Stray Affections

About This Book

The last thing that Cassandra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some mommy time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home– even if means wrestling another shopper for it!

The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange–flurrious, as Cassie deems it–moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.

With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich’s acclaimed Dearest Dorothy novels so popular, Stray Affections invites you to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances.

Praise for
Stray Affections

“Stray Affections is a story so joyous and so magical that it should come with a warning label: Do not pick up this book unless you, like Cassie and the unforgettable characters who are part of her world, are prepared for a journey that will change your life!”
–Cassandra King, author of The Sunday Wife

“Charlene Ann Baumbich takes us to a town populated with characters–so delightfully quirky they must be real–and illustrates the power of love and forgiveness. Even the tiniest miracle is still a gift from God.”
–Joan Medlicott, author of nine Ladies of Covington novels

“Do you believe in mystery? After reading Stray Affections, you will understand that the Almighty works in mysterious ways! Charlene Ann Baumbich creates mystical meaning from a snow globe, canine friends, and an intriguing cast of characters. A real treat.”
–Angela Hunt, author of Doesn’t She Look Natural

“A tender story by a writer who understands the magic of second chances and the redeeming power of unconditional love.”
–Lisa Wingate, author of Tending Roses and Word Gets Around

“Through a handful of wonderfully imperfect characters, some unforgettable four-legged companions, and one extraordinary treasure–a simple snowglobe–Charlene Ann Baumbich unfolds a story showing the strength of hope and faith, of forgiveness and acceptance, and above all else, the resilience of the human spirit. Stray Affections is a heart-warming, delightful read.”
–Gail Fraser, author of The Lumby Lines, Stealing Lumby, and Lumby’s Bounty