.

With a mafia don who's a little too interested in our crazed housewife, it seems as if everyone's got their eye on the Long Island spitfire. Observe the Botoxed mother who can still wound at thirty feet with just a look and a daughter whose bat mitzvah is a disaster in the making.

If Teddi can't save herself, then the dreamy detective slowly putting the screws to her is the next best thing. But she's got questions of her own. Like, where are the handcuffs, anyway?