It’s springtime in Central Texas. The Bluebonnets are out, and wildflowers are everywhere. It’s a rebirth for the countryside. For me, it’s a rebirth to my writing. I wasn’t inspired over the winter.
Then, an idea hit me. A personal tragedy years ago in our family has become inspirational. I decided to use it as the bones for a novel with the working title of Caddy’s Tale.
Yes, it features a dog, but this time, the canine doesn’t narrate it but is integral to the story. It’s in the paranormal genre, even though it doesn’t appear so in the beginning. It won’t be finished until the end of 2024, but I wanted to share an early excerpt and see what you think.
I’d love to hear from you to learn if you think it might be of interest to readers. So, here goes:
Then, an idea hit me. A personal tragedy years ago in our family has become inspirational. I decided to use it as the bones for a novel with the working title of Caddy’s Tale.
Yes, it features a dog, but this time, the canine doesn’t narrate it but is integral to the story. It’s in the paranormal genre, even though it doesn’t appear so in the beginning. It won’t be finished until the end of 2024, but I wanted to share an early excerpt and see what you think.
I’d love to hear from you to learn if you think it might be of interest to readers. So, here goes:
EXCERPT FROM CADDY'S TALE
The puppy fought the waves. Drowning in the sea wasn’t in her plan. She struggled to the shore… finding shifting sand under her tiny paws at last.
The girl ran toward the sputtering pup who coughed salt water from her lungs. Lily Loggins hit the water and wadded in to scoop up the black Pit bull pup with a white blaze on her chest. Pressing her close, Lily moved to the dry sand, sat, and cradled her rescue.
“What happened, girl?” She inspected the puppy and noticed it was female and beautifully marked.
Climbing closer, the puppy licked the girl’s face non-stop.
Lily giggled and rolled on the sand with the dog who started to bark and whine at the same time. Holding the puppy out arms-length, she announced to her, “Where’s your owner? I haven’t ever noticed strays here on Crescent Beach. I’d better find out if you are chipped and locate your people!”
Looking around at the empty Florida beach, she jumped up, removed the long-sleeved shirt tied around her waist, and wrapped up the pup in it. She trudged the mile up to the house nestled just behind the dunes where she had lived all through high school with her dad after her parents divorced. The rustic home faced the ocean complete with a wrap-around porch and floor to ceiling windows. Climbing the stairs up to the deck, she spotted her father. He turned to face her with a pipe in one hand and a glass of Jack Daniels in the other.
He smiled. “What have you got there, honey?” His thick Southern drawl made him appear slow in thought, when, in fact, he was highly intelligent, a C-Level safety specialist and executive, who had spoken before Congress on the issues facing the mining industry. Tom Loggins worked around the country throughout his career and had a successful one. However, Lily adored him not for that but for his unconditional love for her. His support for her had always been unwavering.
Lily admired his tall stature. He was a bear of a man with red gold hair peppered with silver and the bluest of eyes. His smile always carried some secret that he kept to himself.
“Dad, I found this pup on the beach! She looked as if she was struggling to keep from drowning. I didn’t see anyone around, so thought we could take care of her until I can get her to the vet tomorrow to see if she has a chip.”
Tom smiled and nodded his approval.
“Thanks, Dad! Love you.” As Lily scampered inside, she yelled over her shoulder, “Going to give this puppy a bath! Who knows where she might have come from. Can’t wait to tell Micah about her.”
Tom shook his head at the thought of Micah Moore. Tom felt the twenty-nine-year-old hot-shot professional golfer might not be right for his barely eighteen-year-old daughter. They had met at the Marsh Creek Country Club, where Tom was a member. The man did have the balls to arrange a meeting with him to discuss his intentions.
Tom puffed on his pipe and took a sip of his whiskey and thought back to that recent night.
Micah Moore was a handsome young man with sandy blond hair and brown eyes. Of average height, the man was an athlete in every sense of the word. What Tom liked about him was his respectful attitude. He’d approached the situation in an honorable fashion.
“Mr. Loggins,” he started with his golf cap held between his two hands, “I’ve never experienced anything like this. The moment I saw your daughter, I was gobsmacked.”
Tom chuckled at the thought of that word.
Micah fidgeted in his seat. “I mean, six months ago, I would have told you that I didn’t believe in love at first sight. I know now that it does exist. I love her. I adore her. I knew she was a high school senior, so I waited. All those free golf lessons I offered the two of you were just an excuse to be around her.” He stopped to catch his breath. He searched Tom’s face for any sign of anger.
Tom leaned back in his chair and kept silent. He glanced at Lily who huddled on the leather couch next to the man she proclaimed to love. She’s so young. How can she know for sure?
She nervously twirled her index finger around one of her blonde curly strands of hair and sat staring adoringly at her beloved one moment and then fastening her brilliant blue eyes at her father the next.
Micah went on. “Now that she’s eighteen and out of high school, I want to ask you for your blessing. I want to marry your daughter.”
Tom leaned forward. “Not so fast, Micah. You know her mother is staunchly against this relationship. I think you need to give it some time. Date… er… you haven’t been… with my daughter, have you?”
Dad!” Lily squirmed uncomfortably at his insinuation.
“Sex?” Micah reared back in his seat. “No, no. I wouldn’t do that. I want to marry her, not fool around with her!”
“Good.” Tom smiled. “Then let’s give it the test of time. In a year if the two of you feel the same way, then I will consider giving you my blessing. But know this, Micah, if you don’t follow through with this and stay respectful, you’ll have hell to pay from me!”
Tom smiled at the look of resolve he saw in the other man’s eyes. Now, they’d have to convince Lily’s mother, Joan.
His thoughts were interrupted with laughter from his daughter. “Dad, I just got off the phone with Micah. We’re going to call the puppy Caddy. Get it? Caddy. Micah’s a golfer.” She winked at him.
Tom rolled his eyes and puffed on his pipe. “You’re getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you? We need to see if she belongs to anyone.”
“We will, but don’t you see? She was meant to come to us.”
***
So, there you have it! Let me know what you think!
Just reply to [email protected] and tell me what you think.
It’s a draft, so be kind! It hasn't gone through editing yet.
I’d love your thoughts. I can promise you I won’t kill the dog in this story! The dog, like in Luke’s Tale, provides inspiration and unconditional love, and we did have a Caddy in our family years ago.
Contact Carol at http://www.carolmckibben.com or join her
at https://www.facebook.com/CarolMckibbenAuthor.
The girl ran toward the sputtering pup who coughed salt water from her lungs. Lily Loggins hit the water and wadded in to scoop up the black Pit bull pup with a white blaze on her chest. Pressing her close, Lily moved to the dry sand, sat, and cradled her rescue.
“What happened, girl?” She inspected the puppy and noticed it was female and beautifully marked.
Climbing closer, the puppy licked the girl’s face non-stop.
Lily giggled and rolled on the sand with the dog who started to bark and whine at the same time. Holding the puppy out arms-length, she announced to her, “Where’s your owner? I haven’t ever noticed strays here on Crescent Beach. I’d better find out if you are chipped and locate your people!”
Looking around at the empty Florida beach, she jumped up, removed the long-sleeved shirt tied around her waist, and wrapped up the pup in it. She trudged the mile up to the house nestled just behind the dunes where she had lived all through high school with her dad after her parents divorced. The rustic home faced the ocean complete with a wrap-around porch and floor to ceiling windows. Climbing the stairs up to the deck, she spotted her father. He turned to face her with a pipe in one hand and a glass of Jack Daniels in the other.
He smiled. “What have you got there, honey?” His thick Southern drawl made him appear slow in thought, when, in fact, he was highly intelligent, a C-Level safety specialist and executive, who had spoken before Congress on the issues facing the mining industry. Tom Loggins worked around the country throughout his career and had a successful one. However, Lily adored him not for that but for his unconditional love for her. His support for her had always been unwavering.
Lily admired his tall stature. He was a bear of a man with red gold hair peppered with silver and the bluest of eyes. His smile always carried some secret that he kept to himself.
“Dad, I found this pup on the beach! She looked as if she was struggling to keep from drowning. I didn’t see anyone around, so thought we could take care of her until I can get her to the vet tomorrow to see if she has a chip.”
Tom smiled and nodded his approval.
“Thanks, Dad! Love you.” As Lily scampered inside, she yelled over her shoulder, “Going to give this puppy a bath! Who knows where she might have come from. Can’t wait to tell Micah about her.”
Tom shook his head at the thought of Micah Moore. Tom felt the twenty-nine-year-old hot-shot professional golfer might not be right for his barely eighteen-year-old daughter. They had met at the Marsh Creek Country Club, where Tom was a member. The man did have the balls to arrange a meeting with him to discuss his intentions.
Tom puffed on his pipe and took a sip of his whiskey and thought back to that recent night.
Micah Moore was a handsome young man with sandy blond hair and brown eyes. Of average height, the man was an athlete in every sense of the word. What Tom liked about him was his respectful attitude. He’d approached the situation in an honorable fashion.
“Mr. Loggins,” he started with his golf cap held between his two hands, “I’ve never experienced anything like this. The moment I saw your daughter, I was gobsmacked.”
Tom chuckled at the thought of that word.
Micah fidgeted in his seat. “I mean, six months ago, I would have told you that I didn’t believe in love at first sight. I know now that it does exist. I love her. I adore her. I knew she was a high school senior, so I waited. All those free golf lessons I offered the two of you were just an excuse to be around her.” He stopped to catch his breath. He searched Tom’s face for any sign of anger.
Tom leaned back in his chair and kept silent. He glanced at Lily who huddled on the leather couch next to the man she proclaimed to love. She’s so young. How can she know for sure?
She nervously twirled her index finger around one of her blonde curly strands of hair and sat staring adoringly at her beloved one moment and then fastening her brilliant blue eyes at her father the next.
Micah went on. “Now that she’s eighteen and out of high school, I want to ask you for your blessing. I want to marry your daughter.”
Tom leaned forward. “Not so fast, Micah. You know her mother is staunchly against this relationship. I think you need to give it some time. Date… er… you haven’t been… with my daughter, have you?”
Dad!” Lily squirmed uncomfortably at his insinuation.
“Sex?” Micah reared back in his seat. “No, no. I wouldn’t do that. I want to marry her, not fool around with her!”
“Good.” Tom smiled. “Then let’s give it the test of time. In a year if the two of you feel the same way, then I will consider giving you my blessing. But know this, Micah, if you don’t follow through with this and stay respectful, you’ll have hell to pay from me!”
Tom smiled at the look of resolve he saw in the other man’s eyes. Now, they’d have to convince Lily’s mother, Joan.
His thoughts were interrupted with laughter from his daughter. “Dad, I just got off the phone with Micah. We’re going to call the puppy Caddy. Get it? Caddy. Micah’s a golfer.” She winked at him.
Tom rolled his eyes and puffed on his pipe. “You’re getting ahead of yourself, aren’t you? We need to see if she belongs to anyone.”
“We will, but don’t you see? She was meant to come to us.”
***
So, there you have it! Let me know what you think!
Just reply to [email protected] and tell me what you think.
It’s a draft, so be kind! It hasn't gone through editing yet.
I’d love your thoughts. I can promise you I won’t kill the dog in this story! The dog, like in Luke’s Tale, provides inspiration and unconditional love, and we did have a Caddy in our family years ago.
Contact Carol at http://www.carolmckibben.com or join her
at https://www.facebook.com/CarolMckibbenAuthor.
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