About Three Generations of Women

MUSE MONDAY

One week away from the first release of my Rosette with The Wild Rose Press. First release? Yep. The Wild Rose Press has hooked up with Amazon so that their books and stories release first with Amazon, exclusively, for three months. After the three months, the World Wide Release happens. Mine is scheduled for December 18. Amanda in the Summer is a fifty-five page Rosette.

Three generations of women…and the secret that strengthens their love.

A line of women, all named Amanda, stretches back for generations. Each with her hopes, her joys, her pain—each pouring out her heart in correspondence with a dear family friend who shares their lives, understands their loves, and joins in their sorrows.

But within the correspondence lies a secret. And as the youngest of the Amandas retraces the journey through the years—beginning in post-war America and following through to modern day—the letters reveal, layer by layer, the Amandas who came before her. Soon, the truths and lies hidden in the letters lead her down a path of self-discovery that forges a bond between her past and future.

Today, and for the next few Muse Mondays, I'll post some excerpts. This first excerpt is from the first Amanda. She mentions her daughter, Amanda, and her husband, Robert, who is the only male to have a roll in this story. Hope you enjoy the glimpse.

August 24, 1968

Dear Tilly,

A few days of bliss with no one to talk to but the

seagulls. I have you to thank for this. I’m so glad you

popped back after Amanda, Robert, and Mother left. The

strain I put on all of us while you were here would’ve

dragged on for who knows how long if you hadn’t

returned. Once again, Tilly, you read the tea leaves and

righted things.

My moods have been so ragged of late. Jealousy of

all things. Jealous that you could talk to my daughter,

get along so lovely with her, which I’ve had difficulty

doing these last few months. Jealous of your longer

running friendship with Robert than with me. I’m not

sure if I was jealous of him or you. You’re both mine.

And angry that the two of you are uncomfortable around

each other after so many years and not making sense of

that. When Robert left, I tried to give him the blue

swimsuit you had left behind and asked him to drop in

on you to return it. He said no, I could do it when I got

back. This was so unlike him and did more to unsettle

me...