Scheduled to
release this month on August 25th, Family Lessons. It’s a continuation of my
first book, Family Fortune, which released last November and follows Emma's brother Edmund on his path to life, love and everlasting happiness. Here’s an excerpt
from it:
“Afternoon, Edmund. What can I
do you for?” Deputy Charles Norton asked, lazily starting to swing his legs off
the corner of the desk.
“No, I don’t need anything. I
just wanted a quiet place to sit and wait.”“Oh, that’s right. Your schoolteacher is coming today.” Norton put his feet back up on the corner of the desk.
“She is not my schoolteacher,” Edmund ground out again. Really, it was getting on his nerves how people kept insinuating he owned the girl. He’d never even laid eyes on her.
“Well, she sure ain’t no one else’s. ‘Sides, it was your idea to bring her here. Seems to me that kinda makes her yours. Or at least your responsibility.” Norton took another puff on his pipe.
Edmund grimaced slightly. Put that way, he could see why people were saying she was his schoolteacher. He pulled his pocket watch out and glanced at it again. Half past two. The damn stage was really late today. As he started to sit, he heard a noise out in the street. Crossing to the door, he opened it just in time to see the stage come around the bend and roll into town, drawing to a stop in front of Harlen’s bar.
He stepped out into the sunlight as the dust
settled. The coachman called out to him as he approached. “Special delivery for
you, Mr. Johnston!” Edmund closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to
control his ire. Even the stage driver was doing it!
The man riding shotgun scrambled down to set
the step in place and open the door. A gloved lady’s hand appeared, accepting
the offered assistance to descend from the carriage. Men lined the street,
jostling each other to get the first glimpse of the new woman in town.
Edmund hated to admit he was one of the ones
holding his breath. He wasn’t sure if he wanted her to be attractive or homely.
Edmund walked around the back of the stage and cleared his throat. Just then, the schoolteacher stepped down
gracefully from the coach, and looked around.
She was stunning and dressed like a bloody
debutante. He felt a wave of trepidation roll through him. She was going to be
trouble. At the very least, she was going to be miserable. This town couldn’t
give her what she was used to back East. She’d be running back there in no time
flat. Had he not explained things to the professor clearly? He needed someone
who was going to be dedicated to teaching, someone who would help make the town
more attractive to prospective wives and mothers. Not someone who was likely to
be prospecting for a husband.
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Come by on the 11th to see the cover!!
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