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Into the Starlight by Amanda Cabot (Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing 3)

July 16, 2024; ISBN 9780800740665; Ebook ISBN 9781493445493

Her career as a concert pianist at an end, Joanna Vaughn comes home to Sweetwater Crossing, widowed and unsure what the future holds. The arrival of a pair of newcomers stirs up a decades-old mystery, a shocking revelation—and the chance for Joanna to find true love.

Thanks so much for inviting me. I’m delighted to be here.

Tell us something about where you live.

For almost all of my life, I’ve lived in Finley House, the largest—and some would say the most pretentious—house in a small town in the Texas Hill Country named Sweetwater Crossing. I enjoyed living there and knew it would always be home, but about a year and a half ago I was given the opportunity to go to Europe. It should have been a dream come true, but it turned out … Let’s just say it didn’t turn out the way I’d expected.

Is there anything special about your name? Why do you think you were given that name?

If you’d asked my father, he’d have said there was something special about my name. My mother wouldn’t have agreed. All the while they were expecting me, Mama insisted that if the baby was a girl, she should be named Josephine, since my father’s name was Joseph. But when she died giving birth to me, Father wanted to be certain I’d never forget that my mother’s name was Anna, and so he called me Joanna.

Do you have an occupation? What do you like or dislike about your work?

I am—or, rather, I had hoped to be—a concert pianist. That’s why I was in Europe. I was studying with maestros, perfecting my skill. I loved everything about playing the piano, and the idea that my music could touch people’s hearts filled me with joy. But then everything changed.

Who are the special people in your life?

Without a doubt, the most special people in my life have always been my sisters. Even though no two of us have the same two parents, we’ve been as close as any three girls could be. Oh, there were times when I resented Emily’s bossiness—she’s the oldest—and when I thought Louisa was being spoiled because she’s the youngest, but most of the time they were my closest friends.

What is your heart’s deepest desire?

To make a difference in the world. I believe that each of us is put on Earth to make it better in some way. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a big way or a small one; what matters is that we change things for the better. I had thought I’d do that as a pianist, but now … Now I don’t know what I can do.

What do you expect the future will hold for you?

Oh, how I wish I knew! At first I thought the future would be concert tours, but that ended. Then I thought I’d have a happily-ever-after with my husband, but he was taken from me far too soon. Now the future is cloudy.

What have you learned about yourself in the course of your story?

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s never to give up hope. My future may not be the one I planned or even the one I thought would be best for me, but I’m certain that if I wait and trust and never give up hope, God will lead me to the future he knows is the right one for me. 

Thanks for allowing us to get know you a little better!

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of After the Shadows and
Against the Wind, as well as several historical and contemporary
romance series, including Mesquite Springs, Cimarron Creek
Trilogy, Texas Crossroads, Texas Dreams, and Westward Winds.
Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards, the
HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers’ Best. She lives in Wyoming.
Learn more at AmandaCabot.com.

A brighter future awaits—if she can escape the shadows of the past 

Emily Leland sheds no tears when her abusive husband is killed in a bar fight, but what awaits her back home in Sweetwater Crossing is far from the welcome and comfort she expected. First she discovers her father has died under mysterious circumstances. Then the house where the handsome new schoolteacher, Craig Ferguson, and his son are supposed to board burns, leaving them homeless. When Emily proposes turning the family home into a boardinghouse, her sister is so incensed that she leaves town.

Alone and broke, her family name sullied by controversy, Emily is determined to solve the mystery of her father’s death—and to aid Craig, despite her fears of men. The widowed schoolmaster proves to be a devoted father, an innovative teacher, and an unexpected ally. As they work to uncover the truth, they just may find the key to unlock a future neither could have imagined.

Welcome to NovelPASTimes. For those who haven’t met you, please introduce yourself.

I’m Emily Vaughn. No, that’s not right. I’m Emily Leland now.

That’s a common mistake for newlyweds. Is Leland your married name?

Yes. I was married for over a year, but fortunately I’m a widow now.

Fortunately? Most women wouldn’t find being widowed fortunate.

That’s because they weren’t married to George Leland. Marrying him was the biggest mistake of my life. If you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk about him.

Certainly. Let’s discuss something more pleasant. Sweetwater Crossing seems like a nice town.

I love it. Oh, we have our share of problems, but I’m convinced it’s the most beautiful town in the Hill Country, maybe in all of Texas.

I couldn’t help noticing that one of the houses on Creek Road appears out of place here.

You’re not the first person to say that. That’s my home, Finley House. There’s a long story about it and why it’s as large and elaborate as it is. The abbreviated version is that Clive Finley, a man from Alabama, built it for his fiancée shortly before the War Between the States. Sadly, he died before he could bring her here. He asked my father to take care of the house until he returned from the war, which is why my family has lived there ever since. And, yes, it’s much bigger than we need and the taxes have taken much of my father’s stipend as the town’s minister, but my sisters and I consider ourselves fortunate to live there.

Sisters, as in plural. I always wished I had at least one. Tell me about yours.

I’m the oldest of the three of us, and no matter what my sisters claim, I’m not bossy. Not very often, anyway. It’s just that growing up, they sometimes needed guidance. But you asked about the others. Joanna – she’s the one in the middle – can make even an out of tune piano sound good. Right now she’s in Europe studying to be a concert pianist. Louisa hates being called the baby of the family, even though she is. She can’t bear to see anyone in pain. That’s why she plans to be a doctor.

What wonderful aspirations. What is yours?

I thought I was going to be a good wife and mother like my own mother, but …

Oh, Emily, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry. I only have one more question. I saw a fresh grave outside the cemetery. Who’s buried there?

I’ll try to say this without shedding too many tears. That’s my father’s grave. His death was considered scandalous, so he wasn’t allowed to be buried in consecrated ground, but don’t believe the stories you may hear. My father did not take his own life. I’m as certain of that as I am that the sun sets in the west, and if it’s the last thing I do, I will discover who murdered him.

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of more than forty books and a variety of novellas. Her books have been honored with a starred review from Publishers Weekly and have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Award, the HOLT Medallion, and the Booksellers’ Best. 

Social Media Links

www.amandacabot.com

https://www.facebook.com/amanda.j.cabot

https://twitter.com/AmandaJoyCabot/

http://amandajoycabot.blogspot.com/

Buying Links

Amazon 

Baker Book House 

Barnes & Noble 

Christian Book Distributors 

NOVEL PASTIMES: Welcome to Novel PASTimes! We are pleased you stopped by today.

DOROTHY: Thanks for inviting me. Others, including my sister-in-law Evelyn, have told me how much fun it is to chat with you.

NOVEL PASTIMES: She had quite a story. When I talked to her, she and Polly were living in the apartment you now call home. I was surprised when I learned that you’re living there alone. 

DOROTHY: You’re not the only one who was surprised. My mother wasn’t thrilled by the idea of my leaving the ranch and moving into the apartment, but with Evelyn and Wyatt gone, someone had to keep the restaurant running. Oh, I see the questions in your eyes. You know that Evelyn’s the owner of the restaurant, but you may not know that she recently married my brother Wyatt and that they’re in East Texas taking care of some business.

NOVEL PASTIMES: I hadn’t heard that congratulations were in order, but I’m not too surprised. When Evelyn and I talked, I thought there was a special man in her life. But back to you. You must be a wonderful cook if Evelyn left you in charge of her restaurant. 

DOROTHY: You’ve obviously never tasted my cooking. Fortunately, my best friend Laura is an accomplished chef. I just help her. 

NOVEL PASTIMES: If cooking isn’t your passion, what is? 

DOROTHY: Writing. I don’t know whether you’ve read Uncle Tom’s Cabin – after all, it’s banned here in the South – but more than anything, I want to write something that will change people’s lives the way Mrs. Stowe’s book did.

NOVEL PASTIMES: That’s certainly a worthy goal. Why haven’t you done it?

DOROTHY: I could say it’s because I’ve been too busy, but the truth is, I haven’t had a single idea that’s important enough to be turned into a book. The only writing I’ve done was an article to help my brother publicize his first horse sale.

NOVEL PASTIMES: That sounds interesting. Did it bring more people to Mesquite Springs?

DOROTHY: It did.

NOVEL PASTIMES: Then maybe you should write more articles.

DOROTHY: Are you a mind reader? I’ve been thinking about that ever since Brandon Holloway came to town. Laura’s convinced he’s the man she’s going to marry, but what attracts me is the fact that he’s starting a newspaper here.

NOVEL PASTIMES: So you don’t find him attractive?

DOROTHY: I didn’t say that. Brandon’s handsome, but more than that, he’s kind and thoughtful and doing something important. Mesquite Springs needed a newspaper, and he’s giving us one.

NOVEL PASTIMES: That makes him sound like the perfect man for you. Would you consider marrying him if Laura weren’t interested in him?

DOROTHY: No! I won’t ever marry.

NOVEL PASTIMES: Oh, Dorothy. You surprised me before, but now you’ve shocked me. I can see you believe it, but I don’t understand. Why won’t you marry?

DOROTHY: I can’t.

NOVEL PASTIMES: You can’t? Why would you believe you can’t marry?

DOROTHY: It’s more than believing. I know I can’t. Please don’t ask me to say anything more, because it’s not something I talk about to anyone, not even my family. 

NOVEL PASTIMES: And nothing would change your mind?

DOROTHY: No. It’s too great a risk.

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of Out of the Embers, as well as the Cimarron
Creek Trilogy and the Texas Crossroads, Texas Dreams, and Westward Winds series.
Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards, the HOLT Medallion, and
the Booksellers’ Best. She lives in Wyoming. Learn more at www.amandacabot.com.