What you think does matter

A city girl, a missing cow, a budding romance, and a chilling twist. A summer on the farm turns into a chaotic race to solve a mystery—who kidnaps a cow? What begins as a strange mystery soon uncovers secrets hiding beneath the surface of Whisper Pine. Emily, a city girl who never expected to become a sleuth, finds herself digging deeper into a small-town mystery while dealing with unexpected feelings for Bill. Then Bill runs into a childhood friend, Tabitha. She's pretty, she has history with Bill, and she isn't shy about admitting she has feelings for him. The suspense builds. The mystery grows deeper. Secrets and lies come to light as Emily discovers that finding the truth may be more dangerous than she imagined. As danger closes in, Emily must find the courage to uncover the truth—even if it means risking her safety and her heart.

I love it when people read my book and ask me strange questions like, “Why did she give the rifle to Bill? She was in danger...” But some of my favorite questions come from adults who notice the subtle little gems I intentionally tucked into the story. One adult reader said, “I really thought they were going to kiss.” And yes… that was intentional. There are little moments like that throughout the book—things I included because I wanted parents to be able to enjoy the story right alongside their pre-teen or teen. I didn’t want to write a book that was just a good read for kids. I wanted to create a story where parents could sit down with their child, read together, and discover things their child might miss. Why? Because children don’t always have the maturity or life experience to recognize every little hint, emotion, or meaning hidden between the lines. That’s part of what makes reading together so much fun. Your child gets the adventure, mystery, and excitement. You might catch the...