Random Acts of Kindness
By Dete A Meserve and Rachel Greco
()
About this ebook
The true-life tie in to Good Sam, the bestselling novel and Netflix Original Film:
A disabled veteran in Oregon opens his front door to find that an anonymous Good Samaritan has left him a brand-new riding mower.
In Oklahoma City, a woman who has just lost her job is amazed when a
Dete A Meserve
Dete Meserve is the award-winning, bestselling author of three novels in the Kate Bradley Mystery Series: Good Sam, Perfectly Good Crime, and The Good Stranger and a fourth standalone mystery/suspense novel The Space Between. Her first non-fiction book, Random Acts of Kindness, co-authored with journalist Rachel Greco is in development as a feature film. Her novel, Good Sam, was produced as a feature film for Netflix Original Film. The film was produced by Meserve based on a screenplay by Meserve and Teena Booth. When she's not writing, she is a film and television producer in Los Angeles and a partner and CEO of Wind Dancer Films. Her recent credits include Executive Producer of What Men Want (Paramount), Executive Producer of Ready Jet Go (PBS), and Producer and Screenwriter of Good Sam (Netflix).Meserve lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children-and two very good cats that rule them all.
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Book preview
Random Acts of Kindness - Dete A Meserve
Copyright © 2019 by Dete Meserve
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Melrose Hill Publishing
www.DeteMeserve.com
ISBN- 978-0-9914499-7-2 (paperback)
ISBN- 978-0-0014499-6-5 (e-book)
Printed in the United States of America
PRAISE FOR
GOOD SAM
Meserve’s narrative has a… dry wit and well-conceived dialogue throughout. Kate’s relatable qualities of self-reliance tinged with vulnerability drive this gratifying mystery-romance about finding the good guys—and knowing when to recognize them.
—Publishers Weekly
In her debut novel, Meserve writes a… solid feel-good romance sparked with mystery.
—Kirkus Reviews
"If you are a Nicholas Sparks or Richard Paul Evans fan, I’m betting you will like author Meserve’s book Good Sam. Uplifting, heart wrenching, and a two-hankie read, this story is a winner."
—Cheryl Stout, Amazon top reviewer and Vine Voice
This story had everything from suspense to drama. And the heartfelt ending had us smiling for days.
—First for Women magazine
PRAISE FOR
PERFECTLY GOOD CRIME
A first-rate and undaunted protagonist easily carries this brisk tale. Kate is intuitive and professional, but it’s her steadfast compassion that makes her truly remarkable.
—Kirkus Reviews
Dete Meserve delivers a novel that is simultaneously mysterious, fascinating, and inspiring.
—BuzzFeed.com
A feel-good mystery… an enjoyable escape.
—BookLife Prize in Fiction
Books that are changing the world.
—2016 Living Now Book Award,
gold medal in inspirational fiction
In a story saturated with unexpected twists and shocking motives, Kate Bradley follows clues—and her heart—to discover that some crimes have powerfully good intentions.
—Sunset magazine
PRAISE FOR
THE SPACE BETWEEN
Chiseled prose gleefully weaves the protagonist through bombshells… A labyrinth of plot and character motivations makes for a thoroughly enjoyable novel.
—Kirkus Reviews
"The Space Between is a fast-paced novel that combines the best elements of suspense and romance. In this story of a broken marriage, Dete Meserve uses the mysteries of the universe to keep you on the edge of your seat as she weaves a tale that winds its way through the past and present to bring about a truly satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended."
—USA Today bestselling author
Bette Lee Crosby
"From tragedy to triumph, Dete Meserve’s new novel took me on a roller-coaster ride I’ll not soon forget. Coupling the mysteries of the night sky with an unthinkable domestic situation, this tale is stunning and unlike any I’ve read. The Space Between is a must must must read!"
—Heather Burch,
bestselling author of In the Light of the Garden
"As captivating and complex as the night skies that feature in The Space Between, this is a thrilling read. A precipitous shift in perceived reality causes everything past and present to be suspect. Meserve skillfully crafts all the elements of a superbly suspenseful page-turner."
—Patricia Sands,
bestselling author of the Love in Provence series
"Dete Meserve’s The Space Between has it all. It is a story written with a knowledge of space, realistic characters you want to root for, romance, and a mystery with a satisfying ending. I predict that after you read the book, you’ll gaze at the stars and think of them in a new way."
—Judith Keim, bestselling author of the Fat Fridays Group series
Woven with the stars, this is an incredible story of love, betrayal, and the infinite power of hope. Suspenseful to almost the last page; I couldn’t put it down.
—Andrea Hurst,
author of Always with You
"Dete Meserve’s The Space Between hits all of the sweet spots: a smart and engaging female lead, an intriguing mystery, and elements of danger and suspense sure to keep readers turning pages long past bedtime. If you’re a fan of Nicholas Sparks or Kerry Lonsdale, grab this book!"
—Kes Trester,
author of A Dangerous Year
With the starry heavens as a backdrop, Meserve spins a fast-paced story about astronomer Sarah Mayfield, as she questions everything she believes to be true in the space between the heartache of her rocky marriage and the mystery surrounding her husband’s disappearance. This is Meserve’s best work yet, a romance wrapped in suspense that will keep readers guessing until the very end.
—Christine Nolfi,
bestselling author of Sweet Lake and The Comfort of Secrets
Title-EbookContents
Also By Dete Meserve
Foreword
Introduction
KINDNESS AT ANY AGE
Fraternity Boys Surprise Twelve-Year-Old Cancer Fighter
Great-Grandma Delivers Free Lunches to Needy Kids
Boy Gives up Birthday Party to Honor Police Officers
Teen Wants to Change the World Through Inventions
FINDING PURPOSE THROUGH KINDNESS
One-Hundred-Year-Old Makes a Dress Every Day
A Sense of Home
One Woman’s Quest to Save an Entire Dog Shelter
Farmer Gives Away Harvest
Car Wash Changes Lives of People with Autism
CONNECTING TO OTHERS THROUGH KINDNESS
Disabled Veteran Receives an Unexpected Gift from a Secret Angel
Football Team Surprises Teammate with a Secret Play
Teacher Gives Lifesaving Gift to Student
Teen Gives up Marching Band Spot to Guide Blind Freshman
Veterinarian Goes Above and Beyond to Save a Pit Bull
For a Pediatrician and a Paramedic, Kindness Comes Full Circle
UNIQUE WAYS OF SHOWING KINDNESS
Sticky Notes Become Beautiful Gesture of Kindness
Bikers Protect Abused Children
A Labor of Love with Angel Gowns
Dad Finds a Brilliant Way to Use Leftover Crayons to Help Others
College Student Mows Lawns Free of Charge
KINDNESS MOVEMENTS
Friends Surprise Strangers by Paying for Their Groceries
A Compassionate Path to Reducing Homelessness
Adams Acts
A Year of Kindness
Layaway Angel Makes Acts of Kindness a Way of Life
Acknowledgments
Author’s Note
Author’s Note
Story Updates
ALSO BY DETE MESERVE
Good Sam
Perfectly Good Crime
The Space Between
This book is dedicated to
Good Samaritans everywhere,
who, through actions big and small,
bring light and hope into the world.
No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.
—Aesop
Foreword
Rachel Greco
I love reading good news.
I love writing it too, but as a journalist working at the Lansing State Journal, covering several communities, I have to be comfortable being a jill-of-all-trades. I don’t have the luxury of being choosy; I cover anything and everything: car crashes, fires, contentious school board and government decisions, deaths, dangerous weather conditions, and the occasional court case.
Still, every once in a while, I stumble upon someone helping a person in need, an extraordinary community effort, a heroic act, or a touching relationship that inspires people. I consider myself lucky because I’ve written numerous pieces about all those. In truth, they often get me through the sad and terrible things I’ve covered as a reporter.
I always look forward to telling these stories, just as many readers look forward to seeing them. They inspire, lift people up, lighten the soul. Some of them restore our faith in humanity.
A few years ago, I met a single mom and her two teenagers, and their story did all these things for me. The family lived in Potterville, a small community outside Lansing, Michigan.
I met with them because one of the teens had written an essay about his mother and entered it in a national contest in hopes of winning the family a new wheelchair-accessible van. His mother needed one, he told me. The stroke she had suffered several years earlier had limited her mobility. The van she drove was fifteen years old and in bad shape.
I sat in their living room and listened to their story. Although the teens discussed their family’s need for a new van, they talked even more about their mom, who spent much of her time shuttling them to sports practices, games, and after-school activities. When the van broke down, which it often did, she always managed to scrape together enough money to keep it going, insistent that her children get where they needed to be.
She didn’t just need a new van, they told me. She deserved one, because there’d never been a time when she hadn’t put her children first.
We walked out to the driveway in front of their small manufactured house, all four of us, to take a look at their aging vehicle. The wheelchair lift at the back of the van was leaking hydraulic fluid and falling apart, and rust had eaten holes through the interior floor. In the winter, cold Michigan air rushed into the van, and from inside the vehicle, I saw the asphalt of the driveway below where the metal was missing.
I left the interview and drove back to work thinking about how gracious they were and how badly I wished I could help them secure that van.
The contest came and went. They didn’t win.
That’s when I received a phone call. The man on the line inquired about the single mother in need of a new van.
Did she get it?
he asked.
I told him she