Outtakes 387

OUR TIME ON ROUTE 66

By Cait Collins

Recently Wordsmith Six released an anthology OUR TIME ON ROUTE 66.  The book contained five stories with different time periods and different genres. The uniting theme was Route 66 and the U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, Texas.

Maggie’s Betrayal by Natalie Bright is based on actual events during the Depression Era.  Maggie is given in marriage to a gangster as payment for gambling debts.  Shy and frightened, she tends to the household chores and is more a servant than a wife.  When she meets her husband’s nephew, Alex, she learns not all men are mean and abusive.  As their relationship grows and changes, Maggie must decide whether to stay in her loveless marriage or take a chance on love.

I couldn’t believe it when I realized our two guys both wrote romances.  Rory C. Keel wrote Waiting.  Set in World War II, the story traces a tale of love based on letters a newlywed couple wrote to each other.  Brennon and Patricia’s marriage grows stronger even though they are separated by war.  The story is enhanced by the inclusion of well researched facts regarding events in the Texas Panhandle and the war in Europe.  The ending will touch your heart.

Sudden Turns by Joe Nichols is a hoot. Joe has this wonderful voice that combines details of ranch life and the romance between a young widow and a Texas cowboy who has returned home following his military stint in World War II. Liz and Buster don’t start out on good terms, but she’s desperate to get her cattle to market.  For room and board plus a portion of the sales, she hires Buster to “capture” her cows.  A cowboy himself, Joe brings just the right amount of humor and “ranching” to the story.

Moira O’Hara, a photo journalist spent months recovering from injuries sustained during an earthquake while embedded with troops in Afghanistan.  Much of her time in the Middle East is a distant memory she chooses not to remember; including memories of her rescuer, Aiden Thornton. When they accidentally reconnect at the Rialto Square Theater in Joliet, Illinois, they begin a journey of recovery on the road to a Showdown at the U-Drop Inn by Cait Collins.

Author Nandy Ekle set the final story, Fear of Heights, a few years in the future. Shamrock, Texas has grown.  The U-Drop Inn has reopened, and a carnival is set up close to the restaurant.  Reylene is in the process of divorcing her abusive husband, Shane.  Shane is not happy with the amount of child support Reylene is requesting, so he enlists the aid of his current squeeze, Sherry. Sherry is Reylene’s best friend. Terrified of heights, Reylene reluctantly agrees to a ride on the Ferris wheel.  But she is unaware Shane and Sherry plan to scare her into giving up on the child support. Can she forgive the betrayal?

The book gave each of us a chance to test our imaginations, research skills, and take a leap of faith. OUR TIME ON ROUTE 66 is available online or through your local Barnes and Noble Booksellers.