LOST AND FOUND AT THE PLANTATION BED AND BREAKFAST Writer Anne Butler, author of a dozen books on crime and history, figured running a Bed & Breakfast on her family plantation near rural St. Francisville, Louisiana, would mean isolation and the ruination of her writing career. Boy, was she wrong! Now the world comes to her in all its glory. But it's a good thing her writing skills are complemented by a wry sense of humor. From the modest Pentecostals in the pool with the bikini-clad New Jersey whore, to the naked man in the driveway, this consummate storyteller finds a hilarious or touching story behind every door at the Plantation B&B. Is it just the B&B run in rather tolerant fashion by the author, or do this many crazy things happen at all B&Bs? You bet they do, says Anne Butler. "The B&B host is in a unique position," she explains. "We know more about our guests than even their doctors or lawyers or ministers. Even more than the airport security screeners! And of course we must treat that knowledge with the respect and confidence it deserves. But we can't help getting tickled at times, and usually it's not the individual guest but the combination. The Pentecostals swimming in the pool wearing long dresses and long-sleeved shirts wouldn't have warranted a second glance until the loose lady in her thong bikini joined them." The chapters of this hilarious book cover everything from the human guests to the pets, the children, the disasters and catastrophes, the weddings and honeymoons, and yes, of course the inevitable houseguests from hell. There is a never-ending and endlessly entertaining parade of show poodles in raincoats and performing cats, black Labrador bridesmaids and weddings at the old cast-iron hitching post, hurricanes and lovebugs, beavers in the pond and persistent suitors filling rooms with flowers. There are also stories more touching than entertaining, like the chemo patient whose stay was extended by illness who wrote in the guest journal that there are certain places on this earth that are healing places and this B&B is certainly one of them, or the 35 middle-aged breast cancer survivors who annually bicycle from California to Florida and make this B&B their mid-way rest stop. Then there's the story of the little child, disappointed when her parents could not afford to stay an extra night to see the Christmas parade. When other guests checked out and thanked the owner for Christmas presents she had not provided, the bewildered author found that this same little child had taken what little money she did have and provided each cottage with three peppermints, carefully gift-wrapped and deposited on the doorstep overnight. Naturally the family's stay was extended gratis until after the parade. The book takes its title from the B&B's overflowing Lost and Found Department, always awash in mismatched socks and cell-phone chargers, abandoned boxer shorts, lacy lingerie and miscellaneous other unmentionables. The wacky cover shows the hefty staff bemoaning the fact that most of the racy items left are way too small, though the owner hastens to add that left-behind items are always returned upon request, or donated to charity if unclaimed. But the Lost and Found refers to more than left-behinds. The journals provided in rooms for guest comments overflow with surprisingly astute descriptions of turning off busy US Highway 61 into the serenity of the live-oak lined plantation entrance drive and at that point, leaving behind the troubles and worries of the world. And for all that they lose, guests also describe finding something even more important. "I came for business and found supreme pleasure," wrote one corporate guest, and others write glowingly of finding their true love once more, of rekindling their romance in this atmosphere of peace and quiet, of taking the time to appreciate the beauties of nature and the intricacies of human relationships. And as for the author, she lost her privacy, all right. But she found something as well, the inspiration for a book that looks at human nature in all its glory and finds it endlessly amusing. So will the reader. LOST AND FOUND AT THE PLANTATION BED AND BREAKFAST is available in paperback, with excellent color photographs by Louisiana professional Darrell Chitty, from local and regional outlets as well as online at www.butlergreenwood.com (books). The author is available for book reviews, speaking engagements and signings; telephone her at 225-635-6312. For large high resoluton of above photos , email Greenwood Press.