WISH FOR THE MOON-a 1901 North Texas coming of age story about sixteen year old Annie McGinnis.
Excerpt--Christmas
The year was 1902, and Annie McGinnis, the youngest child of the family, now at seventeen finds herself the lady of the house--the home she grew up in. The position is not one she wants, but Annie has a very strong sense of duty and responsibility, and in this case...taking care not only of the household chores, but seeing after her widowed father, Grover, and Old Blind Jarrel, a neighbor man they took in. Her brothers, Kyle and Clifford have married and moved away.
Max Landry, the man Annie fell in love with after saving him from the hangman's noose, has moved on, too...or so she thinks.
Christmas time nears, and Annie goes to town to sell her pecans, eggs, and jars of jelly. She hopes to earn enough money to buy a gift for her father and Jerral. She also hopes she has enough to buy a bar a lavender soap for herself.
She finds a tiny cedar tree and uses it for a Christmas tree. She places it on the end of the kitchen table, decorated with strings of juniper berries and bows made of bits of colored cloth and old lace. On each side, she places a candle.
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WISH FOR THE MOON--99cents for the Kindle--(regular price $5.49)-Through December 31
On Christmas Day, Annie placed her offerings in front of the tree. She sat two candles, one on either side, and lit them.
“Jerral,” she said, “give me your hand, and you can see the tree.” She helped guide his hand, so he could feel each part, and the gifts underneath. Carefully, she guided his hand to feel the candlesticks, and waved his hand over the flames so he would know they burned.
After breakfast, Annie told Grover to stay at the table so he and Jerral could open their presents. Grover, though, took Jerral to the bedroom first, and when they returned, each held a gift, wrapped in white paper with red string.
Jerral loved his suspenders, and exclaimed over them, how he liked the thick, woven texture, and the feel of the smooth metal clasps. She helped fasten them to his pants and adjusted them to the right length on his bony shoulders. “Oh, you look so fine, Jerral. These were just made for you.”
He asked if he could kiss Annie’s cheek, and she happily let him.
Grover said little about his new blue-striped shirt, but he held it in his lap and stroked the soft fabric for a long time.
Finally, he told her the other two gifts were for her—one from him and one from Jerral. Jerral gave her the only thing he had—his family Bible.
Jerral said, “I can’t read it, Annie, and I don’t have any kin. You’re as close to a daughter as I’ll ever have. I want you to have it.”
Annie cried and hugged him around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Oh, thank you, Jerral. I’ll treasure it and add it to my bookshelf where I have the other books. And guess what? I’ve baked you a vanilla-raisin meringue cream pie!”
Grover gave her a small box of chocolates from the drugstore. They were in a gold colored box with a fancy seal on the top. The label read, “Golden’s Chocolates, Made in
“Thank you so much, Papa. I will savor each one, and the box will look so pretty on my dresser. If I ever get a necklace, I’ll keep it in the gold box.”
“Annie,” he said gruffly. “I’m sorry I missed your birthday. I just plumb forgot. Helen would have my hide if she knew I didn’t remember our baby’s birthday.”
Annie laughed and cried some more, and soon, all three choked up.
Christmas had come, after all.
~*~*~*~
Blurb:
At the dawn of the Twentieth Century,
sixteen-year-old Annie McGinnis wishes for a chance to see more of the world,
since all she’s ever known is the family farm in North Texas. A mysterious
visitor arrives who will change not only her life, but her family’s as well. To
save Max Landry from a bogus charge, she follows him and the Texas Rangers back
to the coal-mining town one county over where a murder occurred. The short
journey sets Annie on a path of discovery—new horizons, an inner strength, and
quite possibly…love.
Buy Link on Amazon for Kindle:http://www.amazon.com/Wish-Moon-Celia-Yeary/dp/1466452382/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324864096&sr=1-8
Celia Yeary
Romance...and a little bit of Texas
Celia, I love your excerpt. Wish For The Moon sounds wonderful and I can't wait to read it. If I haven't said so already, I love your cover, too!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carra-the cover was made in about five minutes, I think, and I do love it. It looks old-fashioned, which this story is from beginning to end. Thanks so much, and Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteVery touching Christmas scene, Celia! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYes, the cover is beautiful. It's perfect for the mood and setting of your story!
ReplyDeleteMorgan Mandel
I love that she uses a cedar tree. Cedars are so fragrant and it's the tree so many southerners use. I also like the lacy limbs. They're so pretty. Wish for the Moon is going to be a wonderful story to read. Beautiful excerpt, Celia.
ReplyDeleteLYN--thanks so much. Sharing is so easy during Christmas...isn't it?
ReplyDeleteMorgan-yes, I do love the cover. Very appropriate for this sweet story. Although the Texas Rangers are looking for Max to hang him!
ReplyDeleteSarah--yes, the only real pine trees in Texas are in East Texas--The Piney Woods. Those are very tall and thin, and are considered a "lost" forest. Most of the trees we calls cedars are not--there are no natural growing cedars in Texas, we just call them that. They're really junipers, with the purple berries, and yes, still do smell like a pine tree.
ReplyDeleteIn the rotunda of the Texas Capitol, there's always a Christmas tree in December--enormous--and it's always a juniper. No pine trees for us.