Miranda's Muse
by
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Once, in a small town in northern California, a woman named "Miranda" ran a cafe appropriately named "Miranda’s Cafe." Most of the people who came to her cafe told themselves that they came for the delicious food she prepared, but it was really her stories that had captured their attention. The words she chose, her remarkable speaking voice, and the tales she had composed completely enthralled them. "Once," she might begin, "before the earth was even thought of, there was a magic place, loved by the goddess, where joy and peace, laughter and loving kindness ruled supreme." As she went on describing each flower that grew there and each creature that lived there, her listeners would find their cares dropping away from them like dead leaves in autumn. With each shining word, they would feel a lightness of spirit that transcended even their darkest moods. Often, Miranda would tell of strange and comical creatures; "The ouroboros is a worm," she would explain, "who has the unique compulsion to swallow his own tail. Thus he spends his entire life going in smaller and smaller circles, devouring himself through all eternity." They chuckled at the impossible picture this created for them, but some felt a little uncomfortable as well; they sensed a subtle message in Miranda’s story, if only they were wise enough to understand it. Sometimes, however, there was a soaring sense of freedom that gave some folks the courage to tackle seemingly impossible tasks. All at once, they found that they possessed the ability to complete them successfully. The pleasure of this was so uplifting, that they blessed Miranda’s soul each time that they prayed. The Storysmith
Dos Hermanas, California
"Sometimes," Joseph thought, "we are gifted with the ability to see the familiar as though we had never seen it before." He gazed at his wife and his love for her warmed and suffused his entire body. Miranda appeared to Joseph as the very essence of womanliness, all warmth and full curves, strong and at the same time, gentle. Her full lips were parted as if in a dream and she seemed both regal and heartbreakingly vulnerable at the same time. Joseph wanted to protect her and, as he felt the warmth and tingle of desire begin to course through his body, he wanted to make love to her as never before. He moved slowly to the garden door and slipped out of his house slippers as he stepped into the garden. He waited quietly for Miranda to notice him.
At that moment, Miranda became aware that she was not alone. She could sense the presence of someone or something observing her from her right side. It felt like a slight warm tingling on her right arm and her cheek. Slowly, she turned to face whatever it was. At first, she could only make out the dark shadows of the trees. Then, from the edge of the forest, something moved slowly into Miranda’s field of vision. She froze motionless where she was and waited.
The full moon moved out from the edge of a cloud formation and lit the clearing as brightly as daylight. There, sitting erect, with both pointed ears on alert, was a canine. At first, Miranda thought it was a German shepherd, but as the creature raised its head, Miranda could see clear golden eyes in a stern gray and buff face with black markings and an overlay of white around the muzzle.
"It’s a wolf," she realized.
There were not many wolves left in this area, but Miranda had heard of occasional sightings, especially near the mountains.
Miranda sensed that the wolf was not out to harm her, so she waited quietly for the wolf to make her first move. They gazed at each other, the woman and the wolf. Neither of them seemed the least bit nervous or fearful. Miranda broke the silence.
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About the Book
Miranda Lamm is truly a woman of the new millennium. She has reached "The Age of Wisdom" and continues to be the healthy, vibrant person she has always been. Her brain, her body, her psyche and her sexuality are in excellent working order. She isn’t sure whether to call herself a Jewish-Pagan or a Pagan-Jew. Her spiritual beliefs encompass both ethnicities and more! Miranda and Joseph Lamm purchase the Dos Hermanas Diner and rename it Miranda’s Café. It becomes the social center of town. Miranda’s excellent cuisine, combined with her Saturday night story hour is an irresistible combination. Miranda feels a keen sense of responsibility to see this does not end with her retirement. She decides to look for a protégé with "The Gift" and a desire to learn the restaurant business. Arlene Spector’s first novel tells of the "Dos Hermanas Story Contest," which is Miranda’s way of searching for her protégé. We hear the voices of the finalists: a Native American woman, a retired kindergarten teacher, a registered nurse and a highway patrolman. The unexpected consequences of the contest raise serious concerns for Miranda and the townsfolk. Two local citizens are accused of witchcraft. "Skinheads" menace Miranda! An unusual ally defends her. Does she find a protégé? That dear reader, is a surprise!
About the Author
Arlene Spector was born in the Bronx, New York and educated at N.Y.U. In 1955, she married Murray Spector, from Brooklyn. She taught school for two years until motherhood intervened. Later, she became a career counselor and co-founder of The Women’s Career Center at Middlesex College, where she developed seminars in effective communication skills for local corporations including IBM, Union Carbide, and Johnson and Johnson. Arlene’s poetry has been published in three anthologies. Her one-woman poetry reading attracted an overflow crowd. Arlene and her husband now live in San Pedro, California, where she learned to laugh at herself and the lunatic world around her. She brings her perceptive, humorous, quirky view of reality to us in this, her first novel . . . ENJOY!