The Dad Plan: Ideal For Father's Day gift giving

17 June 2012....from Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy


It's Father's Day here in the US, a day to honor and remember our fathers, grandfathers and the other special men in our lives.  My dad passed away in early 2009 and I miss him each day.  He was one of my strongest supporters for my writing, always ready to cheer me on and offer support.  His pride in my work - ALL of my work made me determined to succeed as an author.  At the time of his passing, I hadn't sold one novel but today I'm into double digits.  This month, I've signed three new contracts, each with a different publisher.  

In honor of the day here's an early photo of my dad and me......

Now if my dad were still alive, I'd be so happy to gift him with a copy of our Rebel Ink Press anthology, The Dad Plan.  It's a collection of stories from some of Rebel's best authors (but then all Rebels are awesome) and all about dads, all kinds of dads, single dads, two dads, but the common tie in them all is the love dads have for their kids.

Here's the fab cover and the blurb:

Maybe he offered a shoulder to lean on….words of wisdom….a hand to hold tight to cross the street…. or always took time to buy an ice cream cone but dads are special.  In The Dad Plan, Rebel Ink Press presents a collection of stories about dads just in time for Father’s Day.

Memories, special moments shared, dads falling love, family ties and people bonded.  Anyone can be a father but being a dad is reserved for special men of all flavors.  Some dads bond at birth, some choose their child, and others blend into a family.  The Dad Plan celebrates all aspects of fatherhood with a wide range of stories celebrating Dad.



I have a story included - mine is "Three of Hearts" and I used characters from my very first ever Rebel Ink Press title, Love Never Fails.  The main character in "Three of Hearts" is Ross Ramsay, brother to the hero in Love Never Fails.  Ross is a single dad now and things aren't easy at all.  Here's an excerpt:

            “What’s the matter?” For once his intuition worked.  Something was wrong. He felt it in his bones.

             “I think you’d better come over to the school,” she said in the same odd voice. As he grew more alert, Ross realized she sounded scared.

               His gut clenched tight. “Is Tristan all right?”

               When she answered, he heard the tears in her voice. “I don’t know, Ross.  He’s not here.”

                He came straight up out of bed, put on his jeans and grabbed his boots, shoving them on as he barked into the phone, “What do you mean he’s not there?”

                “I came to pick him up and he wasn’t in the classroom,” Caroline answered, “The teacher didn’t realize he was gone until I came.  They think he must have sneaked away from school at recess, maybe. Hurry and come down here, please.”

               By then Ross, fully dressed, was halfway out the door. “I’m on my way.”

               Despite how bad he felt he roared the few blocks to the school and parked across the street in the gravel lot.  As he rushed toward the building Caroline came out to meet him, her face drawn with worry as she said, “Wow, you got here fast.”

            “What happened?” he asked.

            Standing facing each other on the sidewalk, Caroline sketched out what she knew so far. “Apparently the teacher told them to make a Valentine’s card for their mommy but Tristan started making his for me.  When he asked how to spell “Caroline”, the teacher scolded him and said the cards were just for moms.  He told her he didn’t have a mom and she didn’t believe him.  She admitted she said ‘everybody has a mom’ and Tristan got upset.  She swears she had no idea about Tiffany but anyway, they went out to recess a few minutes later. Another teacher who had recess duty said she saw Tristan standing over in the corner where the two levels of chain link fence meet, the tall and the normal height.  She started over to tell him to come back with the other kids but two boys got into a scuffle so she dealt with that first. When she turned back, she didn’t see Tristan so she assumed he was with the others.  No one noticed he wasn’t here until I came to pick him up.”

            “Shit,” Ross said. “He probably climbed the fence.”

            “That’s what I told them,” Caroline said. “Come in and you can talk to the director yourself.”

            “Director? What happened to a principal?”

            “Since its all preschool now they don’t have one,” she said, “Try to stay calm, okay?”

            If he’d felt better he would’ve laughed.  “My kid’s missing. I doubt I can.”

            Head pounding like a bass drum, face hurting, tired and feeling sick all over, Ross followed his sister-in-law into the school.  He realized the baby wasn’t with her. “Where’s Caitlin Jane?”

            “I called Aunt Julia to pick her up,” Caroline said, “I want to help find Tristan.”

            The director’s story was the same as Caroline’s.  Ross asked a few questions and the director assured him they were doing everything possible. “We’ve searched the entire building and he’s not here.”

            “Have you called the police yet?” Ross asked.

            “Well, no,” the director said, “I thought we’d turn him up sooner.  Before we do, I’d suggest you check home.  These things don’t happen often but when they do, we’ve found the child usually just goes home.”

            “Tristan’s not home,” Ross said, his anger rising faster than quick rise yeast. “I came from home.”

            “I’ll go call the authorities,” the woman mumbled and disappeared into her office.

            “Why were you home?” Caroline asked, the worry line between her eyebrows deepening.

            “I’m sick again,” Ross admitted, “It’s my sinuses.”

            “I thought you looked awful,” she said, “but I figured you were just upset about Tristan.”

Caroline folded her hand so she could touch his forehead with the back of it.  “You’re running a fever.  You should be in bed.”

            “I was until you called,” Ross said. “I feel like crap.”

            She’d been like a little sister to Ross since she was fifteen so he wasn’t surprised when Caroline put her hand on his arm. “Go home and get some rest.  I’ll look for Tristan.”

            He’d loved to do just that but he couldn’t.  “I’m his dad.  I have to find him.”