#Friday Author Spotlight Interview with Maggie Blackbird

Suspense for the Romantic Heart ~ Author Spotlight with Maggie Blackbird

1. If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

Wellll, I write romance starring Canada’s Indigenous People, so I’d have to stay in Canada haha.  And the stories usually take place in Northwestern Ontario, where I live, so it’d be sort of boring for me since I’ve travelled all over the northwest during my previous job.

2. What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

I don’t know if readers would find this surprising or shocking, but I’m a total golf addict.  I watch it and play it. I watch all three tours (PGA, European, and Asian), but the European Tour is my fave.  Some of my top golfers are Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, Henrik Stenson of Sweden, Victor Dubuisson of France, Joost Luiten of the Netherlands, Adam Scott of Australia, Gavin Green of Malaysia, and Tiger Woods of the USA.

3. How do you come up with names for your characters?

Quite simply actually.  They come up with their own names.  Yeah, I know. Weird. LOL.

4. Give a shout-out to a fellow author.

Check out the work of Zakarrie Clarke at https://www.goodreads.com/zakarrie.  She’s an excellent writer.

5. What would the logline be for your book?

My book?  You mean about my life?  Here we go. When she walked her dogs into the woods that morning, she never expected to encounter Bigfoot…

6. What is your favorite word, and why?

Honestly, I have no favourite word.  None whatsoever. But I do have pet words for each MS.  I think my editor Emmy was slapping my hands at the word “before” in the last one haha.

7. Describe your writing space.

I have two writing spaces.  In the evening, I’m in the living room sitting on the sofa that reclines.  I have one dog at the foot of the recliner and another on the sofa with me.  I’m doing my best to answer these questions and watch the golf I recorded over the weekend.  But my satellite has conked out on me, so I’m waiting for it to reset.

8. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

Do you mean published?  Or books I simply wrote because I simply need to write?  If we’re talking books/novellas/short stories/etc. that I’ve written over the years, I have lost track.  Simply lost track. There are too many to list.

As for my published works, I’d go with Blessed.  It’s my first published book and near and dear to my heart.

9. What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your book(s)?

That even when I think I have it all figured out, the characters say differently.  Out goes the nice logline and blurb I wrote before I began tackling the book, and I have to create new ones.

10. Do you have a favorite character that you have written? If so, who? And what makes them so special.

I’d say Emery Matawapit is my favourite.  He’s quite introspective, self-punishing, full of guilt, sexually repressed, and has a ton of hang-ups.  He’s extremely private. I had to wrestle with him to share his story with readers because he didn’t want a POV in the novel.  He wanted his lover Darryl to simply tell the story.

11. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?

Which book?  Do you mean my latest?  My latest release is Renewed, book four in the Matawapit Family Series.  Yes, there are many secrets that come to light. Many, many. I loved exposing all of those secrets in this book.

12. Does one of your main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?

As mentioned above, Emery from Blessed, book one in the Matawapit Family Series.

13. If one of your books was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?

Since I’m promoting Renewed, I’ll choose actors for the two main characters.  I’d say Chaske Spencer would be a perfect Jude Matwapit. As for Raven Kabatay, the lovely Ashley Callingbull would be perfect.

14. Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers about?

I’m drafting the second novel for a trilogy.  I wrote the first one during the month of January.  I’m targeting the end of February for my current WIP.  Once the second book is drafted, I’ll begin self-edits for the first book and prep it for submission.  It’s a YA m/m contemporary romance that takes place during the grunge 90s and stars two young guys from the same Ojibway community.

15. How many plot ideas are just waiting to be written? Can you tell us about one?

Way too many ideas.  I’d love to write a trilogy on the fur trade.  Another on the Sixties Scoop. I’m hoping to start on those once my YA/NA trilogy is done.

16. What are you reading now?

I’m currently reading the Kennedy Heirs by J. Randy Taraborrelli.  I have this fascination with the Kennedys, probably because I never knew anything about them while I was growing up.  I can recall Jackie Onassis always being in the National Enquirer as a kid, and the same for Ted Kennedy. I’d think to myself, “Who are these people and why are they always in the gossip mags?”  Keep in mind this was before the Internet, and being in Canada, I learned Canadian history, not American. It wasn’t until my late teens that I finally figured out who these people were and why the press wrote about them.  And how important JFK was to the USA. See? I didn’t know about him, either, until later on. Seriously. They’re a fascinating family.

17. What famous author do you wish would be your mentor?

She has since passed away, but she is my fave romance author of all time:  Johanna Lindsey. And he has since passed away, too, my fave Ojibway author Richard Wagamese.

18. What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Golf, walk, exercise, visit family and friends, garden, work on the lawn (we have five acres cleared on our property), fish, boat.

19. What is the best part of your day?

Mornings.  I love getting up at five to start my day.

20. Would you rather be in a room full of snakes or a room full of spiders?

Either is fine because I adore spiders and snakes LOL—as long as they’re not the poisonous kind!

21. What is your favorite word?

Y’know, I don’t have one.  There is no fave word.

22. What is your least favorite word?

The same thing.  I have no least fave word, either.

23. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Prayer.  Seriously LOL.  It always gets life going for me.

24. What turns you off?

Interruptions.  I’m a very focussed person and it drive me crazy when I’m interrupted.

25. What is your favorite curse word?

I can’t say I have one.  I’m not much of a curser.  I’ve mellowed out over the years LOL.

26. What sound or noise do you love?

When my over-sized Malamute makes his “baby” noises.  He sounds so adorable.

27. What sound or noise do you hate?

The nails on the chalkboard thing.

28. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Being a pro caddy for a pro golfer!  Yeah, Rory, pick me to carry your bag!

29. What profession would you not like to do?

Anything to do with science or math.  I am not good at that stuff.

30. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Welcome, Maggie, all of your fur babies have been waiting for you to take them for their walk.  They’ve missed walking with you every morning. Now you can spend the rest of eternity doing what you love most—walking the babies outside in nature.

Author Links :

Web Site: https://maggieblackbird.com/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/maggieblackbirdauthor/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackbirdMaggie/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/maggieblackbird BookbBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maggie-blackbird Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-blackbird-032798169/ Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Maggie-Blackbird/e/B07KQP1FFG eXtasy Books Author Page: https://www.extasybooks.com/maggie-blackbird/ Newsletter Sign-Up: eepurl.com/gJu2VL

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Awesome Excerpt Thursday - The Wolf and the Butterfly ~ Kim Allred

Sometimes the best way to gain control of your life is to simply let go.

Childhood crushes, like childhood toys, are meant to be left behind with the arrival of adulthood. So why is it that Josie Collins finds herself still attracted to her childhood crush, her brother’s friend Simon London, even after eight years?

Eight years which have turned Simon from cute to incredibly well-built and sexy. Josie already has enough issues of her own, including a recent breakup which has somersaulted her onto a path of self-destruction. She doesn’t need a complication like Simon to add to her problems.

Simon London has returned to Portland after an eight-year absence, now a successful architect who can write his own ticket. When he reconnects with the family who accepted and cared for him during a rough time in his life, the last thing he wants or expects is to develop feelings for his friend’s younger sister, Josie. When he overhears disturbing information about what Josie has been through, his protective nature takes over, and he's determined to find a way to protect Josie. So how does one get into the Masquerade Club?

Josie’s friend Emmie suggests the Masquerade Club to Josie as a way to safely blow off steam and redirect her self-destructive tendencies. When Josie agrees to the plan, she doesn’t count on meeting the sexy Wolf. She finds herself thinking about him, even when she’s at work at the gym she owns in downtown Portland. But she also has Simon on her mind far more than she would like. To make matters worse, her ex refuses to take no for an answer.


What’s a girl to do? How do you choose between the unknown and the forbidden?

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Excerpt ~

Portland High School. Friday, noon, September twentieth. Fries and salad for lunch. Standard carb intake.


Like life, my senior school year turned out to be different than how I’d imagined it would go.

At first glance, a person would think I was normal, your average, nondescript, middle-class high school senior. I had a caring mother, and a lovely girlfriend, Melanie Sarkosian. Not too much different than anyone else.

As for my classes, I’d studied hard, crammed on every subject, and my grades showed marked improvement. On the surface, things were looking up. University seemed to be a reality, after all. My teachers had given me my props, and the feedback boosted my ego.

Scratch the surface, though, dig a little deeper, and the reality didn’t quite fit the picture of your average high school scholar wannabe…

“Nate, what are you thinking about?”

That question came from Melanie—Mel—my nickname for her. Tall, green-eyed, and lovely, she and I made a somewhat improbable couple. In high school, looks ruled. The good-looking guys went for the prettiest girls and vice-versa. Those who weren’t gifted in the looks department were relegated to a second-tier.

No, that rule hadn’t been written in stone, but I saw it every single day of the week. No one could ever tell me different.

Truth be known, I got by with my average appearance. The mirror told me the story—five-nine, lean, with a mop of dark hair, gray eyes, and a nondescript, hatchet face.

That’s the way it was, and I’d come to terms with it a long time ago. Short of plastic surgery, which wasn’t an option, this was how I would look forever, and then my thoughts turned to lunch.

Mel was in the middle of tearing through a sandwich. Me, the fries I had were soggy, and the salad was tasteless, but I had to have something in my stomach, and…

“Nate?”

Her question brought me back to Earth. Daydreaming could really throw a person off-target. “Oh, uh, nothing special.”

Right, lie and hope she’ll believe it. A quick glance around the cafeteria told me the story. People were staring at us. No, not blatantly, but they were staring—and whispering.

Mel stopped eating and gazed around the room. I followed her head movement. Sure enough, those who’d been looking in our direction quickly went back to their meals and their lives.

They hadn’t been staring at Mel, pretty though she was.

They hadn’t been staring at the fall weather through the windows.

No, they’d been staring at my right hand.

It seemed that everyone had a backstory. Mine was that I’d been born without a right hand. Up until three months ago, I’d been forced to use a prosthetic, which only invited more gawking, gaping, and the aforementioned staring.

Then Ukiko Monaghan came along. She went by another name—Dividing Woman. A resident of a parallel Earth—that was a mind-bender in and of itself—she’d come here with her powers and tech, and Mel and I had helped her capture two extremely dangerous criminals.

Ukiko’s powers included exceptional strength as well as the ability to divide her body’s atoms and send copies of herself to other places nearby.

Looks-wise, call her a perfect chimera. The left half of her face was Caucasian, with a bright blue eye and short, spiky black hair.

In sharp contrast, the right side was Asian, along with a brown peeper and silky black tresses. When someone talked about being biracial—her father was Irish and her mother, Japanese—she was the perfect symbol of it.

Her appearance had freaked me out at first, but then it dawned on me that she was genuine. Due to her looks, she’d also suffered, and in a kind and wise manner, she’d helped me to realize that having a handicap was really no handicap at all, not if I let it get to me.

At any rate, in a showdown against the main criminal that she was trying to nab—his name was Astral, and he was a truly bad hombre—she’d given me something called Neural Metal.

Here came another mind-trip—Neural Metal could form itself into any shape or thing, flesh or metal that the wearer could imagine.

Initially, I’d formed a hand, a real, human hand, but quickly found another use for it. My first construct had been a plasma cannon—conceive and achieve—but for the past three months, there hadn’t been any burning need to form any weaponry, unless I went on patrol.

For the time being, I amused myself by forming a flower pot, a replica of the Enterprise, the old space shuttle, and a samurai sword.

Each construct was perfect, conceived by my mind’s eye and my imagination. The first and second-year kids thought it was cool—at least, most of them did. In contrast, the seniors looked upon me with suspicion.

In the past, they’d stared at my prosthetic hand, and the obligatory “Stumpy” or “Captain Hook” comments had come my way.

Now, though, the looks were ones of trepidation. Would I turn it against them? In a way, I couldn’t blame how they thought, and truth be known, I was tempted at times. Payback. Revenge for past slights. Kick their butts.

However, Mel kept me grounded, and I willed my hand to the form of a catcher’s mitt, and then back to normal.

Mel grinned at the sights. “You’re really having fun with that, aren’t you?”

“Well, yeah. You don’t like it?”

A thoughtful expression replaced her grin. “I’m still getting used to it, to be honest. Not that I’m not happy for you,” she added hastily. “But—”

“But what?”


She bit her lip. “It’s just that, when we were kids, I got used to you having no hand or wearing your prosthetic. Now, you’ve got some kind of alien tech I can’t understand, and…”

~

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Saturday Seven ~ February 29th 2020 - HAPPY LEAP YEAR DAY!

Welcome to my Saturday Seven ~ Weekly Roundup!

Happy Saturday, what have you been up to this week? Here is a rundown of highlights for the week. I hope you find them useful in your life! My goal as a person and a writer are to always Pay-It-Forward, so please let me know how I can help you. YES, YOU!
Enjoy your weekend & this post! Amazing things to come!

HAPPY LEAP YEAR DAY! ~Amy

What am I Reading? -  Gable and Lombard a hollywood love story. The book starts with the tragic plane crash that ended the life of Carol Lomard and 21 others. From there it takes the reader back to the beginning of their love affair. Just adore this book. 

What am I Listening to? –  alot of talk radio. With the recent revelation of Rush Limbaugh's advanced lung cancer diagnosis and the current political climate, makes for interesting listening. 

What Quote am I pondering? – "There was once a man who said...absolutely nothing. His voice was heard around the globe."

What am I Researching? –  The effects of CBD on pets. I have a friend who gives her once out of control schnauzer a little dose of cbd in his water every morning and she swears it has a completely different, chill dog. With Pip's PTSD I am considering it. 

Yummy Meal of the Week – Coleslaw (I will admit, not really a meal but had to share) - found a marvelous recipie for cole slaw using honey mustard instead of mayo and milk. Doesn't spoil as fast, reduced calories and ohhhh so good!

What did I Learn? – I learned that the universe is awesome! Universal intelligence is freakin real! Amazing things are happening and I am going to fill you all in very soon!

What am I Watching? – Sesame Street, as a new Grandma I was researching what is the best programming for little ones to wacth when -- you kow-- I gotta pee. Sesame Street still ranks as a top performer. I haven't watched it since my kiddos were little and even then I was at work during the day and they love Nickelodeon, and Nick Jr. Even so, I still remember all of the characters names, the songs and find myself as tickled by the show as its infamously hilarious toy (yes, my youngest had one). My little sunshine loves it as well. There is lots of music and as she is still little, she focuses on that more than anythigng else. Thank you Sesame Street for being so iconically good. (Sesame Street is available to stream on Hulu)

 ~

That is all for this week, my lovelies!
I hope you have an amazing week, and I will talk to you all next Saturday!

~ Amy
 

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#Friday Author Spotlight Interview with Debra Ann Pawlak @dapwriter

Suspense for the Romantic Heart ~ Author Spotlight with 

Debbie Pawlak 

Amy Romine : If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

Debra Pawlak : My favorite city in the world is Rome!  There is such a unique blend of old and new.  I am sure that if I could live there for a year, I would come up with a remarkable story about the Eternal City and its glorious history.  And the pasta is to die for! I would probably return with a nice think manuscript, googobs of pictures and a few extra pounds.

AR : What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

DP: Most folks are surprised to know that I have steel rods and hooks holding me up!  I am a scoliosis patient and I underwent a 12 hour spinal surgery almost thirty years ago. It made all the difference as I am still here, writing and enjoying life.  It also helped me get a wonderful writing gig for a magazine called ‘Scoliosis Quarterly’, which was dedicated to scoliosis patients and their doctors. I had some wonderful assignments that allowed me to ‘meet’ some pretty impressive people.  Long live curvy girls!

AR : Give a shout-out to a fellow author.

DP : I would like to give a shout-out to my writing partner, Cheryl Bartlam Du Bois!  She is a talented and dedicated writer. I couldn’t ask for a better co-author. I am proud to share my book covers with her!  For many years, Cheryl lived in Los Angeles while I resided in Michigan, but we made it work. Now, she has moved to Florida and we are finally in the same time zone!

AR : What would the logline be for your book?

DP : ‘Bringing Up Oscar, The Men and Women Who Founded the Academy’ 

This book tells the story of how 36 men and women from all over the world, all walks of life, various levels of education and different socio-economic backgrounds ended up in a room together in 1927 Hollywood.

‘Soldier, Spy, Heroine’ (written with Cheryl Bartlam Du Bois)

During America’s darkest hour, a real-life Civil War soldier, nurse and spy emerged to wage war against the Rebels while keeping the ultimate secret—he was really a she.

AR : How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

DP : I have had four books published—all history related.  Since my favorite topic is Hollywood History, I have to say that ‘Bringing Up Oscar’ remains my favorite.  As a matter of fact, it was as named runner-up in the nonfiction category of the 2011 Hollywood Book Festival and took first place in the History:  Media/Entertainment category of the USA Best Books 2011 Awards. 

Early Hollywood is filled with unique individuals who shaped the movies we know today and they shouldn’t be forgotten.  Their stories and their contributions to shaping the cinema into the preeminent art form of the Twentieth Century are just as dramatic (and often times funny) as any film you might see.  Forward-thinkers and hard-working individuals, they wouldn’t take no for an answer. And what a motley crew, they were--former cowboys, Alaskan gold miners, Vaudevillians, and even one amateur anesthesiologist.

AR: What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing your book(s)?

DP : There is always something to discover and what you find may lead you to your next project.  I discovered Sarah Emma Edmonds (heroine in ‘Soldier, Spy, Heroine’) while researching my book for Arcadia Publishing.  In turn, while writing the Sarah Emma Edmonds book, Cheryl and I discovered Fanny Campbell, who is the lead character in our newest historical novel (we are still seeking a publisher for this one) and through Fanny Campbell, we found Moll Pitcher, the psychic of Lynn, Massachusetts who was a spy for George Washington.  Moll is the subject of our work in progress.

AR: Does one of your main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?

DP : Sarah Emma Edmonds is a special case. She was born in Canada, but settled in Flint, Michigan disguised as a man who sold bibles.  Eventually, she joined the Union Army and acted as a nurse, mail carrier and one of the earliest spies for the newly formed Secret Service.  Her story stands out and she has been inducted into the Michigan’s Women’s Hall of Fame along with such greats as Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, and Betty Ford.  No man was braver and certainly no more caring as she worked tirelessly for the Union cause.

AR : If one of your books was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?

DP: Funny you should ask. ‘Soldier, Spy, Heroine’ started out as a screenplay, which was recognized at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017 and featured in the Beverly Hills Film Festival that same year.  As a matter of fact, we launched the book at Sundance. We would love Jennifer Lawrence to consider the part.

AR : Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers about?

DP : In the mid-1840s, a best-selling novel, 'Fanny Campbell, The Female Pirate Captain: A Tale of The Revolution' written by Maturin Murray Ballou took the country by storm. It sold more than 75,000 copies for a quarter each and marked the first time that a book centered on a literary heroine who took charge of her own life. Fanny Campbell inspired many girls of the Nineteenth Century including Michigan's own Sarah Emma Edmonds who, at the onset of the Civil War, disguised herself as a man and joined the Union Army. Likewise, Maud Buckley, the widow of a sea captain, was also stirred enough to get her own captain's license and sail the Great Lakes in the 1870s on her very own schooner, which she christened 'The Fanny Campbell'.

Now it's time for a new generation to hear Fanny's story and be inspired by her bravado and daring. In the second book they have coauthored, Debra Ann Pawlak and Cheryl Bartlam Du Bois have once again brought to life a heroine for the ages. It's time for a new generation to hear Fanny's tale, retold for the modern reader. 

Fanny Campbell found herself in the midst of a revolution when the British Colonies in the new world revolted against the Crown. Witnessing such rebellious activity as the Boston Tea Party and living with severe restrictions due to the ban of all things English, she fell in love during perilous times. When her intended was captured and imprisoned in Cuba, she took to the high seas, disguised as a man, named Bartholomew Channing, and commandeered a British brig to rescue her lover. Fighting, Pirates, rough waters, and English enemies, they were reunited and together they commandeered two more British merchant vessels and sent a notorious Pirate ship full of buccaneers into eternity. The captured British ships and their spoils were ultimately given to General Washington and proved invaluable during the Revolutionary War.

Set amid actual events such as the Battle of Lexington and Concord with real heroes of the past like Moll Pitcher, the famed Psychic of Lynn, Fanny’s story unfolds within a colorful period of American history and is sure to please history buffs and armchair adventurers, as well as inspire a new generation of women to meet any challenge head on. 

AR : What do you like to do when you are not writing?

DP: Lots of reading, travelling and spending time with family—especially my four little people.  And, of course, I love to watch old films—even the silent ones!

AR : What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

DP : It’s a little late, but I should have been a scenarist in Hollywood during the silent era.  Or maybe a title card writer. Hanging out at PIckfair with Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford would have been at the top of my list.  Imagine hobnobbing with Chaplin, Lloyd and Keaton! Perhaps Irving Thalberg would have given me a job at MGM!

AR : If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

DP : “Come on in!  Let me take you to the library!”

DEBRA ANN PALAK Media Links

Website:  www.debraannpawlak.com

Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/Hollywood-Tales-from-Tinseltown-with-Debra-Ann-Pawlak-111910342180494/

Twitter:  @dapwriter

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Awesome Excerpt Thursday - The View from Kamaloka ~ Gael DeRoane

The ghost of your husband has something to tell you...about your new boyfriend… After the tragic death of her husband, Dan, Amy Shaw leaves her Pennsylvania home for Vermont, accompanied by Teddy Steiner, her bestie who has just broken up with his boyfriend and hopes to find love in the north country. They plan to live in an old house Amy has inherited from her eccentric cousin. Shortly after settling in, Amy meets Eric Jordan, the man of her dreams, and falls hard for him. But when Dan's ghost appears to Amy, bearing the message that she should investigate further into her new man's character and history, complications arise. Set on the shores of Lake Champlain, The View from Kamaloka takes the reader on a journey both light and dark through the realms of romance and the supernatural.

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Excerpt

Standing over the sink, soaping up the last of the dinner dishes, I watched my husband back our Honda Pilot out of the driveway. He glanced toward the street, his broad shoulders turning slightly, his handsome face still aglow from our flirtations. I wondered if we would always flirt and banter, romantic even into our dotage. The Pilot crept into the street. Dan turned the wheel and was gone, and I felt in my heart the familiar momentary pang that accompanied every one of our partings, no matter how trivial. He was just going to the store. It was a seven-minute drive—we had timed it. And it was Sunday afternoon, no drunks or wild teens likely to be on the road. But ever since falling for Dan three years ago, I had gotten in the habit of believing that every goodbye would be our last. I had loved boys and men before Dan, but never with this painful twist added on.

But I suppose it was natural that the twist should be there. When you lose both your parents in a bizarre accident, it changes the way you think.

I put the last glass in the dish-drainer and turned off the water. Dan would be fine. He would return in a few minutes with ice-cream, and with other items, too, because he loved the colors and bright lights of grocery stores and was inclined to dawdle, succumbing to displays of goods that were newly minted or on sale.

My fear of losing him made sense for another reason. I found myself, at this point in my life, awash in a happiness more poignant and powerful than I had ever known. And in this world of suffering, how could such happiness last?

I dried my hands on the dishtowel and headed for the living room. The baseball game had gone dark to prevent screen burn. DVR, I knew, would keep it that way for ninety minutes.

Pride and Prejudice lay on the arm of the sofa. I had lost count of how many times I’d read it. Ten? At least. These days I dipped into its pages anywhere at all, knowing full well what would happen, but seeking immersion in the lovely sentences and the active minds of the characters.

I stretched out on the sofa, a throw-pillow behind my head, contentedly reading. Despite the heat, I had turned off the air conditioning and opened the windows, for I preferred fresh air almost always. A sudden wind came up, and I closed my eyes, hearing it rustle through the trees.

I dozed. When the book slid from my lap to the floor I reawakened. Glancing at the wall clock, I saw that my involuntary nap had encompassed almost half an hour.

Feeling thirsty, I padded in sock feet to the kitchen and extracted a bottle of water from the fridge. I gulped a third of it down before even closing the door. From afar I heard the wail of a siren.

Once more to the sofa. I picked up the book. Elizabeth Bennett was musing on the amiable appearance of Mr. Wickham. My attention wandered from the page, and my eyes fell upon the black screen of the television set. Why was Dan taking so long at the store?

A refrain entered my mind, from a song the nuns had taught me in grade school.

Oh, dear, what can the matter be? Dear, dear, what can the matter be? Oh, dear, what can the matter be? Johnny’s so long at the fair…

The phone rang, making me jump. It was the land phone, nestled on the credenza between a pile of magazines and an incense burner in the shape of a turtle.

“Hello?”

A dull hiss of a cell phone at the other end—a long pause.

 “Hello?” I repeated. I was growing annoyed.

“Amy. It’s Gwen Varrick, from the club.”

Gwen, an older woman who played tennis at the club where I sometimes gave lessons. “Hi, Gwen. What’s up?”

Another pause.

“Gwen?”

“I’m in Wegmans parking lot. I’m so sorry. I don’t know how to tell you this.”

My heart was suddenly pounding. “Just tell me.”

Gwen spoke what I already knew in my fevered, coursing blood. What I had always feared would happen.

“I’ll come down now,” I said, my voice strangely calm.

“No,” Gwen said. She paused. “He’s not here. The police…took him away. Someone will come to your home.”

I knew how this worked. It had happened to me before. The police never called you. They didn’t want you on the road in a frenzy of grief, a danger to all. An officer would arrive on your doorstep, hat in hand, his face grave. If someone called, it would be a busybody who had been at the scene by chance.

My fist held the phone so hard that it was cramping. I ended the call without saying anything more to Gwen.


Trembling all over, I sat on the sofa, staring into space, waiting for the knock on the door.



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