REVISED EDITION - Now Professionally Edited and Proof Read by Story Perfect Editing Service I called this the REVISED EDITION, because release of this version of the story, marks the beginning of a new era for myself as a writer/author. This is the first book of mine that has gone through a Professional Assessment, Professional Edit, and Professional Proofreading. Since the story grew by over 7,000 words, it is being released as a new book, with a new ASIN/ISBN. Welcome to the new Jasper, Street-Fighter, and Me Detective Agency. I say "new" because until just recently its name was the Jasper and Me Detective Agency. Forgive me, and allow me to introduce myself. I am "Me", aka Maggie McKenzie, Major, USMC Ret. I am permanently 39 years old, and retired from the Marines early when my father was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. I was part of the Military Police within the Marines, and a dog handler. Thanks to changes in the law regarding K-9 members of the Marines and their partners, Jasper, my amazing border collie, was allowed to retire with me. We shared two tours together in Afghanistan, and thanks to Jasper's amazing nose, and other abilities, we never lost a member to an IED. We have worked together so much, and so often under high stress and often dangerous situations, that we were able to operate, often without the use of any verbal commands. I received a call yesterday from a Ms. Candie Strong, who asked me if I could meet her for dinner, to talk over a case she would like me to take on. I of course accepted her offer, and after taking care of a minor disturbance at my own house, I managed to make it to the dinner meeting. Candie, certainly looked sweet when I first met her, and by the end of the evening I had decided that Candie, while a strange flavor, was quite sweet. Join Jasper, Street-Fighter, and Me as we take on the case to find out who is following Candie. I am sure, that like the three of us discovered, you will find agree with my title for this story of "Candie is not Always Sweet".
About the Author: ABOUT_THE_AUTHOR There are two adages, which I have learned, hold a lot of truth. The first: "That with age come Knowledge" and the second, "What you do with that knowledge is what counts." As I have been "blessed" to have both of the adages present, on my life's resume, I can truthfully say, "That for me, being able to pursue what I love, and enjoy doing it, far outweighs the desire for monetary wealth." What I have found to be my true love is to write, and tell stories. Stories, like the ones I told to my daughter every night, stories that were never the same, and never planned, just like the books and poems I write today. As Yogi Berra put it, "Life is a learning experience, only if you learn." Well, I have learned from my experiences. I have explained my lack of knowledge of the rules of grammar and punctuation for the English language, by kiddingly saying that I have developed my own language and rules. My learning experience came along with many life experiences. I spent six years in the Navy during the Vietnam era, and then another eight years obtaining my various college degrees the hard way. At night, while working full-time, and trying to maintain a family life. I must have done something right, because I have been married to the same woman for close to fifty years now, a daughter who is a educator, and a granddaughter whose love is dancing, and music. As for me I never lost my urge to write, and often found myself writing during slow times at work. I had to retire in 2010, as work was getting in the way of pursuing my love of antiques and writing. One of the best things about retirement is that you get to re-invent yourself, any time you feel like it. While my 18 year stint as an antique dealer is coming to an end. That space and time has already been filled by my lifelong desire to write. At present I have in excess of 30 works published, between poetry and prose. Many are under one of my two pen names, but for the last two years, I have written under my own name exclusively. During that time I have written and published two novels, a book of poetry and prose, two stand alone poems, and my current novella series, "Jasper, Street-Fighter and Me". Knowing that I have a team of professionals behind me now has already had an effect. I can once again let my mind go into free flow, and let the stories that reside in the nooks and crannies of my gray matter flow out on their own. I am excited...