JANUARY 17, 2022
So, how’s the weather at your house? Ah, cold enough for you? Brrrrrrr. At my house, down here in the south, snow fell on us. We do get a bit of the white stuff every now and then. The schools close because the counties won’t let buses try and maneuver on the icy back roads. You could say that we make it an event—a holiday!!!
Speaking of holidays, I do hope yours was a healthy one. We were lucky and were not sick, but we did have a few friends and family who were under the weather, so to speak.
EXTRA, EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT!
RELATIVE CONSEQUENCES will soon be released. LAUNCH DATE is MARCH 12, 2022. (Pre-Orders for Kindle Select are available NOW on AMAZON!}
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GOING BACK IN TIME TO 1955-1956
A good bit of RELATIVE CONSEQUENCES takes place in a time in history remembered as the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Events surrounding the everyday lives of the children portrayed in the story act as a backdrop for their innocent actions.
Everyone had to have a television in his or her home. One could see programs like American Bandstand, Gunsmoke, and Lassie. Not only did small town diners provide old timers and families a place to catch a hot meal, but the news of the day and neighborhood gossip attracted most of the customer base.
Children pledged allegiance to the Stars & Stripes standing in the corner of the classroom; teachers made sure every child could write in cursive across blackboards. Kids explored the backroads, deserted buildings, and empty lots of their hometowns. Adults never worried about their children’s safety and rarely locked their doors. After all, the County Sheriff and maybe even a Deputy Sheriff took care of the town. Surely, local officials proved to be trustworthy and responsible souls.
What were Jessy Blanchard (Jessy Tate) and her friends up to in 1955?
Below is a sneak peek from PART TWO of RELATIVE CONSEQUENCES.
Clark bent over to pick up a stick. “Maybe he’s dead. I’ll poke him and see.”
Recalling her mother’s cautionary words, Jessy whispered, “You better not. If he’s asleep, you’ll wake him. He might be dangerous.”
The man’s foot wiggled. The shocked children shuffled backward. The vagrant then extended his arms above his head and stretched. Gazing into the sun, he lifted the brim of his hat and opened one eye then the other. “Uh, can I help you kids?”
Rita May inched closer. “Just checking to see if you were breathing. You looked deader than a mackerel.”
The hobo chuckled. “No, missy, I ain’t dead. I’s hongry and wore out is all.”
Jessy took a step forward. “My daddy owns the diner over there. I’m sure he’ll give you something to eat, if we ask him.”
Next time we get together, we’ll talk a little bit about the relationship between Jessy Tate and her friend, Rita Rhodes.
See ya’ next time, Jody
Jody Herpin 