The Journey Home
Georgiana Darcy has left girlhood far
behind her. A young, single mother with two small daughters, she escaped a
precarious existence. Now she has returned to her ancestral home, ready to
rebuild her life. Her brother, William, welcomed her with open arms and helped
her back on her feet. But home is more than a place—it’s a state of mind, and
Georgiana has a journey of the heart ahead of her. As her brother falls in love
with Elizabeth, the new girl in town, Georgiana finds herself drawn to
William’s long-time friend, Sheriff Richard Fitzwilliam, a widower fifteen
years her senior. Richard would never want her, or so she believes, but when
he’s near, her sorrow vanishes. When Georgiana’s past comes roaring back to
haunt her, can Richard and his kind, gentle ways help see her through?
TheJourney Home, a companion piece to the
award-winning novel 1932, is a
stand-alone “sidequel” novella—a story of self-discovery, acceptance, and
romance that details one woman’s journey back from despair and forward to her future.
About the Author:
Karen M Cox is an award-winning author of
novels accented with romance and history: 1932,
Find Wonder in All Things, and Undeceived.
She also contributed a short story, “Northanger Revisited 2015”, to the
anthology, Sun-Kissed: Effusions of
Summer, and a story titled, “I, Darcy” to The Darcy Monologues. The
Journey Home is her first published novella.
Karen was born in Everett WA, which was the
result of coming into the world as the daughter of a United States Air Force
Officer. She had a nomadic childhood, with stints in North Dakota, Tennessee
and New York State before finally settling in her family’s home state of
Kentucky at the age of eleven. She lives in a quiet little town with her
husband, where she works as a pediatric speech pathologist, encourages her
children, and spoils her granddaughter.
Channeling Jane Austen’s Emma, Karen has
let a plethora of interests lead her to begin many hobbies and projects she
doesn’t quite finish, but she aspires to be a great reader and an excellent
walker—like Elizabeth Bennet.
Connect with Karen:
Website: www.karenmcox.com
Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/author/karenmcox
Visit with Karen on several of the usual
social media haunts such as Facebook, (karenmcox1932), Twitter
(@karenmcox1932), Pinterest (karenmc1932), Instagram (karenmcox1932), and
Tumblr (karenmcox).
“New Year’s Resolutions” - a short excerpt from The Journey Home
Georgiana Darcy and
her brother, William, are having a serious discussion that quickly turns
light-hearted and then heads into match-making territory…
“Well”—I replied briskly, sensing his discomfort with
my praise—“you’re my hero, and Ruth’s hero, and especially Maggie’s hero.”
He looked sheepish and grinned. “Did I tell you what
the little imp said to me the other day?”
“No, what?”
“Told me I needed a wife, so she could have an auntie
and cousins.”
I sputtered with laughter. Maggie had apparently been
busy this week, presenting her case. “What did you tell her?” His cheeks had
gotten noticeably redder; he had probably not meant to tell me that.
“I said it was not her concern.”
“Did she have a candidate for this position of the
‘wife’?”
He continued looking at the ground, a faraway
expression on his face.
“Perhaps, Elizabeth Bennet?”
His head snapped up in shock. “How did you know?”
“How did I know Maggie suggested it? Or how did I know
you’d been considering it? Don’t look at me like that. It’s written all over
your face whenever you’re near her.”
“It is not!”
“It is to me.”
“Hmmph. Good lord, Gi. I hardly know her.”
“So, get to know her better. Ask to court her.”
“She won’t want me. I’m so much older than her.”
“Trust me. A woman can easily fall in love with a man
who’s older than she is.” I’m living proof of that. “And you’re quite
the catch, you know.”
“Do you think so?”
“I know so. She would be a fool to reject you. Think
how much you could enrich her life—and I don’t mean just financial security,
either.”
“Maybe she would overlook the difference in our ages,
if there were… other benefits.”
I couldn’t help a giggle. “Goodness, William, you’re
not a piece of farm equipment.”
“No, but she’s very practical. She thinks about things
carefully. I’ve seen it.”
“If you want her, ask her. Life is short, Brother.
Don’t wait and have regrets later.”
“Maybe… We’ll see.” He stood up, obviously finished
with this line of conversation. “I’ll let you get back to your journal.”
“All right.”
He stopped at the doorway, a serious expression on his
face. “Gigi?”
“Yes?”
“I see what you mean, about Wickham giving us Maggie
and Ruth. I never thought about it before, but perhaps I could show him mercy
if I had to, for their sakes. I could live and let live, because he’s one of
the reasons they’re here.”
“I think that would be good for your soul. Your friend
Richard says that bitterness poisons the spirit.”
He nodded once and exited the room.
I looked over what I had written earlier.
…banish my fear
I picked up my pen and wrote with a flourish:
Bitterness poisons the spirit. – R.F.
“You’re absolutely right, Sheriff,” I whispered, drawing my
finger lovingly over his words.
3 comments:
Great excerpt! I loved this novella. And I have a mind to go read "1932" too. Loved.
love the excerpt
denise
I read 1932 for the first time earlier this year and absolutely loved it. I also remember thinking that I'd love to read Georgiana's story and know it looks as though I can! Many thanks to Karen for enabling that wish to come true.
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