A Twisted Strand by Lynne Tagawa
A Twisted Strand
I’m a historical fiction writer. But I didn’t start out that way.
Actually, if you go back far enough, I wasn’t a writer at all. I was a science teacher. And so, for my first foray into fiction, I decided to stick with what I knew.
Biology. Check. The place I live, South Texas. Check.
Plus, as a Christian, my writing (then and now) was infused with gospel truth. I wouldn’t know how to tame that part. It is who I am.
A Twisted Strand was the result, a sort of bioterrorism-thriller-romance lite. With a generous helping of theology, believe it or not.
The cast is eclectic. A nurse, her ex-husband a doctor, an eccentric epidemiologist, a homeschooling family, a vet, a heifer, and Brownie the pony.
Yes, there’s some blood. And biblical discussion of the Law of Moses, forgiveness, and reconciliation. And snacks.
And lots of coffee.
Excerpt:
What color bow tie would Dr. Stuart be wearing today? Light colors were always a good sign. White was celebratory, something she had only seen on his anniversary. Dark tartan or brown meant he was grumpy. Rachel tapped on his half-open office door.
“Come in.” Dr. Stuart gesticulated with a sheet of paper in his hand, deep in conversation with Dr. Boyd, whose rumpled lime green polo contrasted with her boss’s pressed shirt and tie. A western bolo. Rachel had never seen her boss wear this style of tie before and didn’t know what to make of it.
“Rachel, look at this. Just came in from the CDC.”
The tie was quickly forgotten as she examined what appeared to be an image taken by an electron microscope. It was grainy, but she could make out a twisted thread running up and down the middle. It looked like a Christmas tree ornament, with a fuzzy area on the bottom and a stem and hook near the top. The hook reminded her of something, but she couldn’t place it. Frowning, she looked up at her boss . . .
“Here.” Dr. Stuart shoved the open book in Rachel’s direction. Her glance took in a fuzzy string-like object with a hook.
It was the same hook. She searched for the label underneath the photograph.
Ebola.
A strange new virus . . .
Is it terrorism?
After dragging her heart through a divorce, Rachel Davis is ready to settle down on their South Texas country home, raise her kids, and find some peace. Can she find the secret to making her heart whole again?
William Davis, MD, would do anything to take back his horrible mistake, but infidelity is more than his wife can forgive. He goes home to an empty house in Austin every night, trying his best to be a good dad to his kids from afar.
When Rachel discovers their Jersey heifer dead from a hemorrhagic fever, she quickly realizes that the danger may spread to humans. Working for an epidemiologist, she joins the investigation. Is it natural? Or terrorism?
The family vet sickens, and Will enters the fray. Could this become an epidemic? Why was their family targeted?
Estranged from God and from each other, both Rachel and Will encounter the truth of the gospel and struggle to make sense of it all. Is there hope? And is there hope for their relationship?
Lynne Tagawa is married with four grown sons and five marvelous grandbabies. A biology teacher by trade, she teaches part-time, writes, and edits. She’s written a Texas history curriculum in narrative form, Sam Houston’s Republic, and several novels, including A Twisted Strand and The Shenandoah Road. Lynne lives with her husband in South Texas.
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