THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PRISSY
By
Barbara Casey
BLURB:
Three Army veteran misfits, a college dropout, an unmotivated high school graduate accused of murder, a controversial warden of a women’s prison, and a little girl with the gift of prophesy – these are the people 31-year-old Lara Kruger invites into her life after suffering a miscarriage, a divorce from an abusive husband, and unemployment.
EXCERPT 1
Miriam walked away from her desk and paused in front of the unframed full-length mirror she had salvaged from the recent renovations in the women’s shower rooms. The edges were chipped and blackened, and there was a fairly large crack that ran vertically from one corner to the other. The condition of the mirror was the result, no doubt, of one of many displays of frustration and anger within the prison walls before she took over. Still, the mirror served its purpose. On those rare occasions when Warden Miriam Temple of the Braden Women’s Correctional Institution needed to be sure she looked her best, at least she could do so in the privacy of her own office.
Studying her reflection, she saw a tall, aging fifty-nine-year-old woman with dark hair streaked with gray cut in a simple shag, myopic brown eyes made evident by the wire-framed glasses, and a raw-boned body that could be considered well-proportioned if it weren’t for the fact that it was about twenty pounds on the heavy side, fifteen of which had settled around her thighs and buttocks. “Pear shaped, as opposed to apple shaped,” she frequently reminded herself, “so that means at least I won’t die of a heart attack.” The fact that her ear lobes were also plump and didn’t have the diagonal creases indicating some type of heart disease seemed to confirm that fact. She didn’t know if these old-wives’ tales she had grown up with were really true, but she liked to keep an open mind, especially when they worked to her benefit.
She normally didn’t wear make-up, but this morning before leaving for work, she had dug out her small tapestry bag that held what few cosmetics she owned and applied a little blush and a touch of lipstick. She rubbed one cheek with her hand now, thinking that maybe she shouldn’t have bothered. She didn’t need to impress anyone. Even if there had been the awkwardness that sometimes comes with being a large woman, it had been replaced years ago by the confidence born from a privileged background and the level of acceptance and comfort from which she viewed herself.
Her dark gray suit and crisp white blouse were clean and unwrinkled, thanks to the prison laundry facilities. The plain black pumps she wore looked both practical and appropriate to complete the over-all appearance of discipline, control, strength, and above all, a positive attitude. It was the attitude within the prison that Miriam had worked the hardest on when she took over as head warden six years earlier. There had been a stifling wave of hopelessness and despair among the female inmates so thick it made it difficult to breathe. This was manifested daily in brawls, food fights, and a behavior of non-compliance in general. “Animals get treated better than we do,” had been the mantra at the prison.
For six years Miriam had been working fourteen-hour days, overseeing the operations of the facility, staying on top of problems, writing reports, and talking to every person she could reach about helping to set up programs for “her girls” as she referred to them. Each of Miriam’s programs offered something to a few of her girls, but not to all, something she struggled with daily. She constantly researched what other correctional institutions were doing not only in this country but other countries as well, trying to come up with new ways to stimulate her girls and help them feel enthusiastic about their lives.
It had worked. She started getting noticed after the first year of her tenure. Complaints from the prisoners dropped, a State audit confirmed that for the first time in over a decade the prison budget would be in the black, and the over-all appearance of the facility was vastly improved. Government officials who previously had been reluctant to show interest now started to open doors for this hard-working, persistent, and obviously dedicated woman.
And then Prissy had been born.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Barbara Casey is president of the Barbara Casey Agency, representing adult fiction and nonfiction for authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, and Japan. She is also the author of numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Her award-winning novels have received national recognition, including the Independent Publishers Book Award, the Dana Award for Best Novel, and the Publisher’s Best Seller Award. Her novel, The House of Kane, released in 2008, was considered for a Pulitzer nomination, and her novel Just Like Family received special recognition by the 7-Eleven Corporation. Her latest young adult novel, The Cadence of Gypsies, was reviewed by the Smithsonian for its list of 2011 Best Books. The Gospel According to Prissy, a contemporary adult novel, was released in the spring of 2013.
In addition to being a frequent guest lecturer at universities and writers’ conferences, Ms. Casey served as judge for the Pathfinder Literary Awards in Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Florida, and was the Florida Regional Advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators from 1991 through 2003.
LINKS:
Barbara Casey will be awarding a $25 Amazon or BN.com gift card to one randomly chosen commenter. Be sure to follow the entire tour for more chances to win!
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14 Comments
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GOOD LUCK WITH THE BOOK TOUR AND THANKS FOR THE GIVEAWAY! calicolady60@hotmail.com
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Thanks, Shelley. I really appreciate your stopping by and commenting. This is the 5th day of my tour, and it will run through June 14. I announced earlier that my book won an IPPY Award, but something else exciting has now come up and I will announce that at the end of my tour. So if you can, be sure to stop by.
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Thanks for the great excerpt. It sounds like she has everything on track…I wonder what prissy will bring then?
fencingromein at hotmail dot com
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Thank you, Shannon. I am glad you like it. As tight a ship as Miriam Temple runs at the prison, there are always difficulties to work through. One of the prevalent messages found in the bible is, “Jesus loves you.” Prissy’s frequent reminder to the inmates is, “Remember, Santa loves you.” She populates her biblical scripture with the things she loves and understands. But it’s much more than that. She instinctively understands what scripture to quote for whatever the situation calls for. In the prison where she lives, there are hardened criminals who will never be released as well as women who are there simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. With her gift, Prissy is able to offer comfort and love to even the most skeptical of these women.
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Ruth, I just want to tell you what a nice time I had today. Thank you again for hosting me. I hope that you and your bloggers have a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend.
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Author
Barbara,
It was my pleasure to host you. If I ever get a chance, maybe I’ll read your book. It certainly created quite a buzz here. Blessings!
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Sounds like a great read.
Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com
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Thank you, Rita. If you get a chance to read it, I would love for you to tell me what you think of it.
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Thank you for hosting me today. I am looking forward to the comments.
Barbara
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I’m intrigued by this … I wish the blurb had just a little more information as to what the book is really about. The excerpts are very interesting.
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Basically THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PRISSY is the story of several people from different backgrounds who for various reasons have become “derailed” in life. Their individual struggles to rediscover meaning and purpose brings them together to form a bond, and their unusual friendship is made even stronger by the presence of a little girl who was born with the “gift of prophecy.” I don’t want to give away too much of the story line, but I hope this will stir your interest even more. Thank you for your comment.
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Thank you for hosting today.
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The blurb tells me I am in for one very interesting read.
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Hi Mary, I would love to hear back from you after you have read THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PRISSY.
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