The Bluejay and the Sparrow: Large Print edition

Publisher Marketing: Mark Carlson, a well-to-do Rep at a government patent office, tall, reserved, easy to look at, somewhat introverted, in his middle thirties and settled in his ways, likes order and tranquility, and considers the shelter and conformity of his colonial mansion indispensable. When his best friend, Jacques, is killed in a house-fire, Mark can do no less than to keep his promise and honor his friend's final request that he take on the responsibility of the orphaned daughter, Cybelle. Nine years later, a grown-up Cybelle, a feisty, petite, popcorn type character, declares her love. Mark is already aware of the attraction, and though he dares not admit it, even to himself, it is mutual, for Cybelle is everything buoyant he isn't, and very dear to his heart. His character, one to be admired, is shown in his silent comments to his deceased friend - "Don't worry, Jacques, I won't take advantage of her vulnerability. She needs to be loved, and I'm the only one she can turn to thus far. But one day some other man, one younger and more eligible will recognize her worth and capture her heart. Then he'll be there for her. Until then, I'll guard her from herself - and from me." ... Large Print Edition ... (This story appeared as part of the full-length novel Roses in the Dark that comprised four interwoven love stories, written by the same author.) Contributor Bio:  Freda, Paula Paula Freda, homemaker, mother of two grown sons, grandmother of two wonderful grandchildren, and former off-the-desk publisher of a family-oriented print small press, (1984 thru 1999), The Pink Chameleon, that she now publishes on line, was raised by her grandmother and mother, and has been writing for as long as she can remember. Even before she could set pencil to paper, she would spin her stories in the recording booths in the Brooklyn Coney Island Arcades for a quarter per 3-minute record. She states, "I love the English language, love words and seeing them on display, typed and alive. A romantic at heart, I write simply and emotionally. One of my former editors kindly described my work, '...her pieces are always deep, gentle and refreshing....'" Among the print publications in which her work has appeared are D'Youville Poetry Anthology, Clover Intl Poetry Competition, Small Press Writers & Artists Org. (SPWAO) Showcase II 1984, Nom de Plume, Labyrinth (1984), Harlequin Digest (a quarterly sent to Harlequin book subscribers during the 1980s), The Sacred Heart Messenger, Standard, Affaire De Coeur, Mid Island Times (hometown newspaper). On line, Peridot Books, The Romantic Bower, Romance and Beyond, and Alternate Realities. During February 2001 she taught an online class on writing at Topica.com. From 1985-1994 she coordinated writers clubs at two of her local hometown libraries. She further states, "I love writing, despite that I still have much to learn, and am grateful to any editor who takes the time to help me improve my skill. Although I've no fancy that I will ever be famous, or even want to be, my hope is that my writing will bring entertainment and uplift the human spirit. If someday in the future, someone reads my work and feels the better for it, then I have fulfilled myself." Her e-books & paperbacks are available through Amazon.com & several other online publishers.