I love all the characters I write about, even the bad ones, in a perverse sort of way, but I love Rabbit most of all. This plucky little boy was so much fun to bring to life, and his journey out of the wilderness and into Sarah and Mac’s cozy life spoke to my heart every step of the way. Rabbit looks at life with a unique perspective, and I hope readers will find him as adorable, clever, and completely compelling as I did. He has a lot to share with all of us, including the most important lesson of all: giving and receiving profound love is always, always worth the risk. Here’s the prologue to Book 2 of my Wake-Robin Ridge series, A Boy Named Rabbit.

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TUESDAY
FEBRUARY 26, 2013
DEEP IN THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS 

“Gran? Gran, wake up. Wake up, please?”

The little boy reached out a timid hand and shook the bony arm of the woman on the cot. “Please, Gran? I got tea here. I made it the way you like, an’ all. With honey.”

“I’m awake, Boy. Stop shakin’ me, now. Help me up.”

He set the tea on the apple crate, and pulled his grandmother into a sitting position. She was growing more and more frail every day, weighing hardly more than he did. That wasn’t a good thing. She was a grown up. Grown up women should be much bigger than he was.

Propping her up on the cot, he wrapped a worn army blanket around her narrow shoulders, as the wracking coughs started again. This was the longest spell yet, and when she choked to a stop, the sound of her wheezing scared him.

“I wish Grampa was back.” He handed her the mug of hot tea, being careful not to spill it .

“Wishin’ won’t make it so. You know that.”

 “But we need him. He’s bringin’ some of that stuff what makes you feel better.”

“He’ll be here directly, don’t fret, Boy. I’ll be okay ‘til then, good Lord willin’.”

She took a sip of tea. “Perfect. You done good.”

The boy’s straight, black brows lifted, and some of the fear left his enormous, dark blue eyes. “You need to get better, Gran. Grampa says we gotta move camp, ‘fore the weather gets any colder.”

“He’s right. Mild winter, so far, but worse is on the way. We done fished this little stream ‘bout out, anyway. Maybe time to head back to the caves.” Continue reading →