Sarcastic Ramblings and Writing: Happiness in Adversity

Join the authors of Wild Child publishing and Freya’s Bower as we Take an Autumn Train Ride through our blogs.

Prizes will include

Four $50 gift certificates (two for Wild Child and two for Freya's Bower)
An awesome swag package that includes:

Bookmarks
Books
Wild Child T-shirt and mug
Wild Child and Freya's Bower bags
Four handmade, crochet coasters by Kit Wylde
An autographed copy of Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
A rare DVD copy of the Matheson/Furst classic "Up The Creek" (lovingly used)
One ebook copy of Nita Wick’s short story, The Dream (previously published as part of a Freya’s Bower anthology.)
Book trading cards
Signed Dangerous Waters poster
copy of "Battle for Blood: The Blood Feud"
the winner’s name as a character in Kissa Starling’s next sweet romance story.
A Yankee Candle
and more...

Happiness in Adversity

Victoria Roder

Standing on the platform with the other passengers, I waited in restless anticipation to catch a glimpse of the headlight, the telltale sign of the grayish smoke, or the sound of the steel wheels churning against the track. Passengers stirred as a centralized beam of light leads the steam engine around the bend. Chugging toward the station, restored steam locomotive number 261, boats the motto, "Out of the Past and Into the Future."

Glancing over my shoulder at my In-laws, I captured a picture in my mind I will never forget. My father-in-law stood with his arm wrapped tightly around my mother-in-law's waist. He had a wide, joyful grin on his face. I had been worried we would never see this day, but here we were, together, waiting to board the steam engine.

The whistle blew and the conductor yelled, "All Aboard. All Aboard. Keep your ticket with you at all times."

With excitement and cameras in hand, passengers scurried aboard the restored steam engine passenger train. The puff of sooty steam escaped the smokestack and the sound of chugging began as we shimmed down the track. Peeking out the windows, the Wisconsin landscape was breath taking. My husband and I sat across from his parents in a booth. My in-laws are not the typical stereotype in-laws most people think of when they hear that title. My mother and father-in-law are kind, generous and accepting souls that have always treated me as nothing less than their daughter.

My apprehension before we reached the day of our scheduled train ride was because my father-in-law had been diagnosed with stage four liver cancer a few months earlier. Liver cancer at stage four is not a hopeful situation. But, here we were and the grin on my father-in-laws face, that I will never forget was better than any train ride, or activity I could ever plan. I'm so thankful that picture is forever etched in my memory. Even in the reality of his limited time, my father-in-law was grateful, joyful and an example to the rest of us to celebrate life.

Please visit my website I am the author of children's adventures with value and adult mystery books.

Available at Amazon and Wild Child Publishing.

Please visit these sites for more chances to win, the more you visit the more chances you have to win. We have 46 participating authors. You can stop at as many or as little blogs as you wish. At each stop, you will find two chances to enter per blog to win some awesome prizes. If you visit all, that’s 92 chances to win! There will be five, lucky winners.

Take the Blog Train and Visit These Blogs for more chances to win

Marci Baun/Kit Wylde

Critters at the Keyboard

Teresa D’Amario

Judith Leger, Fantasy and Contemporary Romance Author

Highland Rogue Writing

The Fictional World of Jaime Samms

Follow Where the Path will Take You

The Wandering Mind of Lizzy P. Bellows

Where Love and Magic Meet

Kissa Starling

Marianna Heusler