Thankful Author 2017- Laura Strickland

In Search of Gratitude

It’s been a difficult year, a truth to which I’m certain many of my fellow thankful authors are bound to attest. Ever since the U.S. elections of 2016, there’s been divisiveness and conflict. Add to that the horrors we’ve seen, from natural disasters to world threats to senseless violence, and it makes a soul ache. After I signed up for this Thankful Author post, I sat myself down and wondered, for just what should I proclaim myself grateful?

The small, personal things did not seem enough, though I am indeed grateful for them. I’m thankful for the days when my beloved, aging dog rallies and leaps about in happiness because I’ve returned home; for the fact that I have a roof over my head and the wherewithal to pay my bills. I’m grateful for the joy of a humble meal, denied to so many, for laughter with friends, the loyalty and love of family and my writing career.

But, what of the greater picture? In a time when so many seem to have unleashed their inner ugliness, when hate runs rampant and everyone has an opinion about who should or should not stand for our national anthem, when terror erupts from a hotel window, what can possibly light the darkness?

Then it came to me. For what am I thankful this year, and always?

 Kindness.

A thing so simple that it’s not simple at all but the most complex of concepts, multi-faceted as a prism and as persistent as sunrise. The problem with kindness is it’s quiet. It doesn’t shriek aloud like hate or declare itself in warlike rhetoric. It enters through the back door of the room where despair lingers and lifts the occupants up. It’s present every time someone feeds a hungry child or rescues a hurting animal, or makes the smallest donation to a charity. It’s in the opening of a door for the burdened, the smile given to the mother who seems harassed and weary; and in the acknowledgment that under the skin we are all the same. It may be quiet, but its strong steady beauty keeps the world spinning on its axis. That is why, defiant I say in the face of ugliness, let’s all practice kindness—for it is the enduring proof of love.

Series: The Landmarks Series (The Erie Canal)

Author: Laura Strickland

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Release Date: October 6, 2017

Blurb:

Accused of ruining Mae Ballard and faced with a shotgun wedding, Jefferson Lind knows exactly who’s to blame. He’s been taking the fall for Jedediah’s sins as long as he can remember. Mae’s a shrieking shrew, and he hasn’t seen Jed, his identical twin, since they worked digging the Erie Canal together. If he’d been ordered to marry Mae’s sweet younger sister Rosie, instead, he sure wouldn’t complain.

Rosie’s the only member of her family who believes Jeff, and she’d go to any lengths to free him from her sister’s clutches. But when Jedediah turns up with violent thugs on his tail, things quickly grow more dangerous. Gamblers from Buffalo seize both sisters as hostages, prompting a daring impersonation. Can Jeff and Jed shed their troubled past and win the hearts of the women they love?

Excerpt:

She poured some of the septic powder she'd brought into the basin. "Let's get you cleaned up first, eh?"

                A few of the scrapes were deep. Clearly he'd had a go at washing them off and done a poor job. The next few moments were painful to both of them. Rosie hated hurting anyone, except maybe Mae. Her sympathetic agony, however, was offset by the sheer pleasure of touching him.

By heaven, to have such a man beneath her hands! He smelled like sunshine, fresh air and tangy male, and it went straight to her head.

                She concentrated on separating herself from the feelings surging through her and failed completely when he suddenly raised his hand and touched her cheek.

                "What happened to you?"

                All sense had gone out of Rosie's mind; she had to search it to remember.

                "Oh, that was Mae."

                "Mae?" His tawny eyes narrowed between their swollen lids. "She hit you?"

                Rosie smiled ruefully. "She did."

                "Nasty baggage. She left a bruise."

                "Don't worry about me, Mr. Lind."

                "I think you should call me Jeff, don't you? Seeing as how you're the one person in the world who believes I’m not a liar."

                "Jeff," Rosie repeated, suddenly breathless.

                "My misbegotten brother is Jed—Jedediah and Jefferson." Humor tinged his voice. "I'm called after the great president."

                "Lucky you."

                "Never been lucky, no not me." His eyes looked into hers, dodging nothing. "At least, I never was."

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Author bio:

Award-winning author Laura Strickland delights in time traveling to the past and searching out settings for her books, be they Historical Romance, Steampunk or something in between. Born and raised in Western New York, she’s pursued lifelong interests in lore, legend, magic and music, all reflected in her writing. Although she enjoys travel, she’s usually happiest at home with her husband and her "fur" child, a rescue dog. Author of numerous Historical and Contemporary Romances, she resides within walking distance of the Erie Canal.

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