Another Teaser from my NEW NOVEL!

   Yesterday, I uploaded my new novel as an ebook to Amazon. It is ready for you to pre-order, NOW! When you do, you will receive the ebook on its Launch Day, Tuesday, September 15. The paperbacks will be ready for purchase at that same time, too. I have ordered the proof copy and should have it within a week. On Launch day,  I hope to have a stack of paperbacks available. If not on that day, I'll have them very soon. You may buy them either from Amazon or from me. Of course,  I will gladly autograph the books I sell directly to you! (In fact, I'll sign the books you get online, too, if you bring them to me.)

   I hope and pray Expecting and Encountering the Messiah will have a favorable reception. Will you like it? Time will tell.

   
​   Several of you told me how much you liked my first teaser. Here's another one:
​ 
​   Uncle Joseph hired a man named Joseph, of Nazareth, to make repairs on the upper room of our home in Sepphoris. When the man was working on the roof, I wanted to meet him.
   That day, my sister Salome and I had kicked the ball around with several neighboring children. We stopped when the sun was high. Sally continued to play with her friends, and I went home.
   The man worked hard on the roof, so I filled a pitcher with fresh water and grabbed a gourd dipper. I climbed to the roof by the stairs attached to the exterior wall of our house. With one hand supporting the water jug against my side and hip, managing the narrow stairs was a balancing act. I wore my everyday tunic and robe but had forgotten to cover my braided hair.
   The man was on one knee as he replaced a crumbling rock with a solid one. He had a tiny bit of gray hair on his temples and over his ears.
   Since he was working in the heat, he wore only a simple knee-length tunic with sleeves that reached his elbows. Through his tunic, the muscles of his arms and the power of his legs showed. I was embarrassed that I noticed his physical strength.
   He did not know I was there until I said, “Would you like some fresh water?”
   “I would love some fresh water.” He put down his trowel and stood up. He was tall. Taller than most Jewish men.
   He probably intended to simply nod at me and keep working, but he stared. I was embarrassed. I was not beautiful, but I was a pretty, slender young woman. My clothing was everyday wear with everyday sandals on my narrow feet. I had long, thick shiny hair in a single braid that went almost to my waist. He broke his trance and pulled on his sleeve to wipe sweat from his face.
   I dropped the dipper into the jug for water, then handed him the dipper, and he drank.
   “What is your name?” he asked.
   “I am Myriam, but some people call me Mary.”
  “Myriam is the perfect name for a beautiful young woman. Is Joseph your boss?”
   I shook my head.
   “Your father?”
   "No,” I answered. “He is my uncle and our family redeemer.”
   “Oh, forgive me—I mean—I did not know.” He stared at me again. I had thick eyebrows and eyelashes, but my nose was straight. My cheeks had dimples, and my lips were naturally pink. Neither needed anything to make them more noticeable, especially when I was embarrassed, like now.
   I was aware that he examined me, and I wished I had taken time to cover my hair.
   “I apologize for my mistake.” Now, he was the embarrassed one, which made me less nervous.
   “It is all right. My father died three years ago. I am thirteen, and my younger sister is ten.”
   He handed the dipper to me for another drink and straightened his clothes. His eyes roved over the roof until he located his robe, on the far side from us.
   I ducked my head as I handed the refilled dipper to him.
  “Hello, Myriam. I am Joseph, the older brother in our family. I have no sister, but I have a sister-in-law. She and my brother have young children. I do not know how many. The number keeps changing.”
   He has a good sense of humor. I smiled and brought my eyes upward. He had a smile that lit his eyes as if I had blown starlight into them. “Hello, Joseph.”
   “Does your uncle live in Sepphoris, too?”
   “No. Joseph lives in Arimathea, in a very large house with a very large family.”
   As soon as he handed the dipper back, I poured the remaining water into his smaller, almost empty jug. Then I turned to leave the roof.
    He softly said, “Thanks be to God for your kindness.”
   My face was flushed, and I could barely breathe. “May God bless you, Joseph.”
   “And you also, sweet Myriam.”
   I quickly glanced up at him to determine if he was mocking me, but he was not. He was genuinely kind, and I liked him.
   I turned my attention to managing the stairs and left him to his work.
   Later, all the words I wished I had said came to me. Something like “It is a pleasure to meet you, Joseph” or “I hope we meet again, Joseph.” But I had already said enough.
   I did not return to the upper room while he worked on the parapet. I only did what would be acceptable to the LORD and my mother. I waited.

   I hope you will join me in celebrating the launch of my first adult book, On the Fringes - Book One: Expecting and Encountering the Messiah. Please invite others to join us. I want the world to know, and I'm starting with you! 

In Christian love,
Betty