Sunday, September 22, 2013

Happiness in Adversity

Take the Train Blog Hop



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




13 comments:

  1. We rode the Amtrak train from Seattle to Vancouver back in 2001 and loved it!

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  2. Great post, Victoria. I'm so sorry to hear about your father-in-law.

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  3. Thanks, Deb. He was a special man.

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  4. Replies
    1. Don't forget to sign up for the prizes and visit the other blogs for more chances to win!

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  5. So sorry to hear about your father-in-law. Great writing in your story to remember him by.

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  6. A beautifully written tribute, Vicki. You wrap good memories about a cherished man around a valuable lesson.

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  7. Thanks for sharing this precious memory, Victoria.

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  8. Thanks for stopping in everyone, and for the comfort. My father-in-law was a special man, and I must say my husband is following in his footsteps!

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  9. A touching story. Thanks for sharing!
    Carmen
    http://shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro/

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  10. What a beautiful sweet man. So glad you wrote this and shared.

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  11. Thank you for the kind words and stopping in everyone.

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