Hi Friends,

I’ve often described how characters in my novels shrug me off, then take charge of their lives. How those people often say, think, feel, or do things I never expected. And I may not know why.

But I need to.

So I prod them. Pester them with questions until, usually, someone confesses.

This time, a long-dead character from my forthcoming novel River Hoarder decided to spill the beans. He shook me awake about 4:00 one morning.

“Big secrets in our family,” he said. “If you’re going to breach that dam, you need more backstory.”

“Okay. Okay.” I rubbed my cheeks, shook away sleep. “Hold on a sec.” Bleary-eyed, I crept from my sleeping husband to our study and found a yellow pad. I scribbled as that character talked—pages and pages worth—before I steamed a mighty why from his tale.

Details would wreck your surprise, so I summarized what he told me. A poem worked best.

FOXES

He told me of

The dark wrong.

How the foxes of it, their tails lit,

Ignited his scream, then

Ran upstairs to the

Sleeping children—

Their pajamas, their hair

Flammable, yet

Only singed, for now, since

He beat the flames with

Love so big it

Could only have come

From You.

(Let your imagination run on this one, but the story will outrace it. It sure did mine.)

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📙📙📙 MEANWHILE, the winner of last week’s giveaway of Kendra Broekhuis’s Between You and Us is—

LAURA CISSON.

Congratulations, Laura! Send me your address, and I’ll mail the book right off to you.

For subscriber-only giveaways, join here:

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And, of course, more pics for you. These, from our recent trip to the Palouse, give you a glimpse of the Snake River breaks on the road to Almota—during their fleeting green season. You’ll travel them again in scenes from Leaning on Air.

Heading into the breaks on our way to Almota and Boyer Park.

Steep and vast out there.

See the terracing from generations of cattle? More will graze here soon. (They’ll look like fleas from this angle.)

“For every animal of the forest is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.”

—Psalm 50:12

We camped at Boyer Park—on the inside of the river’s far bend—after traveling hairpin turns down the steep grade to reach it.

Burnaby sets out from the marina at that park to fish for sturgeon with Hugh.

Speaking of autistic Burnaby, If you’ve read my novels Sugar Birds or Leaning on Air, you’ve met him. Since many of your lives also intertwine with autistic children or adults, I’m delighted to offer Gwen and Rylan Vogelzang’s book If I Squeeze Your Head I’m Sorry as my next GIVEAWAY.

I had the pleasure of meeting author Gwen at the recent Festival of Faith and Writing, and she generously shared a copy to offer to YOU.

Here’s the gist:

Twelve-year-old Rylan thrives and struggles with Autism and Tourette Syndrome. He and his Mama Bird, Gwen, have created a one-of-a-kind picture book that will uplift, educate, create dialogue, and entertain. Rylan’s art and insightful descriptions will allow readers to enter the brain of a child who sees, feels, and understands the world from a refreshingly unique perspective. This book reminds us how important it is to listen to each other in an effort to truly understand and to assume immense value in one another. Our stories matter and we all have one to share. “If I Squeeze Your Head I’m Sorry,” is an inclusive experience, so get on board Broskis!

Reply with SQUEEZE and I’ll drop your name in the hat. I’ll draw a winner next Friday, June 7.

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Do you have your summer reading list? Any nuptials planned? I’d love to hear about either—or both!

We’re attending a wedding, and I hear the bride and groom will be horse-drawn. They may wish they’d opted for a photographer instead, but oh, well.

Love,

Cheryl

Watching Nature, Seeing Life: Through His Creation, God Speaks