Do you believe animals have a soul and that following their physical death their soul is received into heaven? This twofold question is asked more often than not of our Christian clerics. It is a question which seriously befuddles many, amuses some, and irritates and mortifies still others. Following the death of dog handler Marine Corporal David Devonshire while on deployment in Iraq, his canine partner, a German shepherd, Sergeant Amicus, is adopted by the Corporal's young family. Spurred on by their adopted charge, the Corporal's widow, Kate Devonshire and son Luke, endeavor to find their own answer to this vexing question. Life is never the same for Kate and Luke after Amicus joins the Devonshire household. Through this endearing creature, the Corporal's family experiences a release from the constraints of their sorrow, allowing them to once again embrace God's promise of new beginnings. This story takes the reader full circle and Amicus serves as a reminder that though God's creatures may live but in the shadows of our busy lives, they never fail in their own unique way to make an indelible impression. Then, when the time comes for them to leave us, more often than not we are left, better people because of them. Jane Amelia Smith was born and raised on Long Island, New York. After earning an M.A. degree in Health Education from New York University, she worked in the field of health promotion. She holds a Public School Teacher, as well as a Registered Nurse license. In addition, she served ten years as a reservist in the U.S. Army Nurse Corp, receiving an honorable discharge at the rank of Major. Widowed in 2007, she currently lives at Smith Mountain Lake, in Virginia. This is her second novel.

An intriguing tale of faith, love, and death, that spans the generations. When fourteen year old, Amelia Morelli, loses her beloved father in the 9/11 terrorist attack, her near perfect world comes to a stand still.

In an attempt to rescue the melancholic Amelia, her Granny Lou, orchestrates a search for the girl's ancestral namesake. The family sleuths travel from their Connecticut home, to the tidewater area of Virginia. With dogged determination, they eventually uncover the truth behind the strange disappearance of the family 19th century matriarch, from her privileged, plantation home. Parallels are drawn between Amelia and her namesake, and lessons from the past speak to the young girl. With the continued support of her Christian family, Amelia begins to heal.

In the wake of the family quest, both heroine and reader, are left to ponder the impact our ancestors might have upon the living. In a strange twist, this story suggests that our forebearers never leave us at all, for better or worse, we leave them.