Yes, it’s true! First Sentence Fridays start for my third book, THE FORGIVING KIND on June 8th – that’s only one week away!  If this seems early, it is to some degree.  First of all, the book is bigger than my first two, with thirty-four chapters instead of twenty-eight.  That means I’ve got to get going in time to have the last chapter’s sentence posted before the on sale date of January 29th.   Also, for other reasons, the book was brought forward in the production schedule by a month.

So, here we are!  While I’m still promoting THE ROAD TO BITTERSWEET through September, I can’t wait to introduce you to my new characters, and to the story.  I’m really excited about it, and I hope you will be too! Until a cover reveal, I’m planning to use pictures that are relevant for what takes place in the book.

For starters, here is the flap copy to give you a first glimpse of what the book is about:

In this masterful new novel, set in 1950s North Carolina, the acclaimed author of The Road to Bittersweet and The Education of Dixie Dupree brings to life an unforgettable young heroine and a moving story of family love tested to its limits.     

For twelve-year-old Martha “Sonny” Creech, there is no place more beautiful than her family’s cotton farm. She, her two brothers, and her parents work hard on their land—hoeing, planting, picking—but only Sonny loves the rich, dark earth the way her father does. When a tragic accident claims his life, her stricken family struggles to fend off ruin—until their rich, reclusive neighbor offers to help finance that year’s cotton crop.

Sonny is dismayed when her mama accepts Frank Fowler’s offer; even more so when Sonny’s best friend, Daniel, points out that the man has ulterior motives. Sonny has a talent for divining water—an ability she shared with her father and earns her the hated nickname “water witch” in school. But uncanny as that skill may be, it won’t be enough to offset Mr. Fowler’s disturbing influence in her world. Even her bond with Daniel begins to collapse under the weight of Mr. Fowler’s bigoted taunts. Though she tries to bury her misgivings for the sake of her mama’s happiness, Sonny doesn’t need a willow branch to divine that a reckoning is coming, bringing with it heartache, violence—and perhaps, a fitting and surprising measure of justice.

See you next week!