All That Glitters (Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries) (9 page)
Read All That Glitters (Raine Stockton Dog Mysteries) Online
Authors: Donna Ball
“All that glitters is usually golden,” I said
,
grinning as I watched them.
The jingle bells sounded again and a yellow lab bounded in. Melanie, who was untangling Pepper’s paws from the ribbon, looked up at the bells, then at me. She burst into laughter. “I’ve got it!” she cried. “It was Cisco’s jingle bell collar that you heard! He was wearing a jingle bell collar in the picture, and when you put him down he probably started scratching
. It wasn’t sleigh bells at all
—
it was Cisco!”
Miles brought me a glass of eg
g
nog
, and I lifted it to Melanie in a salute.
“Good for you. You’ll be taking your Detective First Class exam before you know it.”
She nodded smugly. “I told you there was no sleigh in that alley.” She picked up the stuffed toy Cisco had dropped and started to toss it to him, then hesitated, frowning at me a little. “Then how did Santa get out of the alley?”
I just smiled.
Melanie tossed the toy for Cisco, still looking thoughtful. Cisco
leapt
to catch it and took off at a dash, leading the charge toward the playroom. Dogs barked, children laughed, music played, lights twinkled. A mastiff stepped on my foot,
and
an
Australian shepherd leapt onto the table and dunked a paw into the punch bowl. The Christmas tree swayed dangerously.
And in the background, the sound of sleigh bells still
could
be heard.
the characters you met, canine and human, in
this Christmas Cozy short from Raine and Cisco. The mystery continues in these full-length adventures:
Are you new to the Raine Stockton Dog Mystery series? See how it all began with
SMOKY MOUNTAIN TRACKS
Read more about
how
Raine, Buck and Cisco
became a team
in
RAPID FIRE
See how Raine first met Miles Young in
GUN SHY
Is Majesty the collie your favorite character? Read how she takes matters into her own paws in the novella,
BONE YARD
Enjoy Raine and Cisco’s first Christmas with Miles and Melanie in
SILENT NIGHT
Things get serious in Raine and Cisco’s most intense adventure yet
,
THE DEAD SEASON
.
And
look for
High in Trial
,
Book 7 of the Raine Stockton Dog Mystery series, coming in, 2013.
Other books you might enjoy:
Spine-chilling
suspense by Donna Ball
A missing child
, a desperate call for help in the middle of the night… is this a cruel hoax, or the work of a maniacal serial killer who is poised to strike again?
She’s an innocent woman who knows too much. Now she’s fleeing through the night without a weapon and without a phone, and her only hope for survival is a cop who’s willing to risk his badge—and his life—to save her.
They came to the peaceful, untouched mountain wilderness of Eastern Tennessee seeking an escape from the madness of modern life. But when they built their luxury homes in the heart of virgin forest they did not realize that something was there before them… something ancient and horrible; something that will make them believe that monsters are real
.
Everyone has secrets, but when talk show host Jessamine’s Cray’s stalker begins to use her past to terrorize her, no one is safe … not her family, her friends, her coworkers, and especially not Jess herself.
RENEGADE
by Donna Boyd
Enter a world of dark mystery and intense passion, where human destiny is controlled by a species of powerful, exotic creatures. Once they ruled the Tundra, now they rule Wall Street. Once they fought with teeth and claws, now they fight with wealth and power. And only one man can stop them… if he dares.
Also by Donna Ball
The Ladybug Farm series by Donna Ball
For every woman who ever had a dream… or a friend
A Year on Ladybug Farm
At Home on Ladybug Farm
Love Letters from Ladybug Farm
Romance Revisited by Donna Ball
He was a cowboy looking for a wife. She was a lady specializing in brides. They were made for each other... They just didn't know it yet.
He was the answer to a busy working woman's dreams. But was he too good to be true?
He's an animal trainer who lives by one rule: never get attached. She's a social worker who knows all too well the price of getting involved. It may take an entire menagerie to bring them together, but eventually they both must learn that sometimes it's for keeps.
He was a reformed jewel thief now turned security expert and her job depended on his expertise. But could he be trusted not to steal the most valuable jewel of all-- her heart?
She's working on the biggest case of her life, and her cover has already been blown-- by the very man she's investigating. Now they must work together to solve an even bigger mystery-- their future together.
They were thunder and lightning when they were married, and their divorce has been no less turbulent. But trapped together during a deadly blizzard with the lives of an entire community depending on them, they discover what's really important, and that some storms are worth riding out.
Sometimes a chance encounter is over in a moment, and sometimes it can last a lifetime.
She was a marine biologist on short deadline to find a very important dolphin, with no time to waste on romance. He was a sailor who knew there could only be one captain on his ship-- himself. But two weeks at sea together could change everything...
ABOUT THE AUTHOR….
Donna Ball is the author of over a hundred novels under several different pseudonyms in a variety of genres that include romance, mystery, suspense, paranormal, western adventure, historical and women’s fiction. Recent popular series include the Ladybug Farm series by Berkley Books and the Raine Stockton Dog Mystery series. Donna is an avid dog lover and her dogs have won numerous titles for agility, obedience and canine musical freestyle. She lives in a restored Victorian Barn in the heart of the Blue Ridge mountains with a variety of four-footed companions. You can contact her at
http://www.donnaball.net