Three
Army veteran misfits, a college dropout, an unmotivated high school
graduate accused of murder, a controversial warden of a women's prison,
and a little girl with the gift of prophesy – these are the people
31-year-old Lara Kruger invites into her life after suffering a
miscarriage, a divorce from an abusive husband, and unemployment.
******** EXCERPT *********
The
young child skipped through the tall trees and underbrush, unaware of
the puddles created by recent rains or the low-lying tree branches and
vines that swiped at her coveralls and scratched her bare arms. Hugging
a doll that showed the wear of a favorite toy and a faint smudge of
chocolate ice cream, the child pushed forward with determination. She
knew where she wanted to go, and her face showed the intensity and
resolve of a person much older than her five years. The black woman
wearing the uniform of a prison guard struggled to keep up with her
young charge. The thick green tangle of natural forest growth and
uneven turf was more of a challenge to a woman her size and stature.
The
child stopped when she reached a clearing, that place in the woods that
wasn’t quite so overgrown and where the wild vegetation had been
pressed from previous visits. In front of her was a tree, magnificent
in size, ancient in age. She had reached her destination. She called
it, quite simply, “the place.” Quietly, reverently, she approached the
tree, reaching out and touching the familiar rough surface and its many
irregular crevices. She squatted where some roots had pushed upward and
were now gnarled and covered in bark before extending downward again
deep into the soil. It was between
two of these large root formations that the child placed the doll – a
throne. Her hand explored the curvature of one darkened root, first
touching the soft green moss, and then the small indented place that
held water whenever it rained. It was moist. Satisfied, she knelt.
Then, lowering her head and folding her dimpled hands together, she
started to pray.
Barbara
Casey is president of the Barbara Casey Agency, representing adult
fiction and nonfiction for authors throughout the United States, Great
Britain, and Japan. She is also the author of numerous articles, poems,
and short stories. Her award-winning novels have received national
recognition, including the Independent Publishers Book Award, the Dana
Award for Best Novel, and the Publisher’s Best Seller Award. Her
novel, The House of Kane, released in 2008, was considered for a Pulitzer nomination, and her novel Just Like Family received special recognition by the 7-Eleven Corporation. Her latest young adult novel, The Cadence of Gypsies, was reviewed by the Smithsonian for its list of 2011 Best Books. The Gospel According to Prissy, a contemporary adult novel, was released in the spring of 2013.
In addition to being a frequent guest lecturer at universities and writers’ conferences, Ms.
Casey served as judge for the Pathfinder Literary Awards in Palm Beach
and Martin Counties, Florida, and was the Florida Regional Advisor for
the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators from 1991
through 2003.
LINKS:
******** GIVEAWAY ********
Barbara Casey will be awarding a $25 Amazon or BN.com gift card to one randomly chosen commenter.
So please remember to leave your email address in case you are the lucky winner. For more chances to enter and win you can follow the tour HERE
13 comments:
It's going to be very interesting to see the kind of prophesies and whether they come true.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Excellent point, Mary. You will be both surprised and pleased. Little Prissy is very much in the "here and now" but her unique understanding of everything around her is remarkable.
Lindsey, thank you so much for hosting me today. I am really looking forward to hearing from your bloggers.
Barbara
I'm looking forward to reading this compelling story.
Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com
Thank you, Ingeborg. I really hope you like it. Thank you for commenting.
The more I follow this tour, the more I love the story and Prissy. I am really looking forward to reading it.
Thank you so much, MomJane. Since starting this tour I feel like I have made new friends, you being one. I really appreciate your taking the time to stop by and comment. Tomorrow will be my last tour stop, so if you get a chance be sure to stop by. I plan to make an announcement about THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PRISSY which I think will interest you and the other bloggers.
Its been a great tour to follow, I'll be sure to check out tomorrow's post for an announcement. Perhaps a sequel is in the works?
fencingromein at hotmail dot com
Thank you, Shannon. Tune in tomorrow.
Lindsey, I will be checking back in for any additional posts, but I wanted to tell you how much fun I had today. Thank you again for hosting me.
Barbara
She sounds like a precocious 5 year old! Is this Prissy? Does she get "revelations" when she's praying? I'm curious how the prison and the warden fit into the story!
catherinelee100 at gmail dot com
Hi Catherine. Prissy's elderly grandmother says that Prissy was born with the "gift of prophecy." She knows the bible by heart--it doesn't matter what edition--and she freely quotes from it depending on what the situation calls for. The little hiccup comes because Prissy, as a 5 year old, doesn't quite understand the concept of the Holy Trinity. Therefore, instead of referring to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, she uses the things that she loves and trusts: such as Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, an occasional tooth fairy. She is a special child. Thank you so much for your comment.
Hi Lindsey,
I just wanted to stop back by and let you and your bloggers know that my book, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PRISSY, was just selected for the "2013 List of Best Summer Reads" by Conversations Live Radio/Conversations Book Club.
My best,
Barbara
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