Sherry Walraven

Five high school students, who have been life-long friends, have been given an English/History assignment for the end of the school year. It was decided to do their assignment on the Civil War era and how the people lived in the middle of a war. They knew they wouldn’t have a live soldier, who had been in the Civil War as a reference, but that’s when one of the boys in the group told them his cousin, who lives in the North Georgia mountains, had made a time-machine. The others, while skeptical, finally decided they could, at least, look at this machine. What they saw when going to see the home-made time-machine was beyond belief as they gazed at what the cousin had made. The cousin told them he made it for a joke, and the high school students had no plan to go inside the strange contraption until they heard a scary noise making them run inside to hide from the odd noise. That’s when their adventure of a lifetime began as they learned a valuable lesson from long ago.

Oh no, I just saw the serial killer walk behind that tall tree. Run as fast as you can, girls. We can’t let him see us! They really didn’t know how they got in this unusual predicament, but they sure wanted to be finished with it. The FBI came and told the ladies they needed to be put in the Witness Protection Program because the crazy serial killer wanted to kill all the girls so they wouldn’t testify against him due to them seeing the man shoot a young girl in a convenience store. The eight cousins go on an annual vacation together in the summer for fun. So far, this has not been a fun vacation. The crazy wanted to kill them. Would the girls get away from the insane man? Would he find them and do what he thought had to be done. Could the FBI keep the girls safe?

A group of merrymaking cousins travel to Texas to spend their annual vacation at the Dude Ranch for a week of trail rides, BBQs, barn dances, roping, and other fun activities. They enjoyed meeting new people, and they were not disappointed at the colorful characters they met. They became friends with the Dude brothers, a pregnant lady, and an extra tall ball-bat-toting woman named Tinker Bell. Last year’s vacation to Missouri had more adventure than they ever could have imagined. This year they were looking forward to fun and relaxation without problems, but when a guest of the ranch was found murdered on the property, things began to get tense as strange events begin to happen making the cousins nervous and baffled. The cousins along with their new friends worked hard to keep their heads clear and stay as sane as possible.

“Dad, I think our new house is haunted!”

Sam came home from work one day with a mammoth smile on his face. He had good news for his family. He was praying his wife, his four teenage daughters, and his two younger brothers would like this move.

Of course, teenagers would have a few things to say about the move.

They had to move from Topeka to Mississippi. Sam is going to be the CEO of his company. It was a huge promotion for him. He thought the girls eventually would get used to the move.

After buying a new house, things began to go bump in the night. It was a change, for sure, but he finally got them to go. His brothers wanted a change, so they went too.

Will they get used to a new home that is possibly a haunted house, the neighbors, two daughters being kidnapped, and a crazy family who sold them the house?

The Sistas of Hooverville County have been playing tricks and pranks on people for as long as they were able to walk. Their cousins Jake and Joe, who was the boys of the Sheriff in town, helped the girls in some of their pranks. Their parents knew what they did, and was punished, if needed. The girls grew up in this book from Kindergarten to adulthood. They still loved to have fun. Most of the people in the County knew the girls and decided if no one was harmed or killed, then they were okay with the girls’ fun. Even when they were married, they made their wedding a fun activity. They gave up their activities when they grew up to be adults. Their best trick was in church when their frog jumped up on the head of a Deacon, but that was when they were much younger. Join the kids while they grow up and make good men and women. The parents often laughed and had fun themselves, but not to the measure the kids did. Everything was going well until one of the girls were taken by some mean men. Then all pranks were off. They come from a strong family who help each other when the times got rough.

The Sistas of Hooverville County have been playing tricks and pranks on people for as long as they were able to walk. Their cousins Jake and Joe, who was the boys of the Sheriff in town, helped the girls in some of their pranks. Their parents knew what they did, and was punished, if needed. The girls grew up in this book from Kindergarten to adulthood. They still loved to have fun. Most of the people in the County knew the girls and decided if no one was harmed or killed, then they were okay with the girls’ fun. Even when they were married, they made their wedding a fun activity. They gave up their activities when they grew up to be adults. Their best trick was in church when their frog jumped up on the head of a Deacon, but that was when they were much younger. Join the kids while they grow up and make good men and women. The parents often laughed and had fun themselves, but not to the measure the kids did. Everything was going well until one of the girls were taken by some mean men. Then all pranks were off. They come from a strong family who help each other when the times got rough.

An assemblage of cousins from various states, who are close and meet every year for their annual vacation, like to have fun and go to places they have never seen before. Last year their vacation together had some unforeseen adventures they didn’t anticipate, so they were looking forward to a quiet and relaxing vacation together in a rustic cabin in the beautiful Missouri mountains. The lady at the registration desk and another lady tried to scare them away from their cabin, but these ladies were strong and wouldn’t back down to any situation, so they traveled on toward their cabin and fell in love with it immediately. The registration ladies told them a wild tale of their cabin being one that Jesse James had slept in a long time ago and that he had hidden some money somewhere in that very cabin, and sometimes others would want to try to find it. All this didn’t faze the strong women who were wanting a place to relax with their favorite cousins. They meet a variety of colorful characters along the way that would be hard for people to believe if they told them. Some of these characters were good and others not so good, leading the cabin ladies to have to do things they had rather not do to survive. Not all the vacation was bad. They had good times along with the bad. The cousins were close and would stick together no matter what came their way. The lady at registration was correct when she said some people would do anything for money, and they did.

Sherry Walraven served as a middle school language arts teacher, administrator, and elementary school principal. She is an avid reader who honed her story telling skills on her two sons and grandchildren. Now retired, she lives in Calhoun, Georgia and has a love for God, family, friends, travelling, and lots of fun.

The Sistas of Hooverville County have been playing tricks and pranks on people for as long as they were able to walk. Their cousins Jake and Joe, who was the boys of the Sheriff in town, helped the girls in some of their pranks. Their parents knew what they did, and was punished, if needed. The girls grew up in this book from Kindergarten to adulthood. They still loved to have fun. Most of the people in the County knew the girls and decided if no one was harmed or killed, then they were okay with the girls’ fun. Even when they were married, they made their wedding a fun activity. They gave up their activities when they grew up to be adults. Their best trick was in church when their frog jumped up on the head of a Deacon, but that was when they were much younger. Join the kids while they grow up and make good men and women. The parents often laughed and had fun themselves, but not to the measure the kids did. Everything was going well until one of the girls were taken by some mean men. Then all pranks were off. They come from a strong family who help each other when the times got rough.

Two brothers put a mask over their face and went in the bank expecting to obtain a huge amount of money. They started hollering for the customers to lay on the hard floor or sit with their backs to the wall. No one recognized who the robbers could be due to the crazy masks they were wearing. After the men put money in the cloth bag, they ran as fast as they could run, but not until the Security Guard pushed the masks from the faces of the two men. The men started running even faster. They sure didn’t want to be caught. After they did their exit from the bank, they stopped long enough to transfer the money they had in the bag to a black suitcase. One of the men sat beside a lady who had a suitcase the same as his. When he arose from his seat and took what he thought was his bag, but it belonged to the lady. The four women, who were thinking fast as they could, on what to do to switch the bags back. The ladies looked at the luggage tag and saw it was a man’s name, Pete Sheet. Now, they could look up the address where the man lived. It wasn’t a simple task to find the man’s house, but they wouldn’t stop looking. Brianna, who was one of the four women, began to panic because she had something valuable in her bag the man now had. The men wouldn’t do the switch, so the ladies had to take matters in their own hands. They already had a situation during this vacation, and it looks like this is going to be another one. Will they ever make the switch without having problems with the bank robbers?

The Sistas of Hooverville County have been playing tricks and pranks on people for as long as they were able to walk. Their cousins Jake and Joe, who was the boys of the Sheriff in town, helped the girls in some of their pranks. Their parents knew what they did, and was punished, if needed. The girls grew up in this book from Kindergarten to adulthood. They still loved to have fun. Most of the people in the County knew the girls and decided if no one was harmed or killed, then they were okay with the girls’ fun. Even when they were married, they made their wedding a fun activity. They gave up their activities when they grew up to be adults. Their best trick was in church when their frog jumped up on the head of a Deacon, but that was when they were much younger. Join the kids while they grow up and make good men and women. The parents often laughed and had fun themselves, but not to the measure the kids did. Everything was going well until one of the girls were taken by some mean men. Then all pranks were off. They come from a strong family who help each other when the times got rough.

When four fun-loving Southern ladies hit the road to attend a teaching conference in Savannah, Georgia, they hope that the week will be one to remember. It turns out they’re right-but not for the reasons they all imagine. In their lives, most things they face are mundane-what to make for lunch, how to make the kids pay attention in class, and how to work with the school’s budget committee. They all jumped at the chance to get away. For Debra, Ashley, Brianna, and Mary Sue, this is a working vacation, one where they’ll all learn a little and laugh a lot. It’s a chance to live the good life for a few days. They all love the luxury of their conference hotel-especially the view. So when one of them suggests an evening drive across that spectacular bridge they admire from their rooms, they hit the road again. But these teachers have missed the lesson about being prepared: they soon find themselves stranded on a dark country road. Debra offers to save the day, so she grabs a gas can and heads boldly into the darkness. But when Debra doesn’t come back, the threesome must now work together to solve the mystery. Rich with local color, laughter, drama, and more, this thrilling adventure of everyday people trapped in an extraordinary experience is a little slice of lives lived loud and proud.

The eight crazy cousins needed to decide where they were going on vacation this year. After finally making up their mind, it was decided to go to Olive’s house. Since they would be there on Halloween, they thought some fun activities might be just what they needed. A couple of the ladies have been experiencing some problems, so it was unanimous with the others to do some fun activities to boost their spirits. They did have fun, but everything comes with a price. The cousins went to a large house that was rumored to be haunted. Instead of seeing ghosts, the house was inhabited with boys who had medical problems. Everything was a bed of roses until one of the cousins were taken away by the boys who had weapons.

Eight cousins travel to the state of Louisiana to their annual vacation together with light hearts and hopes of fun and adventure. After arriving at their destination, the lady at the desk of the luxury resort told the cousins they were sorry, but they had overbooked, and could put them in the mansion at the edge of the property. The ladies were told they could still do all the activities at the resort, so it would be okay with them. The cousins were not disappointed, because they had never been in a mansion that big, and they would have fun no matter where they were. One thing they didn’t know was it had been told the mansion was haunted. That didn’t concern the cousins because they didn’t believe in such things. They knew the staff at the mansion would have things set up to scare their guests, but they were tough and could take it. The new people they met were colorful and fun, and the activities they participated in were just what they needed. It was all going well until two people were shot and carried out on a stretcher from the dining room while eating dinner. This had happened two nights in a row, and no one knew who would be next. Could the mansion really be haunted?

As four friends travel from Georgia to their final destination of Nashville, they wonder what their friend, who is already there, has for them to do during their visit. These lifelong friends love to laugh and have fun, so they can’t wait to begin their weekend of fun and frolic. What the fun-loving friends didn’t anticipate was a serial killer, who targets dark-haired women, being on the loose. After reading an article in the newspaper, they realize his last kill was in their home state of Georgia. It didn’t worry them too much, because what were the odds of him traveling to the city where they would be for the weekend, right?

Big Daddy Flower owned a good chunk of land in a small place in Texas. Since his last name was Flower, his four daughters were named for a flower. He didn’t want to name his son after a flower, so he called his son, Thorn. His four daughters were not delicate little flowers he thought they would be. They were all older now and helped run the ranch. They also had many talents and could ride, rope, shoot, and beat up a bad man, if needed. Life was going well until someone decided they would kidnap one of Big Daddy Flower’s daughters. He took his family with him to find her, making them look more like a gang of outlaws that resembled an old timey villain, than a normal family. After searching for hours, she still wasn’t found, so they rested before going back out the next morning. A ransom note arrived saying they had a bomb, and they needed to give in to his command, or else. That’s when it became complicated. Could they really find her before the bomb exploded?

The merrymaking cousins are traveling again, but this time they are in the beauteous city of Boston, where there will be no place for disaster to find them, or could it? Their intentions were to see everything they could before going home, and they were going to take advantage of it all. They were hopeful this would be a vacation free of distress, unlike some of their other vacations of the past. The cousins were titillated to observe all the sights the city of Boston had to offer. They could barely wait to stand by the Paul Revere statue, see the replica of the Mayflower and their Village, and grasp everything on the “Freedom Trail.” They traipsed the sidewalk that would take them to the museum for the appointment they had made earlier. Everything was going great, until something happened that took them away to a locale they never thought would be attainable to them. While in this place, the variant group of friendly people they met, and the things that happened, will never be forgotten.

The McMurphy family had a beautiful ranch and a loving family. Everything was going great until the dad of the family had a fatal heart attack.

A rumor was going around that the McMurphy dad had buried his money in his yard. That was when everything became insane. People would come snooping around at night and bringing a shovel with them so they could dig in their yard. Even some Granny’s came snooping around. The Sheriff comes and puts the Shadow People, this is what they started calling them.

They were hoping these Shadow People would stay away, but that wasn’t to be.

Amid all the hassle they have had. Little Grace was kidnapped. They were determined to get the daughter no matter what they had to do.

The jail was becoming to be a popular place. The jail stayed filled up because of all the Shadow People. The family was trying to think of ways to get people to realize they didn’t have money buried in their yard. They tried their best to be nice, but it was beginning to be a problem.

The mom, Bella, was worried about kids. When they saw some Shadow People, they would get on their horses to shoo them off. They even put their bull in one of the pastures to help run off the people. The older kids would be helping. They didn’t hurt anyone. The Sheriff just put them in jail for a couple of days.

Three girls who have been friends since first grade, and they would do anything for each other. Emma is going to go on vacation with her two best friends, so Emma can have a break from an abusive husband who is in the Mafia. The Mafia thinks Emma knows too much, so the Boss told her husband he had to kill her before she testifies. Emma found out what the Boss said, so Emma and her best friends are taking a trip.

The girls leave in a car, but when you are on the run, you will take anything that runs. These girls rode in a Gypsy Wagon, rode horses, small airplane, cruise ship, a hot air balloon, and many more rides.

The FBI caught up to them, so they could protect the girls. Emma is supposed to go to court and tell what she knows. Not only the FBI, but the Mafia was behind the FBI. She hasn’t made up her mind yet if she is going to do it. The girls are running with Emma, but they have had some fun along the way with some of the strange people they have met. Is Emma going to talk, or not say a word.

The traveling cousins, who meet each year, were sitting in Olive’s living room when Jas had an epiphany of some sort.

She told the girls that she thought the girls could make some money by helping people with jobs that not just anyone would want to do.

We could do the jobs and charge $1500 per job unless it was something minor, like getting a cat out of a tree.

The girls agreed to doing the odd jobs to help people. Jas got right on the ball and put an announcement on the internet. It didn’t take too long before they were in business.

They couldn’t wait to get their first job. They knew they could do most anything when they were all together.

They thought they might need help at times. They decided they would call their friends, the Picklemore sisters. They met them in Louisiana at a haunted Mansion. They were older than us, but they were still spry. The girls made sure the older ladies had a lot of fun.

At the end of the trip, they found out the four ladies were sisters and then they found out the older ladies were FBI agents working undercover. They knew who they should wanted to help them. Evelyn, Julie, Kathy, and Frances Picklemore.

The cousins thought they should do something better this year when all the girl cousins meet for their annual reunion in Nebraska. They heard there was a Horse Show, and them liking horses, they thought it might be fun. They took their horses with them, so they could get them out of the horse trailer and ride for a while. While on their horses, it began to rain, but it was a short rain.

Things began to change after that. All the women had on long gingham dresses and a bonnet.

They were confused and didn’t have a clue which century they were in.

They meet a lot of people, and they found that they were in the year of 1859. Now, they were rally confused.

Would they get back home, or would they need to stay in the year of 1859?