Last year, I responded to a Facebook request for short
stories to be included in an anthology. The theme suggested was Second Chances.
I decided to write about a pair of high school sweethearts torn apart by
circumstances and meet again when they have to start taking care of their aging
parents. “Flowers for Maddy” comes from my own experiences and frustrations of
being part of what’s known as the Sandwich Generation, having children and
grandchildren to care for as well as a parent who struggles with daily life. Although I'm really thankful to still have my mom, it's sometimes frustrating to see this woman who was once confident and capable now viewing every day tasks as a challenge.
Along with Indiana author E.A. West and South African
authors Kathy Bosman, Pravina Maharaj, and Leena Naidoo, I’m pleased to tell
you about the release of Second Chances:
A Love Anthology. For one price, readers can get five sweet romances AND contribute
toward a great charity called HIC Children’s home in Newcastle, South Africa.
Here’s a short excerpt from my my story, “Flowers for Maddy”
“I always thought you’d changed
your mind and didn’t want to go to school.”
“Never! I cried for days each time
mom told me I hadn’t been accepted.”
“Each time? How many schools did
you apply to?”
“U of M, Eastern, and MSU, as well
as several private schools. Actually, I was accepted at a few of them, but I
couldn’t get any financial help, so I couldn’t afford it. That’s why I went to
Community College, and then commuted to Grand Valley.”
He walked in silence for a few
moments. What she said didn’t match with his memory of events, but he wasn’t
about to argue. “Why didn’t you tell me about any of this?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I did. I wrote
to you.”
“I never got any letters from you.”
“Never? I wrote almost every day.
Mom said we couldn’t afford that much postage, so I’d put a week’s worth of
letters in an envelope. I wrote for weeks before I finally gave up. “
He ran his free hand through his
hair. “I swear I never got those letters. If I had, I would have called you. I
could have transferred or taken some time off until we could find a place to go
together.”
She pursed her lips together. Did
she doubt his sincerity? “I guess it doesn’t matter now. We can’t change what
happened, and eventually we both got what we wanted.”
Maybe
you did. I settled, and my poor wife knew it.
You can read more about the anthology and all the authors at
the Second Chances website
and Facebook
page.
Here are some of the books offered in the bundles. Enter now!
Here are some of the books offered in the bundles. Enter now!
--> The anthology authors and several of our friends have created two bundles of books that you can win simply by entering this Rafflecopter. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway
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