Title: The Wishing Well Curse
Author: Lynn Donovan
Publisher: AltWit Press
Publication Date: May 1, 2013
Genre: Christian Fiction
Summary (from the Author): Zeke Clay is down on his luck. He’s lost everything—an apartment, an education, a girlfriend, his job....
When a mysterious letter comes from a law firm in Colorado, he decides things just might be looking up. Now he stands to inherit a fortune, but it comes with a price. He must break a family curse and restore true love. What does he know about breaking a curse? And who is this Great Uncle Luther Clayton, who claims Zeke is the one? Can he piece together the clues left by his dearly departed?
Who can he trust? The Apache Indian attorney? Her great nephew? The leather-clad, Harley riding Pastor? Least of all, himself?
What about the Ghosts?
...And why does his three-year-old tattoo bleed every time he gets near the wishing well?
When a mysterious letter comes from a law firm in Colorado, he decides things just might be looking up. Now he stands to inherit a fortune, but it comes with a price. He must break a family curse and restore true love. What does he know about breaking a curse? And who is this Great Uncle Luther Clayton, who claims Zeke is the one? Can he piece together the clues left by his dearly departed?
Who can he trust? The Apache Indian attorney? Her great nephew? The leather-clad, Harley riding Pastor? Least of all, himself?
What about the Ghosts?
...And why does his three-year-old tattoo bleed every time he gets near the wishing well?
Books crowded the shelves in Zeke’s academic advisor’s office. Three walls held framed degrees against the eggshell paint. But he knew that from memory. He was too busy staring at stains in the decades-worn carpet on this visit.
“Zeke, you’ve got to get your head back in the game.” Mr. William Gerthworth leaned away from his desk, his elbows rested on his knees. Concern filled his face.
“I know.” Zeke swallowed, trying to get rid of the dry feeling in his mouth.
Mr. Gerthworth sat back and interlaced his fingers over his round middle. “Son, I know your dad’s passing has been hard on you, but it seems like since you turned twenty-one—”
Heat flushed Zeke’s face. “No, No. I’m okay about that. It’s just—I’ve been working doubles.”
The professor lifted some papers from his heavily littered desk. “You haven’t attended all of your clinicals this semester, either. It’s almost spring break, and I’m afraid you are just too far behind to catch up. It’s such a shame, too. Your GPA was superior, and this would have been your last semester.”
Zeke’s heart sunk.
“I’ll tell you what I’ll do. And this is really all I can do at this time.”
Zeke’s eyebrows lifted with hope. He sat up straighter.
“I’m going to suggest you drop out this semester.”
“Oh.” His shoulders rounded.
“But,” Mr. Gerthworth held up his hand, “I’m going to personally recommend you be accepted back next spring. You will be able to finish this last semester and graduate with your Emergency Medical Technician certification next May.”
Zeke pursed his lips. He’d screwed up, big time. Angela should be happy, though. Now he could spend more time with her, instead of studying all the time—when he wasn’t working. But if he didn’t work double shifts, how did she expect him to bring in enough money to support them? They fought about it all the time. All he wanted was for her to be happy. But now, it had cost him his education. In a few months, he would have had a decent paying job as an EMT. He could have provided much better for her. Maybe even ask her to marry him.
He shook his head and squeezed his eyes.
“Zeke?”
“Okay. Thank you Mr. Gerthworth.”
“Well, good luck to you, son.”
Son? Zeke stepped out of the small office.
“I’ll see you next spring, all right?” Gerthworth leaned out the door.
“Sure,” Zeke said, although he doubted the Professor heard him.
He crossed the campus to the Registrar’s Office and dropped all his classes. Sure, he could take the summer and fall semesters off, start back in spring. Okay. Work at Bob’s in the meantime. Pick up extra shifts. Angela would have to understand.
Oh, God. He’d failed out in his last semester. Who was he kidding? As long as he was trying to please Angela, he’d never finish college.
Paula Millhouse grew up in Savannah, Georgia where Spanish moss whispers tales in breezes from the Atlantic Ocean, and the Intracoastal Waterway. As a child Paula soaked in the sunshine and heritage of cobblestones, pirate lore, and stories steeped in savory mysteries of the south. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, the Fantasy, Futuristic, & Paranormal chapter, the Mystery/Suspense chapter (Kiss of Death), and a member of Savvy Authors.
In the southern tradition of storytellers, she loves sharing the lives of her characters with readers, and following her muse on the quest for happily-ever-afters in thrilling romantic fiction.
Mystery, in my opinion, is elemental to any story whether it is a Historical Romance, a Science Fiction, or a neighbor telling a story over a fence. Mystery is what keeps the reader wanting to read or a listener wanting to listen. Knowing what to reveal and when to reveal is the art of the craft of storytelling. Too soon, you spoil the mystery. Too late, you frustrate the audience.
Personally, I love a movie or a book where the plot surprises me. I do not like a movie or book where I can figure out what’s going to happen and then it does. I want to be surprised. If I were to be audacious enough to say I have this skill, I must give credit to my dad. He was the most gifted storyteller I knew. He understood the art of timing and holding back the punch line until the ideal moment of impact. His stories were waaaay better than what really happened just because of the “way” he told them. *cue laughter*
Isn’t that what a novel is all about? A story that is more entertaining than the truth it was based on. Readers want to be entertained. A major part of that entertainment is anticipating what’s going to happen. How are they gonna get out of this? Will he ever do this? Will she ever do that? And when your reader says, “NO! Don’t do that!” then your character goes a different way, you’ve done well!
Unlike so many writers I read about, I come from a different knowledge base. I did not grow up as an avid reader. Don’t get me wrong, I was read to as a child. A lot! But I had problems reading from the get-go. I was a very slow reader. It took me forever to read a book. Even in high school, I seldom finished a novel assigned in English class. I got by with the art of listening to the teacher discuss the book and (pardon the grossness of this) regurgitated her words back to her on the test. I made good grades doing that.
My knowledge base comes from movies. I love movies! When I’m writing, I “see” the story like a movie unfolding in my head. Then I do my best to explain to the reader what I, or more appropriately the characters, see, feel, hear, smell, and taste. In that manner, I let the movie play out keeping the mystery intact as it would be done on the silver screen.
Now that I’m older, ahem, I read like crazy! All the time! (Love my Kindle!!) This helps me improve my writing and connects me to other writers. I have found this to be vital. But I digress…
Mystery! Yes. Keep the audience interested my keeping the mystery woven throughout the story and you’ll have a really good story. Without it, you’ve just got a tale.
And, by the way, my mother always told me a woman should by mysterious, but I couldn’t really figure that out, so I’m confusing instead. *Cue laughter* Just ask my husband!
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