Dear Daddy,

How would she ever do it? How could she? Alone and pregnant with an orphaned four-year-old. How would she provide for herself and the boy? Deliver a baby out on the prairie with no doctors for a hundred miles?

      Oh, God, I’m so scared. I’m so tired. I need Your help. You have to guide me.

      She let her head fall into her hands and wept, didn’t know how long, but then she stood, wiped her face, and fetched Jacob’s ink well, paper, and quill.

           

            Dear Daddy,

                  I don’t know where to begin except to say that I’m sorry, and I love you. Andrew and I made the trip out to Tejas just fine, and he and his brother – they were really doing great. The business was growing, and there’s been plenty of money coming in. We were so happy, so in love. But then there was an accident. It was raining, barely at first. There was a creek, and the wagon was loaded full. The oxen slipped, Daddy, and the wagon and logs and oxen and men rolled down the creek bank all together. It was horrible… so awful. Andy… and Jacob… They’re gone, both of them.

      The tears flooded her eyes again and refused to be contained. It was all her fault. Andrew dying, Jacob, poor little Levi not having his mama and now no daddy. She never should have come. She should have obeyed her father, listened to him instead of thinking she knew everything.

      I’m sorry, Lord, so sorry. But how can I fix it now? What can I do?

      She sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve then dipped the quill again.

                   Please forgive me, Daddy. You have to. I need to know that you forgive me. I promise you this—and I promise God, too, Daddy—I will never marry again without your blessing. I vow before my Holy God. I’m so sorry that Andrew had to die and his brother, all because I didn’t honor you like I should.

                  I don’t know what I’ll do, but I can’t walk away and leave everything the Baylor brothers worked so hard for, gave their lives for. It’s the children’s inheritance. I can’t steal it from them. Yes, children; I’m pregnant. You’re going to be a grandfather. Andrew didn’t know before he passed. It’ll be sometime next summer, the early part.

                  Maybe you could come, Daddy, for a visit? Andy promised we could come back to Memphis next year, but I don’t know how I possibly could by myself with two little ones. I was so wrong when I told you that I was as mature as I’d ever get… I was wrong, and I know you were right now.

                  I love you, Daddy, and I am sorry. Please write me back. I pray I find someone soon headed east and that this letter finds its way to you. May God bless   you until we once again see each other.

                                                                                      Your daughter, Susannah

  

       She blew on the paper and waved it in the air trying to bring an image of her father to mind, but she could only hear him telling her to not to go. Hopefully, he could find it in his heart to forgive her, but how could she know? If he didn’t come or write back, would she ever?

       She glanced across the one room cabin and the little sleeping hump in her bed. Precious little boy. Well, she was all he had, he belonged to her now. With God’s help, she’d see to it that no further harm would ever come to him. Her hand went to her abdomen and she rubbed it. Maybe he’d have a little brother come summer. She smiled. Or a little sister-cousin. She’d have to think about names for both, but there was plenty of time for that. 

YOUNG LOVE

Sue studied his new wagon. It looked a lot different than any she’d ever seen.

“Isn’t she grand? Heavy and well built?" He walked around the latest purchase he and his brother bought from the sale of their father's estate. He looked so proud. "Yessiree, it'll haul all the timber me and Jacob could cut in a month.”

His unbridled exuberance caused a smile to blossom in her heart and bloom on her face. “It looks like a fine wagon, Andrew. I'm happy for you.”

“For us! It's our future, Susannah. Oh, it needs another coat of oil, and I’m going to stretch the canvas, but it’ll do. She’ll get us there.” He turned from what she was sure was the most expensive belonging he’d ever owned and faced her. “Did you talk with him?”

Her rose wilted then died, only thorns left to pierce. She examined the ground a moment before meeting his eye again. “I did. Last night right after supper.”

“Well? What did he say?”

She shook her head. “My father's pigheaded and doesn’t understand. Says we’re too young." Andy's hand reached toward her face, and he wiped a tear away. "Daddy said no. He will not give us his blessing.”

Her love slipped his hand over hers, his fingertip still wet. “Sue, we’re both of age. We don’t have to have his permission.”

She closed her eyes. Why was this happening? Why did she have to choose between the two men she loved the most in the whole world? It wasn’t fair. “Andy, can’t we wait? Maybe in the spring…”

“No, I just cannot. I gave my brother my word. Once the wagon’s finished, I’m leaving. I have to. Everything has fallen into place, Sue. We’ll be full partners.”

“Your brother… He’d understand, wouldn't he? What’s six months?”

“Exactly. The Judge isn’t going to change his mind. He wants you to stay right there in that big ol’ house cooking and cleaning like it’s always been since your mom passed. He can’t stand the thought of his little girl getting married and going west. Besides, there's no way for me to get word to Jacob. I've got to go. Please.” He lifted her chin. "Come."

What could she say? Of course he was right. Her father would be all alone. Him not wanting things to change... She understood, but couldn’t he see she was grown? He wanted her to stay twelve, but at eighteen, she was as mature as she was ever going to get. Most of her friends had already started a family. But could she leave him?

She looked skyward. Change his mind, Lord. Make him see.

She smiled again at Andrew. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. So what's it to be? Will you go west with me? Start our new life?”

She hated the look in his eyes. The same fear lurked in her heart. She couldn’t let him go, not again. “Can we come back to visit?”

“Of course! In a year or two, we’ll return, introduce him to his grandbabies. You’ll see. He won’t stay mad.”

“You promise we’ll come back?”

“You have my word. Three years at the most.”

She took both of his hands in hers and searched his eyes. He loved her, she was certain. “Yes. A thousand times, yes. I will marry you, Andrew Baylor.”

Dinner with Frank Peretti

So, I’m at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis. It’s the end of a fabulous Saturday full of friends, teachings, appointments, and encouraging news. I’m on my way down to the lobby from my room on the fourteenth floor to meet my fellow Howard Books’ authors and editors for dinner at a nearby pizza place. If you’ve been following my posts, you may have heard me mention that my editors are also Frank Peretti’s and the Duck Dynasty fellows, too—Phil and Willie. I’m tickled with that and consider it an honor to be in such company. God’s blessed me so!

Frank Peretti, fabulous Christian author and me!

            So I step onto the elevator and who’s already aboard but the man himself. I say, “You’re Frank Peretti.”

            He nodded a little and smiled. “I know.”

            “Are you going to dinner with me?”

            He looked a bit puzzled at my question. “Well, I’m headed to the lobby to meet someone who texted and said be down there at 5:45 for pizza.”

            “Then you are! I’m a Howard author, too.”

            I started telling him about my historical Christian romance VOW UNBROKEN coming out next March. We walked through the lobby together and found our group. I’m pretty sure I sang the new song the Lord had just given me—well finished, He started it on the flight to Indiana—that day to sing for Kim Childress, the Zonderkidz editor I had an appointment with.

            I’m uncertain how we got off on tornadoes, probably speaking of Texas being in ‘Tornado Alley’ but I had the chance to witness that we are to tell a tornado coming at us to go “up”. Back up into the clouds. There’s a whole funny story about that. I also testified as to how I once prayed around a McDonald’s parking lot I had to pave telling the dark clouds—as I walked its perimeters—that they could rain on the other side of the highway, or there in the woods, but they could not rain on that parking lot. I rejoined the other contractors I’d been meeting with when one said, “Would you look at that!”

            It was raining across the highway, and in the woods, but my parking lot stayed dry and I was able to get it paved in time for the grand opening. I so love to give God glory and tell of His excellent greatness, how much He loves me!

Pizza dinner with Frank Peretti and Howard Books authors and editors!

            Anyway, once we’d all gathered, we headed for the pizza place and had delicious pizza. It was a wonderful evening and I so enjoyed speaking with an author I’ve loved since first reading his books PIERCING THE DARKNESS and THIS PRESENT DARKNESS. He has over FIFTEEN MILLION BOOKS in print now. The living Word tells us that God is no respecter of persons. What He’s done for my brother Frank, He can do for me! Heavy sigh! Now THAT IS an encouraging word!

           Father, continue to bless Your servant Frank and give him more wonderful stories to write for the advancement of Your Kingdom on earth! And give me a few as well because I want to bring You glory! Bless Howard Books and Simon and Schuster, the American Christian Fiction Writers, and all those in the publishing industry that seek to glorify You! In the name of Your beloved Son, I ask, and thank You, Abba! Amen!   

MY FIRST ACFW Conference - W*O*W!!

     The 2013 American Christian Fiction Writers’ Conference rocked. I was honored that the Lord made a way for me to go to Indianapolis.
      Next year is in St. Louis, Missouri, and I’d encourage all to start planning to go now. The link is www.acfw.com then click 'Conference' and sign up! I promise, if you love being in God's presence with 600-700 Christian writers, you will not be disappointed!

     ACFW's ‘First Timer’s Email Loop’ blew me away, all the information astounding. Everything posted by two board members Brandilyn and Cara proved so helpful to make all us first-time attendees feel comfortable—from traveling to what it would be like once we arrived. Plus it let us newbies make friends with others before we went, too.

Holly Michael from Kansas City MO

           

My Roomie, Mimi Conteur from N. Carolina

 These are my new sister- writer-friends who were all First timers like me : ) There was an immediate bond! And we're starting an online critique group.

Tanara frm Phoenix AZ

      

The ACFW ladies introduced many First-Timers to One-Pages—a tool to have your novel idea/synopsis and biography on one page to hand to an editor or agent; they went over the ‘elevator pitches’ and even took the time to critique and help make those the best they could be. All this made interviewing with an agent or editor so much less intimidating.
           

Mary Sue McAdoo Seymour and me : )

The Seympour Agency Ladies

 Blessed to already have Mary Sue, a New York agent who hosted a dinner at P.F. Changs for all her authors on Friday night, I didn’t need any agent appointments! It was great meeting all her ‘Seymour Ladies’, my fellow agency scribes.
             

Beth Adams, Amanda Demastus and me

       And I already have my editors for historical Christian romances in Beth Adams and Amanda Demastus with my VOW UNBROKEN debuting from Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, next March. It’s available now for pre-order so you don’t have to remember! My editor said it would really be great if there were a thousand pre-orders waiting to be shipped on March 4^th! You can go to any number of sites, but here’s two: www.amazon.com/Vow-Unbroken-Novel-Caryl-McAdoo/dp/1476735514 or http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/VOW-UNBROKEN-by-Caryl-McAdoo?aref=1521&keyword=VOW+UNBROKEN+by+Caryl+McAdoo&store=BOOK.

       They hosted a Saturday dinner at a great pizza place for the Howard authors. This photo is taken at the ACFW gala Sunday night. Anyway, they’ve got first option on my romances, so I didn’t need to meet with another editor for those.   

      So, I took STARFISH PRIME, book one of The King’s Highway trilogy to pitch to a mid-grade Christian editor. I pre-chose Kim Childress with Zonderkidz; I figured with her raising four kids almost the same age as the four grandsugars I’ve got, on top of our love for the Lord, we’d hit it off. She flabbergasted me when she told me the manuscript was already on her desk in the short pile! She’d already taken it to her editorial board and they had a couple of questions which I was able to answer. I believe it was another divine encounter!

     And here's another miracle. I’ve gone to schools all over Texas with the mid-grade River Bottom Ranch Stories as a visiting author, teaching creative writing for grades K-5. I use the new songs God gives me that go with the stories to reel in the student’s attention if it starts to stray. So, I’d asked the Lord for a new song to go with STARFISH PRIME. I got the beginnings on the plane in route. Then in a class—thirty minutes before my appointment with Kim—He gave me the entire song which I sang to her! It’s a sweet tune titled Angels Unaware. I’ll post the lyrics sometime, but this is already getting long. Kim promised to get back with my agent within the month! Can you say exciting? :)

      What I looked forward to most was the corporate praise and worship, and it did not disappoint! God’s manifest presence came down and Holy Spirit walked among His people! I sang. I went to His throne. I even danced before Him a bit! It was absolutely Heavenly to be there and love on Him with so many fellow writers!

      I’m praying He makes a way for me to attend every ACFW Conference until He comes again! What a wonderful experience it was!     

Rebecca's Prayer

Rebecca looked out her window at the star filled night sky. She loved all the tiny twinkling little points of light. There must be millions. The moon shone bright on the cotton field and looked so beautiful. But something weighed heavy, troubled, her little heart. It had been for a while, and she’d been thinking hard on it. She tiptoed back to her bed, knelt on the braided rag rug, and pressing her hands together beneath her chin, bowed her head.

            “Dear God, I know you’re my daddy since I don’t have one, Mama said. But that’s what I want to talk to you about. All my friends have a daddy who lives with them, and I want one of those, too. I want a daddy to carry me on his shoulders, and you can’t do that. And I really want a daddy to take me fishing. Oh, and to help Mama, too, because she has to do everything all by herself, and she needs lots of help. She really does then maybe she won’t get so mad and be so tired all the time.

          "Oh, yes, thank You for her, she’s the best mother and I love her very much. Thank You for our house and Ol’ Betsy and her new baby. He’s very cute, and I wish we didn’t have to eat him when he gets big. And thank you for the rain, too. That made Mama very glad and happy. Thank you for my friends Sophia Belle and Sassy and let me play with them again real soon. And I guess thank you for Levi, too, even if I don’t like him always trying to be the boss of me.” She opened one eye and peeked up at the ceiling. “And You know he ain’t.”

            “And that’s another reason I need a daddy so bad; on account of Levi always telling me what to do. Now I’d mind a daddy, God. So that’s what I want more than anything else in the whole world. If you will please send me a one, I promise I’ll be very good. I’ll always do my chores and eat all my peas and never hit Levi anymore. In Jesus name, amen.”

            She jumped up, climbed in between her sheets, and snuggled into her feather pillow looking out the window. The breeze blew the curtain into her room. Oh no! She forgot something! Back onto her knees in one smooth motion, she touched her chin with her fingertips again. “Forgot something, God. I want him to be very nice and smile and laugh all the time and not to holler and to buy me candy. And a real doll, I’d like a real doll like Sassy’s. That’s all. Thanks, Lord.”
            Cuddled into her bed, she couldn’t quit smiling. Her Daddy would be coming soon, any day now. Mama was going to be so surprised. She closed her eyes and a sweet peace swaddled her as she took a little trip to Sleepy Town, but she never stopped smiling.

HALLELUJAH! It's a book!

It's a BOOK!!!

I awoke late this morning for not being able to go to sleep last night, so got a not-so-early start on the day. I went to work with several projects on my list. For those of you who don't know, we've been moving to about 5 miles south of Clarksville in our new home name The Peaceable. SO I have many projects going on.
     Around four, the dogs barking drew my attention to the front window, and I looked just in time to see the UPS man get back in his truck. Working in the kitchen, I figured I'd go get what he brought in just a minute, but of course, I got busy finishing that project and forgot.
     After dinner, Ron and I went out to the front yard to visit and bounce landscaping ideas around. He got bit twice right away by the Texas mosquitoes and insisted that I join him in the living room (no TV there) if I wanted to talk. On the way back in, I noticed the box and brought it inside to open.
     Ron asked who it was from, but I didn't have my reading glasses on and couldn't tell, but I figured it was the new business and post cards I'd ordered from Vista Print to have at the upcoming ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Conference in September. I got a case cutter and slit the top tape, pulled back the cardboard, then gasped.

     It was Susannah Baylor staring out at me. I said, "It's the book! It's a book! It's here!" We both got a copy from the box and had so much fun looking it over. It's an advance copy produced before the last round of  edits, and not for sale, but I'm pretty sure I can GIVE one away! Sign up to follow my blog, share this blog on your facebook page, and leave a comment here, there, and everywhere or a tweet, and you'll get an entry for each!
Be sure and tag me so I'll know! Winners announced in one week on Saturday, the 24th. That should give y'all plenty of time to talk up VOW UNBROKEN, new historical Christian romance debuting March 4, 2014!

    This photo is our shelf of FIRSTS! The books to the left of VOW UNBROKEN are all the first printed copy of our books that we ever put our hands on - a very special collection representing about twenty years of studying, writing, reading, getting critique, then rewriting! The first nine titles I co-authored with my husband, but VOW UNBROKEN is my baby : ) The China doll was a souvenir gift from my husband's trip to China, and the egg, a souvenir gift when my son went to Moldavia on a mission trip. Also very special! 
      This is more shelves, the book beneath the special FIRSTS shelf, the books are all from authors who are my friends. These books represent so many dear relationships God gave me and many enjoyable hours of reading!
     I hope you will rejoice with me! The box of books came on my grandson Seth's 22nd birthday! August 14th! What a great day! Y'all be blessed and know that when you trust on the Lord, your dreams do come true! He is such a loving Father and has blessed me BIG this day!! I praise Him and give Him G*L*O*R*Y! 
 

GOSSIP MONGERS of Red River Valley

Wednesday, Early Spring 182

       During the late afternoon, bi-weekly quilting bee at the Sulphur Fork Prairie Methodist Brush Arbor, just prior to the evening prayer meeting.

Log Cabin Pattern

            Mabel pulled her needle through the material high into the air. “Such a disgrace! Can you believe it?”

            She looked over her friend’s shoulder. The children played tag while the men pitched horseshoes. Greta frowned. “How sad for his poor mother. Are you sure that it’s true, Mabel?”

            “Yes, ma’am, I am. Positive, because Hortense, that’s my neighbor Bea’s sister, was there, in person I tell you. She saw him with her own eyes.”

            At the far end of the quilt, Vera shook her head. “I heard the man was soaked, so drunk he couldn’t walk. Why, he passed out right there where he was under the wagon. And in public!”

            Thelma sat at the corner to Vera’s right. “According to a very reliable source, he’d been sharing a jug with a slave, too. Drinking right after him. They said he didn’t even bother to wipe it off.” She shook her head with a disgusted expression. “Put his arm around that darkie and acted like it were nothing to be drinking with a colored man.”

            “Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Mabel chided. “I had such high hopes for Henry Buckmeyer, him being a veteran and all.”

            “Well, I heard that him and ‘Lizbeth Akins were sparking.”

            “Really?”

            “No!”

            “Who told you that?”

            “Can’t say, but it’s the Lord’s truth.”

            “Well I never, she’s only a child.”

            “And him a grown man. That’s awful.”

            “And a lay about drunk!”

            “Does Brother William know? Or Martha?”

            ‘Heard he’s the one caught ‘em. Heard Martha whipped the girl ’til she could barely sit down.”

            “Well then, ladies, we have a duty to pay Sister Buckmeyer a visit. She needs to know.”

            “I agree.”

            “After all, she’s his mother, she has a right to know.”

            “Perhaps with the Lord’s help, she can do something with that no-count son of hers.”

            “I do hope so. And before it’s too late.”

            Thelma shook her head. “Bless her heart. Might just be the undoing of a fine woman. Henry’s all she’s got.”

            “Yes.” Vera gave a sideways glance to her left, her right, then all the way to the other end of the quilt. “Because she certainly has no husband.” She hiked her brows at the other women and nodded with her lips pursed.