This is a second edition of an award-winning book that released 15 years ago.
Excerpt:
“Mrs. Caine.” Angus McKenna came to an abrupt stop and
cleared is throat before starting again.
“I’ve come to ask you something that . . . I never dreamed I’d . . . ever ask
anyone.” His voice rasped, and he stopped to take a gulp of air, staring off
into the distance.
She couldn’t take her eyes from him, even when the baby
in her arms squirmed. “How can we help you?”
New tears followed the trails down his cheeks and
disappeared into his beard. He grabbed a bandanna from his back pocket and blew
his nose with one hand. “I’ve just lost the most important thing in my life.”
He paused and stared at the ground. “I don’t know how I can go on without her.”
His voice cracked on the last word.
Once again he paused, but much longer this time. His
prominent Adam’s apple bobbed several times. “I’ve been crying out to God, but
I don’t think He’s listening to me right now. If He were . . . ”
What a thing for a man to admit to them. Florence knew he must be near a breakdown. He did need
help, but what could they do?
“I’ve decided . . . it would be best to find another
family to raise one of my girls.” He stood straighter. “I’ve watched you with
Margaret Lenora . . . ”
“Is that what you’ve named her?” Florence gazed at the
sleeping baby, and her heart ached for the child. To grow up without a mother.
“Yes.”
Angus looked straight at Joshua, and her husband gave a
slow nod. “Your husband has told me . . . how much you’ve wanted a child.”
For a moment, anger flared in her chest. Joshua shouldn’t
share her secret with anyone. She took a deep breath to keep from saying something
she’d regret. Even though she didn’t even look at her husband, she could feel
his gaze deep inside. She was grateful he couldn’t see the ugly jealousy and
covetousness that resided there.
“What I’m trying to say, Mrs. Caine, is . . . ” His
Adam’s apple bobbed again. “Would you consider adopting one of my daughters and
raising her as your own?” He snapped his mouth shut and just stood there
waiting, staring at the ground and clinging to the tiny baby in his arms.
As her own? Was
this God’s answer to her prayer for a baby? It
could be. She knew she should try to encourage
Mr. McKenna to keep his daughters. He might marry again and want all three of
them, but she pushed those thoughts aside before they
could take root. This might be the only chance she would ever have for a child,
and she didn’t want to lose it. Finally, she turned her attention toward
Joshua.
“I’ll be happy with whatever you decide, Florence.” Love
poured from her husband and enclosed her in its warmth.
How could she refuse? She held this precious bundle close
to her heart right now, and she didn’t want to ever let her go.
Buy Links:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DFF4JTN2?storeType=ebooks&linkCode=sl1&tag=las_leadpage_lower-20&linkId=c5a26f97290589ad3b22c083d66bc59c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maggies-journey-lena-nelson-dooley/1102422760?ean=9781963212150
About the book:
The stories of these identical triplets percolated in my heart and mind for several years before I put them on paper.
If I’m setting the story in an actual city instead of a fictional one, I want to find pictures or descriptions of that city. With Seattle, Washington Territory, in 1885, I had trouble finding any information. I did know a lot about wagon trains on the Oregon Trail, so I didn’t have trouble with the Prologue. With Chapter 1, I came to a standstill.
I knew most libraries had Adult Research Librarians. So I called the Seattle library. I told the ARL that I didn’t want her to do the research for me. I just wanted her to point me in the right directions to find what I needed.
Their library had digitized thousands of historical photographs. She sent me the link to where they were stored, by decade. The information with each photo included who took the picture and the names of the people in the picture, as well as the street names and names of the businesses if they weren’t on the building.
This was like a gold mine to me. I went to the 1880 decade and went through the photos, printing the ones I needed to recreate the city. Everything in the book, besides the business of my characters are actual businesses in 1885. And the mayor and his wife who attended Maggie’s birthday party were the actual ones at that time.
This is true for the railroad trip, Denver, and Little Rock as well. I grew up in Arkansas and lived near Little Rock when I was in high school.
Book 2 in the series, Mary's Redemption, will release in March, and the third boo, Catherine's Pursuit, will release in April.
If you are a member of a book club, I’d be glad to attend
one of your meetings on Zoom to discuss my story. Email me at: lenanelsondooley@gmail.com if you
want to book me.
