The author's inspiration for this story came about as she studied a watercolor print she bought at a benefit sale. A once beautiful old house had many tales to tell - 'if those walls could talk.' Town gossip of Clay City, for four generations, had centered around a house such as this.

It really all begins with Lenny. While waiting for car repairs, she meets a couple of teenagers at the local pharmacy. While sipping her cherry coke at the old fashioned soda fountain, the teenagers introduce her to the inner workings of Clay City. From their perspective, the most unique topic for a stranger to their town is the Clay Castle.

As a private investigator by profession, Lenny finds this town and their castle 'an itch she can't scratch.' Contact with her new pharmacy friends with tidbits of events brings her back. Her first return visit entices her and she begins to unravel the town's mysteries. Uncovering uncomfortable things about their town makes some of the residents wish this redhead would just go away. She soon finds herself in the midst of one of the town secrets. Then the Clay Castle gets personal.

About the Author

J.I. Huston was born in the far north of Minnesota in a house her Grandfather Gustafson built. Since then, she has lived in a small town, loved her time visiting relative's farms, and now, as a mother and grandmother, spends her time in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She remembers writing short stories and poetry as soon as she could print. As an Indiana University graduate and a retiree of Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, she enjoys putting her imagination into story form. Summertime finds her out in her flower gardens and in winter she's in front of the computer working on another story.