Good Morning, Emma, thanks for having me on
your blog today. We’re in the season of the year I love the most. I call it the
“Family Season”—a time when most families gather together for Thanksgiving and
then Christmas or Hanukah. This becomes a time of love, laughter, great food
and catching up on each other’s busy lives.
Families often get disjointed by job moves
and marriages that carry their own set of obligations. Thanksgiving, for us, is
celebrated with various family members on the phone or via Skype. Calvin’s only
child lives in Berlin. My daughter and her family live in Indiana. My older son
and family make their traditional trip to my daughter-in-law’s home in
Pittsburgh. And my youngest son and family either travel to their cabin in the
Great Smoky Mountains or stay at home in Maryland. Either way, they ask us to
join them.
Every family holds its own share of
traditions on the menu. My mother always made turkey with oyster stuffing—and I
hated it. But I did love her cracker pudding, an old recipe from her German
family. My kids repeatedly asked for my sweet potato casserole.
Other sweet traditions abound, too. I love
that my daughter-in-law lays three kernels of corn on everyone’s plate. We go
around the table and share the three most important things we’re giving thanks
for this year. I also love that I know my beloved daughter-in-law won’t be able
to share hers without crying—it’s a given. My son, a fabulous cook in his own
right, makes a great turkey. His Bloody Marys aren’t bad either. These are
little traditions we’ve come to expect and enjoy.
What are yours? For those who share a
family tradition in their comments along with an email address, the commenter
will be entered in a drawing to win an eCopy of Storm’s Interlude.
Since family dynamics are such an important
aspect of our lives, I include them in my stories. Don’t you love when a quirky
family is included in a romance? Adults are a product of their families, after
all, and it’s fun to see why they often act the way they do. In Storm’s Interlude, I present an extend
family of grown twins, an adorable little boy, the woman who raised them, a
sheriff and a nurse. There are arguments, laughter and unconditional support.
Here’s an excerpt from Storm’s Interlude.
After
depositing Jackson on the sofa in the den, he knocked on Noella’s door. The
housekeeper clasped the lapels of her ancient chenille robe together when she
opened her door. “Si, Master Storm,
what is it?”
“I
brought Jackson home. He’s sleeping in the den.”
She
straightened her shoulders and crossed her arms into her usual stance of
annoyance. He’d seen it many times growing up. “Drunk?”
“Yes,
ma’am. He was crying in his beer about Sunny.”
Noella
crossed herself and shook her head. “They should have married, our Sunny and
Jackson Cole. His love for her is strong. He’s ten times better than that
worthless mofeta she married. Thank
you for telling me. I’ll take care of Jackson in the morning. Poor man. He’s
heartsick, but I say nothing.”
“Who’s
red car is out front?”
“Rachel,
Miss Sunny’s new nurse.”
Storm
swore and ran a hand through his long black hair.
“Is
that any way to talk?” Noella crossed herself again. “You be polite to Rachel.
You show that young lady the manners Noella teach you. Si?”
“Do
I have a choice?” He reined in his temper at Noella’s frown. “You know I had
reservations about hiring her. All that holistic mumbo jumbo. Massages for
cancer.” He snorted. “Acupuncture, for God’s sake.”
So
her name was Rachel. Yea, the name fit: feminine, soft, delicate. He could
still feel the softness of her lips and did a mental head slap. He’d kissed
Sunny’s nurse. Just how was he going to handle this fine state of affairs?
Noella’s
eyebrows shot up. “I don’t care for your attitude, young man. How would you
like to fix your own meals?”
“Blackmailer,”
he grumbled.
“Miss
Rachel brought hope into this house tonight. She told me herself she has hope
for our Sunny. I feel it already. It radiates from her like heat from an oven.
There’s something about her. You will sense it, too, once you meet her. She
has…” her hands fluttered as if searching for the right words. She patted her
heart. “She has deep kindness, a goodness of the soul. I sense this.”
He
leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb and studied the housekeeper’s face.
She’d nail his hide to the barn door if he shared what happened earlier. Worse,
she wouldn’t cook for him for a month, and he did enjoy eating. Noella was
right; there was definitely something
about the woman he’d kissed out on Longhorn Road, but he doubted it was the
same worthy quality the housekeeper was referring to. “I hope she’s good for
Sunny. Hope she takes care of her the way she should.”
Noella
put her hands on his forearms. “That’s the real issue here, isn’t it? You think
it’s your job to take care of us. To take care of your sister and her child.
You resent that someone else might take over your job as caregiver.”
“No,
that’s not true.” He looked over her shoulder to the television playing in her
sitting room, trying to calm himself. How did she know? Noella always knew what
was going on in his mind, almost before he knew. It was eerie and damned
annoying.
“Isn’t
it, my son? From the time your mother left, you became everyone’s protector.
Almost as if you took care of us, was perfect for us, we wouldn’t leave you the
way she did.” Her dark eyes bore into his, making him feel uncomfortable in his
own skin.
“That’s
bullshit.” Noella’s eyebrows shot up when his vocabulary turned too colorful
for her tastes. “Sorry, ma’am, nonsense.”
She
squeezed his arms and smiled. “Oh? And is it nonsense that from the time your
mother left, I never had to carry in the groceries by myself? Hmmm? Even now,
you always manage to be nearby when I come back from shopping.”
He
shrugged as if it were no big deal. She was right, of course, but he’d never
admit it.
“When
I am sick, who brings me a cup of tea? Who drives me to the doctor?”
“That’s
only because you’re too stubborn to go.”
“Son,
don’t deny your caring nature. It doesn’t make you weak for one moment. You are
as strong as any two men. You are intelligent and you keep this ranch
profitable. Your ranch hands hold you in high regard. No one takes care of his
animals like you do. These are qualities to take pride in. Si? Take pride also in that you care deeply for those around you.
Too many men are self-centered. You, my handsome one, are not.”
BUY
LINKS:
HAPPY FAMILY SEASON AND DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A
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INTERLUDE
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