A
GUNSHOT REVERBERATED in the air at the same time a bullet
sprayed dirt up from the ground just in front of Annette. Glancing
up, she saw Paulo Volivar sitting on his horse at the edge of the
cliff ...FIRST IN THE ANNETTE VETTER SERIES!
While visiting a ranch in the Cochetopa Hills of Colorado, Annette and her best friend, Penny, get more than they bargained for when their new friend, Mandy, leads them on horseback into forbidden territory.
A missing professor, a suspicious yellow envelope, and a mysterious old mountain man are the ingredients for mystery, adventure and a spark of romance, in this '60s era introduction to the Annette Vetter mystery series.
About the Series:
There are many people who contributed to the culmination of the
final version of The Mystery at Hickory Hill. My younger
siblings, Paul, Laurie and Alice, were probably the first ones to
listen to the story when I wrote the original manuscript at age
15. I used to read my original stories out loud to my younger
brother and sisters. They were my first audience, and their
attentiveness and interest motivated me to pursue my writing as
the book went into different revisions over the years.
The last incarnation took place 35 years later, after I
rediscovered the manuscript which I had tucked away and, more or
less, forgotten. Originally, Hickory Hill was in Texas, but it
seemed more interesting to place the locale in the Cochetopa Hills
of western Colorado -- one of my favorite places in the West --
and so I changed the setting.
My teen-age friends were an inspiration to me, and their
personalities are reflected in the characters of the series.
Annette, of course, is the girl I always wanted to be -- bold,
rational, and grounded-- but mostly a girl who had the privilege
of growing up in the country.
It may seem odd that the first book of the series takes place so
far away from "home." The books that follow are situated in
Wisconsin, Annette's and my native state. At one time, I wanted to
"modernize" Annette by making her more contemporary, but I decided
the '60s time period was important in many respects, and it gives
the reader a flavorful serving of that era. So much was different
back then, yet so much has remained the same.
I wish to thank the many teachers throughout the span of my
educational years, who encouraged me and acknowledged my gift of
imagination. My parents were also supporters of my writing, and so
were the members of the first Writers Club I belonged to, in
Monona, Wisconsin, who allowed a youngster such as I to be a part
of them.
ISBN 0-944851-25-8 August 2006
YOUNG ADULT FICTION -- Mystery Retail $9.95
Order the book from Earth Star Publications