This week's Wednesday Wonders features
By Emily Claire
About the book:
An 1880’s Western Saga…
When
Boone Dillingham’s wife died unexpectedly, he blamed himself. Lonely and self-destructive, he shut out
everyone around him, even his own child. With nothing left to offer his son,
Boone sends him to live with relatives in Coltonville, Texas. Will he lose his
boy forever?
Buck is
a precocious ten-year-old, even though he’s been orphaned by his mother and
abandoned by his father. Undaunted, he refuses to lose hope. Running away from
his new home, he embarks on a dangerous journey, believing that love is strong
enough to change his father’s heart. Will he survive traveling hundreds of
miles, only to be devastated by his father’s brokenness?
Caught
between father and son, Colleen, the preacher’s daughter, will do everything
possible to reunite them.
Excerpt:
Topeka, Kansas
January 1882
CHAPTER
ONE
“How much do I owe you
for the room?” Not wishing to be noticed, his voice was hushed and raspy.
Elizabeth Brody looked
up at the ragged, unshaven man, and her gaze was drawn to the dark circles
under his sad eyes. “Well, good afternoon, Mr. Dillingham. I hope you rested
well. We told you last night that the room is on the house. You don’t owe us a
thing. After all, we practically forced you to stay.”
Daniel “Boone”
Dillingham didn’t remember the woman, who was obviously an owner of the hotel. And
he surely didn’t remember any conversation about spending the night. It was all
a fog, but he wasn’t about to admit it.
“Look, Mrs.—?”
“Brody. I’m Elizabeth,
and my husband, Adam, is over there. She pointed across the room. “We own this
establishment. I remember you were here sometime— last year, wasn’t it?”
He chose to ignore the
question. “I’m paying for the room, whether you like it or not, ma’am. I may be
a miserable excuse for a guest, and a fool to boot, but I can still pay my own
way in this God-forsaken world. I apologize for the inconvenience.” He peeled
off a couple of bills and tossed them on the counter before he turned to walk
away.
Boone knew he was being
rude, but he couldn’t get to the door fast enough. He was as humiliated as he’d
ever been.
All he’d wanted to do
yesterday was get into town for a good meal. He’d grown weary of his own
cooking, as well as tired of eating alone. Not that he had anyone he’d like to
actually sit with; he’d just wanted to watch something other than the wall of
his cabin for a change. After he’d had his fill, he’d remembered the last time
he’d sat at that particular table in the dining hall of the Brody Hotel, and he
ordered a drink.
He didn’t want to
remember last night. But as he walked down the road toward the stables, Boone
cussed himself for having acted like a drunken fool, knowing full well he’d
given in to the memories first, and then to the whiskey. He was able to keep
his emotions in check, except when he drank.
Last night he drank to
remember, and then he drank to forget. But how precious the memories that had
surrounded him! With a feeling in his gut that threatened to take his breath away,
even now the memories caused his heart to ache. He could just about imagine
Amanda’s presence again. His precious wife, with her long dark hair and light
brown eyes. She’d been so close to him last night, he’d have sworn he could
reach out and touch her.
Following another
drink, he’d imagined he’d heard her laughter, deep and soulful. A calm spirit
had washed over him when he’d remembered her voice again as he’d sat at the
corner table in the hotel’s dining room. Fingers wrapped around his small glass
of light brown whiskey, he’d embraced the thoughts warming his mind and body.
He’d ordered yet another
drink and remembered loving how she’d looked when the moonlight kissed her
skin. Those walks had been his favorite, even when they’d awakened their young
son to show him the brilliance of the moon in the Kansas sky. They’d adored
him, and sharing the moonlight with him had become a family tradition. Boone,
Amanda, and Buck. He groaned quietly. They were a family no more.
“Buck.” He whispered
the boy’s name as yet another wave of sadness clutched his heart. He reached
for his leather wallet and pulled out a sketch Amanda had drawn of his son. The
pain he felt was all too familiar.
What had he done to his
boy? He wouldn’t allow himself the memory of the last time he’d seen him.
YET TO
FORGIVE
A Story
of Redemption
Buy it
by CLICKING HERE.
About EMILY CLAIRE…
I live in Arlington, Texas, with my husband and four
children. Loving them is my first priority. We homeschool two of our children,
and my goodness, that’s quite an experience!
After proofreading for friend and USA Today bestselling author
Kirsten Osbourne, she said to me, “You're going to write a book.” It wasn't a
question, it was a statement. “I don't write books. I proof them,” I countered.
She proceeded to strongly encourage me to “just do it.” I’m so glad she did!
What an adventure to write and share what’s in my heart and mind.
Why write? I considered what was important to me. I'm a Christian. I've struggled. I've received so much grace in my life and have learned a few things about changing and healing along the way. I love to laugh, but sometimes I cry. Life is about feeling and experiencing! I wanted to share it. But I certainly wasn't interested in writing about myself and I wanted to make it enjoyable.
REAL. LIFE. STORIES. My desire is to share "G"
rated (“sweet”) stories about people facing the ups and downs that life throws
at them. I prefer settings that reflect a simpler pace and lives with less chaos,
but the solutions to life’s puzzles are remarkably the same whether they occurred
in the 1800’s or in 2016.
I’m honored when I hear from my readers that they’ve laughed, or cried, or contemplated deeper meanings and have been touched by my words.
Besides writing, I enjoy proofreading for other authors. I
also provide administrative support for a friend's therapy center for children
with autism and other behavioral issues. I have children on the spectrum, so
it’s a privilege to serve others in this area.
I’d love to hear from
you! You can contact me on
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