Samantha Ducloux Waltz

“Fresh Tracks,” Reading Lips and Other Ways to Cope with a Disability,

Apprentice House Press: August 2008.

A man approached, the driver of the car that had struck me a glancing blow, then hit another car, crushing Ben's legs between the vehicles. He nervously assured me of adequate insurance. Insurance? I just wanted my son to live.

"Finding My North Sea," The Rambler, July/August 2008

"My Mother, My Hero," My Teacher Is My Hero,

Adams Media: 2008

“While most mothers in her day would sweetly ask if you’d like a cookie, my mother would sweetly ask if my story had solid plot structure and reflected character development. She was incredibly and indelibly focused. It was like living in a permanent writing residency.”

"Mirror, Mirror, On the Stall," A Cup of Comfort for Horse-Lovers.

Adams Media: April, 2008

"Vida's sedate walk turned into a nervous dance...."Every time she tossed her head she amped up my fear along with hers. I'd heard that horses and owners mirror each other. The theory was certainly holding true for us."

“The Ties That Heal,” A Cup of Comfort for Single Mothers,

Adams Media: April, 2008

Who would hold me and tell me that I was not a terrible mother? That Tami and Joel didn't feel neglected? That my son would be all right? I sat on our family room couch, head on my knees, and wondered how I was going to manage. Everyone needed me and I had nothing left to give.

“Taking The Time,” Chicken Soup for the Soul Love Stories,

HCI: 2007

He smiled, a terrific, crooked smile, and took a few steps toward me….That evening promised to be memorable.

Buy Now

“Romance,” Chicken Soup for the Soul Love Stories,

HCI: 2007

I hit the question, ‘Describe the most romantic moment you and your husband have shared in the last year.’ My brain freezes….Has my marriage included any romantic moments in the past year?

Buy Now

“Northern Tissue Curves,” Chicken Soup for the Soul Love Stories,

HCI: 2007

I walked over to the mirror above the sink… covered my mouth with my hands and stared in horror. What could I do? I would far rather die than face David again.

Buy Now

“Tough Decisions,” Chicken Soup for the Soul Love Stories,

HCI: 2007

I felt as though the ground shifted beneath me as I watched him leave, my husband whom I loved, off to visit my mother-in-law whom I also loved. I didn’t know how to help either one.

Buy Now

“Sharing Chocolate,” Chicken Soup for the Chocolate Lover's Soul,

Health Communications Inc: November, 2007.

I took my first, dainty bite. Some chocolate cake is too dry to truly savor, but not this delectable dessert. A thin line of raspberry filling separated two thick layers of dark, moist, daringly rich cake. A bittersweet ganach dripped over the top and sides. The next thing I noticed was one of the women shaking a finger at me.

Buy Now

“Tea'd Off,” Chicken Soup for the Tea Lover's Soul,

Health Communications, Inc: November 2007.

I know that tea has been elevated to an art form in the gracious, exacting Japanese Tea Ceremony, and in the special form of architecture developed for the building of teahouses here and abroad. But a tall, insulated brown cup from Starbucks does not look good on top of our piano alongside the glass box that holds an antique Japanese doll or the arrangement of several deep blue, delicately painted vases.

Buy Now

“Mocha Madness,” Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover's Soul,

Health Communications, Inc: November 2007.

Will it be a beach romance, or a drink seductive as a warm summer night, smooth as suede, satisfying as a delicious book?

Buy Now

“A Toast to Friendship,” Chicken Soup for the Wine Lover' Soul,

Health Communications, Inc: November, 2007.

Bob hands out wine glasses and begins to pour. “It's a Pinot,” he says. “A symbol of our friendship.”….“Not that I don't love both you and a good Pinot,” I say, but a Pinot Noir can't actually be a symbol of our friendship. Writers quibble about things like this.”

Buy Now

"A New Point of View," A Cup of Comfort for Writers,

Adams Media: 2007.

Suddenly I have become the channel for a higher creative process. The story is writing itself, the narrative fluid, the language rich. "Can I ask you a question?" My husband's voice invades the room. Instantly my muse flees.

Buy Now

"Converting Ray," A Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers,

Adams Media: 2007.

That night Annie [our golden retriever] and I had an eye to sad, brown eye -- nose to slightly damp nose -- talk. "Annie," I told her, "Ray is a dog person but he doesn't know it. And he has to find out or we're both in trouble. Your job is to convert him."

Buy Now

"Yoga for Two," The Healing Touch of Horses,

Adams Media: 2006.

I firmly believe that it's possible to heal every cell of a body and every facet of an emotional life-equine or human. I refused to accept the vet's-or my own doctor's-prognosis.

Buy Now

"Just Call Me Grandma," A Cup of Comfort for Grandparents

Adams Media: 2007.

Ray had six grandchildren when I married him and I loved them all. Just as long as they called me Samantha. Or even Sam, thank you very much. Never Grandma. I didn't fit the image..And then one day we went to Ryan's soccer game.

Buy Now

"Birthing A Family," A Cup of Comfort for Grandparents,

Adams Media: 2007.

My excitement is laced with worry as I stand in the doorway of the birthing room with my husband Ray who is Tara's father and see my beloved stepdaughter struggling so hard to birth little Jacob.. I want to rush to her side and smooth her dark hair from her face.. But just what is a stepmother's role in a situation like this?

Buy Now

"Slender Threads," Horse Crazy,

Adams Media: 2005.

I'm not going. No way. It's too scary. Vida didn't say this in English, of course. Arab horses are smart, and they understand a lot of words, but the language they speak is a flare of nostrils, twitch of ears, stamp of hoof.

Buy Now

"The Two-Minute Hug," A Cup of Comfort for Women In Love,

Adams Media: 2005.

A two-minute hug, rekindling the spark of romance in a marriage..what could be easier?

Buy Now

"Come What May," A Cup of Comfort for Sisters,

Adams Media: 2004.

Jackie lived close by and did a thousand things more for Mother than I. She'd been at the hospital for a good twenty hours already. I was the daughter come lately.I felt a mixture of jealousy and shame too. If there'd been a contest for best daughter, she would have won.

Buy Now

"Grieving the F," A Cup of Comfort for Teachers,

Adams Media: 2004.

Feelings are like little children. They can be hushed only so long before they throw a tantrum.

Buy Now

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"Samantha is a natural storyteller. She quickly draws a reader into the portrait she paints with her words. When I read her work I feel as if I'm a part of her world." Theresa Peluso, Coauthor and developmental editor of several Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies for HCI Books, the Life Issues Publisher		Stories In "My Mother, My Hero," My Teacher Is My Hero "Mirror, Mirror, On the Stall," A Cup of Comfort for Horse-Lovers “The Ties That Heal,” A Cup of Comfort for Single Mothers “Taking The Time,” Chicken Soup for the Soul Love Stories “Romance,” Chicken Soup for the Soul Love Stories “Northern Tissue Curves,” Chicken Soup for the Soul Love Stories “Tough Decisions,” Chicken Soup for the Soul Love Stories “Sharing Chocolate,” Chicken Soup for the Chocolate Lover's Soul “Tea'd Off,” Chicken Soup for the Tea Lover's Soul “Mocha Madness,” Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover's Soul “A Toast to Friendship,” Chicken Soup for the Wine Lover' Soul "A New Point of View," A Cup of Comfort for Writers "Converting Ray," A Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers "Yoga for Two," The Healing Touch of Horses "Just Call Me Grandma," A Cup of Comfort for Grandparents "Birthing A Family," A Cup of Comfort for Grandparents "Slender Threads," Horse Crazy "The Two-Minute Hug," A Cup of Comfort for Women In Love "Come What May," A Cup of Comfort for Sisters "Grieving the F," A Cup of Comfort for Teachers "The Zebra," Midlife Clarity "Driving Lessons," A Cup of Comfort for Divorced Women "Tell Me Not To Worry," A Cup of Comfort for Families Touched by Alzheimer's "Kitty Bonds," The Ultimate Cat Lover "Royalty," The Ultimate Horse Lover "Team Fix-It," Chicken Soup for the Soul: Divorce and Recovery "Of Their Own Design," A Cup of Comfort for New Mothers "Fresh Tracks," Reading Lips and Other Disabilities "Finding My North Sea," The Rambler
“Fresh Tracks,” Reading Lips and Other Ways to Cope with a Disability, Apprentice House Press: August 2008. A man approached, the driver of the car that had struck me a glancing blow, then hit another car, crushing Ben's legs between the vehicles. He nervously assured me of adequate insurance. Insurance? I just wanted my son to live. "Finding My North Sea," The Rambler, July/August 2008 "My Mother, My Hero," My Teacher Is My Hero, Adams Media: 2008 “While most mothers in her day would sweetly ask if you’d like a cookie, my mother would sweetly ask if my story had solid plot structure and reflected character development. She was incredibly and indelibly focused. It was like living in a permanent writing residency.” "Mirror, Mirror, On the Stall," A Cup of Comfort for Horse-Lovers. Adams Media: April, 2008 "Vida's sedate walk turned into a nervous dance...."Every time she tossed her head she amped up my fear along with hers. I'd heard that horses and owners mirror each other. The theory was certainly holding true for us." “The Ties That Heal,” A Cup of Comfort for Single Mothers, Adams Media: April, 2008 Who would hold me and tell me that I was not a terrible mother? That Tami and Joel didn't feel neglected? That my son would be all right? I sat on our family room couch, head on my knees, and wondered how I was going to manage. Everyone needed me and I had nothing left to give. “Taking The Time,” Chicken Soup for the Soul Love Stories, HCI: 2007 He smiled, a terrific, crooked smile, and took a few steps toward me….That evening promised to be memorable. Buy Now “Romance,” Chicken Soup for the Soul Love Stories, HCI: 2007 I hit the question, ‘Describe the most romantic moment you and your husband have shared in the last year.’ My brain freezes….Has my marriage included any romantic moments in the past year? Buy Now “Northern Tissue Curves,” Chicken Soup for the Soul Love Stories, HCI: 2007 I walked over to the mirror above the sink… covered my mouth with my hands and stared in horror. What could I do? I would far rather die than face David again. Buy Now “Tough Decisions,” Chicken Soup for the Soul Love Stories, HCI: 2007 I felt as though the ground shifted beneath me as I watched him leave, my husband whom I loved, off to visit my mother-in-law whom I also loved. I didn’t know how to help either one. Buy Now “Sharing Chocolate,” Chicken Soup for the Chocolate Lover's Soul, Health Communications Inc: November, 2007. I took my first, dainty bite. Some chocolate cake is too dry to truly savor, but not this delectable dessert. A thin line of raspberry filling separated two thick layers of dark, moist, daringly rich cake. A bittersweet ganach dripped over the top and sides. The next thing I noticed was one of the women shaking a finger at me. Buy Now “Tea'd Off,” Chicken Soup for the Tea Lover's Soul, Health Communications, Inc: November 2007. I know that tea has been elevated to an art form in the gracious, exacting Japanese Tea Ceremony, and in the special form of architecture developed for the building of teahouses here and abroad. But a tall, insulated brown cup from Starbucks does not look good on top of our piano alongside the glass box that holds an antique Japanese doll or the arrangement of several deep blue, delicately painted vases. Buy Now “Mocha Madness,” Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover's Soul, Health Communications, Inc: November 2007. Will it be a beach romance, or a drink seductive as a warm summer night, smooth as suede, satisfying as a delicious book? Buy Now “A Toast to Friendship,” Chicken Soup for the Wine Lover' Soul, Health Communications, Inc: November, 2007. Bob hands out wine glasses and begins to pour. “It's a Pinot,” he says. “A symbol of our friendship.”….“Not that I don't love both you and a good Pinot,” I say, but a Pinot Noir can't actually be a symbol of our friendship. Writers quibble about things like this.” Buy Now "A New Point of View," A Cup of Comfort for Writers, Adams Media: 2007. Suddenly I have become the channel for a higher creative process. The story is writing itself, the narrative fluid, the language rich. "Can I ask you a question?" My husband's voice invades the room. Instantly my muse flees. Buy Now "Converting Ray," A Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers, Adams Media: 2007. That night Annie [our golden retriever] and I had an eye to sad, brown eye -- nose to slightly damp nose -- talk. "Annie," I told her, "Ray is a dog person but he doesn't know it. And he has to find out or we're both in trouble. Your job is to convert him." Buy Now "Yoga for Two," The Healing Touch of Horses, Adams Media: 2006. I firmly believe that it's possible to heal every cell of a body and every facet of an emotional life-equine or human. I refused to accept the vet's-or my own doctor's-prognosis. Buy Now "Just Call Me Grandma," A Cup of Comfort for Grandparents Adams Media: 2007. Ray had six grandchildren when I married him and I loved them all. Just as long as they called me Samantha. Or even Sam, thank you very much. Never Grandma. I didn't fit the image..And then one day we went to Ryan's soccer game. Buy Now "Birthing A Family," A Cup of Comfort for Grandparents, Adams Media: 2007. My excitement is laced with worry as I stand in the doorway of the birthing room with my husband Ray who is Tara's father and see my beloved stepdaughter struggling so hard to birth little Jacob.. I want to rush to her side and smooth her dark hair from her face.. But just what is a stepmother's role in a situation like this? Buy Now "Slender Threads," Horse Crazy, Adams Media: 2005. I'm not going. No way. It's too scary. Vida didn't say this in English, of course. Arab horses are smart, and they understand a lot of words, but the language they speak is a flare of nostrils, twitch of ears, stamp of hoof. Buy Now "The Two-Minute Hug," A Cup of Comfort for Women In Love, Adams Media: 2005. A two-minute hug, rekindling the spark of romance in a marriage..what could be easier? Buy Now "Come What May," A Cup of Comfort for Sisters, Adams Media: 2004. Jackie lived close by and did a thousand things more for Mother than I. She'd been at the hospital for a good twenty hours already. I was the daughter come lately.I felt a mixture of jealousy and shame too. If there'd been a contest for best daughter, she would have won. Buy Now "Grieving the F," A Cup of Comfort for Teachers, Adams Media: 2004. Feelings are like little children. They can be hushed only so long before they throw a tantrum. Buy Now First Prev Next Last