The Promise of Forgiveness (28 page)

Acknowledgments

I write stories about family drama because family is important to me. Without my family's support and encouragement, this book would not have survived the journey to publication. I might make up stuff in my head every day, but all of you are my reality, and I'm blessed to have you in my life.

To my husband, Kevin—whose golf game has improved immensely, thanks to my writing deadlines. I appreciate all the Saturdays you sacrificed on the golf course so that I could have a quiet house to write in while tackling revisions for this book.

To my adult children, Thomas and Marin—I'm so proud you both chose careers that serve people in need. It's an honor to write under your names.

To my father, James Milton Smith—we both tell stories: you with a paintbrush, me with a keyboard.

To my sister, Amy Smith-Lalonde—I've never met a person who works as hard as you do. You're an inspiration to all those around you.

To my brother, Brett Smith, who often suggests that I write a book about him—I believe your life story is best left in the hands of Hollywood screenwriters.

To my canine writing partners, Bandit and Rascal, who've slept at my feet beneath my desk for the past fourteen years. We've written a lot of stories together, and I'm counting on you fur balls to hang around for a few more books.

As with all of my stories, writing the first draft is the easy part. The real work begins during the revision and editing process. Thank you to my editor, Danielle Perez, for taking a chance on me and helping to transform this story from a chunk of coal into a shiny diamond.

And because the last thing an author wants to do is frustrate her readers with grammar mistakes and inconsistencies, many thanks to copy editor Penina Lopez, not only for keeping the hyphen queen in check but for keeping an eagle eye on my characters' ages and the passage of time.

My thanks to the artistic talents of Laura Corless for the lovely interior pages design, Tom Hallman for the cover art and Katie Anderson for the cover design. I love how you captured the warmth and vibrancy of the story's theme of forgiveness.

To my publicist, Danielle Dill—thank you for helping Ruby, Hank, Mia and Joe find their way into the hearts of first-time readers.

To my agent, Paige Wheeler of Creative Media Agency—thank you for supporting this new path in my writing career and for your invaluable feedback and encouragement on the numerous versions of this book proposal before it sold.

To Karin Dearborn—thank you for helping me brainstorm the original idea for this book. Go figure Ruby would steal the show.

To author Erin Quinn, who writes a killer synopsis—thank you for taking the time to help me fine-tune my synopsis for this book.

To author Barbara White Daille—thank you for your support and the numerous business lunches discussing the publishing industry. The pizzas weren't bad, either.

To the many talented authors at www.tallpoppy.org—thank you for your generous support and guidance in helping me navigate this new world of women's fiction.

To my faithful readers—thank you for purchasing my books, taking the time to post reviews online and recommending my stories to friends and family. Without your loyal support, I wouldn't be able to do what I love.

And last, but never least, to my Ohio author assistant, Denise Hall—thank you for your immense patience with this technically challenged author and for always being one step ahead of me and my next book. Without you, Marin Thomas would be forever wandering aimlessly around the Internet. Most of all, thank you for your friendship and keeping me sane in a whirlwind business that changes faster than the speed of light.

Questions for Discussion

1. Do you believe the author intended for the Oklahoma Panhandle to be a character in the novel? Does it play the role of villain or savior? Maybe both?

2. There's a lot of dust in this novel. What does it symbolize for Hank? At the beginning of the book, Ruby views the blowing dirt as a symbol of nothingness, bleakness, hopelessness. How does she view the dust particles at the end of the story?

3. Forgiveness is a major theme in this story. Have you ever withheld forgiveness from someone close to you? Does your reason still make sense after reading this novel, or are you more open to the possibility of forgiving your offender?

4. Raising teenagers is difficult. Do you believe Ruby handled Mia losing her virginity at such a young age appropriately? Was it right to move away from their small town? Or do you think Ruby was more concerned with how people would judge her and her motherhood skills? Why is it so difficult for parents to tell their children they're sorry?

5. If Cora had lived, do you think Ruby's relationship with Hank would have weakened or grown stronger? Why?

6. Life isn't always fair and a parent never gets over the death of his or her child, but do you think it's possible to move on with your life and find some semblance of happiness and peace without feeling guilty?

7. Being left behind is a major theme in this book. Do you think Ruby gives herself enough credit for breaking the cycle with her own daughter?

8. When in the book do you believe Ruby really forgave Cora? When she learned Cora left her the ruby necklace before she fled the hospital? When she found her baby picture in the suitcase at the motel where Cora had lived out her final years? Or when she said her final goodbye at the nursing home?

9. Ruby's adoptive mother, Cheryl, was afraid to tell Ruby her birth mother wanted to connect with her. What would you do in Cheryl's situation if your child were rebelling and challenging your authority and another parent wanted to enter your child's life? At what age do you feel it's appropriate to tell a child they're adopted?

10. Why do you think Hank and Mia hit it off right away? How much did it have to do with their shared love of animals?

11. What are some of the traits that Hank and Ruby share?

12. What is the significance of gambling in the book? When did it help Hank and when did it hurt him?

13. Ruby has built Hank up to be a huge obstacle to overcome or to fight against, but he turns out to be a frail man with a pacemaker in his chest. Do you believe it would have been more difficult or easier for Ruby to forgive Hank if he'd been healthy? Why do you think Ruby is so reluctant to forgive Hank?

14. Do you keep a diary? If so, are there any secrets that will turn your loved ones' lives upside down?

Why Unforgiven—Why Ruby?

I'm a big fan of small towns. Small towns provide built-in conflict for stories. People know one another—maybe a little too well. In small towns, secrets are guarded closely, because once they're revealed, the repercussions travel through the community like shock waves after an earthquake. On the one hand, it's comforting to know you have help nearby, but on the other, it's disconcerting when you discover your neighbors know more about you than you realized.

When I brainstormed this novel, I needed a location that would challenge the book's theme of forgiveness. I then filled the town with men, because Ruby has a deep mistrust of men, and I didn't want her to feel too comfortable, because only when we're uncomfortable do we accept the need to change.

Unforgiven is a safe haven for men. A place where roughnecks and cowboys check their morals and values at the door. A place where they can say what they want without fear of backlash or condemnation. The men have secrets and regrets. Their lives have been built on mistakes and bad decisions—but no one holds them accountable in Unforgiven. At home these men toe the line for their wives and families, their actions and words guided by a moral conscience. For some men, the women in their lives are the only link between them and civilized society.

Ruby is nothing like the wives and girlfriends who are at home waiting for their roughnecks and cowboys. Ruby is as hard as the gemstone she's named after. She, too, has secrets and has made her share of mistakes and bad judgment calls. The town is a reflection of Ruby—unforgiving and suspicious.

Why did I pick Ruby to be the story's protagonist? Because Ruby is a fighter. There's something very real and honest about middle-class America. The middle class doesn't make enough money to buy their way out of the messes they create in their lives like the wealthy, who have the means and connections to make things “go away.” Few people in the middle class experience having opportunities handed to them like the wealthy, yet they're often held to higher standards and made accountable for the consequences of their choices and actions while the wealthy get away with their mistakes and indiscretions.

The middle class is the heartbeat of America. They love deeply and hate deeply. And because these attributes can lead them down the wrong path, the need for forgiveness plays a greater role in their lives than perhaps in the lives of the more fortunate in society.

Forgiveness is not about the offender—the person who committed the offense. It's not about deciding if the offender deserves forgiveness. It's only about what's inside the heart of the person who's been hurt. If you've carried a grudge against someone for a long time and you finally let it go, you'll feel a weight lift off your shoulders. And only when you forgive can you begin to heal, because you no longer carry the burden of being the injured one.

Ruby arrives in Unforgiven determined to hold a grudge against her biological father, but what she doesn't understand until later is that she needed to give forgiveness more than she needed to receive it.

As I've grown older, I've learned a few valuable lessons in life. You can't change people. And sometimes those who profess to love you will hurt you. But the most important thing I've learned is that offering forgiveness frees the soul and gives us a path forward in life that is richer and sweeter than the one we walked before.

About the Author

Marin Thomas
is an award-nominated author of more than twenty-five novels, including the Cash Brothers series. She grew up in Janesville, Wisconsin, and attended college at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where she played basketball for the Lady Wildcats and earned a BA in Radio and Television. Following graduation, she married her college sweetheart in a five-minute ceremony at the historic Little Chapel of the West in Las Vegas, Nevada. While her two children were young, Marin coached youth basketball. Now that her son has graduated from college and her daughter is in graduate school, Marin writes full-time. She and her husband currently live in Houston, Texas.
The Promise of Forgiveness
is her first women's fiction novel.

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