“There’s a lot of stuff in here, but I haven’t found anything that will help us turn the flowers back into children.” Micah sighed. “I’m still not sure how we’re going to help them.”
Sarah climbed up on the chair next to Micah and leaned over the armrest. “What all does Grandma have in that book?”
“There are lots of pictures of goblin gold,” Micah said. He turned the page and pointed to a picture that looked new. “She even added a picture of the stone we found earlier this week.”
“What else? There has to be more in there than that,” Sarah said.
“There is. Grandma has lots of newspaper articles in here. It looks like she cut most of them out from Halloween issues of the paper,” Micah said. “I’ve read a few so far, but I haven’t found anything to help yet.”
He turned the page. Grandma had glued each of the articles to a piece of cardstock and slipped it into a plastic sleeve in order to protect them.
It wasn’t until Micah turned the page again that Sarah jumped out of her chair.
“Wait! Micah, I’ve seen that pocket watch before!” she said. Sarah’s voice raised in excitement, enough to catch Micah’s attention. When he looked at his sister, he noticed that she had raised her eyebrows and was bouncing on her toes. She was so excited that she couldn’t stand still.
Micah looked down at the page and saw a yellowed news clip about a magic pocket watch that was said to protect everyone touching it from all goblin spells. Smack in the middle of the article was a picture of the pocket watch.
Examining the photo of the watch, Micah could only compare it to a tiny clock on a string, and even though the photo was in black and white, the caption described the pocket watch as a dirty-gold color.
“It says here that the pocket watch was last seen five years before this article was printed, and according to the date right here, this article was written fifty-two years ago,” Micah said. “That means no one has reported seeing the pocket watch in more than fifty-seven years.” He raised a quizzical eyebrow at his sister. “What makes you think you know where it is?”
“I don’t think I know where it is, Micah. I know I know where it is. C’mon. I’ll show you.”
Acknowledgements
Writing a book is a solitary job. Producing a finished project is anything but. I could have never done it without the help and support of innumerable family and friends. There are so, so many of you who I need to thank for your love, support, and encouragement. Please know that even if I miss someone, I truly appreciate every single person who has helped me reach this final project.
First and foremost, I need to say a huge ‘Thank you!’ to my cowboy, my husband, Tony, for giving me the time and space to chase my dreams and goals. I couldn’t have done any of this without your constant support in so, so many different ways.
Sophie and Ellie, thank you for keeping my imagination fresh and for constantly helping me to come up with new ideas. You two are my motivation, my inspiration, and my confidence, all rolled into two small packages.
To Mom and Dad, for giving me the lifelong freedom and the encouragement to keep telling stories and making things up. You gave me the foundation upon which to build my world, build my stories, and build my dreams.
To Jill, for constantly encouraging me and building my confidence through my self-doubt, for pushing me to take the next step.
To Casey, for always listening to my crazy ideas, staying quiet long enough for me to get to the point.
To Heather, for the invaluable feedback, and for being excited about my project. Thanks for providing me with extra energy to keep going.
To Abby and Michelle, for allowing me to use you as my test audience. Your help means the world.
To Allison, for always asking questions and forcing me to think everything through. Your logic has helped me think further down the line.
To Amy, for your unfailing optimism and belief in following your dreams. Without your initial encouragement, none of this would have come to pass.
To all the editors and page designers at CreateSpace, to my cover designer Olivia, to my biographer and blurb writer Ava Mallory, a huge thank you. You’ve all provided invaluable advice and feedback every step of the way.
And finally, to those adults who have picked up The Cowboy and the Unicorn for your children, or to read with your children, thank you. In giving your children something to read, you’ve provided them with the greatest gift of all. Kudos to you.
Thank you, everyone!
About the Author
Kristyn Gansen lives in Minnesota with her husband and two daughters. She’s never encountered a goblin or a unicorn, but she lives with her very own cowboy. When she isn’t writing stories, Kristyn enjoys running, reading, and exploring the world around her. The Cowboy and the Unicorn is her first book.
Visit Kristyn on Instagram: @novelmombooks, or search for the Hogar Haven fan page on Facebook.
The Cowboy and the Unicorn Page 4
