Some excerpts from my ebook

Dear Readers:
Sam has graciously allowed me to include excerpts from my new ebook, “The Red Jacket,” in today’s blog. We hope you enjoy.

A Christmas present from his grandmother emboldens 16-year old Francis and gives him courage, but will he be strong enough to survive a fight with his stepfather and the floodwaters of Oregon’s raging MacKenzie River? 

From Chapter I 

Bright morning sun pierced the gothic stained-glass windows of the old Episcopal Church throwing cobalt blue, blood red and royal violet shafts of light bouncing off the slick ebony surface of the granite altar. The colors twinkled as if they were precious jewels spilled carelessly across black velvet; flickering candles nearby cast shadows of dancing ghosts across the walls and pews.
Solemn basso profundo notes rumbled deep within the church organ’s copper and brass pipes, as if God himself stood nearby mumbling peevishly what a shame it was to have to bury the poor young man in the casket.

Twenty years ago I almost was that young man.

Actually, Francis Albert Forsyth (that’s me) did die, but God, in his infinite grace, allowed me to come back to life. I remember that time as clearly as if it happened only yesterday.

From Chapter 9 

“I’ll kill you!” Web yelled at me, bucking me off him onto the floor.
I caught a momentary glimpse of grandma tugging at grandpa’s shirt, keeping him from jumping into the fray.
“Leave us alone,” I yelled. “It’s our fight.”
Then Web was on top of me down on the floor and if I hadn’t spent so much time weightlifting to regain my strength, I might easily have succumbed to his onslaught.

I believed I was fighting for my very survival.

From Chapter 13 

The whup, whup, whup was right above us again, then it moved on up the river. I hoped the helicopter pilot would make a few more passes over the house so we would have time to put our plan into action
I asked Ronnie is she was ready to go.

I frantically looked toward the riverbank for help. I didn’t see anybody there. I scanned the sky for the helicopter. I didn’t see it. I didn’t see a boat either. And the girl I loved was fast being swept downriver out of my sight, maybe out of my life. Forever.

From Chapter 14 

I had to allow the current to take me downstream where it wanted to, but I also tried to cut diagonally across the current as much as I could, hoping that I would eventually wind up on shore.
I don’t know how long I struggled. After what felt like an eternity in the freezing river water, I decided I couldn’t keep up the struggle.
As much as I wanted to survive, every fiber of my being was screaming, “Give it up. You’re lost. Ronnie’s lost. Your life is over.”

The Red Jacket is available on Kindle devices and Kindle apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, PC, Mac, Blackberry, and Android-based devices. 

Hope you read it. It's only $3.99