Historical Fiction
Date Published: 03/31/2026
Narrator: Maria McCann
Run Time: 10.5 Hours
About the Author
https://mybook.to/TheBrothersBrown
Seeing The World Through
The Eyes Of The Author
One Page At A Time.
Historical Fiction
Date Published: 03/31/2026
Narrator: Maria McCann
Run Time: 10.5 Hours
About the Author
https://mybook.to/TheBrothersBrown
A Nick Drake Novel, Book 10
Date Published: 04-30-2026
Publisher: Jackdaw Press
Nick Drake traded his past for the Sheriff’s star, but Harney County doesn’t do election honeymoons. His tenure kicks off with a double homicide staged as a murder-suicide—a lie Nick isn't buying. As he digs into the crime’s rotting core, the rookie Sheriff finds himself fighting a war on two fronts: a lethal learning curve with unproven deputies and a political recall designed to bury him. In the high lonesome where secrets kill, Nick must strike first and strike hard. Because in this office, the only thing shorter than his term is his life expectancy.
Could you tell us about any research trips you took for this story? Which places did you visit, and what made them essential to your writing?
The Yellow Hair, like the entire Nick Drake series, is forged in the rugged terrain of Harney County, Oregon. I don’t just write about this landscape; I scout it. I’m out there in the wildlife refuges, on the ranches, and at the archaeological sites, absorbing the local cadence and the extremes of the high desert—from biting winters to searing summers. My stories are fiction, but they are grounded in a reality you can feel. Here, the sage scrub and steep canyons aren't just a backdrop—they are a catalyst for conflict, driving the tension as surely as the whitewater on a wild river or the heat between Nick and Gemma making love under a high lonesome moon.
What's the strangest thing you've ever had to research online for your book?
I introduce a character from the Jarai people, an indigenous group from Vietnam’s Central Highlands. My research into their culture revealed a motherlode of fascinating traditions. They’ve long been regarded as mystics by their neighbors, but their burial practices are perhaps their most striking feature. Rather than a somber mourning period, they hold weeks-long celebrations filled with music and dance. They construct a house for the dead at the forest’s edge, surrounded by wooden totems—including human figures in explicit sexual poses—representing the cycle of life. Once the festival ends, the tomb house is abandoned to the elements. When the forest reclaims the wood, the spirit is considered to have been released.
What research (history, mythology, science) goes into your world-building?
I believe the role of a novelist is to entertain as much as to educate. Drawing on my background in journalism, I take great pains to ensure factual accuracy, delivering research in a dramatic fashion that reinforces the world of the Nick Drake Mysteries. Because several recurring characters are Native American, I rely on a combination of oral histories, personal interviews, and academic texts. I also use contemporary resources provided by the Northern Paiute and Klamath tribes—such as online dictionaries and pronunciation guides—to ensure their beliefs and legends are represented with the precision and respect they deserve.
Have any of the people you've known, past or present, left a lasting impression on your writing journey? If so, we'd love to hear about a memorable experience that stands out to you.
The most profound influence on my writing journey was my grandfather, Dwight Mitchell Wiley. He was a master of the craft during the heyday of the Saturday Evening Post, back when readers waited for serialized installments with the same fervor we now reserve for Netflix drops. His transition to writing screenplays for Paramount—where he collaborated with the likes of Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler—brought the world of hardboiled noir into our family lore. Those stories of the Golden Age of Hollywood and the creator of Philip Marlowe were my gateway; they didn't just get me reading detective fiction, they convinced me that I could one day build a mystery series of my own.
Do you write in the same genre all the time?
I’ve spent the last twelve years dedicated to crime fiction—most notably with my Jack McCoul and Nick Drake mystery series—but my career has been anything but linear. Before turning to mystery and suspense, I wrote award-winning literary short stories and spent years as a freelance adventure travel and conservation journalist. My reporting assignments spanned the globe, from Alaska to Zanzibar, and those global experiences now fuel the grit and atmosphere of my mystery novels.
If so, have you ever consider writing in another one?
Absolutely. I recently revisited a historical Western I wrote years ago—a short story thick with the grit of the California Gold Rush. It’s got everything: complex characters, ruthless antagonists, and a landscape that demands its own voice. Expanding that into a full-length novel is a thrilling prospect. It’s an opportunity to invite my readers into a completely different, yet equally dangerous, new world, and I can’t wait to show it to them.
Which character, supernatural or human, do you enjoy writing the most and why?
While I inhabit Nick Drake’s skin to tell the story, Girl Born In Snow, known to most as November, is the one who keeps me grounded. She is a Northern Paiute elder—a dancer, a healer, and a medium who exists in the slipstream between the old ways and the new—moving effortlessly between the physical world, the dream world, and the spirit realm. November is easily the fan favorite—and I’ve learned not to mess with that. My readers have been very specific: if I ever kill her off, I’d better be looking over my shoulder. Their devotion to her is as fierce as the Paiute traditions she protects.
About the Author
https://mybook.to/TheYellowHair
Date Published: 05-12-2024
Publisher: Soalnder Press
What is the surprise Gabriel has in store? Will it be enough to bring a smile to Mr. Wayne's face?
Find out in this touching tale of community and friendship
Sherry Roberts is an award-winning children’s book author. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Louisville. She has written multiple award-winning fiction picture books such as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas…A First for Gus, Hello, Can I Bug You?, Gabriel and the Special Memorial Day, What’s Wrong with Barnaby, and The Best Reading Buddy. She also has written two non-fiction award-winning picture books, Sonnet, Sonnet, What’s in Your Bonnet? and A Visit Through the Wetlands. These two were illustrated with her photography. Sherry’s newest picture book, Amica Helps Zoe, was featured in Kirkus e-newsletter June 2025 as Indie Pick and received a Get It: Recommend review.
As a former middle school teacher, Dr. Roberts decided to write her first middle-grade novel (ages 8-13). Her debut novel, The Galaxy According to CeCe, is the first book in a three-book series. It was officially released on February 24, 2024. Book two, The Galaxy According to Cece: The Mysterious Dr. Pruitt, was released August 2024. Book three, The Galaxy According to Cece: The Stars Align, released February 2025.
Sherry’s next venture is a chapter book series (ages 6-8). The first book, Just Call Me Pardner, was released August 1, 2025. The series is about a young boy in the 1930s on a small farm in Northeastern Oklahoma and is inspired by stories of her father’s childhood in the 1930s. Book 2, Just Look at Those Boots, launches in early 2026, with Book 3, Just Don’t Give a Girl a Frog, launching in November 2026.
Dr. Roberts has also written many articles that appear in various academic journals, along with three textbooks. Personal Financial Literacy is in its fourth edition (Pearson). She is an associate professor of Marketing in Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University.
Date Published: 05-15-2026
Publisher: RMK Publications
About the Author
Fortunately, he overcame his initial stage fright and began accepting roles in community theatre, the parts of Oscar Madison in “The Odd Couple” and Ivan Lomov in “The Proposal” among his favorites. He studied acting in New York City and performed in a couple of Off-Off Broadway productions including Sam Shepherd’s “Buried Child,” where he played the crotchety, whiney patriarch, Dodge (a part for which his wife felt he was uniquely suited).
He wrote and produced plays for children, awarding roles to his sons and other kids in his neighborhood (earning the gratitude of their parents who considered rehearsals free babysitting). He started writing adult plays and received a number of accolades including an honorable mention in the 2020 Bridge Award contest sponsored by Arts in the Armed Forces (AIAF) for his full-length play, “The Stars of Orion” and selection as the winner of the 2022 Susan Hansell Drama Award for his one act play, “Monarch.”
But the logistics of staging plays proved too time consuming. In his early 30's he started writing short stories and flash fiction pieces and submitting them for publication. Many of the stories presented in this collection have been published in online magazines and anthologies, and some have achieved recognition, most notably, “The Secret of the Smiling Rock Man,” First Place, National Federation of Press Women’s Communications Contest (2022); “They Only Showed Elvis from the Waist Up,” First Place, Southwest Writers Writing Contest (2023); and “Running Errands,” Finalist, Hemingway Shorts Competition, sponsored by the Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park (2023).
Joe invites you to read more of his work and follow his anything-but-straight-line career at joecappelloauthor.com.
The House Along the Way
Elysa Summers
Published: May 14, 2026
Publisher: Bitten Fruit Books
Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Small Town Romance
Everyone
feared him; she feared nothing.
The
house off the single road between the edge of the village and the
nearest town belongs to the last of the McIntosh brothers. For years,
the McIntosh family have been rumoured to be violent and possibly
psychotic. Possibly murderers. And Kenneth – now a complete recluse
– has not escaped the whispered stories that have veiled his kin
for generations.
Ella Tennant is loved and looked after by
her whole village, for she was born with a rare genetic condition
that means she cannot feel fear. Her free-spirited, optimistic nature
and her obsessive need to sketch everything she sees have carried her
through her challenges.
"Stay away from that house
along the way," she's always been told. But her curiosity has
finally snared her – it’s the one thing in her village she's
never sketched. Pen and paper in hand, Ella strides towards the
forbidden...
When a terrifying man and a woman who can
never know terror meet, a fuse is lit and sparks fly. In each other
lies the understanding that has always been out of reach.
But
the villagers aren't ready to hear a different story. And for the
first time, Ella's sunny disposition may not be enough to win them
over.
Touching
and beautifully told, this is a romance like no other.
The House Along the Way captivated me from the very first page and held my attention throughout. Elysa Summers has a remarkable ability to craft narratives that make you truly connect with all the characters. You begin to feel like you are woven into their tale in some manner, or at least make you feel as if you were. They come across as familiar companions right from the start.
Ella was born with a unique genetic condition that leaves her completely fearless. She adores painting and dreams of attending college, but fears her parents may not support her aspirations.
The people in her hometown are always looking out for Ella, trying to keep her out of harm's way, particularly Ian. Ian has been in love with Ella for quite some time, or at least he believes he is. Ella, however, doubts his feelings for her.
All Ella desires is to be left to her painting, but Ian has different ideas, insisting on walking her home, and her mother, of course, gives her approval. Ella tries to make it clear to Ian that she wants nothing to do with him, but he refuses to heed her words.
In a moment of frustration, Ella escapes from him, heading straight to the one house that everyone is too afraid to approach, due to the man who resides there. Ella encounters Kenneth the moment their eyes lock, and you sense that something extraordinary is blossoming between them. It marks the beginning of a beautiful bond.
The House Along the Way is a tale that leaves you with a comforting, warm sensation, a narrative you will want to revisit time and again.
I urge anyone who appreciates a delightful romantic, cozy love story to pick up a copy of The House Along the Way today!
Escaping the Elaborate Facade of Alcoholic Bliss
Self-Help
A Fragile Utopia is a turbulent and honest journey into the depths of alcoholism and the path to finding hope and purpose in recovery. The good news is, when we look inward, there is light. If we own our flaws, there can be redemption.
This memoir is a playbook for navigating early sobriety: how it will feel, obstacles encountered, how loved ones will react, insight into treatment, how AA and other fellowship recovery programs work, and examples of how most people fail in early attempts at sobriety.
About the Author
Nick Hanson is a passionate recovery enthusiast and advocate for people who are suffering from substance abuse and addiction. He lives in Minnesota with his wife and three children. He enjoys the outdoors, pop culture, reading, music, sports, fitness, cooking and is always up for learning something new.
Contact Link
Purchase Link
Coaching for Resilience
Leadership / Self-Help / Health / Business
Date Published: April 29. 2026
Publisher: Serapis Bey Publishing, Arizona, USA
This empowering book launches the new Cancer Compass; an essential self-leadership resource for people facing cancer. It extends its reach to caregivers, healthcare professionals, and organisations committed to offering meaningful support to anyone in their workforce dealing with cancer. It encourages us to see cancer not solely as a medical challenge, but as a profound moment to honour the resilience of our human spirit, embrace growth, and reclaim control of our lives for a brighter future.
Teresa Ferreiro-VilariƱo challenges her readers to shift their perspective, prioritising personal empowerment, connection and purposeful living. Her insights about resilience coaching and each person’s human potential are uplifting. Her book is deeply rooted in practical application, including thoughtful exercises and tools that prompt us to access our inner resources, engage in self-discovery and cultivate our secure bases. These unique gifts guide us to align our decisions with our values and goals, helping us chart a path forward with choice, clarity and confidence.
Excerpt
Navigate Cancer – Coaching for Resilience is an essential self-leadership resource for people facing cancer. Its reach extends to caregivers, healthcare professionals, and organisations committed to offering meaningful support to anyone in their workforce living with cancer.
The book invites us to see cancer beyond a purely medical challenge—to honour the resilience of the human spirit, embrace growth, and reclaim a sense of control, shaping the cancer experience from a place of agency and choice.
The Cancer Compass, which the book introduces, offers orientation: a way to move forward without denying fear, to reclaim agency without resisting reality, and to live—not just survive—while walking through illness. Teresa Ferreiro-VilariƱo challenges readers to shift their perspective, prioritising personal empowerment, meaningful connection, and purposeful living.
Grounded in resilience coaching and a deep belief in human potential, the book is both inspiring and practical. It includes thoughtful exercises and tools that invite self-discovery, strengthen inner resources, and cultivate secure bases. These elements guide readers to align their decisions with their values and goals, helping them chart a path forward with choice, clarity, and confidence.
About the Author
At the age of 36, a breast cancer diagnosis marked a turning point in her life, redirecting her focus toward empowering people living with cancer. In the years that followed, she authored her first book, I Have Breast Cancer–What Now?, recognised for its inspirational and practical guidance, embraced motherhood, and founded a charitable initiative supporting young women navigating motherhood after cancer. She later earned a PhD focused on applying professional coaching methodologies to the specific needs of people facing serious health challenges. In recognition of her commitment to patient advocacy, she was honoured with the European Patient Champion Award by EyeforPharma in 2019.
Teresa is also an executive coach and coaches across multiple programs at IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, including the flagship High-Performance Leadership (HPL) Program, supporting leaders in developing resilience, clarity, and sustainable performance.
For centuries there had been an ongoing war between Asalandia, the proud monarchy of the east and Kastanair the progressive democracy of the west. However, the years of war would end with the most unlikely turn of events.
Outis Everrett, the disappointment of his family, a measly poet, is suddenly thrusted into an epic adventure across the sea, with the King’s blessing. His poem, the poem that somehow won the first annual Asalandian poetry competition, was meant to be taken across the seas, to the enemy island of Kastanair, there, it would be read by the President of Kastanair, the newly elected and very progressive, Penelope Chinwa and she was supposed stop the war after reading those so special words.
So Outis set sail aboard the Golden ship, guided and protected by the Knights of Sunrise and their adventures began. The Knights are led by Bartholemew Aries, the most famous soldier in Asalandia, though when their ship drifts off course to the mysterious island of Aquos Atalantious, the Princess of the island soon lures him to stay. So, the Knights of Sunrise become distracted by the beauties of this foreign island. After failing to find the prince, who had been taken by a monstrous octopus, the Golden ship sails onto Kastanair, without its leader, who had fallen in love with the Princess. They then sail to Syanthia, where the worlds’ meat was produced. There they meet, the young Kastanairian, Gwenia Xiachung, an enthusiastic vegan on a mission to stop everyone eating meat. Outis is thrown into a pig saving mission with Gwenia and is intrigued by the young girl. After saving the pigs and convincing the head of meat production to change his ways with a beautiful poem about animal empathy, Gwenia falls in love with Outis. She joins him and the Knights of Sunrise on the voyage to back to her country, Kastanair. Once they finally reach the shores of Kastanair, they are attacked on the shores by a small army, led by Caslian Jesper, the tough captain who worked his soldiers to exhaustion. The Knights, Outis and Gwenia are rescued by Nastab and his band of terrorists who take them on horseback through Kastanair to Mount Xian. Nastab and his men come from a rebel group who had been dwelling on the plateau of Mount Xian, plotting to overthrow the government of Kastanair. However, their leader, who had driven their group to crimes and violence, was hoarding their food and treasure.
Caslian Jesper follows the terrorists to Mount Xian, in pursuit of two of his enemies at once, the terrorists and the Asalandians. Outis and Gwenia are suddenly taken off their horses by huge hawks, who fly them up Mount Xian, to a cave opening. There Gwenia and Outis meet The Tall Man, a strange man with huge black eyes who has no name. He takes them into the cave, and they fall more tall people. There they learn that the tall people had been in the caves for hundreds of years and they care not for treasures of war. The tall man collects water from an underground stream and fruits from the cave roofs and they take Outis and Gwenia up to the top of the mountain. There they find Caslian’s army had managed to climb to the top of the mountain in attempt to attack but they were too drained to fight so the tall man shared his fruit with them. Both sides rested as Outis read a poem to the leader of the terrorists.
Outis and Gwenia are then taken to the capital, by an eclectic group including Nastab, The Tall Man and the Knights of Sunrise, they journey through the planes of Kastanair where they are attacked by wolves. The Knights and Nastab fight the wolves off valiantly and they continue. When they finally reach the capital Outis reads his poem to the President, but it is not the words of his poem alone that convince her to stop the war, it is the group he brings with him, a group of once enemies, who had come together with the same goal.
╰┈➤Book Details
To find out how to purchase this book, visit the author’s website at leejmavin.com.
╰┈➤Read if you love…
YA
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧Fantasy
Unputdownable
Coming of Age
༄.ೃ࿔*Page Turner
Outis Everrett was an overthinker. Every night he would toss and turn in his tiny chamber and go over and over the things he had to do the next day. He would plan the next day and things he would say, over and over in his mind, until he slowly became too tired to think and then he would finally fall asleep. He had been like this for a while now and try as he might, he couldn’t change this habit. He became sleepy with this constant worrying and it became difficult to do his day-to-day tasks. During the days, he would mope about with his head down, being of little use to anyone. To anyone else, he was a nobody, a useless man that was easy to forget, but Outis Everrett was much more than that. Outis Everrett was a poet. Outis loved poetry and wrote poetry a lot, but he didn’t consider himself an actual poet at the time. He simply thought very little of himself. One thing he knew for sure, he wasn’t a strong man. He wasn’t a sailor, a guard or a soldier and he didn’t ever want to become one of these.
He sighed and thought of his father’s words, ‘We come from a long line of warriors, long have we held our swords high and defended our lands with pride. It is your destiny, my son, to take up arms and keep fighting.’
But he was no warrior, and he was as thin as limegoat and he had been cursed with his mother’s short stature. He was shorter than the average Asalandian and was a lot weaker. He spoke with a soft, unsure voice and often didn’t say anything at all. He rarely exercised and even his hair was unusually dark for an Asalandian (it was light brown, most Asalandians were blonde). He had avoided any kind of conflict his whole life, running from the bullies that called him Tiny in Sword School. As a child he often hid away in his room and read, he loved the adventure stories of journeys, and he especially loved the poets of the old world. He loved imagining, dreaming of far off lands, tales of monsters and horror. He was intrigued by the notion of destiny and longed for love. He was lonely and hid his thoughts from everyone. He thought nobody would understand him and was scared to look vulnerable. He just read all the time by himself and at times he wrote. He was an amazing poet but poets weren’t really talked about much in Asalandia. In fact, poetry wasn’t read much at all.
To be shunned was uncommon and not talked about. Most children (all able-bodied) trained hard before the test and if they failed, they tried again. Outis was shunned from the warriorship because he failed to take the final test. The reason for this was because he was too scared and couldn’t swing a sword hard enough to even make a sound. He was always a quiet young man, troubled by the weight of society, pressuring young men to fight, leading them to be battle ready. Everyone was constantly hearing about the threat of the enemy, every day they heard about the Kastanarians getting closer or the Kastanarians were preparing for war. The King was announcing it constantly and it was always being proclaimed from the palace. During these frequent announcements, everyone had to stand and listen. This was an unspoken rule and most people wanted to listen to the kings’ announcements. Outis wasn’t one of those people. He stopped listening to the kings’ announcements long ago and decided he would focus on other things. One of those things was poetry. He had read all the old poets over the years and started writing his own poetry out of frustration. He wanted to write poetry about the way things really were. He practiced his style constantly in his room, late at night, all by himself, slowly developing his voice. Then he wrote a very special poem. It was this very poem that changed the course of history in Asalandia. Yes, a poem did that. As absurd as it may seem, Outis managed to write the most amazing words every written. He crafted those words so beautifully that once you read it, your life would be forever different. That poem was such a special sonnet, it led to everything that happened afterward. It was in the lines of that poem that gave birth to the timeless truths, and they all came into view and the men that swayed power became powerless.
You might ask, how did the king manage to come across the poem of such an unimportant commoner like Outis. Well, that is a good question indeed. You see, around about the time Outis was masterfully creating the poem that changed the world forever, the King was actually going through a sort of inner, self-reflective process that had the Queen and the entire royal family particularly worried. It all started with the rain. Now Asalandia, famous for its beautiful sunshine, mostly had perfect weather, warm in the day, cool at night, deep blue skies that reflected the dark blue seas and it normally only rained during the rainy season for one month. However, that particular year, the rainy season stretched on for three months and it wasn’t just the typically light pitter patter, this was drizzle and depressing downpour, nonstop. So, this kept the King off his horses, which he loved dearly, and kept him in his chambers. This was where the King discovered poetry. The King couldn’t sleep well during the rainy season, so he often requested books from the library and read them to the wee hours of the morning. He started with the Histories and became quite depressed reading about all the wars, invasions, death and destruction. This left him feeling empty and alone, so he searched for more books. He was brought poetry and he instantly fell in love with it. He loved the rhyming patterns of the old poets and would sing them in his bed, often waking the poor Queen, who was getting very worried about her husband.
The King read poem after poem and slowly came to the realisation that something was missing. All the poems praised the warriors and gave thanks to all the kings. All the poems depicted Asalandia as heaven on earth, yet when he looked outside his window, all he saw was rain. He craved a poem that spoke the truth, that was as reflective as the water in Lake Asalandian (that is the clearest, cleanest and most beautiful lake in Asalandia), but he didn’t find it in his library. So, he slept less and less and worried with his head down reading, until he came up with it. The first Annual Poem Contest! This was the Contest that started it all and it was the king’s idea. He had signs made up immediately and had them posted all over the city. One sign happened to be posted right under Outis Everrett’s little house. When Outis saw the sign on the way, branded with the Kings sunbeam stamp of approval he was most pleased. It read:
The 1st Annual Poem Contest
Under order of the king, every man willing must enter the first annual poetry contest of Asalandia. The theme to the contest is: Asalandia, the winner receives fame and fortune beyond their wildest dreams and the highest honour, dinner with the king.
– Excerpted from The War Between by Lee J. Mavin, Tellwell Talent, 2026. Reprinted with permission.
Lee J Mavin is the author of 11 books. He is also a teacher and father. He has a Masters in Creative Writing and am solely focused on writing fiction (fantasy and horror) and poetry. He is now in collaboration the illustrator Karolina Piotrowski, a Polish artist who has brought many stories to life. He has worked and studied in China and Japan and studied with Dr Xiaohuan Zhao (a master of Chinese poetry) to complete his book Li Bai’s Shadow, at the University of Sydney. He has two children who are both avid readers, so he is always in the loop with trends in children’s fiction. He is married and lives in Sydney, where he teaches English.
His latest book is the YA fantasy, The Wars Between.
Visit his website at leejmavin.com.
Connect with him on social media at:
╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lee.mavin.925/
╰┈➤ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/mavin798
╰┈➤ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5103759.Lee_J_Mavin
╰┈➤ TikTok ➜ https://www.tiktok.com/@
Historical Fiction
Date Published: 05-16-2016
Publisher: She Writes Press
Celebrating the 10th Anniversary
After the tragic death of her husband and son on a remote island in Washington’s San Juan Islands, Eliza Waite joins the throng of miners, fortune hunters, business owners, con men, and prostitutes traveling north to the Klondike in the spring of 1898. When Eliza arrives in Skagway, Alaska, she has less than fifty dollars to her name and not a friend in the world—but with some savvy, and with the help of some unsavory characters, Eliza opens a successful bakery on Skagway’s main street and befriends a madam at a neighboring bordello. Occupying this space—a place somewhere between traditional and nontraditional feminine roles—Eliza awakens emotionally and sexually. But when an unprincipled man from her past turns up in Skagway, Eliza is fearful that she will be unable to conceal her identity and move forward with her new life. Using Gold Rush history, diary entries, and authentic pioneer recipes, Eliza Waite transports readers to the sights sounds, smells, and tastes of a raucous and fleeting era of American history.
Excerpt
September 1, 1896
Cloudy, first fall chill. Deer in garden again. Need to
mend fences.
“Good fences make good neighbors,”
her aunt used to say.
Eliza examines her muddied property and stifles a
snort. There are no neighbors, no cheery hellos or help at harvest time, no
shared secrets or meals offered at the door when grief steals joy clean away.
No, her neighbors are all gone from this windswept island plagued with
relentless autumn rains that close in on the coming darkness.
Eliza
removes her nightclothes and rushes into her undergarments, woolen skirt,
muslin blouse, and thick socks. She gathers up her skirt, and pushes out
through the cabin’s rickety door, inhaling wood smoke and counting her
memories, both blessings and curses.
I do not know if I can endure
another winter here, especially after what happened last year.
Before the
epidemic there had been a store, and a post office, and a cannery, and a
school. And—of course—a church. On those long ago Sundays, Eliza
had squirmed each time Jacob mounted the stairs to the simple wooden pulpit at
First Methodist on tiny Cypress Island, his pompousness preceding him. Eliza
sat stiffly in the front pew with Jonathan close beside her. Jonathan’s
delicate hands held hers and his small brown leather boots dangled over the
front lip of the wooden bench. If she tries hard enough, Eliza can still hear
Jonathan’s warbling voice stumbling over the words of the ancient
hymns.
After Sunday services, Eliza and Ida
Lawson had poured weak coffee into china cups at opposite ends of the
cloth-covered table in the basement of the church. They adjusted the china
cups, filling in spaces when others were served. They checked the sugar bowls.
They rearranged the teaspoons, and placed them symmetrically. They exchanged
glances and shared private conversations in between parishioners.
Did you
hear the foreman killed a Chinaman over at Atlas Cannery?
Another
parishioner would interrupt. Pleasantries. Then another interruption. More
pleasantries.
Did you see Sly Chapman walking Adelaide Winters home from
school on Wednesday?
There was always scuttlebutt about the townsfolk, or
the trappers, or the fishermen, or the loggers. And always about the Chinamen.
In the kitchen, Eliza and Ida would mimic the Chinamen, taking small steps and
bowing to each other. They stifled their laughter. Only once had they had an
awkward and guarded conversation about the intimacies of marriage.
About the Author
Multi award-winning author Ashley E. Sweeney’s fourth novel, The Irish Girl, released December 2024. Her previous novels, Eliza Waite, Answer Creek, and Hardland, have won a total of 20 awards, including the Nancy Pearl Book Award, Independent Press Award, WILLA Literary Award, and New Mexico-Arizona Book Award. Sweeney, a native New Yorker and graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, spends winters in Tucson and summers in the Pacific Northwest.