The Road to Escape by Patricia Kiyono
Book One in The
Escape Reunion Series, a multi-author project
After I signed on to write the opening book of the Escape
Reunion series, I started brainstorming conflicts for my main characters. The
hero was relatively easy – he was a widower who’s struggling to keep his alpaca
ranch going all by himself. His wife’s death ten years earlier caused him to
alienate his children, and his feelings of guilt prevent him from forming a
relationship with another woman.
The heroine was more difficult. Originally, I thought to
give her a phobia I possess – my complete abhorrence to animals. All animals. I
don’t mind looking at them, but I cannot
touch them. What greater conflict for a woman with this malady than to start a
relationship with a man who lives and works with animals? Of course, I
eventually discarded that plan, because I honestly couldn’t figure out how to
resolve that conflict. Twenty years ago, I nearly left my entire family when
hubby and the kids brought home a Bichon Frise. Try as I might, I couldn’t come
up with a believable scenario to make an animal-phobic woman agree to marry a
rancher – unless the rancher gave up the ranch, but then that wouldn’t be cool
if he had to give up his livelihood for her.
Anyway, once I got my conflict in order, I started my
research. But there’s only so much one can learn from reading articles online,
watching YouTube videos, and talking to people. In order to get a true feel for
alpaca ranching, I had to spend time on an alpaca ranch. So I started
corresponding with a few local experts, and finally drove out to Blendon Pines
Alpaca Ranch in Hudsonville, MI. Fortunately the weather was relatively cool,
so I wore jeans (so stray kittens and smaller critters wouldn’t touch my legs),
long sleeves and a jacket (in case I brushed up against an alpaca), and gloves.
I got out of my car, wondering how silly I’d look if I covered my head with a
ski mask.
Fortunately, the inhabitants of her ranch were friendly, but
not overbearing. In other words, they didn’t try to touch me. And Lynn Scholten
showed me around, answering my many questions about her daily routine as well
as the current challenges alpaca farmers face. Hopefully, I depicted the
profession accurately in The Road to Escape.
Author Bio:
Patricia
Kiyono was born in Japan and raised in southwest Michigan, where she lives with
her very tolerant husband, near their five children, nine grandchildren, and
two great-grandchildren. Her first career was teaching, which she still does
part-time at a local university. In addition to writing, she likes to sew and
scrapbook. She also loves to travel, always on the lookout for special
locations and historical details for her books.
Blurb:
Tom Cooper left his high-pressure law practice in
Indianapolis for life on an alpaca farm in the tiny northwest Indiana town of
Escape. Though he continued to practice law, the farm provided a good life for
him, his wife, and their four children. But when his wife died, grief consumed
him and the children all left. He’s resigned to doing things alone, but a
disturbing medical diagnosis could change things.
Laurie Matthews left her nursing job in shame. The town of
Escape has welcomed her, and she now owns the local diner. She’s attracted to
the handsome widower who comes in for coffee and a hot meal, but keeps her
distance, because everyone she’s ever loved has died – her grandparents, her
parents, her husband, and one other.
A romantic relationship isn’t on the agenda for either of
them, but when the diner falls on hard times, Tom steps in to help, paving the
way for them both to escape the loneliness in their lives.
Excerpt:
Memories of his children filled his
thoughts for the rest of the drive to the Cooper Alpaca Ranch. He pulled into
the driveway and drove past the house toward the barn. Maybe some hard work
would take his mind off his worries.
Opening the wide barn door, he let
his eyes adjust to the light inside. The large door opened to an aisle with
stalls on each side. His grandfather had raised horses, but when Tom inherited
the farm and converted to alpaca ranching, he’d put additional doors on the
sides of the barn so that the animals could easily go outside. Like on most
alpaca farms, the females were kept separate from the males and met only for
breeding. On this crisp spring day, only a few females remained inside. He
shooed them out, locking them into the female pasture. Then he got a
wheelbarrow and cleaned out the barn floor, taking the alpaca beans outside to
the manure pile.
Working on his chores calmed his
mind, and his mood lifted.
Patricia Kiyono can
be found on Amazon and at her website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest.
