Bonus Material from the Nebraska Series Page 5

  Joel Larson: I suppose you think you’re funny.

  Ruth: What? Is this or is this not how you describe Shotgun Groom?

  Joel: You fail to understand the complexity of the situation. A man’s bachelorhood is sacred. You’re treating this whole thing like it’s a joke. And what’s worse is what you put at the very bottom. Tom is a co-star in this book?

  Ruth: Tom asked to be a part of your life when you were most miserable, and I saw no reason to tell him no.

  Joel: Oh come on! You know Tom’s going to take April’s side on everything. He gets a sick and twisted pleasure out of watching me suffer. You should have Dave be a prominent character in the book. Don’t your readers like Dave Larson more than Tom? I seem to remember some emails where women said Dave was the ideal hero.

  Ruth: When an author writes a book, it’s important to consider the personalities of the characters. You and Tom have a certain chemistry that makes the scenes you two are in come alive.

  Joel: That is so lame. Why don’t you just come out and say you wanted Tom to be in the story because you know he’ll give me the greatest amount of grief? Just what is his role in this travesty anyway?

  Ruth: He’s going to be the one who holds the gun to your head while you get married.

  Joel: You’ve got to be kidding me! This is so embarrassing. I’ll never live this one down. He’ll be bragging about this whenever the family gets together. Can this interview get any worse?

  Ruth: I thought it’d be fun to bring him in.

  Joel: *lets out a weary sigh* Figures. Tom, why are you here?

  Tom Larson: Well, Ruth asked me if I’d be willing to do an interview, and I thought, “What the hey? It’s for my brother Joel. I’ll do almost anything for him.” Ruth, this is the best book ever! I read what you got so far, and I’m loving every single word! I can’t wait to see what you’ll do to torture Joel…I mean, what you’ll do to advance the plot next. Sep showing up with that gun in the kitchen to stop Joel from leaving and then stopping him again at the barn were perfect. I never saw Joel so intimidated by anyone before, much less a fourteen-year-old boy.

  Joel: I wasn’t intimidated! The kid is just a kid. I told you that was implausible, Ruth.

  Tom: Implausible or incredible? Believe me, it was incredible. That Sep kid has a lot of spunk. I already know we’re going to get along great! But the best part of the book so far is that scene where April dumped water all over Joel! I still read it to Jessica and the girls every night at bedtime. The girls can’t stop laughing when April outwits Joel.

  Joel: *scowls at Tom* Traitor.

  Tom: Oh right, Joel. *rolls eyes* I wouldn’t do anything to you that you wouldn’t do to me. I’ve been waiting a long time for this book.

  Joel: So you’ve been waiting for this book ever since I told you that Jessica only married you because she lost the bet when she drew straws with Margaret on who was going to be the heroine in A Bride for Tom?

  Tom: You said what?

  Joel: *rubs chin* Or maybe I said that to Dave. It’s hard to remember. It’s been years since poor Jessica got stuck with you.

  Tom: I can’t wait to get that shotgun out, Joel! The look on your face alone is worth all the years of aggravation you put me through.

  Joel: And who is going to marry us? I’m going to tell the preacher no. I don’t care if you’re holding a gun or not.

  Tom: You’ll see. This will be the best part of the book. I can’t wait!

  Joel: Oh joy. My life keeps going from bad to worse.

  Tom: I’ll give you a hint. Everyone will have to judge the scene for themselves. Get it? See how I slipped in the identity of the man who’s going to marry you and April? I show up for the first time in chapter seven where I’m told you’re missing. As your “concerned” older brother, I go looking for you. I hope Ruth ends this interview and writes that scene in soon! I can’t wait to welcome April and Sep into the family!

  Joel: Thanks a lot, Ruth. It wasn’t bad enough that you trapped me into a marriage. You have to bring Tom into it?

  Ruth: Yep. Now I’m off to do some writing. I hope to make my word count tonight. The rest of Chapter Seven is from Tom’s point of view.

  Joel: Forgive me if I don’t jump up and down in excitement like Tom is.

  Ruth: I know it’s hard to believe, but you’ll actually be happy by the end of the book.

  Joel: You mean, I get out of the marriage?

  Ruth: Nope. You’ll be happy because of your marriage.

  Joel: I find that hard to believe. If you’ll excuse me, I need to prepare for my death march down the aisle.

  Tom: And I’m going to get things ready for the blessed event!

  Ruth: Well, there you have it. Tom finally gets what he’s been hoping for, and Joel’s world is coming to an end. My work here is done.

  Photo credits:

  Poster was made by Ruth Ann Nordin using images from Dreamstime.com (background image: ID 18862171 © Petrkurgan | Dreamstime.com, shotgun image: ID 20167937 © Petr Malyshev | Dreamstime.com, wedding bands: ID 3515188 © Sergey Revich | Dreamstime.com, Joel/man crying: ID 14602380 © Jason Stitt | Dreamstime.com)

  ***

  Tom Shows Up in Shotgun Groom and an Interview with Joel, Tom, and Dave Larson

  (08/27/2011)

  In the excerpt below taken from Chapter 8 in Shotgun Groom, Tom Larson has shown up at April’s house, looking for his missing brother. Just as Tom is about to leave, April’s young daughter sees him and, since he looks a lot like Joel, mistakes him for Joel.

  Excerpt from Shotgun Groom:

  As Tom stepped down the porch steps, Nora stretched her arms out. “Joe!” April had to restrain her from jumping out of her embrace. She had no idea Nora had become so attached to Joel in such a short time. He really did have a way with children!

  Sep was in the process of closing the door when Joel called out he was almost done. Sep paused, and Tom turned back to them. April silently cursed her luck that Nora had to yell out for Joel when she did. If she’d waited just a few more seconds, they would be in the clear.

  Tom narrowed his eyes at them and returned to the doorway.

  “I can explain,” April quickly said, her eyes pleading with him to hear her out.

  “Be careful about what you say,” Sep warned her before he took Nora and rushed for the stairs.

  Taking that as her cue, she motioned for Tom to come into the house. “Please hear me out first?”

  His gaze went from the hallway to her and to the parlor couch.

  “It’s important,” she added, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice but not sure she succeeded.

  After a tense moment passed, he took off his hat and wiped his feet on the rug by the door before he sat on the couch. Placing his hat on his knee, he said, “Alright. What is my brother doing here and why were you lying about it?”

  Now for the interview:

  Ruth Ann Nordin: I can’t give the whole story away, but I wanted to show how Tom was able to wiggle his way into the plot. I wasn’t sure if he would, but he insisted I try the scene again. (I failed the first time.) I rearranged a few things and sure enough, it worked. Now to discuss Joel’s upcoming wedding! Joel, Tom, and Dave Larson agreed to come in for an interview. Dave hasn’t shown up in the story yet, but he will later.

  Ruth: We’ll start with Joel.

  Joel Larson: Are you kidding me? This is what was going on downstairs when I was repairing that hole in Sep’s bedroom?

  Ruth: What are you doing with a cell phone?

  Joel: Reading what you wrote today. I like to find out what’s going on behind my back, even if I can’t do anything to stop it.

  Ruth: Okay, so if this whole wedding thing is so horrible for you, why are you dressed up?

  Joel: This is all I could find in the old trunk that April and Sep’s father had.

  Ruth: *rolls eyes* Sure, Joel. Keep lying to yourself. We all know you want to get married but you’re too proud to admit it.

/>   Joel: I’ll have you know my shock is real.

  Tom Larson: This book keeps getting better and better! I’m so glad I have a hand in sending Joel to his doom–I mean happy ending.

  Joel: This book isn’t over yet. I’ll figure out a way to get even with you for this, Tom.

  Tom: Oh come on. April’s story is so sad. How can you not want to help her out? Any reasonable man would step in to save the day and marry her. Besides, she’s a looker. Of course, my wife is, too. I wouldn’t have anyone but Jessica.

  Joel: This isn’t about you, Tom. There’s no reason for you to be in the story, except to bother me.

  Tom: Oh, and like you didn’t bother me in A Bride for Tom or The Wrong Husband. At least, I’m doing you a favor.

  Joel: Some favor. You’re running off to find the man who’ll chain me to April for the rest of my life.

  Ruth: Chain? You have a picture of her in that cell phone.

  Joel: I took it by accident. I meant to take a picture of the repairs I did by the parlor window.

  Ruth: You have two pictures, Joel.

  Joel: So the phone shoots pictures at the wrong time. It’s a faulty phone, and that means you aren’t paying me enough to partake in this tragedy.

  Tom: Tragedy or triumph? I, for one, can’t stop reading it. This is literature at its finest. I can’t wait for that dramatic moment when you cry as you mutter out the infamous words “I do.” I’m going to print that page off and post it on my wall.

  Joel: I’m not going to cry. Men don’t cry. I might have something in my eye, but I won’t cry. Seriously, Ruth, why couldn’t you have Dave come looking for me instead of my clumsy brother? And speaking of which, did he bump into anything or get April’s hair caught in one of his coat buttons?

  Tom: Ha, ha. You are soooo original.

  Ruth: Tom was very graceful in the scene. You don’t give Tom enough credit, Joel.

  Tom: Exactly. I was nervous around Jessica.

  Joel: Oh yeah, your anniversary is coming up in April. I’ll have to send her a funeral bouquet like I do every year to express my condolences.

  Tom: Ruth, can I please hold the gun to Joel so he has to say his vows when the blessed event occurs?

  Joel: When is Dave going to show up?

  Tom: Yeah, Dave? Where are you? Your name is in the subject line of this post.

  Dave: I’m waiting for you two to stop bickering.

  Joel: You wouldn’t run off to find someone to force me to marry April, would you?

  Dave: I would have gone upstairs to get your side of the story. I don’t jump to conclusions like Tom does.

  Tom: Conclusions? April is terrified. That Lou character is bad news, and Sep is too young to take him on.

  Dave: While that might be the case, I’m sure there’s another solution. I don’t see why Joel has to be forced into doing something he doesn’t want.

  Joel: That’s what I’ve been thinking the whole time, Dave! Who is going to believe April’s only recourse is to marry me? That’s why this story is doomed for complete and utter failure. I’m telling you, those 1-star reviews and angry emails are going to pile up. I’m starting a campaign on this. Want to join in?

  Dave: Let’s not go overboard, Joel.

  Joel: Overboard? Ruth’s also working on Isaac’s story. She’s going to have him elope with Emily Craftsman.

  Dave: She’s doing what?!

  Joel: Oh, you don’t like that one, do you? It’s always different when you’re the one in the hot seat. Yeah, your oldest son is going to make you part of Neil Craftsman’s family! You just wait. I believe it’s going to be around…what…chapter eight or nine when Isaac marries Emily without telling you in Isaac’s Decision.

  Tom: What’s wrong with that?

  Dave: You’ve got to be kidding me, Tom! You know what Neil did to Mary.

  Tom: Neil’s not the same person he was back in Eye of the Beholder. He’s changed for the better. I don’t understand why you won’t sit down and talk to him.

  Dave: You make it a habit of visiting him?

  Tom: No, but that’s because I’m busy with Jessica, the girls, and the farm. I do good to make it to our family get-togethers. Ever since you banned Neil from helping with the harvest, I rarely see him.

  Dave: I didn’t ban him.

  Joel: Oh right. You gave him that death threat at the train station at the end of Eye of the Beholder.

  Dave: It wasn’t a death threat…exactly.

  Tom: All I know is levelheaded, “let’s get two sides of the story” Dave can be one of the most stubborn people I’ve ever met when it comes to Neil Craftsman. So don’t judge me for making Joel marry April. April will be good to him, and seriously, who can ignore the biggest benefit of marriage? There’s nothing like the honeymoon stage.

  Joel: Whoopee. *rolls eyes* My honeymoon involves the crazy guy in the book coming after me to kill me. I signed up for the medical profession, not law enforcement. Can’t my brother-in-law, Owen, fill in for me on those parts? You know, like a stunt double or something?

  Ruth: Sorry. You do all your own stunts.

  Joel: Figures. I get no breaks in this book.

  Ruth: Well, that’s it for this interview. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of these brothers in the future, especially when Dave discovers his son ran off with Emily.

  Dave: About that…

  Ruth: Got to go! Books don’t write themselves.

  ***

  Interview with Tom Larson, Regarding the Wedding in Shotgun Groom

  (Excerpt posted on 09/02/2011; Interview made on 09/03/2011)

  Excerpt from the wedding:

  Rick tucked the paper to another page in the book and motioned to April to join them. “We’ll get this ceremony on the way.”

  Though April appeared hesitant, she joined them and clasped her hands in front of her, and Rick began performing the ceremony.

  “I can’t believe this,” Joel muttered as Sep raised the rifle.

  Exactly where did Sep think Joel was going to go? He might be able to get away from Tom or Rick, but he wasn’t stupid enough to believe he could tackle both of them, especially since they were older than him. Letting out a loud groan, he lifted his eyes to heaven and wondered what awful thing he did to deserve this fate. Rick went on and on about something that had to do with this disaster, but Joel refused to pay attention. Why would he care to listen to the words that sealed his doom?

  Beside him, April said “I do” in a tone that indicated she’d rather not but had no choice.

  Joel rolled his eyes. That was just great. His bride showed as much enthusiasm for this marriage as she did with the dust she wiped up when she cleaned. Oh yes. This marriage was going to be just the thing he needed to complete his life. When it was his turn to say “I do,” Tom nudged him in the side and pointed to Rick.

  Narrowing his eyes at Tom, he refused to speak the dreaded words.

  “Come on, Joel,” Rick said in a gentle voice. “It’s not as bad as you’re making it out to be.”

  “How would you know?” Joel snapped.

  “Because I’ve been there. Well, not with a gun and a judge like this, but I didn’t think I’d fall in love with your sister when we first met. And look at us now. I can’t imagine my life without Sally. Sometimes love takes a while to develop.”