Haunted by thoughts of “if only” and “what if,” Dante replays Lyra’s disappearance repeatedly in his mind until he is admitted to the state hospital. If only Dante had proposed over dinner. If only he had chosen a different hiking trail. “If only” thoughts wrack his body with guilt, but it’s the “what if” thoughts that slowly drive him insane. What if Lyra survived? What if she’s out there somewhere waiting for him to find her?
After the death of his wife, Dr. Montgomery desperately wants to feel that he’s helping people again. Can Dr. Montgomery quiet the “if only” and “what if” thoughts in Dante’s head? Will he discover what really happened to Lyra? Caught in a web of grief, Dante and Dr. Montgomery both hear the rooster crow. But they must discover what it means for themselves.
Denise Gard knew she wanted to write by the age of eight. She loved crafting stories at the kitchen table that made her mother choke with laughter. As Denise matured, she also discovered the lure of acting. Acting in local dinner theaters doesn't pay the bills, so in her twenties, Denise split her time between acting and working as a children's specialist for a public library. The title sounded fancy, but she mostly read stories to children which put Denise on a new career path-becoming a professional storyteller to combine her passions of acting and creating stories. She also trained her Border Collies, Joey and Kira, to perform with her at public libraries, schools, and for senior citizens in memory care and assisted living. Denise's debut novel, Raven Woods: Smoke Signals, was inspired by her interactions with seniors and a forest fire that destroyed her community in 2013. When the Rooster Crows is Denise's second novel and was inspired by a tragic event that left her wondering, "What if." Learn more about Denise Gard and her performances on her website: https: //storycreations.org. Denise's dogs are featured on Instagram @bordercolliestars.joeyandkira. Denise also writes and performs stories for children.
