I’m delighted to welcome Ron Allen Ames and his book, An Echo of Ashes, to the blog with an excerpt.
Excerpt
The bull then noticed Russell and immediately charged. “RUSSELL!” Ella screamed as Ruth restrained her from running into the corral.
From behind the pole, Russell held out the gun with his right hand and fired. Boom! Boom! Boom! Did he miss? The bull was almost on him! He frantically shot again. Boom! Boom! The hair flew from the animal’s brisket as the second bullet ripped through the beast’s jaw. The bull whirled and trotted back as it snorted and gurgled in the blood that ran from its mouth. Russell nervously clicked open the gun and shook out the spent casings. His quivering hand reached in his pocket for more ammunition, but he fumbled the cartridges, and they tumbled to the ground. He dropped to his knees, scraping his fingers through the dirt, jamming any bullet he found into the gun. Just then, the bull regained its composure and charged again.
Here’s the Blurb
An Echo of Ashes is a story lost to time, then found again in century-old letters that lay in a tattered box. Based on actual events taken from the pages, this story tells of when the Great War and the Spanish Influenza forever altered the lives of millions, including a family of subsistence farmers who also worked the oil fields of Pennsylvania.
Ella and Almon make their home in the backcountry. Almon and his sons work in the oil fields, just as their forefathers before them. As war and influenza break out, the parents seek to shield their family from the impending perils.
Earl, the eldest son, is a gifted trombone and piano player. He is captivated by Lucile Lake, a girl from a higher social status. All he has to win her heart are his music and his words as the military draft looms ever closer. Jack, a friend as close as a brother, faces the horrors of war at the Western Front. Albert’s free spirit creates chaos as he searches for direction. Arthur’s patriotism leads him to the Mexican border. Young Russell must suppress his fear to save a life, while Little Clara remains protected from the distress.
World War One and the Spanish Influenza Pandemic are most often documented separately, yet they intersected in 1918. For those who endured sacrifice and loss during this time, the sharp echo of tragedy carried through the ashes of what once was, likely dulled but never vanished from their minds. This is just one of countless stories from such a perilous chapter in American history.
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Meet the Author
Ron Allen Ames is a history enthusiast who attributes his 46 years of life experience as a hands-on business co-owner, for giving him insight into human nature, a benefit when portraying the lives of others. The information he received, dating from 1914 to 1919, is what prompted Ames to bring this history to light in An Echo of Ashes.
Ames lives with his wife Cathy in Pennsylvania. They have two grown sons.
Connect with the Author
MJ Porter 