Pages

Friday, April 11, 2014

J is for Jack

My theme for A- Z is the year my book takes place, 1881. I'll be posting about people, places, and random facts about the year as it relates - however distantly - to my book, West of Paradise.

Jack McCabe is our hero although admittedly he doesn't act like it at first, as illustrated in this excerpt where he has mistaken Katherine for Alanna...



     “Sorry, sweetheart,” Jack said with a nasty grin, “But you are a wanted woman. You might have thought you’d gotten away but you left me alive and I gave a pretty good description of you as you can see.”
     “But...but this isn’t me,” Katherine whispered.
     “Yeah, right.” He snatched the poster out of her hands and stuffed it into his pocket, “Now get dressed.”
     “No, please,” Katherine said, her tone turning desperate, “You’ve got to believe me. There’s been a mistake. I swear this is not me. I never killed anyone and I certainly never robbed a bank or a train or anything else. See? It says Alanna McLeod. My name is Katherine.”
     “You think calling yourself by a different name changes who you are?” He shook his head with a snort of laughter, “Get dressed.”
     “I will not!”
     Jack raised the gun, and Katherine flinched automatically.
     “Either get dressed or say your prayers. Unless of course you want to travel in your nightdress. In which case I can’t vouch for your safety. After all, you never know who we might meet along the way.”
     “Please,” Katherine said, her voice becoming a low, frightened whisper.
     “Get dressed,” Jack repeated, his eyes as cold as winter.
***

    
        

17 comments:

  1. She might want to put something on...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yikes. Hoping that wasn't any kind of SPOILER!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Get dressed or say your prayers" is a great line. :D
    Jack is one of my favorite names so I knew I would love this guy as soon as I read his name.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would NOT want to travel in my nightdress. I'd change, pronto.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I bet she changed her clothes. I know I would!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Very intense scene and dialogue, Marcy... Very gripping!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I finished your book about 4 days ago (loved it!), but A-Z has me so overwhelmed I haven't written a review yet. I'll do it over the weekend, I promise. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. So good! I want to read more....

    ReplyDelete
  9. Jack does not seem like a nice man.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Holy HOLD THE BUS! This is MY Jack, isn't it, Marcy? The Jack I swooned over after we first met. And Katherine ... OMGosh. #slapsforeheadreallyhard I am so lame. Woot, for Jack!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I believe he's going to be sorry he made that mistake.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jack and Katherine are such an intriguing couple! Just reading your posts this month reminds me of how much I enjoyed West of Paradise.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I don't know your story but this is a very intense scene!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Changing = good idea!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Is this the first chapter? Good ending to get our attention.

    ReplyDelete

If you're interested in my blog I'm interested in your comments.