Image by Abby Belbeck
My next novel—The Frozen River—will publish on December 5th. A little less than five months from now. As I try to prepare my heart and mind to share this story with the world I thought it would be fun to start giving you little glimpses of the book that can’t be found anywhere else. So once a month until publication I’m going share a cut scene. The scene below was one of my favorites but it didn’t fit in the final draft. (For many reasons that I’ll discuss in my Writing Series at a later date). But if—like me— you enjoy being read to, simply click play on the article voiceover above and you can hear me narrate the scene. Happy reading!
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A door creaks open on Water Street and a man lets his dog out. It’s a mongrel, half-mutt—some indeterminate breed that’s been bastardized a dozen times over—and half-coyote, the biggest and strongest whelp born to a bitch that the man never liked. But he’d wanted a male pup, so he kept this one, and, now that it’s grown, he lets it out at night to hunt. No point feeding a dog when it can take its own dinner by the throat.
The mongrel—known as Cicero to his master—stands still in the dark, sniffing the wind, letting instinct sharpen his senses. Having crossed the threshold, he makes the natural shift from pet to predator. Ears pointed, body stiff, mouth salivating, he turns his head toward the north, then sets heavy, padded feet into the snow. He can smell the rabbits, their breath warm and rich, perfumed with alfalfa, fermented with dread. They are not far away and he can hear the drum of frantic heartbeats, the quiver of fine, white whiskers. The hunt calls to him and he slips off, through the shadows, and is gone.
The man watches him.
Jealous.
He too would like to walk the woods tonight. But it is dark and overcast, the moon hidden by thick, black-bottomed clouds, and unlike Cicero, his eyes were not made for darkness. So he closes the door and pads barefoot down the hall. Not upstairs, as he should, to check on his sleeping wife.
But into his study.
Back to his newest obsession.
A survey lies spread across the desk, illumined by the flickering light of scattered candles. A plot of land—eighty acres—with rich soil, plentiful timber, and a full mile of direct access to the river. In Hallowell you can get one or two of these things, but never all three. To his knowledge there is only one such property in the entire county. Twice the man has requested a copy of this survey be sent from Boston. This is the second copy, the first having been entrusted to the wrong partner. It is a mistake the man will not repeat.
The wind picks up, moaning beneath the eaves, whistling at the windows. Like an intruder, it seeks a way into his home. It would steal his warmth tonight. The next gust brings with it a howl, something long and satisfied in the distance. He looks up then, and cannot help but smile. Cicero has found his dinner.
After a moment of congratulating himself on choice of companion, the man bends his head back to the survey. Covets what is not his. There is only one way for him to acquire this land and it will not be easy.
It is late, nearing midnight, when the man hears a soft and familiar whine. Once more he walks through the dark rooms and when he throws open the front door, there is Cicero, a fat, brown rabbit hanging limp in his jaws. The dog drops it at his feet, an offering, but the blood on his whiskers, the distended belly proves that the dog sacrificed nothing. Cicero has not gone hungry tonight.
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If you enjoyed this cut scene and plan to read The Frozen River at some point, would you consider pre-ordering your copy? As you may know, pre-orders go a long way to determining the success of a novel. They help publishers anticipate demand, they help bookstores know how many copies to order, and they help authors continue to publish. The novel will be available everywhere that books are sold. But you can help indie bookstores in general by ordering from Bookshop.org and my indie bookstore in particular by ordering from Parnassus Books in Nashville. (I would be thrilled to sign these for you).
I hope you liked meeting Cicero and his anonymous master. Both of them play a large role in The Frozen River so this will not be the last time you see them.
Looking so forward to reading this!
Bravo.