Plain Roots

Literature & Fiction

synopsis

Synopsis

Taryn Clark thought she’d outgrown the need to find her birth mother. She thought that a successful career and a comfortable life in the city were enough to be happy. Did she really need to know about the woman who had given her away? Adopted at birth, her first few years were happy. But divorce, and then death, ripped their tiny family apart, and at the tender age of six, she entered the foster care system. Finding her roots seemed an impossible dream. But dreams are resilient. An unexpected discovery awakens old yearnings of belonging to a family, of being part of something bigger than herself. Finding the brief, ambiguous note from her birth mother is enough to unfurl the ribbons of hope still binding her heart. Her quest takes her to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and the heart of the Plain community. Aided by her unique eye color, a healthy dose of luck, and the private investigator she hires, Taryn finds her birth family easily enough, but finding the truth is another matter. In all her musings, she never imagined a scenario where her mother might be Amish. She never imagined that the fabric of her life might be a patchwork of faith and fear, stitched together with a dark family secret. Now she’s caught in the quicksand of a shocking discovery and the consequences of choices made, almost forty years ago. She’ll risk everything to uncover the truth and to claim the family—and the roots—she so desperately craves.

bio

Author Biography

Best-selling indie author Becki Willis loves crafting stories with believable characters in believable situations. Many of her stories stem from her own travels and from personal experiences. (No worries; she's never actually murdered anyone).

When she’s not plotting danger and adventure for her imaginary friends, Becki enjoys reading, antiquing (aka junking), unraveling a good mystery (real or imagined), dark chocolate, and a good cup of coffee. A professed history geek, Becki often weaves pieces of the past into her novels. Family is a central theme in her stories and in her life. She and her husband enjoy traveling, but believe coming home to their Texas ranch is the best part of any trip.

Becki is on the Board of Directors for Authors School of Business and has won numerous awards, but the real compliments come from her readers. Drop in for an e-visit anytime at beckiwillis.ccp@gmail.com, or www.beckiwillis.com.

website

Author Insight

A Knack for Selling

Despite their desire to be 'apart' from the rest of the world, the Amish people depend on tourism as a means of income. Many have roadside stands, or rooms in their home, dedicated to selling their handmade crafts and delicious foods. Even the children are skilled in the art of salesmanship. I may not be as eloquent and charming as my young character Deborah, but I do have the perfect sales pitch: For the next seven days, Plain Roots is only .99. Who says you can't buy happiness?

Book Excerpt

Plain Roots

“You were here only yesterday,” the child remarked with candor. “Did you like the eggs that well?”

The man managed a sheepish look. “The truth is, I dropped them and broke them, before I could even take them home to my wife.”

“Then you should buy two dozen today,” the girl suggested innocently. “And some quilts to wrap them in.”

“I don’t need a quilt,” the man said.

“A nice table runner, then? See? You can wrap it around the eggs, like this.” She picked up a colorful runner quilted in blues and browns, stitched in the wedding ring pattern, and deftly wrapped up the egg cartons. “Buy the runner, and the eggs are free.” Even at ten, she had long since mastered the art of marketing.

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Becki Willis

Plain Roots

Synopsis

Author Biography

Author Insight

A Knack for Selling

Book Excerpt

Plain Roots

Comment on this Bubble