The Moses Quilt is a contemporary story and a historical book—two books in one, if you will. The two books that will follow in this series, The Doctor’s Christmas Quilt (October 2013) and The Singing Quilt (Spring 2014), follow that same pattern, with contemporary stories told against the backdrop of a woman of faith and courage who made a difference in American history.
Harriet Tubman has long been one of my heroines. When I started writing this book, I remembered reading about her in school and knew she was famous for her work on the Underground Railway, safely leading hundreds of slaves to Freedom. But a fresh look at her story as I did the research opened my eyes to the great price she paid to answer God’s call on her life.
This amazingly successful woman was born into abject poverty—a slave, penniless, uneducated, sharing a dirt-floored one-room cabin with her parents and dozen siblings. With never quite enough to eat, working long hours for a master who thought nothing of beating her and the others on his plantation, Harriet could easily have grown bitter. But she didn’t. Though unable to read the Scriptures, Harriet listened to her mother and others recite them, and she too put them to memory, hiding them in her heart so they’d be there when she needed them. And there were many occasions when she had to draw on them for strength and courage. Because of her deep faith, she was able to forgive her abusers and to pray for them. As a result, God used her mightily to accomplish what few others have done before or since.
I pray this book encourages and inspires others to follow in the footsteps of Harriet Tubman and to believe that whatever God calls us to do, He will also give us the strength and ability—and the divine protection—to accomplish it…IF we will just take that first step of faith and say, as Harriet Tubman did, “Yes, God. Here am I. Send me.”
Prologue
Edward’s eyes captivated her, as they always did. She felt as if she were gazing into warm, chocolate pools, bidding her to abandon herself to their delicious charms. And oh, how she wanted to do so! But something—always, there was that awkward, inconvenient something—holding her back, restraining her from yielding to the joy she so longed to experience.
“I can’t,” she whispered. “I just can’t. Not yet. Soon, I promise, but…”
The light in his gaze flickered, and she knew she’d hurt him…again. She hadn’t wanted to, had even told herself that this time, today, she would give him her answer. But she just wasn’t ready.
Her heart squeezed. Would she ever be? The unreasonable fear that haunted her life loomed heavy, threatening to squeeze the air from her lungs. Was it more than their obvious differences that frightened her to the point where she couldn’t move forward, couldn’t give a good man a simple answer—particularly when that man made her head swim with longing?
“Soon,” he repeated, his husky voice devoid of bitterness or sarcasm. “How many times have you promised, Mazie? How many?”
Tears bit her eyes, and she shook her head. “Too many. Far too many. And I’m truly sorry, but I…”
She felt the resignation roll through his body as he loosened his embrace and took a small step back, his eyes never leaving hers. “I wish I could say I understand, but I don’t.” His smile was wistful as he used a finger to brush back a stray wisp of dark hair from her face. “But I will honor your feelings. I know I need to stop pushing, and I will, though it won’t be easy. I love you, Mazie. You know that. But sooner or later, we’re going to have to address this—once and for all.”
Her breath caught, and she nodded. If she knew anything in this world, it was that Edward Clayton loved her, and that he was an honorable and patient man. He wouldn’t push her, but she was a fool for putting him off. Still, how could she give him an answer when she was so unsure about how the unknowns of her past might impact their future?
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For loving me and for giving me more time.”
The pain skittered through his eyes again, outlined by the setting sun that filtered through the trees behind him. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “Let me know when you’re ready.” He turned and walked toward his car, leaving Mazie standing alone on the porch, with the first of many hot tears spilling over onto her cheeks.
Purchase from:
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Visit The Moses Quilt virtual book tour page
Visit author Interview here
Read my review here
giveaway @ marlayne giron's blog
for more chances to win See the schedule for this tour for more blogs that are giving away a copy of Kathi's book
Be watching for my an author interview and my review of the book next week
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for my honest review by...
1 comment:
Thanks for the tour post. This is a great book. I hope readers check it out.
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