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Mr. Kinsey's Boy


 "My father's name was Henry Kinsey. I know because Mama's husband Paul could not say his name without a curse."


The Story

1910: Loren Kinsey Whitmore has known his whole life that he doesn't belong---not among his beautiful, talented siblings, and not to his stepfather, Paul. His mother made it clear he was someone else---the son of the man she truly loved, Henry Kinsey.

The fact did little more than explain his perpetual discomfort in his own family---until now. After Paul's passing, and with his mother Agnes's health in a dire state, Loren sets off on a quest to find this Henry Kinsey, and reunite his parents one last time.

1879: Martha Kinsey doesn't know how she's going to explain the frozen, golden-haired woman on their cabin floor. The Kinseys eek out a sparse existence in the Dakota Territory; they certainly can't afford to add one more mouth to feed. But Martha's widowed father Henry seems almost happy about the arrival of the mysterious Agnes. At fourteen, Martha can tell what's going on between them---and she doesn't like it one bit.

As the strange and tragic events that pulled Henry and Agnes apart unfold, Loren and Martha's stories converge---in the prairie town of Osceola, Nebraska. And while Loren's arrival is regarded as a joyful occasion to some, it stirs jealousy and old wounds in others. With more than just Martha opposing Loren's goal, and with the health of both parents deteriorating, Henry and Agnes have never seemed so far apart. But Loren is determined to reunite the star-crossed pair---even if it means losing the two families he is caught between. 


Status

This story is in progress, and will most likely be self-published in 2021, though querying to literary agents and publishers would likely delay publishing until 2022.

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Allie Ray

  WHO I AM  I am an author, educator and part-time librarian from the small, rural town of Osceola, Nebraska. I earned my BA in English with minors in creative writing and theater arts from Concordia University--Seward, Nebraska. From there I moved several places, held several jobs, and had several daughters. Now my girls and I live in my hometown again, where I moonlight as the assistant librarian. I am also featured on  Nebraska Authors . WHAT I WRITE My writing tends literary, with a strong focus on characters and dialogue. I like writing in historical settings, especially the early 20th century. In general, I like writing flawed love stories and complicated families; specifically, I like writing about life in a small town, crime capers and mysteries, fast-talkers, and strong-willed women. I like mixing genres and writing situations and characters that challenge me to find hope, light, and beauty in a grim world. WHAT INSPIRES ME I am perennially fascinated by history....

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