Catch a Falling Knife

something else?” I asked.
    “Because I’m scared. And because I have no training for anything else.”
    “But you have a lot of good experience you can use in any job,” I said, trying to see the bright side. “Look at all the people skills you’ve acquired. Controlling a roomful of unruly men, that takes a lot of skill. I’ll tell you what. I know a nonprofit organization that helps homeless people prepare to get back into the workforce. They help them find job leads, prepare resumes, practice interviewing—the whole works. You’re not homeless, but you are trying to change careers. I’ll put you in touch with them.”
    “I appreciate that, Grandma—Lillian. You know, not everybody treats us like real people, like you do. Some folks treat us like scum. Thank you for your help. And thank you for inviting me here today.”
    “You’re welcome. For my money you’re as good as anybody—and a whole lot better than people like Donna, or Eric Hoffman.” And I could go on and on with my list. But I won’t because at heart I’m an optimist. I really believe that the good people in the world outnumber the bad.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
     
    After spending more than a quarter of a century as a pioneer in the computer industry, Alan Cook is well into his second career as a writer.
    Run into Trouble is about a footrace along the California coast in 1969 during the Cold War. But is the Cold War about to heat up? Drake and Melody, who worked undercover together in former lives, need to find the answer before all hell breaks loose.
    The Hayloft: a 1950s mystery and prize-winning Honeymoon for Three  feature Gary Blanchard, first as a high school senior who has to solve the murder of his cousin, and ten years later as a bridegroom who gets more than he bargained for on his honeymoon.
    Hotline to Murder takes place at a crisis hotline in Bonita Beach, California. When a listener is murdered, Tony and Shahla team up to uncover the strange worlds of their callers and find the killer.
    His Lillian Morgan mysteries, Catch a Falling Knife and Thirteen Diamonds , explore the secrets of retirement communities. Lillian, a retired mathematics professor from North Carolina, is smart, opinionated, and loves to solve puzzles, even when they involve murder.
    Alan splits his time between writing and walking, another passion. His inspirational, prize-winning book, Walking the World: Memories and Adventures , has information and adventure in equal parts. He is also the author of Walking to Denver , a light-hearted, fictional account of a walk he did.
    Freedom’s Light: Quotations from History’s Champions of Freedom , contains quotations from some of our favorite historical figures about personal freedom. The Saga of Bill the Hermit is a narrative poem about a hermit who decides that the single life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
    Alan lives with his wife, Bonny, on a hill in Southern California. His website is alancook.50megs.com .