And So It Goes

You have to love it when it comes to moving and living life in general. Not only am I'm sorting through and packing 17 yrs. worth of memories, I still have 2 jobs I'm working in addition to it being Christmas time. Couple that with promotion one book and retooling/proofing another, and you have a recipe for one BUSY kind of life!

My blessing for the day came with a reviewer's comments. The place that reviewed my first book is one of the reviewer's for the second book... first in the series of books. It SO made my day that this particular reviewer loved the second book. With all the hustle and bustle going on... it's nice to have that little surprise tucked under the edge of my heart to help it on it's journey today!

Have a great one!!

Seventeen Years of Memories

Well, after living for seventeen years in the same apartment complex, I am finally moving to a new apartment. For twelve years mom and I lived in a second floor apartment before the necessity of a first floor unit. I am presently living in that first floor apartment and have since Aug., 2003. A jarring incident almost two weeks ago made me realize my safety wasn't as secure anymore, nor was Baby's. It seems someone decided to set the hallway of the apartment building on fire. Of four families, only one was home that day... thankfully... or the whole building would have went up in flames and everything a total loss. Goes to show just how much prayer can change things. Every night I pray a hedge of protection around myself and Baby, the room, the apartment, the building, et. al. Then I ask God to have His Hand upon us with secure and complete safety for all that we need to do.

As you can imagine, I'm in the process of going through seventeen years of memories. Since moving here, my grandparents (who showed us these apartments) and my brother and my mom have passed away. I just found out a few days ago how much I'm like mom (in not wanting to face going through item of someone deceased) as she had two drawers that need to be sorted through of dad's things. He died in Jan., 1986. Just like in the apartment safety and security issues, I'm having to trust God to help me make the right decision on what to keep and what to get rid of. There've been tears shed, but also a realization of just how good I've had it. The handcarved wooden clock that my brother gave my mom for Christmas (which doesn't work now, the endless mounds of video tapes mom did of her favorite shows, various books, my washer and dryer, one of the entertainment centers... all have to go. If not for lack of "hook ups", it's for lack of room.

I guess I'm learning that just like with God, there are times for keeping and times for letting go. Just as the tree needs pruning to grow even more than it already has, I'm pruning life so I can grow even more that I already have.

Have a great one!!

It Is Finished.... Sort Of

Well, it is finally finished. The rough draft of "The Heart Broken" was finished Thursday night, and I can say I'm pleased with it. The last chapter was a little difficult to write, as I knew what I wanted to say but didn't quite know how to say it. The last page or two was the most difficult as I had to go slowly so as to not lose the reader from the "speeding up of time". What I had intended to be a storyline in the next book was rather shortened and at the end of this particular book, meaning the storylines were bumped up a bit.

In this book there is the culmination of the 1849 tornado, the loss of several major characters, the rebuilding of many lives, and the introduction of several new characters. I've covered things regarding the Conner family and Alexandria Ford and their roles in this book. What I didn't cover was a few other characters. There was the expansion of the young Mabel Parker friend to Cora Gray. Mabel and Cora are roughly the same age. They attend school together and are best friends. Mabel eventually is called upon to help out, but will she be successful or not in her endeavors. Then there is the introduction of the stern stepfather Jacob Mercer. He could care less about his stepchildren, as his only desire is to sire children of his own. While he's a minor character and only in a brief section of the book, his impact will be felt throughout the next book in the series, "The Heart Mended".

The last set of characters briefly mentioned in "The Heart Broken" are Thomas and Emma Green. He from Virginia, she from Southeastern Kentucky, they arrive in Big Spring in late 1850 and are looking to fulfill their heart's desire and a new ministry in the area. What Emma fails to realize is that women preachers, or women as the head of a church, aren't well received in 1854 nor in rural Kentucky. What she endures will break your heart, but route for her and her family none the less.

All that said, I need to be getting ready for a baby shower for a cousin. Happy Reading!!

In The Homestretch

Well, I'm on the last few pages before the rough draft will be considered finished. I can't wait. I had been pondering a few things the last week, mainly how I was going to end the book. I had already introduced the next two storylines within this book and still needed to move it forward, yet not too far. On the way home, I connected up and realized JUST how the end of the book should be. Once I started fleshing it out in my mind, the more things started rolling and fit into what I felt I was being led to do for the next book in the series.

Excited simply just doesn't do the word or emotion justice regarding what I felt last night. Things are running so smooth right now, I'm a little scared. I guess because I was taking things "oh so slow" to invoke the right emotions and feelings from the reader that I forgot what it was for my fingers to fly.

Proofing has already been completed for the first 3 chapters and very much on a roll right now. I can't believe it... it looks like it'll be ready for a stocking stuffer at Christmas!

Almost At The Finish Line

Well, it's been over a month since I posted to my blog, but life intruded yet once again. The downturn in the economy has been such that the daycare has seen a drop off in enrolled children which has resulted in combining classes as well as fluxuating hours. While in once sense it's not a good thing, in another sense it's not a bad thing.

With the fluxuation of hours, I'm taking on new and different responsibilities with the newly acquired title of assistant director (actually I'm one of two now). While I like the change in hours and duties, there are times I yearn for teaching again. Heheheee... but one day or afternoon in the a classroom shows me that I really do need a break. As a result, though, I stay in a "stressful" state because I'm not one that takes to change easily. I'm forever wondering if I'm getting everything done that needs be done, or if I'm forgetting that one little thing that makes my (or someone else's) job a little easier down the road. While some might look at this whole change as a "not so good thing", I'm looking at it as God's blessing to learn during a period when time is a little easier to find!

Writing has been unusually slow the past several weeks. I don't think it's so much that I don't have anything to say, I'm wrapping up the book... so there's lots to say! I think God's intentions were for me not to write during the last couple of weeks. It's been a "struggle" of sorts to get down what I want to say, but with good reason. I'm wrapping up the story of Alexandria (based on the last years of life for my cousin, Lieta); starting the new storyline of Mabel... which not only will be a main story in the next book, but serve to set a tone throughout all the books (honoring/remembering the midwives and medically inclined of my ancestors); and the culmination of one beloved character's life. It will be SO hard to write them out, but it has to be done for the advancement of storyline. I also will be introducing a set of characters, for the series' third book, that will be based on the lives of my g-grandmother's brother and wife, half brother and wife. I really get to explore the area of religion during the mid-nineteenth century through the latter two groups of characters, as well as that of a woman preacher in rural America. It should be VERY interesting.

All that said, now I must head off for work. While the hours are crazy, at least it's a paycheck doing one of the things I love... taking care of children!

Ciao

A Few Pies Finished!

In reference to my last posting, I finally have a few of the "pies" out of the oven and they "look" great. Chapters 4, 5, and most of 6 have been retooled and look much better. I must have been going through somewhat of a fog when I wrote them as I hit the delete button a LOT in the latter two chapters mentioned. It freed up some page space, which is what I wanted as I still have stories finish (and two to start). With the amount of pages left it, didn't seem to be enough. Now I can get back to writing and then return to the rough draft for further tweeking later!

Been a wild week, weather-wise around here. My grandparents old "stomping grounds" had an F-0 tornado that struck early yesterday morning. While I've traipsed in car and on foot over those hallowed grounds, it's nothing like hearing about it and pulling up the maps to see what you DO remember and want to go back and see. Several cousins still live in the general area, not to mention many an ancestor buried there, so am glad to know that everyone is doing okay and suffered no damage. Kinda odd, though, in reading and listening about the tornado and the area on the Breck. Co. radio station's online website and on the local Louisville news. Breck. Co. isn't "famous" in the Louisville area unless something major happens there. So while it was an F-0 tornado... it threw me to hear about the area I've been to, as well as have in my books... sorta. While set in an area that is in and around Big Spring.... the tiny towns of Custer and Dyer are a little piece away... locals term that it's "only as far as the crow flies". Hmmmmmmmm!!!!!

Off to do some researching for a cousin who is interested in a family connection concerning a good friend of his. Having a bit of an uncommon surname, my cousin and his friend wondered if they were related. While I can trace back the friend's family lines pretty well, I've not been as fortunate on my cousin's paternal side (which is the one I need to get info on). It's been almost 30 or so years since I've talked to or seen my former uncle. Am praying he's receptive to my phone call and will help... and not ask questions about his two sons. Long story that goes with all that, but I want to respect my cousin's wishes. Hope it's a good phone call. Hope it's an informative phone call. Hope it's a short one, in one sense!

Have a great Saturday! 6 days until "the day". Uggggghhhh!

Too Many Pies, Not Enough Ovens

This one is going to be a short posting as I need to be at a Yard Sale VERY shortly. Chapter Ten proved to be not only a crucial chapter, but one that bogged me down. I wanted to make sure I got the pivotal items in place to begin wrapping up this particular book, but was finding it hard to get in my mind what I wanted to say and put it on paper. After two weeks of brooding over it in my head and making as much progess in that time as what I would in two days, I finally got past the "elephant in the room". Made a phone call to Hardinsburg, posed some situations to them, and Karen helped out tremendously in what began to flow in my head as the ending solution to the abuse/alcohol storyline that I've been working on. I think what slowed me up was trying to reconcile my mind that I was writing fiction beyond the family story that I was patterning Matthew Connor after. Once I came into realization of that, it really started to flow a little easier.


Never the less, it was all still so very slow. Now that I've eased around that elephant, I can finish it up as well as concentrate more on Alexandria and her situation, as well as the bump up of a minor character to a major character status. I still have the next book in which this minor character's complete assimilation into the main family will happen, but the ground work almost ready to be put in place.


If you're wondering about the title of this posting... think of someone that has so many things going on and not enough time in the day to do them all. I think "Too Many Pies, Not Enough Ovens" is very appropriate with what's going on in my life right now.


And with that, it's off to the Yard Sale.

Now Things Are Rolling

I had always heard that if you are going to write, make sure it's on a topic that you know about. Have you ever read an article or book, and while reading it you wondered where in the world "some of this came from"? I have, and it's so sad as I would really get interested in what was going on and then be blown out of the water by erroneous facts or well meaning intentions that went bad.

I think that's what was my greatest fear in doing the first part of this book, especially the last several chapters. While not growing up in an alcoholic home or being around alcoholism, I had and have NO clue what the homelife is like, let alone knew how to write a storyline around it. While it wasn't really talked about by my grandparents or aunts and uncles, I'm slowly learning about the issues and things my grandmother and her immediate family went through at the hands of her father. As I listened to a cousin, who lived with her father at her grandmother's house (my g-grandmother), I was truly amazed at not only what had gone on, but how a "generational curse" can continue on until someone makes a conscious effort to break the cycle. I remember smiling when hearing that my g-grandmother would always pass the gift of Jesus on to this particular cousin by one simple act. She would hold her granddaughter's face, look her in the eye, and smile before saying, "Remember, Jesus loves you.". As simple as that.

Mamaw had great faith and trusted in Whom she believed in. As I have learned about her from those that remember her best, I truly now can see how the alcoholism ran the lives of those living in the household. How it etched a daily way of life into the lives of those trying to escape the presence of the one who was the alcoholic, not to mention carried over into their own homes and those of their childrens' homes decades later. It really gives a new meaning to, "Train up a child in the way it should go and it will not soon depart from it." If you train a child to be fearful, they will be fearful. If you train up a child to be loving, they will be loving. The longer the training, the more ingrained it will be, thus becoming a part of their very personality long into the adulthood and senior years. These same stories are now what's opening my eyes to snippets of conversations with my grandmother decades ago and her feelings towards drinking and alcohol.

All this to say, Matthew Conner not only is a complex person, but someone with a complex problem that is shoved onto his family as well. They don't want it but are powerless to its effects. Putting all that into words, into a viable working story, when you have never lived it or been a part of such a lifestyle can be almost impossible. Didn't God say, though, "All things are possible with Him"? That's how I viewed it as I wrote on Matthew's story, praying the entire time. As things began to slowly pan out, it became easier and now the whole story is rolling along nicely.

In the next chapter, I believe it's Chapter Nine, will be the introduction of "Alexandria Ford". It took a little bit to figure out a last name as I wanted it to be a regional name but not a family name. Then I remembered the family name of a dear cousin of mine and adopted it as "Alexandria's" last name. As I stated in an earlier blog, "Alexandria" will be based on my distant cousin Lieta. I am so excited to write her story, yet scared at the same time. So, as with Matthew's story, I'll be doing a lot of praying and seeking God's wisdom in what to write and how to write it. Research on Aplastic Anemia, what Lieta died from, has been interesting and will require me to talk to a cousin or two in the medical field to make sure the medical aspect (illness and symptoms) is as accurate as possible. It'll require me to make a few more phone calls to Lieta's siblings to hopefully jar their memories of her last year and what she went through... how they knew she was as sick as she was. As special as it will be to write her story, I pray I do it justice.

Sick Puppy update

Well, while I'm ready to crash... the "sick puppy" is bouncing around here and there as if last night never happened. In fact, she's been a little too friendly tonight as she wants ALL my attention while I'm trying to write. I think she finally gave up about ten minutes ago as she's staring at me on the couch... just watching and waiting for the right moment to run over and jump up in the chair with me to "warm" my backside. Thank goodness for fans!

Here's a pic of Baby, affectionately known as "Pookie". This is of her and her Froggie squeak toy. Froggie is the only "flying frog" I know of in the city of Louisville... as when we play, Froggie goes a sailin'! In this pic, it's as if she was daring me not to come get Froggie... saying something like, "Back away and the Frog doesn't get hurt!"

That's my Pookie!

Sick Puppy and Lieta

Well, here I sit at 1:38am in the blessed morning... attending to a sick puppy. She's 8 years old, so not technically a puppy, but she has a puppy face and plays like a puppy... even sleeps like a puppy.

Baby, I call her Pookie, was a blessing in disguise almost two years ago. Not quite two months after my brother's sudden death, my sister calls and tells me of her grandmother-in-law being in bad health (not expected to live) and owning a dog that is half Jack Russell and half Chihuahua. She asks if we might be interested as the dog might help pull mom out of her depression. We talked a little and I called her back, arranging a time to go see the dog. Little did I know that roughly two hours later, this little bundle would come home with me... and a few hours later I'd see my mother smile for the first time since my brother's death.

This was all in January, and come the end of April, mom's depression as well as osteoarthritis got the better of her. She fell, breaking three ribs. A week after taking her into the hospital, she died. While the death certificate says, "pneumonia", it was really "a broken heart complicated by three broken ribs". While my world was spinning beforehand, it went topsy-turvy. This little bundle of a dog, just over 20 lbs., would be my reason to come home at night, my determination to get up in the morning and keep a routine. I think I have as many pics of her on my computer and camera phone as what most parents and grandparents do of their own flesh and blood.

Tonight, though, is the first time she's been sick since we got her. She has sinus problems as well as allergies and while I had the windows open all day, I never once gave it a thought that it might affect her. It hasn't in the past. Evidently today, it did, as I sit here now waiting for her to stop initiating my carpet, sofa, and chair. With not having kids... I guess this is about as close as it gets to "being up all night with a sick kid".

I talked with my cousin, Lovera, Friday night about her sister. Twyla Lieta Lynch was a very special young lady who was cut down in life all too suddenly. One of ten children to Rufus and Katie Mae Minter Lynch, she had a specialness about her. Born in 1925, she learned to play the guitar and sang southern gospel music with some of her cousins as she was growing up. Pictures show Lieta, as she was called by family, most always with a smile or a grin on her face. When she graduated from Irvington High School, she became a teacher, teaching at the one room school house in High Plains in Breckinridge County. It was while she was teaching that she found out she was sick. Today's term would be leukemia. Cancer.

One of her sisters begged to stay in eighth grade another year so she could spend time with her big sister. She was allowed to, and spent the year helping her sister with the other students. In January of 1944 Lieta was taken to St. Joseph's Infirmary in Louisville (there's apartments on the location now). She never came home once she entered the hospital. I can only imagine the devastation her parents felt, but know that their faith in God is what carried them through burying the second of two children that had died by this time.

Lieta is who I am patterning a minor character after in the book I'm presently working on. While I haven't come up with a last name as of yet, I will be drawing from Lieta's experiences and her personality when I write on the character of "Alexandria". The name of Alexandria is of someone dear to my heart and I wanted to save it to use for someone special... and the memory of Lieta and her life is perfect.

Whether a person, or a puppy, you never know when life will throw your a curve you least expect. Sometimes it's just missing hours of sleep. Sometimes it's missing years of a life that should have been.

On to the next chapter...

Well, it's on to Chapter 7 now. I had thought about taking Chapter 6 and making it longer than it has actually turned out. In the end, it was so emotional for me to write, I didn't want to do anything but this particular family for the entire chapter. When you read this section, this will make sense. Chapter 7, though, will be the beginning of a budding romance and the return of a beloved character because of events in the previous chapter.

Am now looking in to 1850 probate laws and estate settlement laws for Kentucky. Last thing I need to do is write something and it not be as plausable or "realistic" as possible. Hahahaaa... and the last thing I want to do is be bored out of my mind reading dry material that I barely understand... so THAT little task (reading the laws) should be an interesting turn!

Oh, and Mr. Matthew Conner.... despicable character of the "month".... he took a somewhat humanly turn. A developing mystery into just WHAT the events were that caused him to go mean and seek an escape in alcohol has been introduced. I know in real life there are those that truly are mean just because they want to be mean. I just can't help, though, thinking that there wasn't something somewhere in the past that affected the individual which made them give up on thinking there was good in people.... somewhere deep down. Thing is, some people have their "good" buried so deep within that you really have to search them to find it. That means a lifetime of searching before it's finally found. And then for others... it simple means a visit with Him for it to begin to peek out which saves a lifetime of trying. But back to Matthew. His demons are real people who have hurt him beyond the hurt of losing his mother when he was young. And one in particular not only hurt him, he wanted to drive him from the family home and take away whatever he could to ensure HE had the family inheritence. In the end, while it may seem he succeeded, nothing bad ever succeeds for long! At least, not in my books!

Happy Saturday everyone... should be a good one, so get out and enjoy it while it lasts!

.... Chapter Five.... Chapter Six

It's the end of another work week and the housework just won't go away. Two loads of laundry in, a trip to the store, and now I'm sitting here waiting for possible rain to hit. I think any rain might put me more in the mood for what I have to write over most of the chapter I'm working on.

I'm now at, and have been working on, Chapter Six over the past two days. While it's been trying, at times, to get down what I want to say... it's actually been coming a little better than I expected. Now that I'm in to Chapter Six, not only is it flowing, but I had to do something I didn't want to do. The whole time I'm thinking... "I don't want to do this, I don't want to do this". Some might say, "Then don't do it.". I wish it were that simple. If I don't do it, then I can't achieve what I need. If I go ahead and do it, then I can continue on with the story like it's suppose to be. Boy am I gonna hear it later on from Lexi! She's one of my kids from church that I took care of in the nursery back about five years ago. God has given her quite a love for reading. At age ten, I think her mom said she's reading on a 7th grade level. So if for no other reason, I write because of the simple ability to give her (and girls like her) the chance to read something that their parents won't have to worry about the content of. Anyone else is gravy on the roast beef sandwich!

Have a great weekend!

New Purchasing Links on Site

Well, I finally think I'm close to getting down this whole blogging thing. I'm learning, step by step, what to do (and with a LOT of help from the forum section) and now have one more task under my belt.

On the side bar is listed all the books I've written. With one click on the button, they are available for purchase. As book covers are completed and future books written, a preview (when available) of the next book will be seen as well. I just added the new cover for "The Heart Broken".... something I'm especially proud of!

Both my cousins, in doing "The Heart's Desire" and "The Heart Broken" have seemingly jumped into my thoughts and were able to paint/draw a picture of what I was seeing as I wrote/am writing each book. I'm just utterly amazed at the prayer that was answered. I can be a pain in the butt when it comes to doing a project and getting it "just the way I want it"... ask anyone I work with. In short... I'm VERY opinionated (which isn't good all the time). So when I saw both these covers for the first time... I about fell over with excitement... it couldn't have been any closer to what I was envisioning if I would have taken a snapshot of my mental picture and placed it on the covers.

Roberta and Kirstie... you guys are THE best!!

Rough Week

Finally Friday is here!

Starting on Tuesday, we said "goodbye" to at least one student every day as they started "big kids' school". Then to top it off, a dear long time friend that I use to go to church with died yesterday morning. Lots of mixed emotions there. While it hurts to say goodbye to one more person (count is now at 8 since Dec., 2007), I've talked with friends and reconnected in ways I haven't in over ten years. Bittersweet doesn't seem to accurately cover it.

Right now I've got the finances to where I can place "The Heart's Desire" in a book writing contest. Still praying for the rest to come in as I really would like to participate at the November book fair I was invited to at the Galt House... only time will tell. For now, though, just taking it one day at a time and waiting for the first residual check to come in. Sometime next week I'll be making a copy of that check so I can place it in a frame and hang it on the wall next to my first book review. Exciting!

Still working on "The Heart Broken". Roberta (my cousin) sent in the painting she did for the book's cover and I was blown away. Just like with Kirstie (another cousin), they were able to capture exactly what was in my head and get it down exactly right! Now to get the words and story to be as good as the cover.

The character of Matthew Conner is causing a little trepidation with me as he's to be a despicable individual in the eyes of just about anyone who is remotely human. I had tried writing the story of my grandmother's father back last year and really struggled to write. Due to possible liable issues, as some individuals were still living and issues were very "touchy", I opted to let it go. It would have been a very "dark" book as my grandmother's father was not a very kind man to his wife or children and loved his alcohol and alcohol making. Matthew Conner is based on him. While I'll be taking dramatic license, there are some instances that I'll be pulling from that are from real life and are difficult for me to visualize and put words to. So with each writing, I have to take a step back, reassess where I'm at and where I'm going, and make sure it jives with what I have in mind for the end of this book. Thankfully I have everything I wrote last year and can pull off of it so as to save on typing... but it's still hard none the less.

Well, off to writing!
Dana

More Work on Chap. 3 and the Book Cover

After a trying week, it's finally the weekend. I'm hoping to develop more of chapter three tonight and tomorrow so I can begin to delve more into the story that will be one of two major storylines within this particular book.

While I won't go into details, I will say that Kate has some pretty serious decisions to make, as does someone close to her. Two new families will be introduced, the Conner family and the Parker family. The Parker family will have one that will be followed into at least the next book if not the next two. The Conner family will only be in this newest book, "The Heart Broken", and will delve into a pretty dark area that has invaded quite a few homes over the centuries. As with the first book, the stories will all parallel or at least touch base with issues/events that occurred within my Allgood, Bruner, Knott, Lynch, Blissett, St. Clair, Kasey, Hall, Prather, VanMeter, Milburn, and allied family lines. So while it might seem far fetched, it's very possible that the story/scenario is something that happened anytime over the past 200 years.

I'm also planning on doing the story of my g-grandmother's brother and his wife, half brother and his wife. It's going to take a little bit of planning, talking to family, and really getting a sense and handle on their lives, as they all died between 1963 and 1986, which was long before I began researching. I want to do them justice, so I may not do them "specifically" but individuals who greatly resemble them. The last thing I want to do is upset and anger their descendants who I look to as some of my closest family/friends.

Heading out for now... need to get writing!

Dana

Hi all...

Am still getting the word out about the blog/book site to everyone. Between battling with sinus' (inherited by my grandfather) and genealogy issues involving an individual "stealing" my pics and posting them as her own (nevermind she's messed up quite a few cemetery listings for my Bruner family), it's been quite a past couple of days.

Am working on "The Heart Broken", the second book in a series of books I'm working on. Each individual book will take stories I've heard from family that have been passed on through the ages/seen firsthand, or discovered through researching and put into story format. The "Gray" family will be followed through out the "The Heart" book series and will be the ones that will live out the "family stories" as I know them.

Most recently, "The Heart's Desire" covered a rendition of what my Bruner 5th g-grandmother went through as she and her husband travelled with William "Indian Bill" Hardin to what is now the Breckinridge County area. It involves indians, kidnapping, and death. The book also has factual events that occur, such as the 1849 tornado that nearly destroyed the town of Big Spring, Kentucky.

My future plans are to incorporate stories from the Blissett, Allgood, Prather, and Lynch families, as well as further incorporation of stories from my Bruner lines. Should be LOTS of fun!!

Until next time......

This was my first attempt at writing. "Forget Me Not" is the love story of Letitia Jared and Thomas Lynch, my 3rd g-grandparents. The cover picture is believed to be taken shortly after they married in 1865. On the back cover page is a picture that has been restored and colorized to give better detail as to what Letitia looked like when she was nearly 18.



Here is a little about the book:


In the early 1860's, the Civil War took a toll on the nation and on many families. Pitting many a brother against brother, father agains son, causing scars that would run deep for many generations.

For Letitia Jared, the War would prove to changer her life forever. Just as she thought life couldn't be any more complicated, in walks a handsome stranger that would change her life forever.

For Thomas Lynch, life hadn't been grand. Losing both parents at an early age, he lived with family until he decided to enlist. Just as he thought life couldn't be anymore complicated, in walks a family that would change his life forever.

This is the latest and the first in a series! Many, MANY thanks to Kirstie Atteberry Johnson for designing and drawing the cover. Here is a little something on the book:

The Baker family arrived in Kentucky full of dreams and hopes for a better life than what they had in Virginia. One fateful day, Ella and her brother Samuel witnessed an event that would forever change their lives and close the chapter of her family's dreams. Or so they thought.

Decades later, Ella married James Gray and had a family of her own. Alone in the belief, she still held on to the hope that her brother, Benjamin, survivied the tragedy that took her family. On day, a stranger appears in town who not only has a mystery, but holds the hey to all of Ella's questions about her borther and what happened to him.

Kate Gray pursues her calling in life as a teacher but also finds the one who would be the love of her life. Which will she choose? Will she choose the desire of becoming a teacher? Or the desire of becoming a wife to William Miller.

William's father, Edward Miller, only sees William learning the family hotel business so as to take it over one day. Believing Kate Gray is a threat and an undesirable for his son, Edward realizes he must do what he has to in order to keep them apart and the family business remain within the Miller family.

As the annual Supper Basket Social winds down, storms appear on the horizon for Ella, Kate, and William. Some will survive while others fall. Will tragedy strike once again, or will there finally be triumph in the end.

The Time Has Arrived

Hey there everybody....

Well, the time has finally arrived to where I need to get my own page up and running. It was hard passing on the online purchasing address for my books, so I decided to create a blog. It'll help me provide the links regarding my past books, and any future ones to be written, that someone might want to buy through my publisher.

This is in it's infancy stage, so I'm hoping to get all the kinks worked out and the page set up nicely.... as well as in a format that is easy to use for everyone!

I'm hoping to provide "buttons" which would send you straight to the individual book you might wish to purchase. They should be on the sidebar, but keep a look out. I'll let you know when they are up and running!

Have fun!