J. LACY COUGHLAN
Below is an excerpt from the legend of Yellowstone Valley and the Great Flood
His face was lined and weathered bespeaking his many years, but the Elder's eyes remained undimmed, alight with wisdom. The young men cluster close about him, a half circle to each side. Listening intently. Learning. Every now and again, one would ask a question. Outside the dimly lit lodge, rain poured in torrents. The old one had been silent a long, long while; motionless, his eyes starring out the open doorway, an unreadable, distant look on his seamed face.
At last the aged one spoke... "They are beginning to come back now," he said, his voice barely a whisper.
"Who?" a novice breathed out.
A MANUSCRIPT IN THE WORKS.
Influenced by my many western travels, Medicine Wolf weaves together an ancient mystical spirit, a modern-day journalist and a psychotic killer into one chilling story of obsession, murder, and revenge.
For a matted print of the Medicine Wolf stunning cover-art please contact the artist.
Author Page .
Below is an excerpt from between the unfinished pages of Medicine Wolf...
His massive silhouette bathed in starlight, the Alpha stands atop a sheltered ridge and breathes in mysteries carried on the night currents. The chiseled head lifts, golden eyes catch and reflect the faint light emanating from a gibbon moon as they scan the forest below, silently appraise its shadowed recesses. Black wind ripples the thick mantle of fur that cloaks his neck and chest as long minutes stretch away, yet he remains, motionless, impassive as the cold, hard, stone beneath his feet.
Death has claimed his slim, gray mate of many seasons. Senselessly killed, gutted, skinned, left to the elements. Her mutilated body further despoiled by the coyotes he mercilessly dispatched moments after his return. A strange and pungent pong clung to the female’s remains. He had snorted in revulsion, repeatedly drawn his nose through earth and grass to cleanse it from the stench, but the memory of its sharp tang lingers.
Once a sheltered haven, their hidden den lies cold and empty. The lifeless bodies of three female cubs, eyes barely opened, litter the ground near its entrance. Their two brothers, vanished. The quarter around this secreted home searched and searched again until he puzzled out the heinous story, indelibly etched it into the very essence of his being.
A few halting steps, a last look at what once was. He points his nose to the heavens, releases a throaty, wavering howl of inconsolable loss that shatters the heavy silence, dies on the night wind, and he too fades into the darkness.
In a far unseen canyon, silver reflections of distant stars flicker as ripples suddenly spiral across the mirror surface of a small, hidden pool, and a mist-shrouded presence slowly emerges from its watery home, answers the desolate cry.
(c) J Lacy Coughlan, 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Somewhere Between
Land the Sea and Moonlight
FOLLOW THE ROADS LESS TRAVELED, THEN WRITE THEIR STORY.
Free to Good Home tells the captivating true story of one very quirky feline, and how she enriched one family's life with her fiercely independent spirit and unique personality for many unbelievably long years. Simply told, this short memoir may make you laugh... or make you cry... but one fact is certain... It will touch your heart.
A definite MUST READ for every cat owner. **** Amazon
CRABSHELL A FACTIOUS MEMOIR
An Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter Finalist
The heartwarming, true life, short story of a very special "adopted" kitten.
"That wonderful, long-haired, amber-eyed, half grown, half wild, hissing, spitting, yellow orb of teeth and claws that took us the better part of three hours to catch."
FREE TO GOOD HOME
I write poetry. I receive numerous correspondence and e-mail containing quips and thoughtful sayings, many of which are filed away for future use. Throughout my travels I chance upon fascinating legends and lore. It occurred to me one day to add my own deft, creative touch to this accumulation of legends, whispers and verse and combine them into a short book.
Also available as print-on-demand.
MEDICINE WOLF
One capricious act, however, opens the door to an astonishing new relationship, and Kaitlynn suddenly finds herself grappling with emotions she thought forever lost. Her vacillation becomes even more complicated when her employer makes an announcement that places her career tenure in jeopardy. Forced to change her life's direction, she makes a decision that propels her onto a course she never dreamed existed.
*** Amazon
Prologue
Twelve years after the unexpected death of her beloved husband, Kaitlynn Gillespie remains consumed by grief. Become alarmingly reticent and withdrawn, she shelters herself within a narrow world of career and family, spiraling ever deeper into seclusion, spending endless hours alone, burrowed under a shield of creative endeavors.
When Kaitlynn’s solitary passions begin to consume her, family, friends and coworkers alike become apprehensive; she has isolated herself far too long.
A collection of well-loved family recipes spanning four generations.
Many of these recipes were taken from the faded script on tattered note cards, while some are recollections put into words and still others have been transcribed from the yellowed clippings of unidentifiable newspapers.
Beer Cheese Soup, Christmas Lasagna, White Chocolate Raspberry Ripple Cheesecake, Aunt Bessa's Roast Pork Loin and Kelley's Award-winning Chili...
Shown above - Back road in Zion NP, Utah
All are guaranteed wonderfully delicious. Available print-on-demand book. The perfect gift for the family chef.
"Writing has always been a part of my life. When I exchanged the hectic world of corporate America to follow my passions.... pursuing the written word was one of them. Since I'd been a copywriter and communications manager for nearly thirty years, I thought it long past due that I delve into the subject more creatively."
"My factious memoir, Crabshell, was a quarter finalist in Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award contest. Together with Free to Good Home, Somewhere Between Land, the Sea and Moonlight and The Oldies But Goodies Cookbook, all are available on Amazon as an E-book or print-on-demand hard copy. Currently in the works is a murder mystery manuscript."
"Another exciting project underway is the joint collaboration with my writer / photographer husband, William Delorey. Lens in the Leaves will comprise a unique and varied selection of our combined travel articles and scenic photography from all four compass points of the United States. Bill, by the way, is an exceptionally talented author and you will want to check out his gritty thriller, Operation Crossbow, as well as his collection of short stories "with a twist," all available on Amazon. And, he has another exciting new release coming soon!"
J. Lacy Coughlan
Visit my Author's Page on Amazon at: http://Amazon.com/author/jlacycoughlan
Visit Bill's Author Page on Amazon at: http://Amazon.com/author/william delorey
Commissions accepted for copy, editorial and edit.
Please scroll down to read about current and up-coming books...
THE OLDIES BUT GOODIES COOKBOOK