“To love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance.”  -- Oscar Wilde

Happy “almost fall!”
I’m not ready to let go of summer yet, especially with the beautiful weather we’ve been having here in New England. Still hoping for many more river swims and canoeing before cooler weather sets in. I continue to define what it means to be retired from full-time teaching, but I’m getting there! Writing, travel (family road trips), and lots of time with family and friends have shaped this time in my life and I’m sure they will continue to do so.

What a delight it has been to bring you Greta and Murph’s story along with the antics of Daisy, the Tennessee Fainting Goat in Greta’s Goat, published August 24th. The initial sales and reviews have been so gratifying. 

“Once again, M. Lee Prescott has taken me back into her characters' world. I loved getting to know Greta & Murph & Daisy. I want a fainting goat. So so cute. Brilliantly emotional story.” (5-star Goodreads review)

In other news-- I am rereading a work of YA historical fiction that I wrote many years ago, Song of the Spirit in preparation for visiting a local book club—the Radical Women’s Book Club. A book club member checked the book out of my Little Free Library, was struck by the story, and knocked on my door with the invitation to come to the club’s October meeting.

 

It’s been a while since I’ve read Song of the Spirit and as I relive the tragic history that book describes – the kidnapping, harsh treatment, and incarceration of thousands of indigenous children to “Indian schools”--  I am struck by how that history still haunts the US and Canada today. Recently, Deb Haaland, US Interior Secretary wrote about herself being a product of these “horrific assimilation policies.” Both of her grandparents were stolen from their families at 8 years old along with thousands of other innocent children. Should you want to learn more about this history and the story of Wind Flower and her sister, Laughing Dove below is a brief summary:

 

A fast-paced, breathtaking tale of courage and romance, Song of the Spirit’s unforgettable characters intersect with historical events of the day, including the devastation of the Wounded Knee massacre. 

 

In the late 1800s, post-Civil War, two young Cheyenne sisters are wrenched from a loving family, kidnapped and incarcerated at Rose Academy, a harsh, Indian boarding school established to assimilate native young people, teach them English, and eradicate their knowledge of traditional ways, considered inferior to the ways of the Washita (whites).

 

Forbidden to speak their native language, the sisters are whipped and punished, however, the school harsh life fails break their spirit. The eldest, Wind Flower, on the cusp of womanhood, excels academically, while continually planning their escape. Time and again she runs away and is hunted down and returned to Rose Academy. There, she watches her beloved little sister’s alarming transformation into a proper Washita girl.  At the same time, Wind Flower finds love, with a young Sioux, renamed Caleb Green, by his captors. Will these three courageous young people find freedom, or lose themselves and their way of life to the relentless cruelty of the Washita world? 

 

In terms of recent writing projects-- I continue to spend time with my wise-cracking, sometimes bumbling PI, Ricky Steele as I complete the first draft of book # 5 of the Ricky Steele Mysteries, working title, Lady Love. Slow going, but fun! I’m also mid-way through a draft of A Horseshoe Crab Christmas, number seven in the Morgan’s Fire series. This book brings favorite characters together for the holidays and introduces readers to Joseph “Joe” O’Leary, a beloved parish priest from nearby Bayport, who has decided at age fifty to walk away from the priesthood. Exploring Joe’s decision and its ramifications for him and the community has been powerful and touching. More soon about A Horseshoe Crab Christmas! Tom’s Ride, number 12 in the Morgan’s Run series is also in the works and I hope to have a publication date and cover for you soon!

 

I continue to find so much for which to be grateful in this tumultuous world of ours. I am relieved that my loved ones and myself are fully vaccinated and now wait for my four beloved grandchildren (under 12) to be eligible for their shots. Their vaccinations cannot come soon enough! I am so proud of the many people around the world stepping up for their shots and doing everything possible to control this everchanging virus. We are protecting each other and the heroes on the front lines (you know who they are) who, despite tremendous odds, have worked since the beginning of the pandemic to care for us, protect our safety, ensure that we are fed, and keep our country and world going. No words can express the gratitude I feel for the sacrifices of these extraordinary human beings.

So dear friends—happy “almost fall!” The weather is perfect, egrets and herons nest and fish on the rocky shore, and bunnies and woodchucks are everywhere hoping to avoid the bald eagles, turkeys, and coyotes.  

xoxo
ML and Lulu

M. Lee Prescott

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