The Finish Line

I believe that I have just put the finishing touches to my next book. It’s not quite long enough to be called a novel; it would fall into the novella category. Novella is the term for a little or short novel. I think I completed my last review and it is now in the hands of my dear friend, editor, cover designer, and general fix-my-mistakes and fellow writer, Jan McLaughlin. She is my go to in times of need.

She’s been the designer for the last four of my books. The cover for my mystery book, “Partners for Life” is the fourth in the series of the Tommy Two Shoes Mysteries. Tommy Miner is a retired homicide detective from Pittsburgh that’s now a private eye. The second cover she designed was for “The Walls Came Tumbling Down.” This book shares a speculation of how Rahab the Canaanite harlot met, fell in love, and wed Salmon, a Jewish enemy that helped to destroy her town of Jericho. Offspring from their union were in the line of David the King and Jesus the Messiah. I did find some name mistakes in the text that has to be remedied some day.

My third book cover that Jan did was for my novel called, “Addie.” The story is filled with tenderness and several surprises. A woman who was raised almost completely void of her mother’s love, finds an orphan boy. Her feelings of love begin to blossom when the police find a relative. Addie is left to deal with her unexplored feelings of charity. I try to let my readers feel the emotion and humor with all of my characters. Addie is one of my favorites. It has less action than my other books, but is a very good read.The book I’m now putting the finishing touches is a sequel to “Addie.” I wrote it because several people wanted to know what happened to Ron, Addie’s adopted son. This novella answers that question and introduces Ron’s wife Debra and Addie’s granddaughter Hannah to the growing list of characters.

Jan has designed another great cover for this book called “Hannah’s Messiah.” The people in this tale are caught in a series of births, deaths, love, and sadness, and establishes friendships that are able to cross the lines of age, gender, and economic boundaries. It also deals with how the tender heart of a young girl can affect so many people around her and how those friendships can change lives.