One More Page
By M. Jean Pike
Author of The Little Things

My love affair with books goes way back. 

Back to the days when my mother took my siblings and me to the library each week and let us pick out a book, which she would read to us for an hour every evening. Winter nights curled under blankets, and sweltering summer evenings in front of the fan, we’d find ourselves swept into the worlds of Raggedy Anne, Charlotte’s Web, Anne of Green Gables. No matter the temperature, when the hour was up, we’d beg for just one more chapter, one more page.

As I grew, I still read books for pleasure, but I also read them to learn.  John Steinbeck created living, breathing, lovely, tragic, unforgettable characters in the Joad family. Edith Wharton astounded me with her use of irony in Ethan Frome. Eudora Welty painted settings I could step right into. Over the years, authors have made me fall in love with characters that weren’t even likeable, care deeply about issues I wasn’t even aware of, and long for places that did not exist.  

How did they do that?

Could I do that, too?

I’ve played with words for as long as I can remember, but in my late twenties I started to take my writing seriously. I found I greatly enjoyed culling everyday experiences for my stories; images became my character’s observations; snippets of overheard conversations became their dialogue. I loved paying attention to life in all its beautiful, messy, ugly, wonderful moments. I loved telling stories that entertained and stories that mattered. I’m so thankful that God gave me a love for stories, and the talent for putting them together.

What do I love most about writing?

I love the slow, agonizing process of bringing characters to life.
I love when I start with one idea and the story unfolds and shows me there’s a better one.
I love working through painful memories and unresolved issues through my character’s lives.

Mostly, I love having my readers reach out to me.

Your story made me cry.
Your story made me laugh out loud.
Your characters feel like friends. 
Your story touched me on a deep level.
I wish I had another chapter, another page. 

Yeah. That’s what I love about writing

The Little Things

A decade ago, Rochelle Delany made a decision that changed her life forever.
Wanting more than just football games and potluck suppers, she boarded a bus for California and didn't look back. But instead of a glamorous life, she became trapped in a nightmare of labor trafficking. Now, she's made a daring escape and returns home to Ohio.

Sandy Fairbrother has a problem with trust.
Twice betrayed, he now puts his faith only in God. He' s a single dad doing his best to grow his construction business and raise his young son. But haunted by an impulsive kiss Rochelle gave him fifteen years ago, her unexpected return has him rethinking things. He' s been given a second chance to win her heart. And this time, he plans to succeed.

Rochelle barely remembers Sandy, but she's drawn to his goodness. But just when she thinks she's found peace, her past catches up with her, and she finds herself in danger of losing the only safe haven she' s ever known.

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