Monday, August 24, 2015

Real Life in Fiction

We've talked about #EasterEggs in my books.  Well, in this month's Her Second-Chance Family, the heroine's foster daughter volunteers at a bird rescue.  We have a great one in the Erie Area, but my inspiration was my friend Steve in NC.

You can find out more about the American Wildlife Refuge or Erie's Tamarack Wildlife Rehab.  I think the people at both organizations are amazing!!

Excerpt from Her Second-Chance Family:


“Do you work?”

“I’m volunteering at a wildlife rescue. They work mainly with birds, but sometimes if there’s room, they rehab other animals, too.”

“Oh, that’s so cool.” She didn’t know much about birds. She could spot a cardinal or blue jay, and even knew what a sparrow was, but not much beyond that.

“Yeah, don’t be too impressed,” he said with a laugh. “I go out a few days a week and clean stuff.”

“Do you get to work with the birds?”

He shook his head, which made his hair look like it was in danger of whiplash. “Not yet. I do grunt work mainly. But I get to see them, and someday Mr. Stone says I can do more. Everyone has to pay their dues.”

Austen reminded her of Audrey. Paying your dues sounded like balancing your karma. She smiled at the thought as she listened to him talk about one of the owls that had come in a few weeks ago.
He told her he was seventeen and was going to be a senior. She told him she was sixteen and going to be a junior. He asked how her driving was going. She told him, but didn’t mention her Sound of Music moment.

They didn’t talk about anything deep or even all that personal, but it was nice. Willow decided she liked him.

“I know you mow on Mondays,” Austen said, “but I go out to the rehab center on Wednesdays and Fridays, too. If you want to come out and don’t mind cleaning cages and other stuff like that, you could come with me and see them.”

Willow had never really thought much about birds, but suddenly she wanted to volunteer. She’d be helping the birds, and spending time with Austen. She figured her karma wouldn’t mind if helping the birds helped her get to know him better, too. “I’d have to ask Audrey.”

“Okay, let me know if you want to. Want to exchange numbers?”

It was the first time a guy had asked for her phone number. Maybe it was just about the birds, but maybe it wasn’t. She grinned.

“Sure.”

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