The most peaceful years of Austin Miller's life were before he married. Only he, Sophia and her mother, Elizabeth, were in the house. After his marriage, the house became a hotbed of chaos fueled by overzealous attitudes and unyielding temperaments. His marriage had been strained by adultery, and after it had been patched, they were separated by the war. Sophia's best friends were three white girls that she grew up with. When seen by someone that did not know them, they would assume that all four were white. The color of their skin would not be enough to tell that one had a trace of black blood in her veins that made her a slave. Appearing to be white did not make a person white, and being black had its' limitations. Yet, in a small southern town in Tennessee, Sophia ignored the social code regarding interracial relationships. Seeds of Magnolia unveils some of the stories that have been sheltered by the family-stories that have been kept in the closet, swept under the rug, or just gone untold.

Robert Allison "Bob" Wade (1920-present) and H. Bill Miller (1920-61) penned their novels using the joint pseudonym of Wade Miller.Orson Welles' noir classic Touch of Evil was adapted from their novel, Badge of Evil. In Murder - Queen High, Barselow was used to having his orders obeyed in Azure City. But when he gave orders that the Queen must be found, he ran into unexpected opposition. For there were others determined to find the Queen . . .Determined to risk their sanity, their very lives, to find her. There was Faye Jordan - she of the sensuous figure and the mind to match. And there was Mr. Trim - the fabulous Mr. Trim . . . There was John Henry Conover, and the curvy, swervy girl called Sin, who had other things on their minds until a wounded mobster burst into their cottage and forced then to join the hunt. And when the waiter brought them the Queen of Diamonds instead of the tab at lunch the next day, they knew they were playing for keeps.

Denzel was just a puppy when Mary got him. For several years, there were only two people in the house with him, Mary and her husband. But for Denzel, that was enough. It was enough, and he was very suspecious of anyone else that entered the house. Whenever someone visited, it was necessary to put Denzel in a room and close the door until they left. Mary got him for the purpose of being her watchdog because she spent lots of time at home alone. Denzel was very serious about fulfilling his jop description. He was a minature schnauser, only about twenty inches tall, but when it came to Mary, it was obvious that he was willing to protect her at all costs, even if it meant making the ultimate sacrifice. Dogs have long since been characterized as "man's best friend." Denzel was a true representation of "a woman's best friend."

Carly is 11 years old and lives with her grandfather on a 200-acre Virginia farm while both parents serve in the military overseas. She loves the farm, and befriends all of the animals including a sneaky red fox that stalks her grandfather's prize chickens. Her best friend is her pony, Monroe, who shares her enthusiasm for adventure. Carly's constant dream is to ride with the Riverdale Hunt Club that passes through her grandfather's property. On one particularly rainy Saturday, Carly watches from her front porch as the finely dressed ladies and gentlemen ride to the hounds. Later in the day, Carly finds out that a young hound named Hampton has become lost and Carly is determined to find him and by so doing endear herself to the hunt's Master; perhaps to be asked to ride Monroe in an upcoming meet. Carly enlists the help of her friend, Freddie, but the adventure is just beginning. Carly, Monroe, Hampton and the red fox have no idea what dangers await them.

Divorce -- ouch This is one of the most emotionally challenging experiences one has to deal with in life. Especially if you're not the party who initiated the proceedings. Especially if it comes with a few unpleasant surprises about new lovers, child custody, financial obligations and the like. Getting your life reorganized is challenging enough, but it is made far more difficult by the emotional rollercoaster one has to ride at the same time. Thanks to my background in clinical psychology and my long involvement with spiritual, social, and personal growth movements, I, your esteemed author, was able to navigate the ending of my own relationship with a fair amount of insight and awareness. Within the first few weeks it became apparent that the various hurts, angers, and other emotional difficulties all centered around a dozen or so basic issues. By keeping aware of these issues and the psychological principles at work behind them, I found I was less likely to be ambushed by feelings like rage, depression, shame, and insecurity. Further, I was able to keep the normal sadness, hurt, and anger down to manageable proportions. As a result, my "ex" and I had virtually a textbook model breakup (well OK, dividing the home sale proceeds was a little bumpy, but other than that...), and we now get along far better than when we were together. Along the way, it helped me to write up my various struggles and breakthroughs, and now I hope these experiences and insights will help you. In addition, with psychotherapy now averaging about $100 per session, this information may save you several thousand dollars So if you are struggling through a divorce or other traumatic loss, I'm here to tell you that it can be survived, that you can avoid becoming stuck in counterproductive patterns of thought and feeling, and that the suffering you are experiencing can be kept to a manageable level. Divorce may not be fun, but it doesn't have to be agony Moreover, by going through this pr