Books with author George Anne Ballard

Though unalike as snowflakes, sisters Patricia Anne and Mary Alice share a sympathetic heart for their distraught cousin Luke -- known affectionately in his boyhood as "Pukey Lukey," because of his penchant for getting sick in moving vehicles. Luke is desperate to hunt down Virginia, his wife of forty years, who has run off with a housepainter/snake-handling preacher named "Monk." And the sisters have graciously agreed to accompany their stricken kinsman on his search...in Luke's car, of course.But, while practical "Mouse" and flamboyant "Sister" are unable to find their runaway cousin-in-law among the asp-loving faithful on Chandler Mountain, they do manage to stumble upon the corpse of a pretty young redhead who was prematurely sent to her eternal reward. And before you can say "anaconda," they are hot on the serpentine trail of a killer who'd like nothing better than to sink a pair of poisonous fangs into two meddling Southern sisters!

Though unalike as snowflakes, sisters Patricia Anne and Mary Alice share a sympathetic heart for their distraught cousin Luke -- known affectionately in his boyhood as "Pukey Lukey," because of his penchant for getting sick in moving vehicles. Luke is desperate to hunt down Virginia, his wife of forty years, who has run off with a housepainter/snake-handling preacher named "Monk." And the sisters have graciously agreed to accompany their stricken kinsman on his search...in Luke's car, of course.But, while practical "Mouse" and flamboyant "Sister" are unable to find their runaway cousin-in-law among the asp-loving faithful on Chandler Mountain, they do manage to stumble upon the corpse of a pretty young redhead who was prematurely sent to her eternal reward. And before you can say "anaconda," they are hot on the serpentine trail of a killer who'd like nothing better than to sink a pair of poisonous fangs into two meddling Southern sisters!

Siblings couldn't be more opposite than Anne George's hilarious southern sisters. Flamboyant, much-married Mary Alice, with her empress-sized figure and matching libido, is always on the lookout for her next rich husband, while prim, proper, pint-sized former-schoolteacher Patricia Anne is perfectly happy with her one and only, good old Fred. Yet with the sisters' penchant for stumbling upon dead bodies and matching their wits against the killers, this pair has turned solving murders info an uproariously funny partnership.Murder Carries A TorchJust back from vacation -- where Patricia Ann spent quality time with her married daughter Holey and Mary Alice spent money on a pair of outrageously sexy hot purple boots -- the sisters are greeted by cousin Pukey Lukey who's in a terrible state. Pukey got his nickname from his childhood addiction to carsickness, but now poor Luke's problem is heartsickness. His wife of forty years, Virginia, has run off with a housepainter/preacher.Cousin Luke is so miserable the sisters agree to drive to the top of Chandler Mountain in search of Virginia and her newfound man of God. But no sooner do the three start snooping around the deserted grounds when Luke goes into the rundown old church and doesn't come out. Mary Alice and Patricia Anne rush in to investigate, and there's Luke -- on the floor moaning and holding his injured head. Next to him is a pretty young redhead who isn't making a sound. She's dead.Luke is taken to the hospital; Sheriff Virgil Stuckey is called to investigate; the sisters find out the faithful are into snakehandling -- and the sheriff falls instantly in love With Mary Alice and her purple boots. But all is not heavenly at the Church Of Jesus Is Our Life And Heaven Hereafter. A venomous struggle forsuccessor to the head holy man causes some to suspect the killing is the work of the legendary Chandler Mountain Booger, the region's own version of "Bigfoot." But Mary Alice and Patricia Anne suspect there's a real live murderer on the loose and they have plenty of questions to ask -- including who killed the redhead and bopped Luke, who committed murder-by-snake, how does Luke's still-missing wife fit info the picture -- and who tossed a live rattlesnake into the sisters' very own car?

A Christmas story about a single-parent family and how they plan and work together to make their Christmas special for everyone. The children baby sit, gather and sell pecans, or mow grass and rake leaves to earn money to buy their mother an ivory lace shawl. They have a wonderful Christmas and remember that it is not about what they want, but what they can do for others.