I SPY WIT' ME LITTLE EYE

Ship's Log  07.20.2013 

Ahoy Mateys! It be time again fer me I SPY WIT' ME LITTLE EYE post. Today I be sharin' a great short story wit' ye. It is part of a series, but it stands alone.

Meet the author:

Kathi Macias

From her Facebook page:

A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and recently won the prestigious 2008 member of the year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) at the annual Golden Scrolls award banquet. Kathi  lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding their Harley.

"Though I'm a wife, mother, grandmother, and yes, great grandmother, I also ride on the back of my hubby's Harley and am known as 'Easy Writer.'"

The Book:

SAFE HOUSE

Description:

Nathaniel Johnson is 11 years old, the son and grandson of ardent abolitionists. His mother, though not a supporter of slavery, believes they must obey the law—even laws that allow people to be bought and sold as chattel, and for those who help them escape to pay a great penalty. Caught between fear and the desire to do the right thing, Nathaniel is forced to come of age when the slavery issue ceases to be theoretical and becomes quite personal.

This book is awesome. So well written and compelling. I did not want it to end! Here is an excerpt:

“It’s your legacy,” Grandpa Johnson had stressed to him, more than once. “Your pa and I have dedicated our lives to seeing our fellow human beings set free. One day you will have to take up the torch and carry on where we left off.”

The possibility raised goose bumps on the back of the child’s neck, even in the simmering heat. The thought that some people had no say in how or where they lived or what they did, that they were beaten and tortured, bought and sold, forcibly separated from loved ones, made his heart ache. Somewhere down deep a desire to live nobly and courageously and to do the right thing wrestled against the fear of what he’d heard could happen to those who were caught trying to help the slaves escape.

Here is my review of SAFE HOUSE:

This story grabbed me from the first sentence and kept me reading until the very end.  The majority of stories I’ve read have had the usual heroes….grown men or women. Kathi changed things up by making the hero of her story a young boy.  This is a wonderfully written story about freedom and sacrifice. My heart went out to Nathaniel as he faced a very frightening and life changing situation. I highly recommend this story. It may be a short story, but it will impact you in a big way. 

You can purchase a copy of this book Here

GIVEAWAY!!!

I will be giving away 2 copies of Safe House

( Kindle version) to 2 commenters. Leave a comment with your name and email address to be entered! Contest ends Monday, July 22nd, at midnight (Pacific Time) Winners will be announced on my WORDLESS WEDNESDAY WITH A TWIST post...on the 24th.

Thanks for dropping by and God bless!