Sarissa travels back through time in order to identify the one event that changed the course of her life.

Once she understands the event, she embraces her animal instincts, defeats her enemies from the past and present and moves on with her life.

  a snippet from . . . CHAPTER ONE

. . . A feeling of dread and alarm raced through me for an instant. I sat upright; perfectly still, unsure of whether I was capable of moving or what I should have been doing at that moment. I looked at the lower part of my body but I wasn’t sure of what I was seeing. I can only assume now what I saw were my legs. I was cold and an overwhelming weakness saturated my lower body. It was numb and didn’t feel like it was a part of me. I looked up at the sky and, again, for a moment, I got caught up in the beauty and freedom of the life forms around me. The insects and birds flying through the air, large and small animals, and what seemed to be millions of microbiotic organisms moving through the grassy plain captivated me. The trees were alive and waving in the warm, soft breeze that blew over me. I felt the life-giving energy of the sun as it gently warmed and caressed me. The birds circled the sky and whistled soothing sounds that made me feel rested and comfortable. The invasive steps of an intruder rudely interrupted the sounds of nature - the birds singing, the wind blowing and the numerous sounds made by the animals in the wooded area. And, even though the dew moistened the grass I heard crackling sounds, twigs snapping and leaves being crushed. The birds screamed out warnings of the intruder and flew away in flocks. There were so many birds they created a dark blanket across the sky as they moved away. Still I sat there.

A strange feeling, a combination of calm, fear and strength came over me and I listened attentively for any sound that was not a natural part of my environment. Directed by my sense of smell I turned and looked to the south in the direction of the dense trees. I sat perfectly still and waited for the intruder to emerge and come to me.

For the rest of the story, go to Amazon.com - The Wolf by Amanda Grihm

At the early age of 10, Mindy was forced to deal with the lies that made the world believe it was okay to create barriers against, and inflict pain upon, dark skinned people. No one was more cruel and biased against her dark skin than other dark skinned people, including some members of her family.

a snippet from . . . CHAPTER TWO

. . . She had hurt my feelings again but this time they weren’t hurt as bad as the other times. I was becoming immune to her insults. I closed my eyes and took a long, deep, breath. She ain’t even human, she is just like a glass figurine - one push, and she’ll fall over and break. I opened my eyes but she was still standing there looking at me with an intense look of disapproval.

In my mind I sized her up and could see m’self-placing my hand on her shoulder and tipping her perfectly erect body over. I laughed at the thought of her glassy icy facade shattering as it hit the ground. I know it was a mean thought but that’s what went through my mind. Grandma Mindy was my height or maybe a fraction of an inch taller and I felt like I could take her if it came to that.

“Ump! You’re getting bigger.”

“Yes, ma’am I am growing up. I’m almost…” she put her hand up in the air for me to stop talking.

 “Ump, you are bigger.”

I didn’t know whether to answer or to just stand there. I turned to look at my Grandpa George. “I. . .” she cut me off again.

 “Don’t talk to me wit’ yo’ head turned to someone else, don’t you have no manners at all.” 

 “I’m happy to be here, Grandma Mindy.”

For a minute I thought she was reading my mind because she looked at me with a lot of skepticism. Talking to her was frustrating me and it was those times that I was not happy to be there. Then I remembered…she wasn’t reading my mind…that was just the way she looked at most people that she didn’t care nothing about!

For the rest of the story, go to Amazon.com - The Dark Skinned Sister by Amanda Grihm

a snippet from . . . CHAPTER ONE

...Where's yo' baby???? Where IS my baby...was the stabbing and sobering thought that cut through my heart as I jerked awake.

Even though my eyes were open I could not see a thing. The room was black. I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled as I rose to sit upright in the middle of the bed. I heard it again...the light voice... "Where's yo baby?"

Oh, my God, where is my baby? With a prayer caught between my faith and my fear I closed my eyes and gently patted my right hand over to the edge of the bed. Bereft of hope, my fear-stricken, rigid body slumped like a time-enhanced withering flower. Paralyzed by terror that pervaded me and the guilt of my plausible neglect, I sat quietly listening for any sign of life from my newborn baby boy. I tried desperately to calm my heartbeat and breathing so that I could listen harder to the quiet timbre of the room. In one excruciating moment I thought I heard someone breathe next to me and when I turned my head to look, I saw black silhouettes outlined like shadows near the curtain through the blackness of the night. Then I heard what sounded like deep breathing at the foot of the bed. In the next moment I was hearing it over by the door. I scooted to the edge of the bed and stood slowly.

Disparaging moans and cries filled the room. The cries were so foreign and distressing they sounded like a wounded animal. In a moment of clarity I realized the cries were my own. I knew they were my soul's expression and release from the torment that roiled inside of me. I opened my mouth to speak but unintelligible desperation lurched out in decibels so loud that it made the glass pitcher rumble and teeter on the edge of the dresser and the thin glass plate on the nightstand rattle before it fell and shattered.

"Where's yo' baby?" the soft voice asked.

The voice was so light and evasive I wasn't sure I was actually hearing a voice at all. "Is someone here?" My words quivered as I spoke.

"Where's yo' baby?" The feathery light voice asked in an even lighter voice. It's my conscious gnawing at me. My son is in his bedroom... where else? The temples on the sides of my head began to pulsate. I could hear the blood rush back and forth through the veins that ran from my eyes to my ears and down the back of my head. Every few seconds I felt the pounding of my heart against my chest wall. Something very light touched me on the back of my neck and I just about jumped out of my skin and lost my mind! "What was that? Who’s in here?" I cried through a fear that broke and choked every word that came out of my mouth.

Suddenly, a loud noise erupted by the door. A second later, a noise erupted by the bed. The dresser was rattling as though someone were rocking it on its side. Next, the headboard of the bed started rattling and bumping against the wall. My arms flew straight up in the air and my legs started running in place. My legs tired quickly and I collapsed to the floor. "The Lord is my shepherd, the Lord is my shepherd, the Lord is my shepherd," repeated in my mind. Every nerve in my body twitched and jumped on edge. The nerves in my eyelids and lashes were spastic.

For the rest of the story, go to Amazon.com - Dark Justice - Nightmare by Amanda Grihm

After experiencing unbelievable malice at the hands of her manager at BIMSTAR Industries, Zenith Chargrin loses her baby in her seventh month of pregnancy.

That loss coupled with unrelenting assaults and acts of cruelty from Zenith’s manager and his wife, causes Zenith to re-live the loss over and over in a hellish nightmare that recurs on a nightly basis.

a snippet from . . . CHAPTER THREE

...“Okay, Martha. Listen, telling her her name wouldn’t help. She needs to realize it on her own. If she doesn’t remember, I’m gonna have to try other means.”

“You ain’t got to try nothing else! That child will remember as soon as she chomps down on that cornbread. She’ll remember that. She loves my cornbread. I make it for her every night. She’ll remember.”

The moment I stepped into Martha’s condo, I felt warm and protected. I moaned a sigh of relief when I saw the oversized white refrigerator decorated with a thousand and one black and white magnetic cows. Home.

I brushed my fingers across the silk brocade placemats and sat in the chair that faced the big bay windows. I inhaled the sweet scent of the freshly cut pale white gardenias that Martha always used to keep her condo smelling fresh and clean and looking so beautiful. The image of Martha and me sitting at the table laughing and eating cornbread flashed through my mind. Martha’s compassionate eyes flashed in front of me again. I turned to the left and saw the big, fluffy, throw on the easy rocker and I remembered Martha gently waking me, telling me that it was time for me to get ready for work. I could see myself folding the throw and placing it so that the pointed edge was perfectly centered, and then leaving out of her condo and entering my own. I saw myself taking a shower, getting dressed and heading back to work. I could see myself walking out my door and Martha standing out front with a small plastic container with warm cornbread covered in hot butter for me.

I remembered feeling good when I was there with Martha. I felt regenerated, refueled so that I could go back to work and do battle. I closed my eyes and Martha’s image was still there, smiling and reassuring me. I looked outside to see Martha talking with the three policemen. Hot tears welled up in my eyes and my nostrils filled with hot air. I held one hand over my mouth to stop the screams of joy that I felt rising up in me, and the other hand against my heart to stop it from exploding out of my chest. I ran outside and hugged Martha with all of my might. I was home. I remembered Martha and I was at home with Martha. I was safe!

For the rest of the story, go to Amazon.com - Dark Justice - Awake by Amanda Grihm

Zenith dreams the same hellish nightmare and endures horrifying treatment from her manager. She can't separate her dreams from reality.

Zenith is in the fight for her life,  memory, and sanity.