A holiday romance set in 1854 Columbia, California.
Too Old for Christmas, by Zina Abbott.
About the Book:
Irishman Sean Flood
survived the potato famine, crossing the Atlantic, the Mexican-American War,
and wandering the Western wilderness with his mules and freight wagon. But, due
to poor diet and deprivation, his teeth did not fare well. It’s November of
1854 in Columbia, California, Queen of the Southern Mines, a city Sean is
helping to rebuild after the disastrous fire the previous summer. Intense
stabbing tooth pain drives him to see Doc Massey, the local dentist. He first stops
by the mercantile to pick up a bottle of whiskey—for medicinal purposes—and food
he’ll be able to eat when it’s all over. If only the beautiful but aggravating
woman ahead of him who keeps her face half hidden and insists she won’t accept
charity would finish up with her purchase so he can get his supplies, his tooth
pulled and return home to his mules and half-built cabin….
That night, Sean
meets the woman’s two sons, Jesse and Benjy McNair, and learns her secret. He
decides with only three teeth left in his head, he needs widow Ona McNair’s
charity—and he’s willing to pay for it. Sean won’t accept nine year-old Jesse’s
declaration his family’s poverty means the boy is too old for Christmas that
year. Sean is a full-grown man and he’s not too old for Christmas. He not only
plans to come bearing gifts to Christmas Eve dinner with the McNairs, but he
knows exactly what gift he wants for himself.
*Sweet Romance
Excerpt
#4:
Even though he burrowed deep into his
blankets inside the steep-sided
freight wagon that served as his bedroom, Sean
sensed the inside of the barn grow brighter as someone opened the door. He
threw his arm over his squeezed-tight eyes and groaned as the pounding headache
topped by a touch of nausea hit him full force.
 |
| Carriage house at Columbia State Park |
“Mr. Flood. Are you in here?”
Sean recognized the woman’s voice. It
belonged to the aggravating blue-eyed beauty he had met the day before—the
McNair boys’ mother.
Aye, nothing like meeting a woman when you be at your
worst, boyo.
“I told you he keeps all his things in
the wagon and sleeps in there, Ma. We only built a fire inside the cabin out of
the wind to fix his supper.”
So, Jesse, you had to be bringing your ma up to talk to me
at the crack of dawn, did you?
“Mr. Flood, if you’re here, may I
please speak with you for a moment? The boys said you wanted to talk to me
about chicken soup. They were very insistent I come.”
“Aye, be with you by the by.”
Sean stretched and rubbed his fingers
through his hair, then scratched his beard. Unfortunately, it did nothing to
ease his aching head. With his hair sticking up in tufts twisted in every
direction, his beard bristling every which way and his rumpled clothes smelling
sour with sweat, Sean felt loathe to face his visitors.
A woman will nay be letting a man die in peace, now will
she? ’Tis what you get for having the boys ask their ma to cook for you.
Too Old for Christmas is now available on pre-order at Amazon. You may purchase it by clicking HERE. It will be available on Nook soon.
About the Author:
Zina Abbott is the pen name used by Robyn Echols for her historical novels.
The author currently lives with her husband in California near the “Gateway to Yosemite.” She is a member of Women Writing the West, American Night Writers Association, and Modesto Writers Meet Up. She currently lives with her husband in California near the “Gateway to Yosemite.” She enjoys any kind of history including family history. When she is not piecing together novel plots, she pieces together quilt blocks.
Zina Abbott Links:
