Blurb:
“Where do Christmas lights come
from?”
Those tiny bulbs of
color that burn on a Christmas tree,
Or outside a house to
shine in the night.
Does anyone really know
where they originate?
What if someone told
you
They weren’t intended
for Christmas at all,
But really for a
miracle?
That they were for love,
a desperate idea, to light a boy’s way home?
In that case, you must
have some questions. What boy? What love?
Have a seat. Allow me to
tell you a story.
Buy Links:
Barnesandnoble
Excerpt:
“Because your father
requires…a dowry, of sorts. A guarantee you’ll be well taken care of.”
Emmy’s hand turned
sweaty. “Oh, Louis. What does that mean?”
I swallowed the sour
taste at the back of my mouth, nerves trembling in my fingers. “Our engagement
lasts until December twenty-fifth. If by that time I’ve not returned—”
“Returned?” Emmy’s gaze
burned me. “Louis, where are you going? Won’t my father give you a job?”
I didn’t move and barely
opened my mouth to let the words escape. “He’s got me a job.”
“What?”
I loosened my shoulders
and shrugged. “Marks Brothers pays their floor workers very well.”
“Who?”
“I’d stack inventory
outside, in the clean air, and I’d work with a few fellows who’d watch out for
me…” “Louis!”
“…I hear factories in
London are much safer than here.”
“London! Louis, Louis,
what are you talking about?” Emmy grabbed my face.
I squinted at two
sparkling brown orbs. Was she crying?
“No.” Emmy covered her
mouth with a hand. “No, you aren’t going to London. How could you? No one loves
you there. No one knows you there…”
Your father seems to
think it is my home country.
“Emmy. Emmy EmmyEmmy.” I
held her close, stroking her hair. “I don’t plan to work there.”
She sat back.
“What?”
“I’ve heard Mr. Godfrey
talk about them. A London factory is the last place I should work. Your father
means well, but I can’t do that. They wouldn’t take a blind boy.”
“Wh-where will you go,
then? How on earth will you make money?”
“I have family in Paris.
Mother says they have wine vineyards. I’ll work for them.”
“That…” Emmy’s fingers
traced the veins on the back of my hand. “That’s much safer.” She was silent
for the longest time. “You’ll be safe? And come home quickly?”
I pulled her hands away
and stood, playing with the ring on her finger. “I will. I love you.”
“Louis…”
“Emmy. I don’t have a
choice. You want to marry me, don’t you?”
“Of course I do. But,
Louis…”
“Yes, love?”
“How long will you be
gone?” How long? How long to board a ship, to find a place I’d only heard
about, to earn and save an impossible amount of money? How long, indeed.
I set my expression.
“I’ll be home by Christmas.”
#Romantic Idea
to Enjoy this Summer:
I find anything lake-oriented can be really, very cute.
Walk along the shore, go swimming, have a lakeside picnic—go jet skiing, or
boating or both! I live right next to a lake, and on weekends my family will
explore this little town that everyone flocks to during the summer; it’s the
perfect place to grab some ice cream and just wander as the sun sets. Have you
ever seen the sun set across a lake, dappling the surface? Pretty romantic, if
you ask me. It’s a thing you can watch for a long time. Then you can just hold
hands and meander around all the little shops, or plunge off into the foliage
if your lake of choice has parkland right next to it like mine does. Nothing
feels more adventurous than anchoring the boat and swimming to shore, then
wandering the quiet forest down a worn dirt path until you dry off. I’ve never
actually done this date-wise, but it’s on my list!
Bio: When she was little, Rachael Kosinski
wanted to be a paleontologist, an astronaut, a nature photographer, a writer
for National Geographic, an Egyptologist, and the next Jane Goodall. Instead of
being a new link between man and chimp, or discovering a planet suitable for
sustained human life, or maybe even winning renowned fame by stumbling across
an undiscovered dinosaur, Rachael finally decided that, if she never became a
writer, she would simply die. Nine years later, she now possesses a quirky
knowledge of world mythology, an addiction to coffee, and a penchant for making
over-expressive faces at her laptop.
Author Links:
Best of luck to Rachael. I just love that cover and the sound of her story. We have some things in common re: seaside and Egyptology! Thank you, Carmen, for highlighting this book.
ReplyDeleteThank you for leaving a comment, Flossie!
DeleteI was sure you'd enjoy the post.
Wow! Thank you, Flossie!
DeleteThis sounds like a wonderful story. I love the idea behind it. Wishing Rachael the very best!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mae for checking our author exchange tour!
DeleteRachael will be happy to read your words of appreciation.