FOLLOW THE FIRE! Alternative ending to "Mommy's Gone! by HOTZ MENDEKOA

Follow The Fire! Alternative ending to “Mommy’s Gone!”

A mini-romance. Written by Allan Jon Kretzmar, JD

LOVE ENTWINED Two lives that came together Lucky in love with a twist of fate From a chance meeting That we cannot forget The time had come Paths that intersect Mining destiny For topaz in your eyes I thought that all was lost Washed away in a dream Across the dimension You met my needs I want to see you Leave the past in shreds But nothing can tear apart A love so entwined Eclipse the sun with the moon The darkness will not last The brightness of your soul Cascading down to me Our connection is forever I feel you here now As we are ready To unravel mystery

by Chris Steven Young

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

Brad was sitting at the dining room table, thumbing again mindlessly through the photo album that he and Mara had put together over the years. It had been six months since the day his life had been changed completely. He still remembered that day vividly, try as hard as he wanted to forget it. He was not able to blot out of his mind the thought of it. It kept creeping back, like a fog. It just rolled in every day, like the fog on damp San Francisco afternoons. He had met Mara at a party in College when they were both at San Francisco University, and they were inseparable after that. It was a fun time then, and war seemed distant. He was not sure when she first got interested in the Navy, but it should have been predictable. Her family had a long lineage of military service. Her grandfather, then her father, were all army men. She had taken a different path, choosing the Navy instead. Mara had joined the Naval Directorate of Public Relations, where she excelled. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The uniforms are nicer,â&#x20AC;? she told him.

“The uniforms are nicer? I mean you have to join for another reason? If it is just for a uniform, you could work as a croupier at a casino,” he chided her. “Well, you know it is more than that. But the Navy uniforms are really nicer. Better fitting, and white. Something to be said for that.” “What else is it that makes the military so appealing to you,” he remembered asking her. “I don’t know, you have a real strong sense of right and wrong,” she had replied. “Because it is in a rule book somewhere?” “Maybe so,” she insisted, “everything outside the military seems so imprecise. But in the Navy, you know what is right and wrong.” “You have to be able to think for yourself,” he corrected her, “not just blindly follow what you are told!” “It’s not like at all,” she burst into tears. Brad was ashamed that he had driven her to cry. He decided that he would never again bring up her service. It was a career path

that she had chosen, that he was happy with it if she was. He became contented to play second fiddle and be supportive of her in her career choice. And she did look resplendent in the Navy uniform. The crisp white shirts, the black skirt and shoes, the form-fitting white dresses, and the little white cap that completed the uniform. He remembers it as a tough decision for him to make. Was he going to join her in the small base in San Diego, and follow her career, or was he going to pursue his MBA and work for a financial firm in San Francisco. She had given him a clear ultimatum. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to get married, Brad, and so you have to decide which road you are going to hoe. I am not interested in dating.â&#x20AC;? After much deliberation, and a good few shots of tequila, Brad made the decision to accompany Mara to the sleepy town where the naval base was located. He never did get to work at the financial powerhouse firm, and he had to content himself with working for a small company doing their marketing and sales. His company sold imported rugs and fine furniture. Times were good, people had money, and he was able to make a decent living, but the hours were long and the job boring.

He felt he was overqualified, but that was the choice he had made in supporting her career. Mara had excelled at the Directorate job, and soon was transferred to Headquarters in an office building. The move brought with it an increase in pay. Maraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personality was always her greatest attribute, along with her sharp mind. Having steel-blue eyes might have helped. She was always upbeat, and she made Brad laugh. Mostly at himself. There was something about her, the way she acted, as if she was stuck at eighteen. Not that she was flighty, she was very practical, and very pragmatic. She knew the requirements of her job, and did those well. But it was how she did her job that made her an indispensible force. She was a woman in a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world, but instead of trying to be tougher than the men, she did it by being playful. She always got what she wanted, and she made the dull and boring grey-haired men at the top look good. The fact that she was pleasing on the eyes helped as well. With Mara, Brad mused, you could be standing in line at a bank, and she could make that experience fun somehow. With her income and his, they were able to make a comfortable living. They had friends that they visited, and

their social network included navy folk, as well as people in the sales business. Diverse worlds, weaved together through their love and understanding. Their two children were born. Jamie was eight and Mark five when the news came. They had a quant house, painted yellow, with a porch and a bench, which Brad painted white. On their flagpole the Stars and Stripes always flew. Brad often wondered if he had made the right decision to marry Mara. He never told her this, but always knawing at his mind was this doubt. Did I make the right decision? Did I make the right choice? He often thought. He felt he had other options then, and Mara seemed to be in such a rush to get married. He remembered the day that she bought the French poodle, and this seemed for him her move to â&#x20AC;&#x153;wrap things up,â&#x20AC;? make them a couple quickly. Only married couples buy a dog. You take it for walks, and your single life ends after that, he thought. At least that was what he believed at that time. But Brad went along with the program, and the dog turned out to be a comfort and a joy. He remembered the fun

that they had had when they sat and compiled a list together of dog names. All the silly different names that they thought would work, to be in tune with the personality of the pedigree they inherited from Mara’s hairdresser. Those were the fun days. They had sat by the kitchen table, each rapidly scribbling all the names that they could think of on pieces of paper. They read the names off the list, each list, and laughed. Those were fun, carefree times. Then everything changed. Mara got her first call up. She was going to Iraq on a tour of duty. “How long will you be gone for?” “I don’t know. I can’t tell you.” “When will you be back?” “I have no idea.” “What about the kids?” “C’mon honey, you will look after them. I will be back as soon as I can. You know that. And I will write as soon and as often as I can.”

Brad was a nervous wreck during the six months that Mara was gone. He found he could not get to sleep during the long nights without her, and he worried about her coming back safe during the days she was gone. Fighting had intensified around the area where he thought that she might be stationed, and he wondered why the Navy of all units would be embroiled in the conflict there. She was in the Directorate of Public Relations, for God’s sake. What role could she be playing there? He wondered if he made the right choice, and if she did to with her career. After six months, the long days and cold nights were finally at an end, and it was an amazing day in San Diego harbor when her aircraft carrier the USS Enterprise docked. All hands were on deck, standing to attention, lined up along the railings like bowling pins in an alley. “Or penguins,” Mara laughed when she retold the story. He took video of her arrival and the charge of the crewmembers when they reached the dock and looked for their loved ones. Brad and Mara locked in an embrace when they saw one another, but when Brad hugged her he noticed a black crow perched alongside them. Only later would Brad find out that a black crow was not a positive sign or sight to behold, and that for those that dabbled in the mysterious it was a sign of some impending doom. Then this was not

something Brad knew about, or thought about. It was a warm and sunny afternoon, and the clouds seemed like white cotton candy, drifting easily in the warm summer breeze. Holding her in his arms, everything seemed perfect. They could never be separated. Back home again in the months that followed, the Directorate job expanded, and soon Mara advanced to where she was handling communications for the Admiral who headed up the unit. Another advancement in pay, another promotion, all added to Brad’s increased sense of frustration at what he saw as his “stuck” place and station in life. At the rug store sales had dropped, and the owner was unhappy. The gourmet coffee that the store management purchased was cancelled, and no longer on Saturdays before the sales meeting would the owner buy fresh bananas and orange juice. Then came the dreaded news, “I have had it with you mediocre salespeople,” he blustered, “All I can tell you is that I have grown fangs and horns. If you don’t perform, and I mean really sell, you are out of here! And by the way, I am cutting your commissions from 10 percent to seven point five.”

Brad retreated to his desk, pulled out his calculator, and began feverishly calculating what this drop in commissions would actually mean to his paycheck. They had a mortgage, and two kids, and this was not great news. For weeks, Brad avoided telling Mara. She was always so bubbly, and her attitude was always “Anything is possible,” she really never seemed to be phased by negative news. He on the other hand was the worrier in the family, fretting about problems that most times never happened. Finally, Brad summoned up the courage to tell her about the disappointing news at work. “That’s OK, honey. You will get another job. And it will be better that this one. It will make more money, I am sure of it.” “That’s it?” “What else is there?” “I feel like such a failure.” “Don’t!” “Don’t?”

“Yes, look at what we have built. A great house, two incredible kids that just light up the world. And you have me – I’m your partner! For always.” Mara had an amazing way of stepping out of any problem, looking at it, doing a quick task analysis, deciding the component parts – and coming up with the tasks that had to be done. No wonder she is as great as she is at her Navy work, she must use the same skills there as well, he thought. Mara was the perfect foil for the military brass. Her job was to be the public face for the Navy Directorate, and she accomplished that task magnificently. Her blonde hair tightly twirled in a bun, her face slightly flushed from her suntan, and the piercing blue eyes. Her crisp military uniform starched and ironed. Her superb communication skills. She was the embodiment of military precision, effectiveness, and professionalism. What a counterpoint to the journalists that she worked with. They tended to be a motley crew, disheveled as a whole, and generally a lazy bunch, hard living, drinking, smoking, and womanizing. These were the print journalists.

The Television crowd was different. They were sharp, well dressed, but vacant, and Mara could work both crowds with effortless ease. “I volunteered to go,” she said one evening after dinner, “I feel I have to.” “What? You are kidding me, right?” “No, I feel that I have to.” “You have to? Why in God’s name?” “Because I did not want to just talk about the things happening ‘over there.’ I want to go there so that I have a frame of reference. I meet television and print journalists everyday.” “So?” “I have to be authentic. Now I will know what is going on there, what we face. Then when I come back I can speak with some knowledge, some authority. So I can be genuine in what I say and do.” “What about us? All of us?”

“I love you all with all my heart and soul. You know that!” Brad shook is head, “I just hope what you do is appreciated.” “Oh, it is. I promise you. We are making a difference Brad, we really are. We are reaching out and helping people who never saw our kind of lifestyle.” “Maybe sometimes that is better.” “No, you don’t know. Maybe not now, but one day you will see what we are doing there matters. How it is changing lives.” Four weeks later Mara got the assignment call-up papers. “I will be leaving in another week.” “Can’t you get out of it?” “No Brad. Our mission there is more complicated. Our Directorate has been given an even more important public relations role to play. It is all worth it, I promise.”

The day Mara left for the base three black crows were now sitting in the driveway. When Brad opened the garage door and reversed the car, and was parking in front of the house, he noticed them. Just standing there. He tried to shoo them away. They seemed like they wanted to stay. The day she left, Mara looked absolutely stunning wearing her uniform, and her green aviator sunglasses. The little hat perched on her head. Her blonde hair tied this time in a ponytail. He stared at her for a long while, not saying anything, overcome with emotion. She shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat. “What’s up? Why aren’t we driving? I have to be at the base.” She looked at him quizzically. “I’m just looking at you. At how beautiful you are.” She smiled sweetly, and looked at him. “Aw, that’s so sweet. I love you so much too. Now let’s go!” They drove to the base, and it was a fun trip for them. They talked about nothing special, mundane stuff, yet everything seemed to be at the same time terribly important.

After she had left, Brad found his insomnia returned. Afghanistan was a different country, different situation, and he felt uneasy. He did not like the fact that she was on this tour of duty. Something did not feel right. He could not shake a feeling of unease. Then one night Brad was awakened by sounds. It sounded like someone was banging at the kitchen door. It was a cold and wet night, and rain lashed at the windowpanes. Brad went downstairs. The kids were at grandmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house so he was alone. He peered through the kitchen window, but he could not see anything except the rain whipped into a frenzy by the wind. The open window in the kitchen banged open and closed, and Brad closed the window, securing the latch. He then went upstairs, and tried to fall asleep again. Yet again, he heard the banging at the back door. Irritated, he went downstairs, and rechecked the window latch. It was securely fastened. He went upstairs to try to sleep again, but abandoned his efforts. Brad was awake. He opened the writing desk, and decided to write a letter to Mara. He slowly took out a piece of parchment paper, and his fountain pen that he inherited from his grandfather, he filled the pen with ink, and began to write.

“To my darling Mara,” he began, “I know that you probably have thought many times whether I am happy or not in our relationship, and our marriage. I know that I have not brought us the degree of financial success that I hoped I would, and it has not always been easy for me to be the man in the background supporting your career over my own. I know that you never once complained, nor expressed any disappointment in me. For that, I am eternally grateful. You always believed in me, and have always been proud of me. I have always been so proud of you, and everything that you have done and accomplished. I want you to know that all these years that we have had to share together have been the best years of my life. I also want you to know more than ever that I could not have found a more perfect partner to walk through Life with. Our kids are the most precious beings on the planet, and they mirror you in every way – radiant and beautiful souls.

I am so proud of you, and everything you do. You are closer to me than my breath. All my love, forever and always. Brad.” The next morning, Brad got up early and headed to the US Post Office. He felt a tremendous sense of urgency to get this letter mailed. Something got him up last night, it was banging at the back door, and this had compelled him to write his letter to Mara. I don’t want to leave any doubts in her mind about my love for her, he thought, as he handed his letter to the mail clerk. “Can you make sure this gets mailed?” “Sure. I am sure she will get back soon, Brad, God willing, don’t worry so much,” said the clerk, noticing the military private bag number on the envelope, and placing it in a special sac. “God willing, Steve, yes.”

Three weeks later, there was what seemed like the same knocking on the back door. Brad thought it was the same clasp on the window that had worked itself loose. He opened the back door. But this time, two men in uniform stood on the porch. What they said came out in a mumbled blur, “There was an accident . . . your wife . . . she was flying in the transport . . . it was hit by ground fire . . . she is in the military hospital . . . we can take you there if you wish.” Brad accepted the offer numbly. Jamie and Mark appeared. They heard the commotion. The dog was barking too. Three black crows were pacing back and forth on the front lawn. “What’s wrong, Daddy? Why are your crying?” “Mommy’s in the hospital. We have to go now!” “What? Is she all right?” they asked. “She has been hurt. You have to give her all the love you can now, she is going to need it, OK?” He sobbed.

“Well, do we leave now?” the kids looked at him, panicked. “Yes, now, get your stuff together. These nice men are taking us.” Brad sobbed with them, hugging them. The men in uniform looked on. A blank stare. They saw this repeated many times. In many homes. All too frequently. “Come along then,” the military men said, “We will take you to the Veterans Hospital.” “Is she badly hurt?” “There are burns, she has a punctured lung, three broken ribs, a broken pelvis, and she has been pretty banged up. But she survived. Recovery may be slow.” Brad and the children sat in the back seat. Every mile was excruciatingly slow. Traffic seemed to congeal at every light. He had his arms around his kids, and was crying uncontrollably in the back seat. Finally, they arrived at the hospital, and he followed the military men, not knowing what to expect. He was brought to a

private room, and the military men snapped to attention, “Major! You have a visitor.” Brad entered the room and was shocked at what he saw. Mara was lying on the bed, wrapped in gauze bandages. There were huge dark welts under her eyes, and what he could see of her beautiful face was covered in bruises and bandages. One leg was raised, wrapped in a white cast. She was awake, and was coherent. “Littler angels,” she cried, as the children ran up and jumped onto her bed. “Careful, Jamie! Mark!” Brad called out, “Mommy is hurt. She is in a lot of pain. Be gentle.” They tried to hug her, but were unsure what to do. Brad kneeled at the side of the bed, and held her hand, “Darling, I am so glad you made it through. We are here for you – just get better, no matter how long it takes. Just get better, OK?” Brad sobbed as she ran her bandaged fingers through his hair. “I love you guys so much,” Mara whispered, “I have been dreaming of seeing you ever since they dragged me from the wreckage.”

She pointed weakly to the drawer, “Brad,” she asked, “will you get your letter from the drawer for me?” Brad sobbed as he pulled out a closely bound mound of paper. It was bloodstained. Brad opened the paper, and then realized it was his letter Mara. “I don’t understand?” “Your letter,” she said weakly, “was my good luck charm. It may have even saved my life. I wanted to read it again on the transport plane taking us back from our mission.” “What happened?” “There were no overhead lights, so I asked where I could get some light to read some papers. The Captain,” her eyes welled up with tears, “told me to go to the back of the plane in the tail section where there is a small navigation cabin – there was overhead lighting there.” “Take it easy Honey, if you can’t talk now. Tell us later.” “No Brad,” she waved her hand, “I have to tell you now – you see when the plane was hit by rocket fire we went down,

and fast. But the tail section broke off, and was largely intact despite everything. Had I not been trying to read your letter,” she sobbed, “I would have not been there. I would never have survived.” Brad looked at her, tears streaming down his face. “I have something to tell you, what I wanted to tell you in my reply letter, come closer as I can’t talk loud.” Jamie and Mark had settled down on either side of their mother on the hospital bed. They were examining with interest all the bandages that covered her. “Are you OK, Mommy?” “I will be, darlings, I will be.” Then she turned to Brad who was leaning over her. “Honey, I have known that for many years you have been unhappy, but I never questioned our relationship, or love, or our marriage. I know how tough it must have been for you the days and nights when I have been away, and how you must have tried to not show the kids how worried you were. Your love and encouragement have been what got me through each and every day.”

“Mara baby, please, not now.” “Sweetheart, I have to tell you this. I realize how precious time is. If I don’t say what I have to now, I may never get the chance. Indulge me, OK?” Brad dried his eyes with a corner of the sheet. “OK, continue. You always were pretty headstrong, so I guess it should not surprise me now.” “I just want you to know that I never doubted you, or our love. In you, I found the most perfect man, mate, friend, and husband that any women could have wished for.” Brad kissed her lightly on her burnt lips. “Everything is going to be all right, I promise, I swear it!” Mara tried to smile, but she could not move her face muscles easily. “There is one other thing, my love. When the plane crashed and caught fire, I knew that I had to crawl out of the wreckage if I was going to make it back alive. I literally dragged myself on my hands and knees through the smoke and fire, looking for a way out of the

wreckage. I finally found one, and I collapsed in the sand which was literally burning from the split gasoline. There were bodies-.” “Oh, my God! Please honey, don’t talk. Rest.” “I knew that I had to survive! If I did not, I would never see you and the kids again. This made me crawl, even though I could not walk.” She was crying, “I can’t believe that I made it through -- an inch at a time -shows you the power of love, huh? I just wanted you to know that . . . ” Mara then slipped into a deep sleep, as the morphine kicked into her system. “OK, kids, we have to go now. Let Mommy sleep. We will be back tomorrow.” Brad gently herded their children out of the ward. “When are we coming back to see Mommy?” they asked. “Tomorrow and everyday after that until she can come home with us, OK?”

“Yeah!” They answered. He stopped at the military men who were standing at attention at the door. “Thank you for bringing me, well, bringing us to see her. It means so much to us.” One military man rushed forward, and hugged Brad. “I just want you to know, so many other stories end so sadly. Your story with you wife is one of the lucky ones.” He was pulled away by the other uniformed man. He brushed a tear from his eyes. “I am sorry, I'm not supposed to show emotion.” The other military man held out his hand. He shook Brad’s hand, and then guided his partner away. Brad heard him say, “How many times have I told you no physical contact with the civvies. You appear weak when you touch them, soldier!” Brad found the military doctor doing his rounds. “How is Mara doing, Doctor?”

“She is among the fortunate few, I can tell you this much. She has injuries, but it does not appear that she has lost any cognitive abilities, and she will walk again, probably even play sports too. Most importantly, she will have to be patient with herself. She wants to do more than she is capable of at the moment. She needs the love and patience of her family, be there for her. Everyday she will get stronger, but this will be a long, slow process.” That was four months ago. Mara was now home. She sat in the living room in a dressing gown, her walker by her side. Her hair was short, but growing back slowly. The discoloration around her eyes was receding, and the bruising was retreating. They were watching TV, they were a family again. Over time, as the months followed, her injuries slowly healed, and her recovery improved -- a cane replaced the walker -- and now she was able to walk shorter distances without it. Recovery was painfully slow, but she was alive, and that was the blessing for all of them. “If it had not been for your love, and the kids,” she lost her composure and burst into tears one evening, “I would

never have been able to make it through another day.” It was the first time that Brad saw her cry over her situation. “Honey, take it east. Take it slow. I am so glad that we feel the same way about each other, and the kids, and always have. We will make our love work, I promise, in this new challenge. Every day is confirmation of how grateful I am that you are, and have been, in my life!” “That is so sweet!” “I am especially grateful that I wrote you the letter when I did, and told you how I felt about you, and how much I love you.” “If I had not been holding your letter in my hands and trying to read it when the transport was hit, I would not be here right now. Your letter was my lucky charm. It saved my life!” “You kept our love alive.” “When I get better, I am going back to the Directorate. They want me back.” “Oh Mara, haven’t you done enough, sacrificed enough?”

“Honey, this is what I do! This is my life outside of our home.” “I know, I understand, we don’t have to talk about it now.” She smiled, “Sure, of course. Just that I want to go back to work.” “You will I am sure when you can.” “I know you may not truly understand how it all works. This time, I will get a desk job. We can now focus on you, and where you want to go and what you want to do.” “That’s OK. I think that when you get better, we should all get away, together, as a family. We can talk about that then.” “I don’t want to go away again, Brad. I want to stay here. Right here, with you, the kids, and the dog.” “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I want to enjoy the love and life we have made! I realize now that it can all be gone, taken away, in an instant. I don’t want to be in a position where I can lose that again, ever!” “We don’t have to lose our love, honey, we can follow it and see where it takes us. May we always follow it all the days of our lives.” “Together, we will, I promise!” “Love is the fire! Long may it burn.”

Allan Jon Kretzmar ÂŠ2011. All rights reserved. All characters in this mini-book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons living or dead, is coincidental. No part of this mini-book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine or journal. First printing.

Images by Kane! Poetry by Chris Steven Young. Follow further stories at www.lovENTWINED.com. Check out the other Mini-books in the series on Kindle.

Forbidden/unexpected Angel The Series: Luck, Love . . . and a Twist of Fate! Other book titles

1. unexpected Angel The novella. A modern-urban love story with a supernatural twist. Angels show up in our lives when we least expect them. Jake Morrison is a bright, young and ambitious attorney hell-bent on achieving his vision of success. But his vision is about to become a nightmare. Zara Jane is a real-live Angel, sent from Heaven above to guide Jake through these pivotal changes in Jake’s life. She ends up working at Jake’s firm and dating him, so that she can watch over him. They fall in love. But Jake rejects the message and her love and his life spirals out of control. As an Angel Zara Jane imparts wisdom and insight for his life and world, and expresses her insight on the road that lies ahead, not only for Jake, but also for humankind as a whole. When Jake takes her words to heart his life goes through a metamorphosis, and he finds himself living his life in a manner that he could not have dreamed of before. KINDLE: unexpected ANGEL. Luck, love . . . and a Twist of Fate! (Forbidden/unexpected ANGEL) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EET3M8 NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/unexpected-ANGEL/Allan-JonKretzmar/e/2940013028821

2. CUPID’S ARROWS A mini-romance mythological fable, where Zara Jane, Angel, creates a love connection between Mahmoud and Genevieve-Marie at the Palace of Versailles. This is part of her job as an Angel, and one of the more satisfying of her tasks. She takes special care and attention in the pursuit of these activities, and explains in a hilarious interchange with the Love Cherubs the state of affairs connected with helping humans find True Love. This caper involves a tinge of Cupid’s Love Potion #5, 2 cherubs, one Angel, and 2 Cupid’s arrows. KINDLE: Cupid's Arrows (Forbiddem/unexpected ANGEL) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EDIC1W NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Cupids-Arrows/Allan-JonKretzmar/e/2940013095267

3. WILD HORSE TALE$ A mini-paranormal-action adventure set in Santa Barbara, California. Zara Jane, Angel, and Jake Morrison, erstwhile-lawyer, form Paradise Paranormal Investigations, Inc. This is the first case for their fledgling company, and they are called in to solve the mystery of racehorses that are dying, almost daily. What they uncover are some unexpected twists and turns. KINDLE: WILD HORSE TALE$ (Forbidden/unexpected ANGEL) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EDICY4 NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/WILD-HORSE-TALE/AllanJon-Kretzmar/e/2940013109575

4. WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD A mini-paranormal-action adventure, that takes Zara Jane, Angel, and Jake Morrison, erstwhile-lawyer, on their second caper under their company, Paradise Paranormal Investigations, Inc., on a worldwide dash to stop the Holy Grail and the Golden Calf falling into the wrong hands, in this case, Gustavo, who is not your ordinary villain. He is a fallen Angel himself, with superpowers too. The CIA and the US government call in the two sleuths to provide investigative help. KINDLE: Where Angels Fear To Tread (Forbidden/unexpected ANGEL) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EGQYJG NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/WHERE-ANGELS-FEAR-TOTREAD/Allan-Jon-Kretzmar/e/2940013122901

5. set the world on fire! (CONTINUATION OF “WHERE ANGEL’S FEAR TO TREAD!”) A mini-paranormal-action adventure, that takes Zara Jane, Angel, and Jake Morrison, erstwhile-lawyer, continue on their second caper under their company, Paradise Paranormal Investigations, Inc., on a worldwide dash to stop Gustavo in his tracks. Subject matter includes the Holy Grail, the Golden Calf, and the Knights Templar. KINDLE: Set The World On Fire! (Forbidden/unexpected ANGEL) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EDKPE4 6. ying-yang love

A mini-romance. Vickie Ying lives in New York, Christian Yang lives in Hong Kong. They are worlds apart, yes each night respectively in their dreams they connect on a deep soul level that is turning their lives upside down. Their dreams are becoming an obsession, and when they dream they begin to see the other with increasing clarity. The chemistry and tension builds as they wonder if they will ever meet in person. Enter an Angel (Zara Jane) who tries to guide them both, but her message is not immediately recognized or followed. Ying-Yang Love (Forbidden/unexpected ANGEL) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EDMEBG NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Ying-Yang-Love/Allan-JonKretzmar/e/2940013122598

7. ONLY LOVE MATTERS: INTERCEPTION A sweet mini-romance. Katherine Potter lives in London, for years entombed waiting for her husband to return after his military mission failed. She is invited by her nephew Drew to Hawaii. Enter an Angel that intercedes on behalf of Frederick, her husband to save her life, and allow her the chance to find love again. KINDLE: Only Love Matters (Forbidden/unexpected ANGEL) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EDNF28 NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/ONLY-LOVEMATTERS/Allan-Jon-Kretzmar/e/2940013122734

8. what yA gonna do when the angel comes? A mini-travel-adventure-romance. Jake Morrison, erstwhile lawyer, is convinced by his friend Dr. Robert Powell to try regression analysis to isolate when and where he and Zara Jane, Angel, really met to better explain their attraction. As the regression continues, Jake discovers that the answers come not only from this lifetime, but to ones that took place well hidden in the past. Jake unlocks the doors to open up new vistas of adventure, and understanding. KINDLE: WHAT YA GONNA DO WHEN THE ANGEL COMES? (Forbidden/unexpected ANGEL) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EOTKOE NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/WHAT-YA-GONNA-DOWHEN-THE-ANGELS-COMES/Allan-Jon-Kretzmar/e/2940013122864

9. WHEN ANGELS COME HOME TO ROOST (Continuation of “What ya gonna do when the angel comes?” A mini-travel-adventure-romance. A continuation of the regression analysis that Jake is undergoing with his friend, Dr. Robert Powell. Jake finds himself married in this past life to Zara Jane, when a violent storm blows their spice ship off course. Will they survive, and what secrets will be revealed? Stranded on an as-yet-uncharted island they meet Hoppy, a genie, who promises them a way out, with a surprising twist.

10. DEVIL’S ADVOCATE (Continuation of “WHEN ANGELS COME HOME TO ROOST”) A mini-travel-adventure-romance. A continuation of the regression analysis that Jake is undergoing with his friend, Dr. Robert Powell. Jake finds himself married in this past life to Zara Jane, still stranded on an as-yet-uncharted island with Hoppy, the genie who has promised them a way off the island. But is this really what Jake wants? Find out the surprising twist as Jake’s mind plays the devil’s advocate. KINDLE: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HB9URG NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/DEVILS-ADVOCATE/AllanJon-Kretzmar/e/2940013134041

11. ROBBER BARON (PART ONE) Jake is encouraged by his friend Baron to take up the practice of law again and head up the Loss Mitigation Department at the mighty Trust Bank, headquartered in San Francisco. Jake feels that his name and reputation are about to be misused to further some dark motive that he as yet is unaware of, and he has his misgivings. John Wiley is an attorney representing sympathetic clients as the battle-lines start to get drawn in this modern-day “David and Goliath” zero-sum contest. Jake trusts that whatever the motive behind Baron’s offer, it will somehow be revealed in time to him before damage can be done. Jake realizes this is all a puzzle -- this interplay between light and dark forces -- and that he would need almost a clairvoyant’s skill to separate them in time. KINDLE: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005IDOYQK NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/ROBBER-BARON/Allan-JonKretzmar/e/2940013032323

12. FORBIDDEN ANGEL: THE POETRY COLLECTION Modern-urban poems. BLOG: http://ForbiddenAngelGirlz.blogspot.com KINDLE: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HILH16 NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/FORBIDDEN-ANGEL/Allan-JonKretzmar/e/2940012990969

LovEntwined The Series: Finders, Keepers, Losers, Weepers Other book titles 13. THE KINGMAKER An undocumented historical mini-romance fable set in 15th Century Great Britain. The throne of King Henry is about to be passed on to one of his three sons, but war with France looms. Enter Princess Isabella, an armor-clad messenger, who meets Prince Richard, and guides him in the greatest adventure of his life. THE KINGMAKER (ENTWINED lovENTWINED) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EDNGAO 14. GOING IN FOR THE KILL (CONTINUATION OF “THE KINGMAKER” PART ONE) A 15th Century mini-action-romance adventure fable, where Leopold, the French naval commander, seeks revenge and kidnaps Princess Isabella. Now King, Richard faces dark days as he struggles with the loss of his Queen, and decides to extract revenge of his own with unanticipated consequences. KINDLE: GOING IN FOR THE KILL! Part Deux of THE KINGMAKER (ENTWINED lovENTWINED) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EDNICK NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/GOING-IN-THE-THE-KILLPart-Deux-of-THE-KINGMAKER/Allan-Jon-Kretzmar/e/2940013109568

15. THE WORLD’S YOUR OYSTER A mini-romance set in Italy. Francesca is a filmmaker and the daughter of a famed director who decides to enter her short film at the Venice Biennial. Enter an Angel who encourages Justin to enter his paintings in the Biennial Art Festival. The bait has been set, and they are destined to meet. KINDLE: THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER! (ENTWINED lovENTWINED) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EDNL3Q NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Worlds-Your-Oyster/AllanJon-Kretzmar/e/2940013094802

16. MOMMY’S GONE! A bitter mini-romance. Brad and Mara have been married for fifteen years and have two children, Jamie and Mark. A poignant tale that explores keeping love alive in a marriage that goes through dramatic changes. Mara serves in the Navy, and completes a tour of duty in Iraq. Then Afghanistan follows. . . A story as current as our headlines. KINDLE: MOMMY'S GONE! (ENTWINED lovENTWINED) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EDNM76 NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/MOMMYS-GONE/Allan-JonKretzmar/e/2940013109537

17. FOLLOW THE FIRE! (alternative ending to mommy’s gone!) A bitter-sweet mini-romance. Brad and Mara have been married for fifteen years and have two children, Jamie and Mark. A poignant tale that explores keeping love alive in a marriage that goes through dramatic changes. Mara serves in the Navy, and completes a tour of duty in Iraq. Then Afghanistan follows. . . A story as current as our headlines. This story is the alternative ending to “Mommy’s Gone!) KINDLE: Follow The Fire! (Alternative ending to "Mommy's Gone!) (ENTWINED lovENTWINED) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EDNM62 NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/FOLLOW-THE-FIREAlternate-ending-to-Mommys-Gone/Allan-Jon-Kretzmar/e/2940013109544

18. (LOVE) ON THE WINGS OF ANGELS A mini-romance. Mary and Pete are destined to find each other, but their ability to meet gets stalled. Enter an eagle that brings about their chance meeting, that in that instant changes both of their lives from that point forward forever. Luck, love, and a twist of fate. KINDLE: (LOVE) ON THE WINGS OF EAGLES! (ENTWINED lovENTWINED) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EDNOGA NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/BookAllan-JonKretzmar/e/2940013094963

19. WHEN LIGHTENING STRIKES TWICE! A mini-romance set in Mumbai, India. Ramish is a lawyer who is travelling on a train and is struck by lightening. In that instant the most beautiful woman in the world, his world, gets revealed to him. Ghita Raj is a Bollywood film star, wondering if she will ever find true love. She seeks answers from her astrologer and palmist, Mister Choksy, who tells her that a chance meeting with a man may be soon. Very soon. KINDLE: WHEN LIGHTENING STRIKES TWICE! (ENTWINED lovENTWINED) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EE61Q4 NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/WHEN-LIGHTENINGSTRIKES-TWICE/Allan-Jon-Kretzmar/e/2940013109476

20. COWgirl KATE A mini-romance. Kate is a student in Texas who receives an unexplained and untraceable email and text message on her cellphone to make sure she goes to her grandmother’s funeral. She is told that she needs to make sure she attends, for there is a fated meeting that has to take place there. Kate is given control of the family cattle ranch after her grandmother’s passage, but the email and text message concern affairs of the heart. KINDLE: COWGIRL KATE! (ENTWINED lovENTWINED) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EE621S NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/COWGILR-KATE/Allan-JonKretzmar/e/2940013109438

21. HOLY LAND: BLOOD BROTHERS A mini-romance set in the Holy Land. A metaphorical bridge is being built between Rami, an Israeli soldier, and Ghita, a beautiful young Palestinian girl. They begin to steal moments together, knowing that on both sides such encounters are forbidden. The story moves with dynamic intensity to its conclusion as Rami and Ghita struggle to find freedom to live and love. As topical as today’s headlines. KINDLE: HOLY LAND: BLOOD BROTHERS! (ENTWINED lovENTWINED) | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005EDQGB0 NOOK: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Holy-Land/Allan-JonKretzmar/e/2940013109513