Excerpt:
Mama?” Ginnie repeated, shaking her head like an
Etch-A-Sketch, trying to make sense of what she was
seeing.
The woman’s hand flflew to her mouth. “Oh, honey,
no! I’m so
sorry.”
She reached a hand to Ginnie’s shoulder.
Ginnie stiffffened, certain the hand would go
straight through her
like sunlight. You can’t feel ghosts, right?
Instead, the hand pulled her closer. The woman’s
other arm
slipped around her shoulders and squeezed Ginnie
into a bear hug.
She started to resist, then recognized the flfloral
scent of her mother’s
perfume.
The arms released her.
“Sweetheart, I’m so
sorry! I didn't think about that … I mean … I’m
sorry. I'm not your
mama.”
Feeling like she’d just stepped offff the
Tilt-A-Whirl at the fair,
Ginnie lurched to the side.
The woman wiped her eyes.
Ginnie tried to make sense of her words.
“I'm your aunt … Aunt
Roni.”
Top Ten
List
1) Heart of the Wests (Ginnie's home) is a
real place in Ohio.
2) The blonde girl on the cover (Gracie--who is
modeling for Ginnie) lives in the real West Farmhouse.
3) The brunette girl on the cover (Jessie--who is
modeling for Tillie)--is Gracie's cousin in real life.
4) Gracie and Jessie's cousins grew up on a different
farm I mention in the books: Chandler's Crossing--Toran and Ginnie's friend,
Austin's home.
5) There are real goats, chickens, cattle, dogs, cats, turkeys, ducks on
the real West farm--but NO horses.
6) Queenie West's (Ginnie's mom) personality is based on Gracie and Jessie's
grandmother. Gracie looks very much like her--just as Ginnie looks like her
mom.
7) I spent a lot of time at the "real Wests" farm--as a
teenager--babysitting the kids that lived there--especially Gracie and Jessie's
dads--and their aunt.
8) Gracie and Jessie's cousins grew up on a different farm I mention in the
books: Chandler's Crossing--Toran and Ginnie's friend, Austin's home. :)
9) Gracie and Jessie's grandpa and grandma were my 4H leaders as well as my
friends.
10) I raised a lamb named Appomattox (because I was fascinated with the
Civil War) on the real West farm and showed it at fair as a teen.
Character
Casting
1) Ginnie--if I could cast a
girl as Ginnie in a movie today--it would be Gracie on the cover. Gracie has a
fun personality and an impish grin.
2) Tillie--if I could cast a
girl as Tillie--it would be Jessie on the cover. The 2 of them just did a
beautiful picture shoot that embraced the essence of Ginnie and Tillie.
3) Uncle Ben--i always picture
Bruce Boxleitner I enjoyed him as a kid on a show called "Scarecrow and
Mrs. King" and "Babylon 5"--recently he has been featured on Supergirl and he was the
actor who played the main character on the original movie, Tron.
4) I would love to see Bruce's
ex-wife, Melissa Gilbert as Aunt Sadie --I loved her as a kid as Laura Ingalls
on Little House on the Prairie
5) Ginnie's dad Todd--my first
inspiration for Todd was John Schneider--Bo Duke from Dukes of Hazzard. John
would be too old to play Ginnie's dad if it was filmed today--but he was the
original dad image, when I dreamed Ginnie up years ago.
6) Uncle Jake--I could see
Michael Weatherly (Tony DiNozzo) from NCIS playing a contemporary Uncle
Jake--minus the 3 piece suits.
7) Miss Amanda-- I could see
her portrayed by Emma Watson (real life Belle and Little Women)
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