**Caryl lives in Texas, and although she has escaped harm from this past week's storm, Praise God, please consider offering a prayer for those impacted in Texas and Oklahoma… thanks.
Caryl is offering 1 copy of her newest release SINS OF THE MOTHERS, Book Four of Caryl's Texas Romances series, to 1 randomly chosen commenter. The winner will be announced here on Friday, June 5th between 5-6 PM EST. To be entered in the Giveaway, please leave your contact information within your comment.
Excerpt from SINS OF THE MOTHERS:
Excerpt from SINS OF THE MOTHERS:
SINS OF THE MOTHERS by Caryl McAdoo
With
everyone on the porch for the clan’s sendoff, Mary Rachel decided for sure and
for certain and could wait no longer. She took a deep breath and hugged his
neck. “Daddy, I’m sorry. I really am, but I can’t go. No, I mean I’m not going.
I can’t leave. I won’t.”
He
leaned back and stared at her for too long a minute, his face suddenly stone
cold. “What did you just say?”
She
grimaced; steam rose to her cheeks. He softened just like he always had when
her mother turned on him. Saying it aloud made it all the more real,
strengthened her resolve. “I cannot be gone for seven months. I thought for a
while maybe I could, but I can’t, Daddy.”
Her new
mother stepped close. “But Mary Rachel, why? It’s the trip of a lifetime. I
promise you’ll adore Europe.”
“It’s
just Mary now, please. No Rachel. That’s what Caleb calls me.”
His
voice lowered to almost a whisper, he slipped some of the steel back on. “So.
This is about that boy.”
“He’s a
man, Daddy, and you know it. We love each other.”
“If he
loves you, baby, then he’ll wait. It’s only seven months. He should be thrilled
you have this opportunity to travel Europe.”
“Well,
I’ve made my decision, and I’m not going.”
“We’ve
booked your passage.”
“I
know, and I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner, but I knew you wouldn’t be
happy about my decision.” She looked off at the tree line, hating the
disappointment in his eyes. But that was a coward’s way, so she faced him again.
“Like I said, I thought I could. Anyway, let Bonnie take my place.”
From
somewhere, her youngest sister burst into the middle. “Can I, Daddy? Please
take me! I’ll be good. Mama, tell him how good I’ll be.” She turned those doe
eyes on him. “Pleeeease.”
* * * * *
Six miles, north by northwest as the turkey vultures soar from
Clarksville, Texas, the very reason Mary stayed home, rode his best mule as he
skidded the black walnut saw log back to his cabin. Caleb looked behind. “Slow,
girl, almost there.”
He nudged the animal a bit further, the timber only feet from his
makeshift hoist. Two more steps, then he eased Harley Sue to a stop. He hopped
down then rubbed the old girl’s near ear. “You sure are a good mule.”
The distant rattle of trace chains turned him east, for a minute he
stared, then she waved. “Well, look here what the cat drug in.”
He unhooked the skid and led Harley Sue to the barn’s corral; got back
before Lanelle had the brake set on her wagon. “She go?”
“Nope.”
He nodded. “You sure? Saw it with your own eyes?”
“Yep, he took the three younger girls, but not the princess.” She
stood and threw him a smirk. “Help me down.”
“Sure.” He stepped toward her with his arms held out, she fell into
them. He caught her then twirled her around as she wrapped hers around his
neck. He set her feet to the ground then stepped back a bit. Business first.
“Anyone see you turn on my road?”
“No, but what difference would it make? I’m only bringing supplies for
my kin.”
“True, you get it all?”
“A pound of salt pork, two ounces of salt, and a pound of coffee, but
you best get yourself to town. Old man Hobbs wants a word with you. Wasn’t too
happy when I told him to put it on your bill ‘stead of Pappy’s.”
Caleb nodded toward his wagon. “I should have this lumber loaded by
Saturday. I’ll see to him on my way to Jefferson.”
She shrugged then turned and moseyed toward the cabin. “That last
batch any better?”
Heading the opposite direction to the well, he soon went to cranking;
retrieved the jug, pulled the cork, and sipped a taste. When he didn’t follow,
she looked around then trotted to him grinning. He extended his home brew. “You
tell me.”
Always a sight to behold, she accepted the jug without an ounce of
pretension. Licked her lips then took a short pull and wiped her mouth.
“Boogers, Caleb.” She grinned then got herself a real drink. “Woo! I’d say that
may be the best you’ve cooked yet.”
He took the jug back and sipped a few gulps more. Burned good all the
way down. Replacing the cork, he nodded toward the cabin. “You got time?”
Passion! By Caryl McAdoo
It’s
May! It’s May, the lovely month of May! That’s about as far as this Christian
author can go singing that old Camelot song. J But I do love the month
of May. Back in 1950, at the St. Mary’s Hospital in Long Beach, California, I
was born on the third day of May. So as I grew enough to become aware, the
fifth month in the year became my favorite one.
Do
you have favorites? I have favorite everythings! In VOW UNBROKEN, my first
historical Christian Texas Romance, the heroine, Susannah Baylor is very
passionate—about most everything, and that’s one of the reasons my hero Patrick
Henry Buckmeyer loves her so much, even though she often takes her passion to
the extremes and not always in a good way.
My
poor husband Ron of almost forty-eight years and poor Henry, but they both
desire to share their lives with a passionate woman. J Passion is a noun, an emotion described in dictionaries as strong
and barely controllable, powerful and compelling. It’s used more specifically
in relation to being amorous and also to describe the sufferings of Christ in
His last days on earth as a man.
The
Urban Dictionary says: ‘Passion is when you put more energy into
something than is required to do it. It is more than just enthusiasm or
excitement, passion is ambition that is materialized into action to put as much
heart, mind, body, and soul into something as is possible.’ So I don’t believe
it’s a bad thing.
Acts 14:15 speaks of it:
‘We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should
turn from these vanities unto the living God…’ And in the fifth chapter of
James, seventeenth verse, ‘Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are,
and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth
by the space of three years and six months.’ Woo Hoo! Being passionate can be
great. God can use my passions for His Kingdom!
I am passionate about
bringing God glory! I have adopted a mantra for my writing: Praying my story
gives God glory! And that’s the fourth sentence I’ve ended with an exclamation
point. Tee hee hee My passion is showing. In my novels, I don’t, but in my life,
exclamations come so naturally! I think that has to do with my passion.
So, one of my favorite
things is the color GREEN, for as long as I can remember, emerald is the
birthstone of May and my younger eyes were bright green. I have green rings,
clothes, car, purses, sunglasses, towels, dishes, walls, furniture, sheets,
roofs…need I go on? This has served me well, when I go out, strangers think I
am so ‘together’ and if I should leave anything somewhere – like my brush at a
baby shower, the hostess called and said, “I’m sure this is yours, Caryl. It’s
green.”—I get my stuff back. And yet another benefit is that I get occasional
little gifts when people I know are out and see something green J and they think of me.
I also have a favorite food
in TACOS! Think about it, with a dollop of sour cream, they encompass all the
basic food groups—and with a wallop when sprinkled with jalapenos. Praise and
worship is my favorite music. Sweet tea is my favorite drink. Chocolate is my
favorite flavor of anything!
My afore mentioned mantra
and passion for God leads me walk in His Holiness and to be bold in telling
others about the Truths His Holy Spirit has revealed to me. It causes some to
think I’m being judgmental. I unintentionally hurt some people because of my passion
and they don’t like being around me because of it. In my passion I am
compassionate, and it hurts me to know I’ve hurt someone, but my passion will
not allow compromise. Truth is Truth and right is right, and two wrongs never
make a right!
So what are YOU passionate
about?
Caryl's Ah-hahs To Tweet:
#ChristianFiction
author @CarylMcAdoo shares true writing passion on Everyone’s Story (Tweet This)
#BookGiveaway
of @CarylMcAdoo’s newest release of SINS OF THE MOTHERS (Tweet This)
@CarylMcAdoo:
should passion allow compromise in your writing? (Tweet
This)
Author's Bio:
Christian,
hybrid (Simon and Schuster; Indie) author Caryl McAdoo is currently
writing three series, all from a perspective of faith: her historical Texas
Romances; the contemporary Red River Romances; and The Generations, her
Biblical fiction. The novelist loves singing new songs the Lord gives her, and
she paints. In 2008, she and her high school sweetheart-husband Ron moved from
the DFW area—home for fifty-five years—to the woods of Red River County. Caryl
counts four children and fifteen grandsugars life’s biggest blessings believing
all good things come from God. Praying each story gives God glory, she hopes it
will also minister His love, mercy, and grace to its readers. Caryl and Ron
live in Clarksville, the county seat, in the far northeast corner of the Lone
Star State.
Places to connect with Caryl:
