When The Red Jacket Sings

Many of the best times of Ramona Zeller's life are associated with a red jacket given to her as an adolescent by a loving mentor. However, the red jacket is front and center in the kidnapping of her husband and in the fear brought to the musicians of a metropolitan area. A series of twists and turns with embezzlements, insurance frauds, more kidnappings, dashed hopes and stolen identities, through which Ramona must endure finally brings closure and the promise of better things to come.

Many of the best times of Ramona Zeller's life are associated with a red jacket given to her as an adolescent by a loving mentor. However, the red jacket is front and center in the kidnapping of her husband and in the fear brought to the musicians of a metropolitan area. A series of twist and turns with embezzlements, insurance frauds, more kidnappings, dashed hopes and stolen identities, through which Ramona must endure finally brings closure and the promise of better things to come. Though the police especially a detective who is a good friend of Ramona's BFF is very helpful, it is actually Ramona herself who does the work is attempting to find her husband. Throughout the story the relationship of this world famous musician and her friends is emphasized. It is not only Ramona's loved ones who are the focus of the kidnappings and thefts, members of a symphony orchestra as well as music students throughout the city are also targeted. Even as the criminals are arrested, Ramona and her family are not completely safe. Years later she will have to face the anger from the accused. However, the red jacket will be seen as very lucky to Ramona and her friends, as it seems to always appear or to be found or to be worn at the best times of their lives.

Susan Anthony-Tolbert, Ph.D., a retired professor and research psychologist, is currently a freelance harpist and marimbaist in the Northern Neck and Tide water areas of Virginia as well as in Maryland. Throughout her tenure at Gallaudet University she has authored textbooks in social psychology, in personality theory and research, in observational methods and in cross cultural studies. Her research in Social psychology has been published in a variety of refereed journals. Her latest interest is historical research. Articles on horses and their history in the Northern Neck area of Virginia have been published in the Bulletin of the Northumberland County Historical Society. She has co-authored, “A Quiet Glory: The Life and Times of Dr. James Skelton Gilliam, Civil War Surgeon of Northumberland and Lancaster Counties, Virginia” with her husband, Dorian Tolbert. In addition her humorous essays on her life with horses have been published in such nationally known magazines as The Chronicle of the Horse, Horse, Of Course, Western Horseman and the Paper Horse. Music has always played an important part in Susan’s life. Her CD recordings of harp and of marimba music are selling both at the national and local levels. These recordings include classical and Celtic music as well as her original compositions and are available through her website (www. Singingcatandmule.com and at CD. Baby. Other books written by S. A.-Tolbert, available from her publishing company, Singing Cat and Mule, that the reader might enjoy are: Ranger: Tales of the Yellow Tavern Cat; Snow Prince, The Magical Christmas Pony of Heathsville, Virginia; Keeokee, The Beautiful Swimmer; Fanny –Grace: Herself the Harp; and The Purple Pig Played Piccolo; The Adventures of McCue, My Wonder Horse; Paula, The Perfectly Pleasing Pigeon; and Merlin: The Magic Marimba