Francine Craft

Okay, so I last gave you Chapter 3.  Now 14?  I’m skipping about to give you the full flavor of  S&S.  This chapter is about Sheba’s grandfather Joe and his beloved wife Miss Addie Love.   You won’t get lost herein.  I think you’ll follow easily because each chapter has an explanatory note.  Happy reading!

It was a happy night at Church of the Holy Redeemer.  In one of the spacious rooms set aside for gatherings, a group called Good Marriages Forever had gathered to fete a few of the most active and devoted couples.  Everybody felt that Papa Joe Isaacs and Miss Addie Love  just about headed the list.  Still they had insisted on being the last ones honored.  Now it was their time and properly introduced, Papa Joe rose, looked around and his twinkling eyes settled on his beloved Addie, who sat in the small audience on the front seat.  He boldly threw her a kiss and she blushed.

“My speech tonight is different from the Bible’s Adam’s,” he began.  “He said ‘Lord, this woman you gave me,’ and went on to complain about Eve.  Me,  I’ve got no complaints about my mate Miss Addie. If any apples were offered for biting into, I offered one to her and she trusted me enough to bite.   She’s about as perfect as they come.  She’s been my mate, my precious bedfellow, my love,  for I won’t say for how long.  Lord, I’m  not sure I remember.  But I do remember that while the people of this time don’t talk much about saints anymore, Miss Addie is a saint sent to me directly by God.”  For a moment, he seemed to have a lot more to say, but he choked up and brushed away a few tears.  “I love her.  I need her.  I want her.  She and I will be forever together.  I just can’t talk anymore.  I’m all choked up on  love.” Read the rest of this entry »

Within the next few days, I will give you another chapter of Solomon and Sheba, a chapter from the life of the older couple,  Sheba’s grandfather Joe and his beloved wife Addie Love.  He has kept her on a pedestal, worshipping her.  What happens when she insists on falling off?

Just a reminder that while this chapter has been proofed, it is in the draft stage and is presented for your thoughts and comments.  It is  not the finshed product.  Please enjoy and comment and I look forward to your continuing to read as I write.

Marty Solomon stood on the elevated stage of Church of the Holy Redeemer looking out on the congregation eager to hear this particular sermon,  God’s Precious Gift: How Well Do We Handle it?  This was a subject dear to his heart: The sexual-sensual complex.  He spoke from a fully trained mind and heart because he had enjoyed a splendid relationship with his late wife and a like one with Sheba, his present wife. Hymns had been sung and he knew they looked forward to Sheba and Angel Voices later singing spirituals. But it was hushed now in anticipation of this sermon,  and he could imagine the many young people in his congregation saying, “Bring it on, Rev.”

He came from behind the lectern and spread his arms as if to embrace them all as the lights dimmed to a soft candlelit glow. Marty’s mellifluous baritone began.  ”Do you think of your sexual-sensual complex as one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind?”

Read the rest of this entry »

Note to Readers:  I neglected to tell  you that this is a work in progress and so you will find a few errors.  The final version of S&S will be relatively free of errors and will make a smoother read.  I just wanted you to get the concept of this book and invite you to offer any suggestions you wish.  I welcome them all.

“Crazy jackass!” Sheba Solomon muttered half under her breath.  She had just stared again into the malevolent eyes of Punch Motherwell and her stomach was tying itself into knots.  Had it been three years ago?

“What did you say, honey?” her  husband, Marty Solomon asked before he belatedly got her comment.  “I’m afraid I was thinking the same thing.  I guess it’s not very Christian of either one of us.” Read the rest of this entry »

July 4, 2007, 9:00 a.m. - Marigold,  Maryland – on the Eastern Shore

Sheba Davis sat on the back seat of her twin Ernie’s  snazzy black Porsche just behind Martina Solomon, who was both their friend.  Martina’s  daughter, Kaya, sat just behind Ernie and from time to time looked at Sheba and smiled.  Kaya was nine and often commented on Sheba’s burgeoning belly.   Five  months pregnant, Sheba often touched her own body where her baby had begun to move.  Now she thought sorrowfully that her late husband, Scott, would have loved watching his child grow, touching his wife ardently the way he did.  They were so in love.  She felt the start of tears  just behind her eyelids.

Read the rest of this entry »

Readers looking for excerpts from Dying on the Edge will find them just beyond the material below.

I promised and now I’m delivering.  Below is the background for my coming in 2012 lush novel of love and hatred, forgiveness and redemption.

S&S is set in the imaginary Eastern Shore Maryland town of 20,000, Marigold.  The time is July 2007 – July 2008.  The story revolves around several couples, interracial and intraracial.  The leading stars are Martin - Marty – Solomon a white (or is he?) much loved and admired minister of a swiftly growing nondenominational church and Sheba,  his African American wife who is 7 years older than he.   Sheba is gifted with a gorgeous lyric soprano voice and psychic gifts that sometimes seem more a curse than a blessing.

Then there is Marty’s brother, Pete, with a loving family and a heart full of hatred, beginnning with his more favored brother Marty.  Another couple  is 81-year-old Joe Isaacs and his tad older wife Addie Love.  He has put her on a pedestal she is terrified of falling from.  There are the Mallories,  another interracial pair;   David who is white and Merla who is African  American     They are deeply in love and have it all figured out.  Why is trouble threatening to tear them apart?  Two more are an African American couple,  Emil and Kaya Gardner and their fascinating twins, Biff and Lisa.  They thought they  had  Paradise until illness struck  and almost  undid them.  Black world traveler psychologist Dr. Mark Lisner and his Swedish wife Marguerite are town favorites, but his illustrious life hides sadness and regret.  His wisdom has been gained at a price no one of us would care to pay.

I’ll run the prologue by you in a few days,  then several more excerpts.  I’m looking forward to getting your “take” on this story because it’s close to my heart as all my stories are. I’ll welcome your comments and suggestions.

Stay tuned and here’s hoping I’ll see you here!