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Blurb:
When high school freshman Katherine Boyd meets David, her life is
forever altered. Their romance experiences the turmoil of Mississippi in the
sixties, family relationships that keep them apart, and political differences
that threaten to destroy them. Through the death of JFK and James Meredith’s
admission to Ole Miss, Katherine’s growth means being progressive in a
traditional Southern family, accepting the loss of those closest to her, and learning
to cope with her family’s darkest secrets. Just
Out of Reach is the story of a young woman forged in desperate times and a
love that changes her life forever.
Excerpt from Just Out
of Reach:
I was numb from the news. As I
listened to Dr. Pierce, my mind seemed to separate from my body. It was like my
family doctor, the same doctor that had delivered my girls, was talking to
someone else. I thought I had been so careful but, obviously, not careful
enough. I was pregnant, and Tom was not the father! I thought about my last
pregnancy. This time I knew I would not abort. Other than that, I didn’t know
what I was going to do. As I drove home, I thought about the events that had
lead to my present state; all the things Tom did wrong and the things I did
wrong as well.
After Birmingham, things settled
down somewhat. For the girls’ sake, Tom stopped drinking. But we still fought
over everything from civil rights to how I raised the girls, especially
Katherine. She was her father’s favorite, and Tom felt she could do no wrong. My
youngest daughter was very independent and had a strong, stubborn streak in
her. No matter how I tried to force her to behave, she fought back. It always
led to tantrums, tears, and eventually spankings. As my daughter grew older,
the fighting between me and Katherine worsened, with Tom acting as a referee. The
fact that my husband sided with Katherine enraged me. This, of course, widened
the gulf between me and Tom. We were like strangers living under the same roof,
barely speaking to one another. There were days and sometime weeks of silence
between the two of us. Things rocked along unchanged until the fall of 1958.
Author bio
and links:
Belinda
J. Stevens was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi, the gateway to the Mississippi
Delta, in 1948. She grew up in the turbulent sixties, and has a true
appreciation for the difficulties experienced by Katherine in Just Out of Reach, which is Belinda’s
first novel. She is an attorney who currently practices law in Yazoo City and
resides in Brandon, Mississippi with her dog, Humprey B.
4 comments:
What was the most influential thing for your book? Your life? A story you heard? A man?
andralynn7 AT gmail DOT com
Nice blurb
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Sounds like a great read!!
Thanks for the excerpt and the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
An excerpt full to the brim with drama - love it.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
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