Thank you, Dan, for allowing me to take over your blog today so I can talk about my upcoming new release, A Noble Bargain. I’m deeply grateful for your generosity and support!
Oliver’s vehicle plays a big part in A Noble Bargain. He drives a 1939 Ford Woody Wagon. These vehicles were built during the time there was a shortage of steel in America, so they substituted with heavy wood panels, which resulted in the vehicles weighing almost 3,000 pounds. It is estimated there were only a little over 60,000 of them ever made.
I had to do quite a bit of research about the mechanical operation of the wagons as I needed it to break down near Layken Martin’s farm in Missouri on the way to St. Louis. Thankfully, I know a local man with extensive knowledge and he helped me tremendously. Oliver loves his Woody and takes good care of it, so the only way it could break down is from some outside source. Here’s the scene where the vehicle stops on the road.
Excerpt:
While the rain continued beating on the roof of the car, the fresh scent of rain-washed air filtered in. The road ahead was now virtually empty.
“This doesn’t look much like a major highway. Wonder if I missed my turn?” Oliver tossed a glance at Jack. “Mind taking another look at the map. Got a feeling I’m off.”
Rose handed the map to her brother. “Don’t see how you can tell. I haven’t seen a road sign.”
“True. Of course, it’s hard to see much of anything in this rain.”
Jack studied the map, then peered out the window. “Agree with you. Don’t look much like a highway. More like a country road.”
At that moment, the engine knocked, backfired, and died. Oliver shifted back into first gear and popped the clutch.
Nothing happened, and the car coasted down the narrow road at a snail’s pace.
He turned the key over and the starter ground but wouldn’t connect. He then tried popping the clutch one more time with no luck. With both hands on the wheel, he steered to the side of the road. “This can’t be good.”
Jack leaned over the seat. “What do you reckon?”
“Don’t know, but if I had to guess, I’d say it has something to do with whatever gave us the flat tire back down the road. Or maybe there was water in the gas where we filled up in Springfield. I don’t recall the service station attendant checking anything because it was raining so hard.”
Rose twisted her hands in her lap while Oliver got out and raised the hood. Jack joined him. She could only catch pieces of their conversation as the rain beat against the roof. They were both going to be soaked again.
After a few minutes, Oliver slammed the hood, and they got back in the car.
“It’s only a guess.” Oliver blew out a breath and shook water off his cap. “Most likely, we knocked a hole in the oil pan and lost all the oil, which would cause the engine to lock down. The dipstick registered nothing. I can only hope we aren’t looking at a complete engine rebuild. The other thing I could see is a busted belt, which is an easy fix.”
“What are we going to do now?” Rose chewed her fingernails.
“Well, the only thing I know to do is try to find the nearest house and ask for help.”
One of my favorite things to do is attend car shows. It brings back memories of my dad, as he would always take me with him. Have you ever seen an actual Woody Wagon? The closest I can come to that is a Willys Jeep my dad had with the wooden side panels.
BOOK BLURB:
A true testament of character, resilience, and the magic of never giving up.
The year is 1948 and folks in the sawmill town of Crossett, Arkansas, work hard and play hard. Oliver Quinn does both. Oliver is the son of Irish immigrants who firmly believe in pursuing the American dream. His deepest desire is to play major league baseball. He only needs one chance to prove himself.
Rose Blaine is living in a nightmare where dreams don’t exist. She’s suffered for years at the hands of her violent moonshiner father and his partner. During a brutal attack, she must fight back or die. The aftermath is devastating.
Fueled by desperation, Rose strikes a life-changing bargain with Oliver. If he’ll take her and her brother to St. Louis, Missouri, she’ll introduce Oliver to her uncle, a baseball legend.
While their journey is fraught with unseen perils, they forge an unbreakable bond and make surprising allies.
When destiny throws them a curve ball, they must find the courage to create a hopeful future out of the ashes of shattered dreams with newfound fortitude.
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Thanks Jan for taking care of my Monday post. and good luck with the book and the rest of the tour. I’m going to add just a couple photos for the people expecting to see certain things on a Monday. I will add that the blurry bottom to these photos is not an effect I’m purposefully adding. It’s a “feature” WordPress has added. I suppose it’s to highlight the captions, but I don’t like it/.
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