Reader Excerpt ~ Code Blue by Dr. Richard Mabry

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The black SUV came barreling out of nowhere, its oversized tires straddling the centerline. Cathy jerked the steering wheel to the right and jammed the brake pedal to the floor Her Toyota Corolla rocked as though flicked by a giant hand before it spun off the narrow country road and hurtled toward the ditch and the peach orchard beyond it.

For a moment Cathy felt the fearful thrill of weightlessness. Then the world turned upside down, and everything went into freeze-frame slow motion.

Want More? Click here to read the first chapter of Code Blue by Dr. Richard Mabry. Leave a comment to be entered in the drawing for Dr. Mabry's book on Friday. Winner will be announced 04/10/10.

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Author Interview ~ Kathi Macias

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer and radio host who has authored 30 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and recently won the prestigious 2008 member of the year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association). Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding their Harley.

When did you decide to be a writer?

I can’t remember ever wanting to be anything else. I have had a love affair with books since before I started kindergarten, and was reading the funny papers when I was three. My husband says he still remembers the day we were walking home from junior high together (we’ve known one another since we were six) and I told him I was going to be a writer some day. He says I’m one of the few people he knows who actually did what I wanted to do all my life.

At what point did you stop juggling suggestions and critiques and trust yourself (as a writer)?

I started entering writing contests when I was still in junior and senior high school, and won quite a few awards in the process, so it really helped with the confidence thing. I eventually studied journalism and did some string reporting for the local newspaper, as well as writing a weekly “about town” column. At the same time I started submitting articles and poems and short stories to magazines and newsletters and garnering a few credits that way. When I launched out into my first book project, it wasn’t quite so intimidating because of the experience I’d had along the way.

Are you a disciplined writer or do you just write when you feel like it?

I am very disciplined. I treat it like any other job. I’m up early and put in quite a few hours every day at the computer (though it was at my IBM Selectric typewriter when I first started).

What kind of activities to you like to do that help you relax and step away from your deadlines for a bit?

I’m an avid walker. Sometimes I just have to step away from the computer screen and head outside to clear the cobwebs out. Since I live in Southern California, the weather is usually amenable to that.

What is your favorite novel and what made it special?

That’s a tough one, as I’ve had several favorites over the years, though I have to say that I’m not much of a fiction fan if it isn’t serious fiction with a major message. I suppose if I had to pick one novel only it would be Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. It literally changed my heart and birthed a passion in me for a country I’d never even visited and hadn’t thought much about before. Now I myself have a new novel releasing in April (No Greater Love) set in that very spot.

How do you think reading the work of others helps you as a writer?

Reading others’ work has been huge in helping me develop my own voice as a novelist. And because I’ve done a lot of ghostwriting and collaborative writing over the years, I’ve had to learn to take on other people’s voices and styles in those collaborative works, while distinctly developing and maintaining my own in my books. It’s a tightrope at times, but I’ve learned a lot in the process.

Tell us a little about your latest release:

I actually have two books in the same four-book “Extreme Devotion” series releasing simultaneously: No Greater Love (set in South Africa in 1989) and More than Conquerors (set in both Tijuana and San Juan Chamula, Mexico, which is Mayan country). This is my first-ever venture into international fiction, which is quite a challenge. (Books three and four are set in China and Saudi Arabia.) This is New Hope Publishers’ first venture into fiction, so we’re all quite excited about the series, particularly the first two books that release in April 2010. (NOTE: Click on the bookcovers to view trailers)

Where did you get your inspiration for No Greater Love?

I first knew I wanted to write about the turmoil preceding and surrounding the fall of Apartheid in South Africa as I watched it happening in the news. I had also read Cry the Beloved Country and was already fascinated with the country and culture. I believed our own country had much to learn from what was taking place there at the time.

Which character is most like you?

I suppose I would have to say I identify most with Chioma, my heroine, who was strong-willed and impetuous—and maybe a bit hot-headed as well. That would definitely describe me in my early days, particularly before I came to know Christ. I’m a typical firstborn high-achiever, and I imagine I write myself at least partially into my main female character in every book I author.

Who is your favorite character and why?

Besides Chioma, I love Anana, the wife of the Afrikaner farmer who is Chioma’s employer. Anana is also the mother of Andrew, the young man with whom Chioma becomes romantically involved—a definite forbidden romance in that time and place. Anana is the type of godly wife and mother that most of us would like to be “when we grow up.”

Did you know how No Greater Love would turn out? Were you surprised by any of the plot twists or characters?

I always know how my stories will start and how they will end; it’s everything in between that comes as a surprise as the story unfolds. I can’t imagine having to outline a novel the way you would a nonfiction book. The characters most definitely take on a life of their own, and as they head for the finish line, it’s exciting to discover what happens along the way.

What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

That despite different countries or cultures, experiences or upbringing, human nature is still the same. God has created us with “eternity in our hearts,” and we all long to “get back to the Garden” and to a restored relationship with the Father—though many never recognize or acknowledge that longing, and that’s the saddest statement in the history of the world.

What kinds of things have you done to market this book? Have you found anything that works particularly well?

I’ve got the book (and the series) on my website and blog, and on every social network imaginable. I have video trailers posted everywhere possible and am doing two blog tours for each book. I have a book/series launch party planned, as well as sending out postcards and distributing bookmarks. The publisher is running ads, and together we will launch the series at ICRS in St. Louis. I have also garnered some strong endorsements and lead with those every chance I get. Finally, I have a blogtalkradio program, co-hosted with Christian artist Ron DiCianni, which focuses on employing all the arts (writing, speaking, singing, dancing, acting, painting, etc.) in ministry, which gives both Ron and me a great platform to market our own products as well as highlight the work of others in these related fields. I will, of course, do as many guest appearances on radio and TV as possible (with the help of my publicist) to get the word out. And I do public speaking every chance I get, which seems to be the best place to actually sell books.

Tell us what new projects you’re working on.

In addition to completing book four of the series (still working on that!), I have a stand-alone historical novel (third-century) releasing from Abingdon Press in October. It’s titled Valeria’s Cross and is co-authored with Susan Wales, wife of movie producer Ken Wales. I am also in the process of writing a couple of other fiction series, though I am unable to devote too much time to them until I finish the final book of this “Extreme Devotion” series for New Hope. After that it will be full-steam ahead on the new series!

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Do this because you love it and believe you would be disobedient not to! Seriously. As passionate as I am about writing (and speaking too), it is not an easy field in which to make a living. (I suppose that means I should also say, Keep your day job!) I’ve had new writers come up to me at conferences and say things like, “I’ve been at this thing for two or three years now, with no real success. I’m becoming very discouraged. What should I do?” My answer? Go back to the place where you decided to venture into the publishing world. Did you believe with all your heart that you were called by God to do it? Then keep going! Obedience is all that’s required to be successful. Book sales are optional (though beneficial!). If we keep that focus, it will be easier to keep pressing ahead when we’d like to throw in the towel and get a REAL job (you know, one with a paycheck). Remember, I first got the idea for No Greater Love in 1989; it finally became a reality in 2010. It’s all about God’s timing, God’s purpose, and God’s glory.

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Kathy is giving away a copy of her book No Greater Love. Be sure to stop by The Borrowed Book on Friday, 04/09/10 for your chance to win!

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Author Interview ~ Susy Flory

Susy Flory grew up on the back of a quarter horse in Northern California. She took degrees from UCLA in English and psychology, and has a background in journalism, education, and communications. Susy first started writing at the Newhall Signal with the legendary Scotty Newhall, an ex-editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and a one-legged cigar-smoking curmudgeon who ruled the newsroom from behind an old metal desk where he pounded out stories on a battered Underwood Typewriter. Her newest book is So Long Status Quo: What I Learned From Women Who Changed the World (Beacon Hill, 2009).

So Long Status Quo chronicles Susy’s courageous journey when, inspired by nine amazing women such as Mother Teresa, Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Mary Magdalene, she decided to get up off her comfy couch and try to change the world, starting in her own backyard. Adventure and self-discovery ensued, ranging from a secret humanitarian missions trip to Cuba, to learning how to weld, going on a fast, and even trading some precious heirloom jewelry for water for Africa. Susy lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, Robert, and two children. In addition to writing books and articles, Susy serves at her local church and is a popular speaker and blogger.

When did you decide to be a writer?

I always wanted to be a writer, but because books and words were so vitally important to me, I felt inadequate and intimidated and didn’t dare to give voice to my dream. I grew up not ever knowing a real, living writer and so somehow I felt that writers were some sort of elevated, highly evolved race that I could never be a part of. That changed in my late thirties when I went to my first writers conference. I will never forget my very first meal at the conference; I sat with an editor of a major Christian magazine and he was wearing a tshirt and jeans. Moreover, his hair was messy and he seemed completely normal in every way. I was terrified of him, but he chatted us all up and was very warm and friendly. He wasn’t that different. At that conference, as I came across more friendly editors, along with literary agents and working writers, the idea of becoming a writer finally seemed doable. I could finally voice my dream.

At what point did you stop juggling suggestions and critiques and trust yourself (as a writer)?

When I began to see that my words, sentences, and paragraphs touched people. Just recently, I visited a local group that was using So Long Status Quo as a group study. One woman came up to me before the study and told me a story; she had been reading chapter 1, where I wrote about being inspired by Harriet Tubman’s life of sacrifice and service and deciding to sell my jewelry and use the money to fund village water wells in Africa. This woman shared that she loved to travel and everywhere she went she bought a ring as a souvenir. After reading this particular chapter, she had counted her rings and found that she had accumulated 105!

“I only have 10 fingers,” she told me. “I don’t need 105 rings.”

She started selling her rings, and some other things, on eBay and so far she’s accumulated over $500 for well projects. When your words begin to make a difference in people’s lives, it’s time to trust yourself.

Are you a disciplined writer or do you just write when you feel like it?

I operate like a journalist, and that means I operate on deadline. If my editors don’t give me deadlines, I have to make my own. And to keep me accountable, I often share my deadlines with a friend and ask her to keep me accountable. I also chart out big writing projects on a white board by my desk. Something about seeing that board each morning helps to keep me motivated.

What kind of activities do you like to do that help you relax and step away from your deadlines for a bit?

I love being outdoors, and my favorite stress buster is to take a walk on the regional trails near my house with my husband and our lab, Eli. Walking up and down the hills drains away the stress and refills me with ideas and inspiration.

What is your favorite novel (not written by you) and what made it special?

My favorite novel of all time is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I first read it in sixth grade and the themes of transformation and rebirth, played out in a mysterious walled garden, are with me still. In a way, I think writers are like secret gardens; we are often quiet and reserved but there are hidden riches within our imaginations just waiting to be unlocked once we find, and use, the key.

How do you think reading the work of others helps you as a writer?

Reading the work of others keeps me fluent in the language of the imagination and the mind. My favorite writer is Annie Dillard, author of the Pulitzer prize winning Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. One practical way that I’ve made use of her work is to use it to jumpstart my writing. When I’m feeling dull and uninspired (which is not that uncommon!) I sometimes type out a paragraph or two from Dillard’s work. Something about the poetry and power of her language underneath my tapping fingers acts like gasoline priming an engine and makes the words start to flow.

Tell us a little about your latest release. Where did you get your inspiration for So Long Status Quo?

When I was a teenager, I was poking around in a gift shop and found a tin sign with Rosie the Riveter and her bulging bicep. I loved it and bought it to display on a bookshelf. Years later I was reading the newspaper and came across a full page department store ad with the Rosie image and for some reason it ignited my imagination. Who was this powerful woman? And who were the real women behind the iconic image? I couldn’t wait to find out. And when I did, it started me on a journey to get to know other women who changed the world. And that changed my life.

Your book deals with women who changed their world and inspired you to change yours. What do you believe is the biggest hindrance to people actually moving to accomplish a change like this?

The biggest hindrance is fear and intimidation. When we compare ourselves to women like Mother Teresa or Harriet Tubman, we feel we can’t possibly do what they did. But what I found out is that each woman I wrote about started with just one small act, trying to help someone or fix something in front of her that just wasn’t right. Mother Teresa started by teaching the alphabet to a few neighborhood children in India. Harriet Tubman started her important work on the Underground Railroad by trying to help her brothers to freedom. Conquering fear is all about changing the world by starting in your own backyard with the tools and opportunities you already have.

Was there ever a time in your life when you wish someone would have shared the tips found in this book with you? Can you tell us about it?

I wish I had started writing earlier in my life, but I felt like I had nothing to say. Now I know that each writer has their own unique voice and message, and no other voice or message is exactly the same. Each writer’s voice is important, valuable, and necessary.

What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?

The women who changed the world were exactly like us – imperfect! They faced many obstacles in areas such as health, education, opportunity, and family responsibility. You can’t wait until life is perfect before you step out and do something. Mother Teresa put it best: “What we do is just a drop in the ocean, but I don’t want to be the missing drop.”

What kinds of things have you done to market this book? Have you found anything that works particularly well?

Speaking gigs, blog tours, and social networking are the three areas I’ve concentrated on to get the word out. In particular, Facebook and Twitter offer very cost effective and fun ways to reach out to new readers. Also, for this book I’ve had the opportunity to work with a professional publicist for the first time and she has taught me much about building good relationships within the publishing and reading community.

Tell us what new projects you’re working on.

I’m working on a book of true and miraculous dog stories for Harvest House; that one will be out sometime next year. Another project in the works involves a fresh look at what Jesus did for women 2000 years ago and what he is doing for women today.

Do you have any parting words of advice?

Don’t ever be afraid to start a little adventure!

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Susy is giving away a copy of her book, So Long Status Quo. Be sure to stop by The Borrowed Book on Friday for your chance to win!

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Debut Author ~ Dr. Richard Mabry

Dr. Richard Mabry was in the private practice of medicine for twenty-six years, then served as a professor at Southwestern Medical School for ten more before his retirement in 2002. During that time, while building a world-wide reputation as a clinician, researcher, and teacher, he wrote or edited eight textbooks and had more than one hundred papers published in medical journals.

He entered the field of non-medical writing after the death of his first wife, with the publication of his book, The Tender Scar: Life After The Death Of A Spouse (Kregel, 2006).

His first novel of medical suspense, Code Blue, will be published by Abingdon Press in April of 2010, followed this fall by the second book in the Prescription For Trouble series, Medical Error. The third book in the series, Cause Of Death, is scheduled for publication next spring.

Dr. Mabry’s work has also appeared in Christian Communicator, In Touch Magazine, Upper Room Devotional Guide, and Grief Digest, as well as a number of online ezines.

He and his wife, Kay, live in North Texas where, in addition to his writing, he works at being the world’s greatest grandfather while trying to improve his golf game.

About Code Blue:

In the first book of the Prescription for Trouble series, Code Blue means more to Dr. Cathy Sewell than the cardiac emergency she has to face. It describes her mental state as she finds that coming back to her hometown hasn’t brought her the peace she so desperately needs. Instead, it’s clear that someone there wants her gone…or dead.

Cathy returns to her hometown seeking healing after a broken relationship, but discovers that among her friends and acquaintances is someone who wants her out of town…or dead. Lawyer Will Kennedy, her high school sweetheart, offers help, but does it carry a price tag? Is hospital chief of staff Dr. Marcus Bell really on her side in her fight to get hospital privileges? Is Will’s father, Pastor Matthew Kennedy, interested in advising her or just trying to get her back to the church she left years ago? When one of Cathy’s prescriptions almost kills the town banker, it sets the stage for a malpractice suit that could end her time in town, if not her career. It’s soon clear that this return home was a prescription for trouble.


Dr. Mabry has agreed to share his experience with publication. Below, in his own words, he shares a little bit about his personal journey.

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Writing is a tough business, and if you read the publishing blogs (such as the recent posts of my agent, Rachelle Gardner) you'll find that it takes real work and real talent to succeed. But, I guess that if it were easy everyone would be doing it. If you've ever sat down and drafted a novel of 80, 100, 120 thousand words, you know that writing isn't as easy as it may sound to the unitiated.

Just recently I signed a contract with Abingdon Press for the publication of my work of romantic medical suspense. They're just getting their fiction line started, and I'm thrilled at this opportunity, but there are bound to be some of my readers who are thinking, "Why him? Why not me?" Honestly, I've thought that many times as well. Let me offer an explanation and a word of encouragement.

First, the explanation. I've paid my dues and done my homework. I've been to conferences and been mentored by some of the best (and most giving) Christian writers around: Jim Bell, Gayle Roper, Alton Gansky, Randy Ingermanson, Karen Ball, and others. I've read book after book on writing--right now I'm looking at a bookshelf that contains more than twenty-five books on the craft, and there's no dust on any of them. I've practiced the art of what Anne Lamott calls keeping your rear end on the chair and your hands on the keyboard, even when I didn't want to.

That brings me to the second point. I persisted. Many writers of my acquaintance work for years to perfect a single novel. They revise, rewrite, agonize over words and scenes, getting them just right. I did that initially, as you'll see in a minute, but I've learned better. I just went over the chronology of my road to writing, and it might interest you that it's taken me a bit less than five years to become an "overnight success" and sign this contract.

I submitted the initial query for my first novel in the summer of 2004, just about the time I also submitted the proposal for what was to become my non-fiction book, The Tender Scar: Life After The Death Of A Spouse (which was accepted after seven rejections). That first novel garnered ten rejections. I revised it extensively, reworked it meticulously, and tried again. This time I garnered thirteen rejections. My second novel was rejected seven times, including a couple of revisions. My third novel was so bad that my (then) agent rejected it as not good enough to send out. My fourth novel was rejected ten times, and I figured that was enough. By that time I'd been writing for almost four years and, although I'd had a non-fiction book published and my work had appeared numerous times in periodicals, I felt like I wasn't cut out to be a novelist. So I ended my representation agreement with my agent and stopped writing.

Then editor-turned-agent Rachelle Gardner had a contest on her blog, offering a prize for the best first line for a novel. I dashed off one and was totally surprised when I saw that I'd won with my line. The prize was a critique of the first several pages of a work-in-progress, so I sent Rachelle the first scene of my latest novel--the one that had been rejected ten times. Her comment was, "Send me something that needs editing." One thing led to another, and I submitted a query about representation. She accepted me, and I got back to writing.

But the happy ending didn't come yet. There were three rejections before Rachelle pitched the work to Barbara Scott, the new chief fiction editor for Abingdon Press. Barbara liked the work, she and I met at the ACFW, and about six weeks later I got the call from Rachelle: "You've sold your first novel." It was wonderful, but the point of all this is that, before that call came, I'd written four novels (five counting totally reworking number one) over a period of over four years, been rejected more than forty times, and completely quit writing once!

So, to my colleagues who haven't received that phone call yet, my hope is that you won't give up. Just remember, "Nothing is impossible with God."

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Be sure to check out The Borrowed Book on Thursday, 04/08/10. I will be posting an excerpt from Dr. Mabry's debut novel, Code Blue.

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Winners!!

It's always so much fun to give away great books!! Congratulations to this week's lucky winners:

Terri Thompson - Rooms by Jim Rubart
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Charlotte Holt - The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy

Winners of this week's books, please use the button in the upper right side of this page to email me with your mailing address so I can forward your information to the authors. Then, sit back and wait for your book to arrive.

Thank you all so much for stopping by The Borrowed Book, and thank you Jim Rubart and Mary Connealy for your generosity in providing books!

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Weekly Drawing

Entering our weekly drawing is easy:

1. Leave a comment on Fridays or...

2. Sign up to follow The Borrowed Book. Followers will automatically be entered for a chance to win that week's drawing!

This week, The Borrowed Book is giving away two great books:

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Rooms by James L. Rubart ~ On a rainy spring day in Seattle, young software tycoon Micah Taylor receives a cryptic, twenty-five-year-old letter from a great uncle he never knew. It claims a home awaits him on the Oregon coast that will turn his world inside out. Suspecting a prank, Micah arrives at Cannon Beach to discover a stunning brand new nine-thousand square foot house. And after meeting Sarah Sabin at a nearby ice cream shop, he has two reasons to visit the beach every weekend.

When bizarre things start happening in the rooms of the home, Micah suspects they have some connection to his enigmatic new friend, Rick, the town mechanic. But Rick will only say the house is spiritual. This unnerves Micah because his faith slipped away like the tide years ago, and he wants to keep it that way. But as he slowly discovers, the home isn’t just spiritual, it’s a physical manifestation of his soul, which God uses to heal Micah’s darkest wounds and lead him into an astonishing new destiny.

The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy ~ Hit the trail into the Old West, where a tough lady rancher and a seemingly aimless wrangler attempt to avoid the matrimonial noose. When Belle Tanner hires Silas Harden to help her get her cattle to market, the last thing she’s looking for is romance. So why does she turn into jelly whenever he’s near? Silas wants nothing to do with women, but he can’t seem to resist the pull of love when it comes to Belle. Can they make it through this cattle drive without getting hitched? Or will they steer straight into a commitment neither one counted on?

Winners will be announced on Saturday, 04/03/10.

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Reader Excerpt ~ The Husband Tree by Mary Connealy

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

One

Montana Territory, 1876

Belle Tanner pitched dirt right on Anthony’s handsome, worthless face.

It was spitefulness that made her enjoy doing that. But she was sorely afraid Anthony Santoni’s square jaw and curly dark hair had tricked her into agreeing to marry him.

Which made her as big an idiot as Anthony.

Now he was dead and she was left to dig the grave. Why oh why didn’t she just skip marrying him and save herself all this shoveling?

She probably should have wrapped him in a blanket, but blankets were hard to come by in Montana. . .unlike husbands.

She labored on with her filling, not bothering to look down again at the man who had shared her cabin and her bed for the last two years. She only hoped when she finished she didn’t forget where she’d buried Anthony’s no-account hide. She regretted not marking William’s and Gerald’s graves now for fear she’d dig in the same spot and uncover their bones. As she recalled, she’d planted William on the side nearest the house, thinking it had a nice view down the hill over their property. She wasn’t so sure about Gerald, but she’d picked right most likely because she’d dug the hole and hadn’t hit bones. Unless critters had dug Gerald up and dragged him away.

Belle had to admit she didn’t dig one inch deeper than was absolutely necessary. Maybe a little less than was necessary. This was rocky ground. It was quite a chore. Her husbands had made too many chores for her over the years. Digging their graves was the least of it.

She’d risked her own life to drag her first husband, William, out of the cattle pen, the one any fool would know was too dangerous to go into—which Belle always did, not being a fool. Rudolph, their longhorn bull, was a mite cantankerous and given to using his eight foot spread of horns to prove himself in charge of any situation.
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Then Gerald had gotten himself thrown from his horse. His boot had slipped through the stirrup, and judging by his condition, Belle figured he’d been dragged for the better part of the three-hour ride home from the Golden Butte Saloon in Divide by a horse whose instincts told him to head for the barn.

Anthony’s only good quality was he’d managed to get himself killed quick. They’d been married less than two years. For a while there Belle feared he’d last through pure luck. But stupid outweighed luck. Stupid’ll kill a man in the West. It wasn’t a forgiving place. And Anthony was purely stupid so he didn’t last all that long.
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Between William and Gerald—that is between being married to ’em—Belle had changed the brand to the T Bar. Known as the Tanner Ranch from then on, it never changed, regardless of whatever Belle’s last name happened to be at the time. She’d also had a real smart lawyer in Helena draw up papers for Anthony to sign so the ranch would always belong to Belle, and if something happened to her instead of a worthless husband, Belle’s wishes would be carried out.

She tamped the dirt down good and solid. About the fifth tamp she admitted she was using more energy than was strictly necessary. She’d whacked it down especially tight over Anthony’s pretty boy face.

Three sides of the the Husband Tree used up. She wasn’t up to puttin’ up with a live one or buryin’ another dead one. The tree roots wouldn’t appreciate it.
And neither would the children.

She said a quick prayer for Anthony, reflecting silently as she spoke that knowing Anthony as she did, it was doubtful there were enough prayers in the world to save his warped soul. Never had it been necessary for God to perform a greater miracle, and Belle asked for just that, though she didn’t hold out much hope.

She finished the service in one minute flat, not counting the digging and filling which had taken considerably longer. It had been early in the day when she’d found Anthony dead beside the house. Planting him had interrupted chores, but there was no help for it. She couldn’t leave him lying there. He was blocking the front door.
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She nodded to the children, four of ’em, one from each husband and a spare thanks to William. “We got chores.”

“Why’d you marry him anyway, Ma?” Lindsay bounced the baby on her hip. They were a study those two. Lindsay so blonde, the baby so dark.

“Not a lick of sense, that’s all.” Belle had no desire to fancy this up. She’d been pure stupid to get married, and her girls needed to know that.

“Well, have you learnt your lesson?” Sarah plunked her little fists on her hips and arched her bright red eyebrows at Belle.

“It’s a humbling thing just how well I’ve learned it, Sarah. There will never be another husband on this ranch. You have my word.”

Mary is giving away a copy of her book The Husband Tree. Be sure to stop by The Borrowed Book on Friday for your chance to win!

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