Marita's Momentous Decision

If you're still undecided about whether to buy Two Mothers, Twin Daughters or not, here is a little appetizer that just might get you hungry enough to grab the rest.

Fears

 Memories

Marita didn’t just hold the babies, she clung to them. How will I ever decide?

It was while in the case room: bright lights and whiteness were all around when the questions first shattered her joy. She had been anticipating the soul-stirring moment when the nurse would finish cleansing the squirmy newborns, wrap them snugly in soft receiving blankets and place them one by one into her longing arms.

"They are fine, perfectly fine," the genial doctor reassured her when she fretted about how small they were. "Sure, they are a bit tiny and will need extra care for the next two or three weeks, but are strong and healthy. Congratulations, Mrs. Sutherland!"

Marita half arose on the bed, her arms reaching out, then she was cuddling them. For a long moment, she had eyes for nothing more than those incredibly beautiful, incredibly precious rosy-red bundles of humanity.

Finally, wonderfully convinced that they were healthy, her heart melted.

To think they were hers, gloriously hers to love and to cherish as long as she lived.  She felt a yearning protectiveness grip her as while gazing into those wide cloudy blue eyes, making an instant connection. A throb of joy filled her heart. I may be young for such tremendous responsibility, but oh, I want to, I want to give them the best care possible.

 Will Randall be a caring father? He hadn't liked it when I got pregnant, and that was before I knew there were twins! How will he treat them? Can I trust him not to hurt these sweet treasures from Heaven?

"Mrs. Sutherland, are you alright?"

"W-what?"

"You’re pale: maybe I should put the babies back in their bassinets now."

Marita looked blankly at the young nurse then down at the babies in her arms. She did feel faint.

She stared at the retreating figure taking off with her children.

My own babies!  What’s going to happen to them? Will Randall be cruel, or unfaithful? Before we married, many young women flirted and made google eyes at him.  What if he decides having a wife and two babies is not to his liking?

What shall I do? Can I go to Deer Flats if he is gaol? Dare I?  I refuse to leave the babies in an orphanage while I am a cashier at some dumpy department store and I can’t leech off the Seifert's forever!

www.marilynshistoricalnovels.com

Have You Been Seeing Double Lately?

Have You Been Seeing Double Lately?

Have you joined the ever-swelling tide of twin fans? There’s sure a lot of multiple births out there and statistics how there has been a dramatic increase just since the 80’s. To be more specific that has been a 76% leap in United States alone, with New Jersey gleefully leading the pack. But what’ causing it, you say. Is it the water, eating too many yams, the green colour on traffic lights, the internet, or what? What?  Scratch your heads no longer, friends, it’ all those career girls settling down to starting a family and because old Mother Nature is warning them that time is running out they jumped on the Medicine? Wagon and decided to give their supposedly waning baby-making equipment a boost and lo and behold we are seeing doubles everywhere!

Those twins are fascinating. Especially when you find out how they have been cuddling together while still in their safe haven beneath their mother’ heart. How do they know that those unborn eyes need to be touched gently whether on their own face or that other body sharing the ever-tightening space with them? Why is it that a premature twin has been known to give up the struggle to live when its’ little pal from conception couldn’t make it?

As you already know, I have been fascinated with the bond between twins for many years which is why the book Two Mothers, TWIN Daughters was created, and I am eagerly working on the sequel.

www.marilynshistoricalnovels.com

A Spectacular Moment in History

Those of you that have already read the first book in the series are probably ‘dying’ to know when the twins will be reunited. As a New-Year’s tantalizer, I’ll let you get just a peek at the sequel that I am working on tonight. Don’t die completely because I think you will find it worth the wait, and hopefully worth its weight in gold. Remember if you haven’t read Two Mothers, Twin Daughters, yet you still have time before this hits the market which is coming as soon as possible!

        Suddenly there she was. Alice had to be that small frightened figure with the wildly flowing red hair and a smoke blue coat draped over her arm. She was standing on the steep steps of the plane and scanning the airfield. And shivering, because it was probably a lot colder here in Edmonton than it was in Switzerland.

        The first thing Randall did when he reached his daughter was to gently remove the luggage from her hand and place it on the ground. Then he took the obviously brand-new coat and helped her into it. But that wasn't all. Next to carefully lifted the hood over her wavy tresses and tied it snugly under her chin. Alice was so touched by his gesture of kindness she wanted to throw her arms around him, but she didn’t. 

        Randall stepped back and tipped his hat. A mischievous grin played around the corners of his mouth. He thrust out his hand and Alice timidly took it. His grip was warm and strong.

       “If I didn’t know better, I’d have sworn that was Emily coming off the plane. I am so glad to meet you. Two beautiful girls as alike as peas in a pod. How much luckier could a man get? “

  

       A faint smile lurked in the corners of Alice’s mouth but the

very first words she ever said to her father, she later considered rather clumsy.

       “Where are the others?”

       “Wait and see,” he grinned. “Naturally, wild horses couldn’t keep them at home, but neither did your mother want to meet you at such a public place as the airport.”  

Fear of the Future

 Fears

Are you sitting all alone in a cold dark room, figuratively at least, and dreading the coming year? What do you fear the most? Is it the Isis, coming nearer and nearer? Maybe they have already invaded your town and you wonder how long it will be until you are singled out. That’s a fear that could surely grip one’s heart and make them tremble.  

Or maybe your worries are in on a different line. Maybe you are wondering when will you or your spouse find work. It has been so many months now. How long will you be able to put bread on the table, pay the bills, keep up with the rent? Will you end up on the street?

Maybe there is discord in the home, or drinking, or violence. Maybe you feel like you are to blame and you feel so guilty, but don’t know how to stop. Will the coming year be any better?

Maybe a loved one died. Maybe tragically, maybe through natural causes, maybe it was suicide. To say the future looks bleak without them just doesn’t cut it. It looks awful, just plain awful.

And now it’s 2016 or soon will be, and it feels like the weight of the world is crushing you down.

You feel like those soldiers of long ago who were heading home to Italy but there were mountains to cross, and the blizzard surrounded them. The climb seemed endless and was getting continually harder as they struggled through the cold, deepening snow.

What happened then? Many of those mighty warriors were growing faint of heart so what did Hannibal do? He found a good lookout point and rallied them all together with shouts of encouragement.

The message was simple, brief…and wonderful. Over these steeps lay Italy, their sunny homeland where loved ones were waiting for them. His words gave them the stamina to continue, but do you know what? Our Captain, the Captain of the Lord’s Army offers even more.

He says that after these struggles and trials our Heavenly Home is waiting for us. That is glorious, without a doubt, but sometimes the storms of life make it hard to set our hopes on something so distant so He does one better than that ancient general so long ago.

Listen now, this is important. If you are fainting beneath your heavy load of --life, call out to Him. Keep calling and He will carry you. I promise. Maybe you won’t feel any different immediately, but I promise you if you keep trusting Him He will comfort you. How do I know? Because He’s helped me.

May 2018 be your best year, yet.
www.marilynshistoricalnovels.com

Happy New Year

Today is the only day all minors will be born in the 2000s and all adults in the 1900s.

A Baby Changes Everything - Faith Hill

If you want to know what really happened when Jesus was born, check out my book which is like a diary from His mother's viewpoint. You can get it free on Kindle but if you prefer a hardcopy that is also available. www.marilynshistoricalnovels.com

Wishing You A Blessed Christmas

www.marilynshistoricalnovels.com
free ebeeks

What Will I Find?

Let Christmas come alive for you this year in a breathlessly exciting way! Do you believe that Jesus really walked this earth and lived and breathed just like we do? Do you think He ever got weary, angry, happy or sad? Do you think He played like other children or would He have piously strode around with His head tilted just so so that His halo would remain at the perfect angle?
If this book doesn't leave you enthralled with what an incredible Man Jesus was then let me know. If you can convince me that you truly weren't impressed and aren't just pulling my leg, I'll refund you the money.

Oh, by the way, if you hurry you'll still get a chance to win a free night at our Bed and Breakfast. (You choose the date.) Check out the details on my website.

www.marilynshistoricalnovels.com

Something's Happened to Mommy!

This is the part of the sequel to Two Mothers, Twin Daughters I am working on. Don't forget the contest closes at Christmas, but free ebooks will still be available if you have Kindle.

“Mummy,” Emily sounded troubled so Marita looked up from the sock she was mending. “When did you allow me to wear my bangs cut and my hair in curls?”

Marita dropped the yarn and sock back into the mending basket and reached for the photograph Emily was studying. Emily handed the picture to her mother but her eyes widened when she saw the stricken look on Marita's face.

“Oh, Alice, my little Alice,” Marita moaned as tears sprung to her eyes.

Emily was shocked to see her mother kiss the picture repeatedly. After staring at her for an instant she whirled out the door.

“Daddy!”She shrieked as she flew across the freshly fallen snow.

Randall ambled slowly towards his daughter. He was used to her excitability.

“Daddy!” she shrieked again, “Come quickly! Something happened to Mummy!

“Emily, where are your boots?” Without slackening his stride,

he scooped her up into his arms and strolled through the wide open door.

Randall was startled by his wife's expression. “Marita, are you alright?”

Marita smiled at him, her face radiant in spite of the tears.

“Oh, honey, do you know who this is,” she asked, showing him the picture.

“Em—No. No! This is Alice! Our Alice! Where did you get this?”

Without waiting for an answer, he continued; “ They're identical! They really are! Except for the fancy ringlets on this little girl's head, and,” he glanced mischievously as Emily, “this one's eyes are so huge!”

“Do you know that girl?” Emily asked.

Marita hesitated; “I saw her as a baby,” she replied.

“How come she looks so…. terribly… much like me?”

Oh, if only something…anything would happen to disrupt this conversation

. I’m not ready for it!… Will I ever be?

Marita swallowed the lump in her throat and knelt beside the child. She cupped the solemn little face with gentle hands. “She looks so much like you, honey because she’s your twin.”

“My twin? My very own twin?” Tears of understanding slowly filled Emily’s eyes. “I always wanted a sister. Now I have one and she’s far away.” She turned away and looked unseeingly out the window. Slowly, strange new questions came to her mind. But why is she gone? Why doesn’t she live with us if she’s my sister? How come I don’t remember her? Will they send me away, to? Out loud she announced, “I’m going to write my twin and tell her I love her.”

Was there a hint of defiance in that voice, or a quiver of loneliness?

“Not right now, dear. It’s time to set the table for supper.”

As Emily carried the stack of plates to the table, her lovely blue eyes were round and sad. “Why didn’t you tell me I had a twinnie?”

Marita studied her expression, “Because you were too little to understand.”

“But why isn’t she here with me? I want to play with her. I want her to sleep in my bed.”

Marita's eyes pleaded with her husband to help. Surely he would know what to say.

“We’ll get her as soon as possible,” he said tickling her nose with the end of her braid.

Emily didn't smile. The plates made a quiet thud-thud sound as they were placed on the table. When she was done, she stood looking out at the cloudy sky.

www.marilynshistoricalnovels.com

“Where is ‘Swizzerland’ Mummy?” she asked. “Is it very far away?”

“Very far, honey. But we want to get Alice back as soon as possible.”

“Did they kin-nap her?”

“Kidnap? Oh no. They took care of her for Mummy.”

When Emily didn’t answer, Marita wondered how she was processing the information. When she merely played with the food on her plate, Marita worried but didn't pressure her to eat.

Falling Rocks

When you drop a stone into the water, it disappears, right? No matter if it was a grain of sand or a diamond it sinks and sinks never to be seen again. Kind of discouraging, I'd say. Especially with the diamond. Maybe it seems the same way when we try to reach out in kindness to others. We want to be a Christian witness, we want others to know the joy our salvation brings so we smile at strangers, listen to their stories and go on our way. Did it do any good? The deed sank like a rock. But wait, look at those ripples, they are spreading out so far. What does that mean? The one poem says 'down a long eternity'. Can our random acts of kindness make a difference in someone's life forever? I sure hope so, and let's keep praying that someone will be drawn to Christ and reach Heaven because of our simple, easily forgotten (by us) gestures.