Chapter One of The Color of the Bean, an Appalachian folk tale, is now posted.
Jessie has lived all her life with her Ma. She doesn't even remember her father, and Ma won't talk about him even to say if he's alive or dead. Now they are on the road with the latest of her Ma's boyfriends, and Ma won't say why, or even where they are going. Jessie has a disquieting feeling she is being 'gotten rid of,' -- she knows her mother considers her a burden who is in the way of her Ma's happiness, but doesn't know how far she will go -- and she is powerless to stop them no matter what the two have planned. And shouldn't you be able to say, beyond doubt, that your family would never wish you harm?
What follows is an adventure Jessie will never forget, if she can survive it. She is thrust into the deepest roots of her own ignored Appalachian culture, torn by love, loyalty and betrayal, as she faces hardships destined to test her very soul. Her journey carries her down trails where she will be drawn to choose a path that will take her in many directions, experiencing the pull of human desire and the ties of blood, exploring the darkly forested land and against all reason forging bonds with ancient creatures who live hidden there, forgotten by all but The Ones Who Were Stolen Away.
