{"product_id":"miss-julia-weathers-the-storm-isbn-9780735220485","title":"Miss Julia Weathers the Storm","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn the latest installment of Ann B. Ross's \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling series, Miss Julia takes a trip to the beach, only to confront a hurricane roiling off the coast--and all the trouble it washes ashore\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMiss Julia's sweet and generous husband, Sam, has decided to take a big group trip to the beach, inviting family and friends. While Miss Julia prepares for the big trip, her longtime friend LuAnne comes to her with a horrifying discovery--her husband may be cheating on her. Julia invites LuAnne along to the beach to get away and clear her head--and to keep from doing anything rash.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEveryone settles into the rental house and six-year-old Latisha, their beloved housekeeper Lillian's great-grandaughter, is having a blast searching for seashells when she discovers some much more valuable treasures that have washed up from a strong storm off the coast. As the storm nears, the crew packs up to head back to Abbotsville, and it appears that the three strangers they met on the beach--who seemed a bit too interested in little Latisha's treasures--have followed them back to their sleepy town. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eMiss Julia Weathers the Storm\u003c\/i\u003e, another highly entertaining and delightful installment in the series by Ann B. Ross, Miss Julia must rely on her quick wit and strong will to protect Latisha, get to the bottom of LuAnne's predicament, and once again save the day.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWatch out for Ross's \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMiss Julia Raises the Roof\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, coming in April 2018!\u003c\/p\u003e\"The main pleasure lies not in the mystery, a comfortable puzzler, but in the time spent among engaging small-town characters as they cope with the joys and demands of day-to-day life.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e-\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePraise for Ann B. Ross and the Miss Julia series:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Ross has a gift for elevating such everyday matters as marital strife and the hazards of middle age to high comedy, while painting her beautifully drawn characters with wit and sympathy.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e-\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“A charming, fun adventure with new relatives, old secrets and a will putting Miss Julia and the Abbotsville regulars in a true Southern mess. I loved it!” \u003cb\u003e—Duffy Brown, bestselling author of the Consignment Shop Mysteries\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Ann B. Ross develops characters so expertly, through quirks, names, and mannerisms, that they easily feel familiar as the reader is gently immersed into the world Miss Ross has created. . . . A delightful read.\" \u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eWinston-Salem Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Miss Julia is one of the most delightful characters to come along in years. Ann B. Ross has created what is sure to become a classic Southern comic novel. Hooray for Miss Julia, I could not have liked it more.\" \u003cb\u003e—Fannie Flagg, author of \u003ci\u003eThe All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Yes, Miss Julia is back, and I, for one, am one happy camper.\" \u003cb\u003e—J. A. Jance, author of \u003ci\u003eCold Betrayal\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003eAnn B. Ross\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eis the author of eighteen novels featuring the popular Southern heroine Miss Julia, as well as \u003ci\u003eEtta Mae's Worst Bad-Luck Day\u003c\/i\u003e, a novel about one of Abbotsville's other most outspoken residents: Etta Mae Wiggins. Ross holds a doctorate in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and has taught literature at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She lives in Hendersonville, North Carolina.Chapter 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"\u003ci\u003eGood\u003c\/i\u003e morning, ladies.\" Sam, beaming with his usual early morning      smile, came into the kitchen greeting Lillian and me. My second      husband—so different from the first one—was a man of warm good      humor from the time he got out of bed until he got back in it.      That had been somewhat of a surprise to me, having been accustomed      to steering carefully around a bristly, short-tempered husband      every morning for forty-something years. Having watched my step      and my words for that long had turned me into a woman of cool      temperament with few smiles—and stiff ones, at that—before coffee      was poured.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Mornin', Mr. Sam,\" Lillian said as she stood beside the stove.      \"Eggs 'bout ready.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Good morning,\" I responded but without the bouncing eagerness      with which he started the day.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Julia,\" Sam said as he sat at the kitchen table, \"I have had an      epiphany.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"A what?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"An epiphany. You know, a sudden flash of enlightenment.\" He      accepted the cup of coffee I'd just poured, then said, \"Well,      maybe it's more of a bright idea. What do you think of going to      the beach for a couple of weeks?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"The \u003ci\u003ebeach\u003c\/i\u003e? Why, Sam, you and Lloyd and Mr. Pickens just got back      from the beach. Why in the world would you want to go back?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"That wasn't a beach trip. We went deep-sea fishing and stepped      from a dock to a boat and back again every day without being on      the beach at all. No, I'm talking about renting an oceanfront      house on one of the islands out from Charleston and just enjoying      the sun and the waves and the ocean breeze. And there'll be      shopping in Charleston and a lot of good seafood dinners—a real      vacation for everybody, especially you. You've done nothing this      summer but worry with Miss Mattie's affairs. You need a break,      sweetheart.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"And, think of this, Julia. Think of sitting out on a screened      porch overlooking the Atlantic and watching the sun go down.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I looked at him from under lowered brows. \"More like watching the      sun come \u003ci\u003eup\u003c\/i\u003e. Last I checked, we'd be facing east.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He laughed. \"Just testing you, honey. But what do you say? Lloyd      and Latisha will be back in school in a couple of weeks, and      August is always a slow month. Let's rent a huge house and take      everybody.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"\u003ci\u003eWho\u003c\/i\u003e everybody?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Everybody who wants to go—the Pickens family, the Bates family,      Lillian and Latisha, Miss Wiggins, if you want, you, me, and      Lloyd, and anybody else you want to ask.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"My word, Sam, you'd need a hotel for a crew like that.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"No, no. I've been looking online, and there're a few big      houses—nice houses—still available. How many bedrooms would we      need?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"One for you and me, for sure. I'm not sharing with anybody else.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He laughed again, passed the cream pitcher to me, and thanked      Lillian as she set his plate before him. \"Let's count them up. I      think five bedrooms would do it, though six might be better. Maybe      put all the children together in one—they'd like that, wouldn't      they?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Probably so, to start with at least. Then there'd be little feet      pattering all over the house looking for their mamas. But, Sam,\" I      went on, \"August is an active hurricane month. What if we're there      when a hurricane blows in?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Honey,\" Sam said, smiling with indulgence at my concern, \"we'd      pack up and leave long before it hit the coast. I tell you      what—I'll check the Weather Channel every day and keep you fully      updated.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I smiled and nodded. Then, realizing that Lillian had been      noticeably silent during all this, I said, \"What do you think,      Lillian? Would you and Latisha like to go?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Yes'm, I guess we could,\" she said, busying herself at the sink.      \"Latisha, she never seen the ocean, so she would. But me, I could      pro'bly take it or leave it.\" Latisha, Lillian's great-grandchild,      had lived with her for a number of years. Bright as a new penny      and full of energy, she kept Lillian hopping, so it occurred to me      that Lillian herself could use a vacation—not just days off, but a      real get-out-of-town vacation. Sam's bright idea suddenly seemed      made to order.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Well, what about James?\" Sam asked, bringing up the touchy      subject of the man who'd worked for Sam before we married and who      now cooked for Hazel Marie and Mr. Pickens. \"Think he'd want to      go?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Nobody never know what he want,\" Lillian mumbled as she ran water      into the egg skillet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I shook my head at Sam, warning him off. \"Let's just think about      James. He can be hard to get along with at times.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"That be the truth,\" Lillian agreed with some force.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Well,\" Sam went on with unflagging enthusiasm, \"the first thing      we have to do is find out how many want to go. Then I'll know how      big a house we'll need. I'll start with Pickens and see what he      says.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"All right,\" I said, \"but, Sam, it's awfully late in the season to      be looking for a rental. So I want to say right now that if you      can't find a nice one, I'm not going. I don't want to either camp      out or try to make do with the dregs of the rental market.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Oh, I agree,\" he said, standing. \"We'll do it right or not at      all.\" And off he went, as happy as a clam—an expression I thought      appropriate for the subject at hand.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Come sit with me, Lillian,\" I said. \"There's still some coffee in      the pot.\" When she'd settled at the table, I went on, \"Now tell me      what you really think about this bright idea.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Well, Miss Julia, I guess goin' to the beach won't never be my      first choice—they's things in that ocean. But I'll go, 'cause      y'all need somebody to cook, an' Latisha never let me forget it if      she don't get to go.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"No, Lillian, I'm not thinking that way. I wouldn't ask you to      cook three meals a day for as many people as Sam has in mind. That      wouldn't be a vacation for you at all. I expect there're plenty of      good cooks who hire out by the week for renters. No, I'm talking      about your going just for the rest and the fun of it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Lillian reared back at the thought. \"With somebody else in the      kitchen? No'm, I don't know 'bout eatin' somebody else's cookin'      while I set around watchin'. I wouldn't know what to do with      myself.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Well, let's think about it. I don't want you having to cook for      an army for days on end—we'd have to bring you home on a      stretcher. Let's wait and see how many Sam can talk into going. To      tell the truth, it wouldn't surprise me if nobody wants to go, and      if that's the case, Sam's bright idea will get dim in a hurry.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Which, to be honest, wouldn't bother me at all. Oh, I'd hate for      Sam to be disappointed, but let's face it—I hadn't lost one thing      at the beach. My sweet, generous Sam, with his good heart and      itchy feet, was always planning a trip to somewhere. Why, he'd      even been to Russia, and a year or so ago, he'd wanted to float      down the Rhine, and another time he'd gotten a bee in his bonnet      about looking up ancestors in Scotland. And he always wanted me to      go with him, although, as should be apparent by now, I wasn't the      traveling kind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e So, considering the many times I'd turned him down while urging      him to pursue his dreams, I felt that I could and should agree to      a beach trip. What was it—two hundred or so miles from home? I      could manage that for a couple of weeks, even though I am      essentially a homebound, routine-loving, day-in and day-out kind      of woman.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Ah, well, I sighed. For Sam's sake I could put up with a week or      so of a house full of noisy children, occasional ill tempers, wet      bathing suits, lumpy mattresses, and sand tracked in everywhere.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Maybe I'd never have to do it again.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Chapter 2\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I found Sam in the library, which had once been the downstairs      bedroom but was now decked out in Williamsburg paint colors,      floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and eighteenth-century furniture.      Reproductions, but still.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Making a note on a pad as he put down the phone, Sam looked up at      me. \"I think the Pickenses will go. Hazel Marie's excited about      it, but she has to speak to J.D. She'll call back after they talk      it over.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I nodded, but as I started to speak, the phone on the desk rang.      \"Hold on, honey,\" Sam said, as he reached for it. \"It's Binkie,      returning my call.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I sat on the leather Chippendale sofa, mentally counting Hazel      Marie, Mr. Pickens, Lloyd, and the twin toddlers. Five of them,      with Sam and me making seven. Nine if Lillian and Latisha went,      eight if Lillian didn't.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As Sam's conversation with Binkie went on in the background, I      thought of my curly-headed lawyer. I hadn't seen much of her      lately as the estate Lloyd and I equally inherited from Wesley      Lloyd Springer—my first, unfaithful and unlamented, husband—had      been perking along quite well in Binkie's capable hands,      especially with Sam's occasional advice. She had taken over Sam's      law practice when he retired to begin his tortuous way to writing      a legal history of Abbot County.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Binkie Enloe Bates was married to Coleman Bates, a sergeant in the      Abbot County Sheriff's Department, a union which had begun in my      living room when she had come running in soaked to the skin by a      sudden summer shower. Coleman, my roomer at the time, had been      smitten at once, and from all evidence I could see, remained that      way. Little Gracie was their daughter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e So the Bates family would, if they accepted Sam's invitation, make      three more beachgoers. Either eleven or twelve in all, still      depending on Lillian's decision.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Then my thoughts drifted from one possible beachgoer to another as      an image of Hazel Marie's sweet face formed in my mind. I'd seen      so little of her recently, having been taken up with settling the      estate of an acquaintance who'd obviously thought more of me than      I had of her. Not that I'd disliked Mattie Freeman; it was just      that I'd hardly thought of her at all, and to have been named      executor of her will had been both shocking and remarkably time      consuming. To be away from the constant concern about getting her      last wishes through probate and put to rest, as she had been, was      something devoutly to be desired.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But, back to Hazel Marie, as Sam's conversation with Binkie went      on; what a change in that young woman. Well, not so young, unless      compared to some whom we won't mention. I recalled the first time      I'd seen her—knocking at my door, looking to my mind like a street      harlot, as she introduced the skinny, freckled-faced urchin beside      her as my recently deceased husband's only child. Lord, what a      shock to my system! Wesley Lloyd Springer had been the wealthiest,      most dogmatic and upright member of the First Presbyterian Church      of Abbotsville—when he spoke, Pastor Ledbetter listened.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e And standing right out there on my front porch was his longtime      mistress and illegitmate son; and as if that hadn't been bad      enough, come to find out that half the town had known of his      extramarital activities. And that half had not included me—talk      about having to live something down! But I'd done it, taking both      mother and child under my wing and into my home and daring the      town to snub either them or me. Money talks, don't you know, and      Wesley Lloyd had left plenty, even when shared with Lloyd. It      hadn't taken long to change a number of tunes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Over the years, though, Hazel Marie, under my tutelage, had      evolved into a classic young matron, well thought of around town,      safely married, and the mother not only of Lloyd—the light of my      life in spite of where he'd come from—but also of twin toddlers,      courtesy of Mr. J. D. Pickens, PI, who had immeasurably improved      his standing with me by adopting Lloyd.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Julia?\" Sam's voice broke into my reverie. \"You all right,      honey?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Oh. Yes, just daydreaming. What did Binkie say?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Well,\" he said, patently pleased with himself, \"it just so      happens that both she and Coleman have some time off coming. They      were halfway planning a camping trip, but she likes the idea of      going to the beach. Little Gracie is just old enough to enjoy it.      So Binkie will talk to Coleman and let me know. But she said to      count them in.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I laughed. \"Coleman will do whatever she wants. I just hope the      sheriff's department can get along without him for a few days.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"He's well thought of over there, that's for sure.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Sam,\" I said, thoughtfully, so as to indicate a change of      subject, \"I'm a little concerned about Lillian. I don't think she      wants to go, even though I assured her that it would be a vacation      and not two weeks of extra work. But she knows Latisha will want      to go and she doesn't want to disappoint her.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Then let's take Latisha with us, and Lillian can have some real      time off.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"What a good idea,\" I said, even though I'd already thought of it.      \"But that means we'll have to be extra careful keeping an eye on      her. All the other children will have mamas and daddies watching      out for them.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"We'll set some rules, and the first one will be no going to the      beach alone. But, Julia, how would she do without Lillian? I doubt      she's ever spent a night away from her great-granny.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"She'll have Lloyd and she adores him, and besides, we'll make      sure before we leave that she really wants to go. Actually,      though,\" I went on, thinking it through, \"it'll probably be the      other way around. Lillian may not be able to spend a night away      from her.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Well, see what she says. Lillian needs some time for herself, and      we'll all watch Latisha. She's never any trouble when she's here,      so I'm sure she'll be fine.\" Then with a few clicks at the      computer, he said, \"Come over here, honey, and let me show you      what I found.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I leaned over his shoulder to view the picture of a large yellow      house with white trim. \"Oceanfront,\" Sam said, \"and three,      actually four, stories. Two bedroom suites on the main floor on      opposite sides of the house, four suites on the second floor, and      a huge dormitory room on the top floor. Oh, and there're two      maid's rooms with a bath on the ground floor. See, the house sits      on pilings, so the main floor is really the second. That's to get      the ocean breeze through the living space and to give an ocean      view over the dunes.\"","brand":"Penguin Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300884828389,"sku":"NP9780735220485","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780735220485.jpg?v=1767732791","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/miss-julia-weathers-the-storm-isbn-9780735220485","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}