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Muddy Mutts Acres |
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Where Mutts are appreciated |
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Please read the following excerpt from “Wild Evolution”.
The gentle rustling of the wind passing through the treetops is shattered by violent barking and thunderous pounding. The thrashing pulsates through the walls and across the yard, sounding as if the barn will collapse any minute. The piercing howls and yelps continue but the crushing blows have abruptly stopped. Dan jumps out of bed, pulls on his jeans and grabs his 30/30 from the corner of his bedroom and runs out to see what is going on. Tripping over his boots as he runs towards the stairs in the darkened house; making him fall into the railing and stumble down the rest of the steps. Out of breath as he charges into the barn, he stops at the barn door. Bent over and leaning against the door frame, he scans the area to locate the cause of this disturbance. His attention immediately turns to his lifeless mare and her foal lying in a pool of blood. The blood is still oozing from their shredded throats; their heads are barely attached to the rest of their body. His eyes focus on what’s left of his two cow dogs; they are lying motionless with their necks in an unnatural position only a few feet away from the mare’s carcass. Coming from behind the horse stall is a faint whimpering sound. His lead cow dog, Jake, is trying to drag itself under a pile of straw. He drops down to his knees to check out his comrade, leaving his rifle lying on the ground. Cradling his partner in his lap with his back next to the wall, he strokes Jake’s face softly while slowly rocking back and forth to comfort his friend. Jake can no longer move his hind legs and lies in Dan’s lap staring into his comrade’s eyes begging Dan to fix what is wrong. Tears start to flow down Dan’s face. Hot tears of anger make his stomach tighten like a rock as he tries to hold back his urge to scream. Sickened by the sight of all the blood and his partner lying on his lap dying, his mind refuses to take it all in. He leans back and closes his eyes refusing to believe his own eyes, trying to wish away the reality around him. In the past, Dan has always been able to take care of whatever is wrong with his dogs; but this time there is nothing he can do to make it right. An occasional whimper is let out as life slips away from his four legged partner. Every whimper tears his heart a little more. He takes one last look, but it is too much for him to endure when he sees the fear in his defenseless friend’s eyes. He lays his hand over Jake’s eyes and turns away waiting for this tragedy to be over. An enormous growl breaks his mourning. He turns his head towards the sound and opens his eyes to see an astonishing sight: a blood soaked mutant canine is charging at him with only his dead dog between him and the massive teeth lunging at him. Without thinking, Dan shoves his dead dog into the huge attacking jaws. In a blink of an eye, the attacker throws the dead carcass aside and wraps his teeth around his thigh, shaking the flesh vigorously attempting to tear the limb off of Dan’s body. Reaching for any weapon possible, Dan fumbles with the equipment hanging on the wall above him. Grabbing a mountain climbing pick with both arms, he pulls the pick straight down between the shoulders of this attack machine. Within seconds he can feel the jaws release its grip on his thigh. He pushes the mutant canine off his bleeding leg. Dragging himself up to a standing position, he watches for any movement from of his attacker making sure it is dead. Stunned by what has happened, he stares out the open barn door and at a shimmering full moon. As if nothing evil has happened, the heavens allow the moon to cast its brilliant light down on earth. The moonlight highlights the horrible scene he had just survived. Now standing at the doorway of the barn, he rages; screaming at the moon for letting this happen to him. Screaming until he has no voice left. |
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When Dan defends his livestock against a wild dog attack, he is put in a 'kill or be killed' battle. When he takes the head of a wild dog in to be tested for rabies he discovers he has the head of a human male instead of a wild dog. Now he is forced to cover up a self-defense killing because no one would believe he killed a wild dog when he has a human head. A werewolf by contamination, Dan's life spins out of control. All his senses are heightened including his passion for the wild. His passion for the wild compels him to try to stop a new housing development that threatens the local wildlife from loss of habitat, but things don't go according to plans and now he has a second body to dispose of. While under investigation for murder, Angela gives Dan her unflinching trust. Because of an abusive father, Dan has never been able to trust anyone, but now he has someone he wants to start a family with, someone to build a future with.
Many of the places described in “Wild Evolutions” are set in Grand County Colorado where Fern Cook worked as a patrol deputy. Aside from being a patrol deputy, Fern Cook has also processed many crime scenes while she was a crime scene tech.
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“Wild Evolution” ISBN 978-1441405647 is now available for $9.95 plus S&H as a paperback.
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Carol’s life has been turned upside down the last few years. Newly divorced and a new graduate, she moves across country to start life over. Brahma, South Dakota is where her new place of employment is. This town appears to be as deserted as the nearby Badlands. The western culture and Indian reservations of the area open up a whole new world to her. The best part of her new job is meeting Ed Fraser. He is a very eligible bachelor, but his days as a bachelor are over the moment he meets Carol. Carol thinks her life is complicated enough without having to juggle a new relationship too. But maybe Ed is the best thing that could happen to her. |
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South Dakota Way is a great story about new beginnings and second chances in life. Carol Jacobson is newly divorced and a recent graduate, she moves across the country to Brahma, South Dakota, where her new place of employment is located at, moving to South Dakota opens up a whole new world for Carol. The characters are refreshing and realistic; the dialogue is crisp and entertaining. The chemistry between Carol and Ed is completely believable and enduring, a great intertwining story. South Dakota Way is so compelling; I enjoyed the whole story a lot. The author is a fresh face in the business and I for one hope she is around for a very long time, with wonderful stories like this one here! C. Fern Cook writes romance, and the welfare and proper care of animals (a subject dear to Fern’s heart), with insight and compassion, this novel is one worth buying and to recommend it to all of your friends and family. |
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“South Dakota Way” ISBN 1-60474-726-9 is currently available at Publish America, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million and Amazon.com or you can contact C. Fern Cook directly for an autographed copy. The autographed copy is only $12.95 plus $3.95 shipping and handling.
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Fern Cook has always been a story teller. When she was young, her family moved several times a year to follow the seasonal tourist trade. With every move to a new school, she made up new stories about her and her family to tell to her new friends. Sometimes this landed her in a lot of trouble. Today, she has inscribed on her library wall "When I was little telling stories was lying, now it is fiction". This serves to reminder her how far she has come since a chaotic childhood.
Fern writes fast-paced stories set in small towns and the characters are about people who live and work in rural areas. She writes about what she loves: the wide open country and all living things. Her passion for wildlife and the land comes through in all her stories.
If you wish to contact Fern please click here and leave a message. |
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Wild Evolution is a fast paced eco-thriller. It is not the normal werewolf story. |
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South Dakota Way is an inspirational romance |
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Cocoa: Our 7-ish year old American Indian dog. Rescued from the dog pound with only hours from being put down, and she was only two months old. She is the sweetest and loves to play with the laser dot. |
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Echo: Our newest arrival. She too is a dog pound rescue. She is a boxer and is about 1-year old. She loves to jump around and annoy Cocoa. She also loves to lay in my lap and snore. Got-to-love-her.
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This is not your normal werewolf tale; in fact it grips you from the first and keeps you going. Killer dog or werewolf, whatever it is it you will not be disappointed. Without giving away the ending or the whole story I am going to say that you will enjoy this novel tale. If you like werewolves you will find that Ms. Cook has a very unusual approach here and you will get quite an insight into the inner workings of the wolf pack including being the alpha male as well. Lainey |
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Reviews With Personalities |
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Reviewed by Chad |