There’s a saying that every time you see a Cardinal, an angel is near. In the hot summer sun of Arizona, a Cardinal and his mate have stayed since spring coming to my feeder everyday. I realize for all the decades I have lived in the Phoenix area, I only saw a Cardinal once before in my backyard.

So now they are ever present, their beauty reminding me of angels. I just won a national first place award from the NFPW, the distinguished organization, National Federation Of Press Women. The award was for my novella, 20 Moon Rd. An Angels Tale.

In all my books about Mystic Bay, I write about goodness, forgiveness and kindness. This book, dedicated to my father and my sister was a labor of love. I met a man once on a plane and I named my main character, Angel Ken, after him. Ken told me he was troubled about racial injustice in our society and I told him I would make him an angel in my books centered in Mystic Bay, the fictitious town I created.

But Ken never emailed me after I gave him my card.  Maybe he was an angel. I believe there are angels everywhere like I write in all my books.  Once upon a time as a child, I knew there were angels and it comforted me. I do know I met one once in human form at the saddest point of my life. The man I call Angel said comforting words to me. Now, the angels have sent cardinals for me to feed and gaze at in wonderment. I have an award to let me know, I’m doing what I was meant to do, write stories about angels. I’m trying to spread words of love. Because in my books as in real life, love always wins.