Departure

When Henry "wakes up," he finds himself walking along an empty stretch of road on modern-day San Juan Island. He doesn't remember much about himself, besides his name and the fact that he's dead. How did he die? How long ago? What was his life? Did he have a family? Why is he still on the island? And most important, what is a ghost like him supposed to do now?On Henry's journey of discovery, he meets another ghost in the same predicament—a little girl named Charlotte. Together they navigate the byways of the island and of their own memories, in search of the keys that will finally free them for departure.Part ghost story, part historical novel, part fable, Anne L. Watson's latest offering weaves island lore, human insight, and spiritual wisdom into a magical tale of redemption and fulfillment./////////////////////////////////////////////////Anne L. Watson, a retired historic preservation architecture consultant, is the author of numerous novels, plus books on such diverse subjects as soapmaking and baking with cookie molds. Living now in Bellingham, Washington, she lived for many years in Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands -- the setting of "Departure" -- with her husband and fellow author, Aaron Shepard./////////////////////////////////////////////////SAMPLEI went down to the harbor, which was only a couple of blocks from the big shop. A little girl was sitting on a bench there, crying, and I knew she was a ghost, too.She was a pretty little thing, maybe ten years old. She had on a fancy pink party dress, ribbons in her curly yellow hair, shiny black shoes. She looked like one of the rich children from my time. Or maybe a while later, I thought, studying her. She was like children I'd seen, but just a touch different.Of course, I'd never have spoken to a rich man's little girl when I was alive. But now that we were both dead, why not? So, I went to her and knelt on the ground."What's the matter?" I asked.She sobbed. "I want my mother."I sighed. I didn't really think I could help, but it tugged at me. I was sure I hadn't had children, but somehow, a little girl crying for her mother was something I couldn't ignore. "Where is she?""I don't know!" she wailed."We could look for her," I suggested. "But I don't think she's around here. At least, I haven't seen any women likely to be her."I wanted to ask if her mother was dead. Or if she realized that she was. I thought she probably knew, but it didn't seem polite to ask. I guess children don't worry so much about that kind of thing, because the next words out of her mouth were, "You're a ghost."I nodded. "So are you."She didn't pipe up and agree with me, but she didn't disagree, either. "Where are the others?" she asked."Which others?""The other ghosts. We can't be the only ones."It was a good question. I didn't know the answer.

From the Inside Flap

NOVELS BY ANNE L. WATSONPACIFIC AVENUE. When young Kathy Woodbridge steps off the bus in San Pedro, California, she is running away from her past in Louisiana -- a past burdened by family tragedy and the imprisonment of the man she has loved. Soon she meets Lacey Greer, who can sense the young woman is deeply troubled. But before Lacey can help, she must uncover just what Kathy is running from.JOY. In the Oakland, California, of 1989, Mirai San Julian is a young woman with a fascinating life and a rich past. She restores historic carousels -- her dream career -- working from her own studio in a former roller skating rink. But why is everything suddenly falling apart? Mirai knows how to restore a carousel, but can she restore relationships with those she loves?CASSIE'S CASTAWAYS (ISLAND WOMEN, BOOK 1). When Amy Bendbowe receives a call for help from her dying mother, Cassie, she rushes from Washington's San Juan Island to Mobile, Alabama, to see her. But Cassie has other ideas. Before letting Amy visit the hospital, she wants her to sell off or give away all the stock from Cassie's secondhand store. Is Cassie trying to keep the distance that has long separated her from her daughter? Or is this her way to help Amy finally understand her?WILLOW'S CRYSTAL (ISLAND WOMEN, BOOK 2). Rai Ireland has built a respectable life for herself as a novice real-estate lawyer on Washington's San Juan Island. But when her hippie mother, Willow, comes to stay with her, Rai finds herself stretched between the Rachel she calls herself now and the Rainbow her mother thinks her to be. Besides, it hardly seems fair that Willow adjusts so easily to island life, while Rai still navigates the narrow straits of dating on a small island.BENECIA'S MIRROR (ISLAND WOMEN, BOOK 3). Susan Jarvin could hardly be more surprised when her elegant musician mother, Benecia, accepts her invitation to visit Washington's San Juan Island. But more surprises are in store, as Benecia shows a new, strong interest in Susan's young son, and then starts dating his diving instructor, a man more than a decade her junior. It's all a bit much to cope with, on top of dealing with an ex-husband that Susan never quite stopped loving.A CHAMBERED NAUTILUS. When Nita inherits her childhood home in New Orleans, she finds the house occupied by ghosts of her past, playing out scenes of the life she fled forty years ago. What are they trying to tell her? Will they ever leave her in peace? And are they really spirits, or only visions, emerging from sealed-off depths of memory as from the shell of a chambered nautilus?DEPARTURE. When Henry "wakes up," he finds himself walking along an empty stretch of road on modern-day San Juan Island. He doesn't remember much about himself, besides his name and the fact that he's dead. Part ghost story, part historical novel, part fable, Anne L. Watson's latest offering weaves island lore, human insight, and spiritual wisdom into a magical tale of redemption and fulfillment.FLIGHT. Linda Farley of San Diego is now living as Lainie Foster with her mother and brother in Olympia, Washington, under rules she's been given for being in the Witness Protection Program. But questions confront her at every turn. How could her loving father get involved in a Mafia money laundering scheme? Why is her mother so familiar with their new city? And who is that dark-haired woman she keeps spotting in front of the house?SKEETER: A CAT TALE. When a stray kitten romps into Lynne's life, she has no idea what she's getting into. As Lynne describes in letters to her friend Angie, Skeeter is all cat -- high-spirited, contrary, inventive, and so goofy that he reminds Lynne of her own nuttiest escapades. No one who meets Skeeter will ever be quite the same again.

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