?
When I learned my story, The Little Girl in the Bayou, had been accepted for publication in
the IWSG Anthology, I was sitting in a hospital bed awaiting heart surgery. For
an instant, it seemed like a cruel joke—after all, how would I do the edits or
meet any other publishing or marketing requirements? As you can see, all worked
out. I’m alive, doing well, and to the best of my ability I’m meeting my
obligations. I’m thrilled to be a part of this collection.
About
my hero:
Construction worker Joe Mack Crawford (known as Mack
in this story) came into my life in the mid-eighties. He’s a composite of all
the heroes I’ve ever known: my quiet introspective dad along with his own hero
Matt Dillon of Gunsmoke; the neighbor across the street who lifted me high over
his head, muscles bulging; the pastor who baptized me in our little country
church, and my grandpa who always knelt beside the pew to pray. No way can I
forget my handsome 6th grade Texas history teacher—even if he did
accuse me of tracing that buffalo! And of course, my husband who introduced me
to Joe Mack, and did a lot of brainstorming and plotting.
Joe Mack Crawford is the type of guy who will right
wrongs or die trying. So when he found a picture of a child wrapped in fish
net, looking fearful, no way would he ignore it.
EXCERPT:
He
wouldn’t be able to sleep or focus on his job until he found her. The terror in
her eyes screamed at him to do something. She couldn't be more than nine or
ten. He wondered if she would ever smile again or if they’d already pushed her
too far. He wondered if she was still alive.
Life has a way of teaching hard lessons, and Mack knew
if the kid was still alive she’d already learned the hardest at a very young
age. She might never get over it.
EXCERPT:
He got up, paced the floor, and watched
the bayou meander behind his apartment. He couldn’t get the little girl’s face
out of his mind. Was she asleep now? Having a nightmare? Crying for her mama
and daddy? He didn’t know whether to pray for her to be alive or pray that God
had saved her by taking her home.
Mack lives in three manuscripts: two short stories
and an incomplete novel, but to me he’s out there somewhere—alive and well—much
more than a fictional character. He’s all the good men in my life—men who were (and are) heroes.
Where do your heroes come from? A memory? A dream? Pure
fiction?
I’m anxious for you to read The Little Girl in the
Bayou and meet Joe Mack Crawford. And I hope you'll like him as much as I do.
You
can purchase Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime from
