Books

The first book in the Oak Creek Trilogy follows Ellie Monroe as she moves to the mountain town of Oak Creek. Just when she thought she was getting her life back on track, a letter from a lawyer in New York turns her world upside down.

New experiences, interesting neighbors, and an airplane accident make her life anything but boring. Ellie has an abundance of questions waiting to be answered, including whether or not she is a potential target.

Is the reporter who sees deception at every turn correct or is he just looking for a plot for a sensational novel?

Book 2 returns to Oak Creek as Darcy Lindstrom arrives to complete a research project studying animals in the eastern mountain habitat.

Ellie has married and Noah, the young blind neighbor, has finished college and established his own consulting firm serving businesses that adopted the business software program he created.

Darcy quickly becomes friends with Noah and his old friends Emma and Jake. When the entire community is rocked by three seemingly unrelated crimes, there is more finger pointing than clues. And Darcy is thrust into the middle of these puzzling mysteries.

Maggie Holt, Ellie’s older daughter, is happily managing the family’s kennels and training service dogs. Her days are filled with a budding romance, a sad good-bye to her beloved dog, new friends, and a trip to deliver an in-house therapy dog to a nursing home.

When a bazar set of circumstances thrusts Maggie into unimaginable trouble, everything changes. Despite Maggie’s pleas of innocence, eyewitness accounts point to guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Will the expertise of old friends be sufficient to prove Maggie’s innocence? Can they solve the unusual mysteries involving the community in this final Oak Creek Trilogy mystery?

After a frantic voicemail from her Aunt Molly, Christy Hancock travels back to the house where she used to spend the summers with her cousin Rob, before his mysterious disappearance twelve years before. Aunt Molly is missing and Christy must race to find her.

But there are more mysteries awaiting her. There’s a handsome new neighbor, a fishing lodge that offers very exclusive packages, and an on-going federal criminal investigation. Determining who is a friend and who may be involved in criminal activities changes Christy’s life.

Emma McCarthy finds herself in Ashland Lake, surrounded by an unusual family who encouraged her to flee her abusive marriage in Italy, and she moves into her own apartment in their lodge.

She quickly becomes involved in local activities as an advisor to the planning committee for the fund-raising art show. An attractive artist herself, Emma meets two very different but interesting men.

When a woman is found dead, Emma realizes Ashland Lake may not be haven she expected. Suddenly she finds herself in the middle of a daring,  twisted mystery.

Beth Dawes is excited about her first teaching job and her apartment in the McCarthy’s Lodge. Making friends easily, Beth enjoys the attention of several men—all with different reasons for their attraction to her. 

But there are other newcomers in the small town of Ashland, and their reasons for coming are both secretive and far more sinister.

Melanie Cochran left a career as a ship’s officer to work at the Port of Wilmington. When Jack McEntire docks the Islander at the port, her life becomes far more interesting. A burglary at a local shipping company, an approaching hurricane, and threats from internet hackers complicate life for Melanie and her three best friends.

Multiple conversations on the web intimated that a disruption was being planned. With over seventy-five thousand people expected to arrive in town, they couldn’t be ignored. What kind of disruptions were being planned?

Co-owners of Concierge Business Services, Beth and Tomeka, were at the center of the October market. Preparations for the market in High Point led both Bryce and Evan into Beth’s world with unexpected consequences. Though she hadn’t planned to become involved, Fate had other plans.

Is one ever prepared for danger? 

Mattie Turner is moving on with a new career as a consultant, and she’s finally ready for romance. But when she flies to New Hampshire, her life takes a dramatic turn.

A holiday weekend to renew a friendship in North Carolina, an older couple planning to marry in Texas, a family relocating for business opportunities, and a warm welcome to Hawaii— all of these events must come together or the motive may never be known.

Carters Crossroads, a small town near New Bern, North Carolina, was home to twin sisters Carla and Rose Williams. They were so similar in looks that only a few people could tell them apart.

As the twins’ twenty-fifth birthdays approached, exciting things were happening in Carters Crossroads. New Bern’s MumFest would draw thousands to the city and other events, like Rose’s engagement to Manley, were occasions to celebrate.

But the blackmail of a respected local civic leader and the cruel murder of the first twin revealed that all was not well.

Were these events just the beginning of a crime spree in this rural community?

When Ella returns to her hometown of Portersville, she reconnects with high school friends. When Brady, a consultant at the data center, and Ella discover they both love to dance, they quickly become good friends.

Life is usually tranquil in Portersville, but shortly after Ella moves back, a teenage friend of her nephew disappears as he is walking home. A load of gravel blocks access to the new data center, and historic amounts of rain cause flooding across the county.

Brady’s military buddy comes for a visit and his vacation quickly becomes work. His skills as a white hat hacker involve him in disturbances at the data center, deepfake photos, and a local family’s scam.

Following her Uncle Glen’s advice, Allie opens Let’s Read Bookstore in Danton. When Maddox Stapleton arrives to supervise implementation of his foundation’s grant, there is instant chemistry between the two. But Bess, the receptionist at Glamorous You Spa and Salon and Allie’s friend, is also interested in the handsome entrepreneur. And Bess is known for getting what she wants.

The pending marriage of Bess’s recently widowed father, the downward spiral of Glen’s health, and unexpected mayhem on Main Street change the rural town from a community seeking to attract tourists to a place of intrigue. For Allie, life seems to be a pendulum swing with good experiences followed by disturbing ones.

INFORMative Assessment

Grades K-6

INFORMative Assessment

Middle and High School

Thinking Algebraically With Numbers and Shapes Level A

Teacher and Student Guides

Thinking Algebraically With Numbers and Shapes Level B

Teacher and Student Guides

Thinking Algebraically With Numbers and Shapes Level C

Teacher and Student Guides

Classroom Assessment in Mathematics

Dynamic Classroom Assessment