A Life Changing Joan Freed Mystery Adventure Series

 Joan Freed, the rebel life coach and nutritional therapist, promotes self-help recovery from anything, but seems to attract grief-stricken people no matter where she goes.  She meets Queenie in the Kaibab National Forest of Arizona under strange circumstances – Joan's out of breath and Queenie's pantry is stocked with only marshmallows and potato chips.  Much to Joan's chagrin, it comes out that Queenie considers herself a circus fat lady.  Joan agrees to show Queenie how to shop for nutrition, then two women's bodies turn up and the women are off on the adventure of their lifetime – to date.  Journey with Joan and Queenie through Queenie's personal transformation from circus fat lady to wedding planner, and hope these two solve the mystery of the women's demise – before Joan becomes dead as well.    Two women lay sprawled in front of my truck.  They are very dead.  Queenie sits like a statue on the passenger side of my vintage Chevy pick-up looking like the circus fat lady that she thinks she is – but she's not laughing.  I am on sabbatical in the Kaibab National Forest, feeding my own free spirit with life changing time by myself, much needed and anticipated after my last exhausting coaching case.  I know none of these women, but the two dead ones seem to have known me because they have magically materialized near each of my camps for a couple of seasons now.  I met Queenie last evening and was simply lending a hand – or, in this case my truck and nutritional expertise – to a woman in temporary need.  Our less than 24-hour kinship was an uncomplicated 'women helping women' moment – I thought. While this could be a wearisome story of murder and mayhem, it isn't.  It's the story of how one woman's life changing personal transformation had a ripple effect in solving a cold case and enriching personal growth. Who am I, you ask?  I am Joan Freed, the rebel life coach and nutritional therapist.  You've never heard of me?  That's okay.  I keep a low profile intentionally. My office is wherever my 19' Wilderness RV is parked – which is never in an RV park if I can help it. I have my own agenda of proving that my 7-day, 7-step fast-track grief recovery program is valid, valuable, and necessary for the good of all the renegades out there, and for those who have to live with us. I believe and promote that we are each an individual with individual needs for recovery.  Let us heal in the way that best feeds our spirit and brings fulfillment to our lives.  The steps are the same.  The way we take the steps is unique to each of us. I turn my case files into stories so that you, my treasured reader – I hope soon to be trusted partner in the Good Grief series – can benefit from the noesis of how to jump-start your own grief recovery program, root for those who are currently living it, and know that there is such a thing as good grief as well as 'feel good' happy endings. Pardon me while I step off my soapbox and tuck it away.  On second thought, don't wait.  If you liked Volume 1, 'Unexpected Gifts – Good Grief!', you'll find 'The Personal Transformation of Queenie' a feel good, cozy adventure as well.  Click the button to get the book – Volume 2 of the Joan Freed Life-Changing Mystery/Adventures Series – and enjoy the journey. And thank you.

How many bodies does it take to jump-start the recovery of Elaine, The Hoarder? “It depends,” says Joan Freed, the rebel life coach, “on the variables, like which corpse – if any – is the cause of the hoarding.” This spiraling, hoarding, self-help mystery starts at Oak Flats Campground – east of Phoenix, Arizona. It quickly moves to Wellton – east of Yuma – where Joan is greeted by Elaine, a gray haired dumpling of a woman, and several stacks of 'stuff' spread over at least 20 acres, from antique road graders to mazes of tarped, block mountains. Heaps of cardboard boxes line narrow walkways to and through the house to the one room Elaine has garnered for living – the kitchen. There she bakes her scones, compiles her puzzles – crosswords and word searches – and defends her need to continue being a collector. Joan's first memory upon trailing Elaine through the outer maze into the homestead is being slammed in the face by a stench she's never before encountered. The second olfactory memory is of fresh baked scones slathered in melting butter and homemade jam. How can anything this yummy be anything but doable was her second thought. Besides a client with a really bad sinus infection and more very puzzling people – what could possibly go wrong while Joan and Elaine ferret out what is causing the hoarding and whatever else propels this labyrinthine, stinky story to a tickled pink ending? Can the source of Elaine's grief be identified and turned into good grief before it all comes tumbling down? “You never really know a person until you understand things from his point of view, until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1960 If you liked Volume 4, 'Blindsided!', Volume 5, Elaine the Hoarder will only bring you more laughs, tears, and surprises to promote Good Grief!  

Volume 6 of the Good Grief! Series sends Joan and Jenny scampering north into the Plumosa mountains, northeast of Quartzite, Arizona. The two were determined to get a break after the intense drama of Elaine, The Hoarder had drained them, physically and emotionally. They nestle into the Kaibab National Forest, Joan bent on completing a tiny house update and makeover, Jenny muddling through mind-boggling decisions for her next life since her last oasis was rudely invaded and she was on the run again. All was going without a hitch, for once, until Joan noticed that food was vanishing. Then the tent that Joan had erected to hold her 'stuff' for the makeover was being occupied by one, then two refugee children from El Salvador–escapees from a magic cult several miles away. A black and white chihuahua pup appeared, and a whole new drama is launched at full steam ahead when the biker dudes who'd bought the children began cruising the area–in search of their contraband property. This is a story of personal growth for Jenny and Joan, inauguration into a new culture for refugee children, mysteries to be solved, murder of one who needed it (it's a cozy–it has to happen that way), and the mayhem that all the above causes–especially a little black polka-dotted chihuahua pup now named Patches.

Mix Joan Freed – the rebel life coach, Jenny – her identity shifting friend. Add a flaky writer who is a cracker-jack geologist wanna be, who is – or is not – an unmarried widow, who is – or is not – a client. Attempt to toss them into an active volcano in the Ring of Fire – Mt. St. Helens, specifically, and what do you get? You get a life changing mysterious adventure about volcanoes, obsidian, garnets, and people. The journey begins in Arizona, but travels through Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Utah, and Washington before this Mt. St. Helens Affair winds up near the north rim of the Grand Canyon. With more than 70 excellent – and not so excellent – real, not retouched, images, learning links, and life's ups and downs, The Mt. St. Helens Affair will educate you, stir your emotions, and give you a most excellent self-help break from your own life. Enjoy the ride with Joan and Jenny.

Buckle up for a wild ride with rebel life coach Joan Freed as she embarks on a thrilling adventure to check off items on her bucket list.   From the bustling byways of the I-10 to the enchanting wonders of the Arctic Circle, join Joan and her quirky sidekick Jenny as they navigate through unexpected twists and turns, uncovering mysteries and facing personal revelations along the way.   With a redheaded stranger, a possible amnesiac, and a sprinkle of mayhem, this journey is packed with intrigue, humor, and a dash of Southern charm. Join Joan on her quest for self-discovery, as she delves into the unknown, leaving no door unlocked and no secret safe.   Happy Trails and Tales await in this captivating tale of growth, adventure, and a touch of mischief.

The Vintage Trailer – Description The good news is what Joan and Jenny didn't find when they tore into Jenny's vintage Scotty for a makeover. But what they discovered in the false walls, the too short floor space, and secured to the underside of drawers more than made up for the lack of cadavers that most cozy mysteries require. Add to the adventure a kidnapping rescue, a big, beautiful red-headed narcissist magnet, and a smooth-talking cad that's got his eye on Jenny. Mix it up and you have a passel of edge of your seat life-changing mysteries to solve before you can close the book. How many ghosts can live in a 40-year-old, 16-foot-long RV?  

The body wedged in the doorway, floating on a pool of glass shards and red liquid, was very much alive.  But the body laid out under a Palo Verde tree in my retention pond was very much dead.  The live body wedged in the doorway was blinded in the line of duty, living a demoralizing life of forced retirement with no enemies and no hope.  The corpse under the Palo Verde tree was a county code enforcer with a plethora of enemies – and I was the targeted fall gal for the murder. This is the story of Max – the bored blind guy; Irene – the blind guy's worried wife who retired from school teaching to help Max; and me – Joan Freed, the rebel life coach – plus a few more characters. We met by accident – literally.  After the clean-up, Max and Irene shared Keurig coffee and Biscotti with me – my first for both, and we talked a little about ourselves – like you do when you meet new people.   Max was the precise picture of what crushed self-esteem in men would look like – in my opinion.   Irene still had enough stamina to pull me aside and ask for help in turning their devastating grief into good grief. While I think the second body – the dead one – was a tad overkill to trigger Max into personal growth, expanding horizons, and his own success mindset, it worked – and I survived to tell you about it.  What would you have done? A cozy mystery set in the desert southwest that started as two women on an adventure.  Then came corruption, murder and mayhem, followed by life beyond biscotti – all from a bump on the head. Get on the journey train and enjoy the ride today.  Get the book, read it, laugh, cry, and love. 

What would you do if a spooky young woman is creeping out all your prospective buyers, spiriting them away? But her only sin is her determination to satisfy the spirit that's jerking her around. Her eerie looks make matters worse. Big, beautiful, flaming red-haired Madeline, the ranch sales agent, was faced with Ruby, the spooky young woman. Ruby is going to cost Madeline her job if she doesn't get her removed. Here's what Madeline did… She texted Joan, the rebel life coach, with 'HELP!'. 'Pack your mightiest ghost-busting gear and COME NOW!' Joan, Jenny (Joan's sometimes sidekick who doesn't go anywhere without her six-shooter), and Patches (the rescued polka-dot chihuahua), high-tail it to Deming, New Mexico just in time. That is, just in time to sharpen their cloak-and-dagger skills, attempt to outsmart the political mob world, and be faced with Jenny's old nemesis once again. Whose body is it this time? There's so many to choose from… Can Joan and Jenny pull this one off? Or will the bad guys win? Or both? If you like Nomadland, Jessica Fletcher, Columbo, and Hetty Wainthrop, you'll love Ruby, The Haunted -- this Joan Freed Life-Changing Mystery/Adventure.

What could be more devastating than losing your job of 27 years to demolition? What if you were to have your car stolen and wake up to your dead grandma yanking you out of your burning house on the same day – on your 63rd birthday?  It all happened to Azalia Ralston. A seemingly gray haired, blue-eyed 5-foot-tall perky waitress that snaps gum and sarcasm at the Greasy Spoon Diner since forever. "I'm broken…," Azalia whimpered to Irene, her friend with the blind ex-policeman husband called Max. "…too young to retire, too old to get hired; my home and workplace turned to dust and ashes overnight. My car probably in the chop shop. There's more… All that's left is for me to pose here on this park bench and die. Will you haul me in a shopping cart, a cardboard furniture crate, and an old coat for a pillow to make me a proper bum?" "And you called me to… what…  join you on your bench?" "I called you because I don't want to die cold and alone." "Hogwash, Azalia! I won't watch you die. But I will call someone who pulls her Wonder Woman cape out of her closet on demand." Irene grabbed her phone and told it, "Call Joan." The phone squawked. Irene said, "Hey, Joan. What are you doing today..."? Can Joan Freed, the covert rebel life coach, reignite Azalia's fire? What will it take? And why is Azalia only seemingly a perky waitress that snaps gum and sarcasm? Is there more to her story? What has Azalia kept from Irene… and all her customers at the Greasy Spoon Diner?