“She told Frank that the sheriff's office was supposed to think that Mariette was taking the drugs by choice. They were supposed to arrest her and either send her to prison or back to the hospital; it didn't matter to her, as long as it was far away from Chance.”
We sat silently for a moment, thinking about the whole situation. Finally, Ben shook his head and started a new conversation.
“Did you say that you've finished the mystery book?” he asked.
I nodded as I stepped into the kitchen to check on the chicken enchiladas I'd made for our supper. “Yes, I'm sure there will be edits to make, but I've finished this round, anyway. Mommaw has a beta-reader copy, and she's already called to tell me that she loves it. She offered to pay to self-publish it, rather than taking the time to submit it to agents and publishers. There's a part of me that would like to be able to say that I've been published through the traditional process, but, for this book, the writing was the most important part for me.”
“And did it do what your grandmother wanted it to?” Ben winked at me.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah...it distracted me enough to let me move forward with my grief. Well, it did until Elena and Mariette provided an even stronger distraction!” We both laughed.
“So, what's next?” he asked. “Will you write another novel, or was one enough?”
You know, I planned for this to be a one-off, even as I was writing the last chapter,” I acknowledged. “But, when it was finished, and I took a step back from it, I realized that I really enjoyed writing it. I'd like to write some more fiction.”
I grinned at him. “In fact, I'm pretty sure I already have my next idea. Mommaw gave me some more of Great-grandpa Paul's journals. Did you know that Tommy Dorsey's band performed at the Goliad Memorial Auditorium? And that there was a love triangle murder out there? Not at the same time, I mean,” I laughed. “But I think I've found my next story!”
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Acknowledgments
Many thanks to Shelley Parks, at the J.A. White Family Goliad Center for Texas History. Your research assistance was invaluable.
And to the Thursday card ladies – I treasure your support and your input.
About the Author
Who would have guessed, all those years ago, that Pamela Martin would someday be able to say, "I am a writer!"? Pam grew up an Air Force brat, which gave her the foundation to write creative stories – she saw a lot of new places and met quite a few "characters" along the way. Those are still cherished memories, and they taught important life lessons -- flexibility, acceptance, respect, patriotism.
After graduating with a BAT from Sam Houston State University, Pam began my career as a teacher, starting out in first grade and, eventually, moving all the way to middle school and high school. Throughout that part of her working life, Pam wrote the occasional press release, many curriculum units, and related classroom materials, but writing was a sideline until about 2008, when she took a step past the light and became a freelance writer. Hundreds of articles, product descriptions and blog posts later, she found the opportunity to write fiction, what turned out to be her true career love!
More from Pamela Martin
Fiction:
Flying High: An Every Book and Cranny cozy mystery novella
All Trussed Up: An Every Book and Cranny cozy mystery novel
Elmer's Teddy Bear Adventure: A holiday story for children
Nonfiction:
ABC: Better Grades With the 6x60 Study Guide Program
Simple Swaps for Delish Healthy Eating
Murder at the Mission Page 9
