Though
the Mountains be Shaken:
Amid a troubled marriage, Kate Dunbar
begins to have symptoms of a neurological disorder. She and her husband are
separated when she receives a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. I’ve wanted to
write this story for some time since I also live with Parkinson’s. Her symptoms
start similar to my own and progress quickly. I hope to bring awareness of this
very prevalent disease by weaving it into a story that I think readers will
enjoy.
My challenge as a writer was to achieve a
satisfying ending without diminishing the seriousness of this disease. I
believe that I accomplished that. I also desired to show that God’s grace is
present in our afflictions. He said, “My
grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2
Cor. 12:9
Book Blurb:
Kate Dunbar puts 100% into everything
she does—a career as a literary agent, a mom of preschool twins, and the wife
of Ryan Dunbar, a criminal defense attorney. She appears to have the
perfect life, until it begins to crumble piece by piece—her marriage, her
health, and her job.
Kate blames emotional stress for her fatigue, stiffness, and
tremors. As symptoms begin to increase, Kate finds herself unable to control
her body’s erratic movements. At the same time that she and Ryan separate, she
receives a diagnosis of Parkinson’s. Determined not to tell her estranged
husband of her diagnosis, Kate faces an unknown future and the possibility that
she’ll face it as a single mother.
As glimmers of hope for a restored marriage begin to surface,
more upheavals await them. A case that Ryan is defending endangers his family
and his career.
Kate and Ryan both harbor secrets that threaten their marriage.
Can they mend their broken family? How will Parkinson’s affect their future?
For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking
all others. Every vow they spoke eight years ago is being tested. Can they
survive the storm?
Excerpt:
Silence swelled as
they stared at each other. Should she start this conversation? Kate decided to
wait it out. Instead of beginning his explanation, he cast a questioning look
toward her hands, resting on the table. “What’s wrong with your wrist?”
Confusion filled
her. “Nothing. Why?” She glanced down to see her left hand firmly grasping her
right wrist.
“You’ve been
holding it. I thought maybe you hurt it.”
“No. It’s fine.”
She shrugged it off but realized she had unconsciously stilled the shaking. She
released it and tucked the tremoring hand in her lap.
It was way past
time for this conversation. “Why, Ryan?”
His eyes filled
with sadness. A look of regret. “You’re not the same person I married.”
Irritation sprang
up from her belly, but she tried to press it back down. “No one is. People
change. They grow.” Another long pause. “How have I changed?”
“You’re driven.
You’re a perfectionist.”
Kate tried a little
smile. “When did that become a bad thing?”
He straightened
from his slouched position. “When no one’s good enough. When most of your words
are critical.”
Her propensity to
return a sharp reply hadn’t changed. She swallowed back the retort that almost
spilled from her lips, forcing Kate to see the truth of his words. The fight in
her wilted. “I never intended to be critical. Couldn’t you have told me?”
A sarcastic humph
left his lips. “You’re not easy to tell.” Ryan leaned back, arms locked behind
his neck, his long legs stretched out before him. “I’m tired of having no say.
You should have been an attorney. You win every case.”
With much
restraint, Kate managed to keep her tone soft. “That’s not fair. We always talk
through decisions.”
Ryan nodded his agreement.
“Yes. You talk and talk and talk, until it goes your way. Until you wear me
down.”
Kate wanted to
counter that remark, but then she’d be validating his accusation. She remained
silent. Did he want her to apologize for having opinions?
When she offered
no response, Ryan continued. “I remember when you were proud of me. When I
finished law school. When I passed the bar. When the firm hired me. All the
times we celebrated.”
They had
celebrated. When the scores came in and they knew he’d passed, she had jumped
into his arms, and he twirled her in a circle. Giddy with excitement, they
called their parents to share the news, then went into the city for dinner. A
few weeks later, Ross and Roberts hired him, a prestigious law firm for a
rookie lawyer.
“I’m still proud
of you.”
His eyes hardened.
“No, Kathryn. You show disdain for everything I do.”
She sprang forward
on her chair. “Ryan, that’s not true.”
“It’s very true. I
can’t do anything right at home, and you ridicule my work.”
She answered with
a tip of her chin. “I think you’re being a little oversensitive here.”
“Of course, you
do. Because you can’t imagine that the problem may be with you.”
Hurt fueled her
response. “You’re painting this one-sided.”
“It’s not. I know
I have faults.” A smirk formed. “You’re not reluctant to point them out.”
Kate sat back with
the bitter taste of truth in her mouth. How had she become so carping? “I’m so
sorry, Ryan. That’s not the way I want to be. I love you. You know that, don’t
you?”
A prolonged pause
preceded his answer. “No, I haven’t known that for quite some time.” His voice
heavy with the admission.
Did he really feel
unloved? One look around their home showed the busy schedules, the undone
tasks, the children’s needs. Did he expect her to stoke his ego as well? Then
she recalled the times she squirmed away from his embrace, too busy or too
distracted.
Kate lowered her
eyes as the length of silence grew. Her thoughts tumbled together. She wasn’t
accustomed to being out of control. Kate reached deep and began what came
natural to her—problem solving. “Okay. So how do we fix this? I can’t see how
living apart will help.”
Ryan’s eyes
weren’t meeting hers. Fear stole her brief moment of control.
“Ryan? You do
want to fix this, don’t you?”
The pause
stretched on. “I don’t know, Kate. All I know is that I need some time.”
His words gave birth to her panic, sending the
hand in her lap into frenzied motion. “Ryan, look at me.” He raised his eyes to
hers. “Do you still love me?” Her head tilted into the question.
He lowered his
eyes again, before looking back at her. “I don’t know, Kate.”
This couldn’t be
happening. Kate leaned forward and, despite her shaking, reached for his hands
that rested on the table. She grasped both of them in hers. “How can you not
know? It was only a few days before I left for the conference that we made
love.”
He shook his head.
“A carnal need, Kate. We used to make love. It’s been a long time since I’d
call it that.”
She pulled her hands
back abruptly. A carnal need? The words crashed into her like an angry fist.
She stumbled as she rose from the chair, carrying the last frayed edges of her
dignity. Ryan’s muted voice called to her from a vacuum, but the words were
indecipherable—the moment in slow motion. Somehow, she made it to her car and
her car made it home.
The conversation
replayed over and over in Kate’s head. Each word. Each expression. Her husband
no longer loved her. He didn’t want the marriage to be fixed. It was over. Irreparable.
Every muscle in her body ached with stiffness. Every motion came in slow,
bumbling moves. She reached for the ibuprofen but struggled with the cap. When
she finally managed to open it, her hand lost its grip. The open medicine
container fell, scattering pills on the tiled bathroom floor. As she proceeded
to pick up each pink tablet, she collapsed to her knees, then sat on the tiled
floor drawing her knees to her chest. Deep sobs wracked her body.
~~*~~
You can purchase your copy at: Amazon.com:
Arms of Freedom eBook : Neely, Kathleen: Kindle Store
Bio:
Kathleen
Neely is a
retired elementary principal, and enjoys time with family, visiting her two
grandsons, traveling, and reading.
She is the author of The Street Singer, Beauty for
Ashes, The Least of These, Arms of Freedom, and In Search of True
North. Kathleen won second place in a short story contest through ACFW-VA
for her short story “The Missing Piece” and an honorable mention for her story
“The Dance”. Both were published in a Christmas anthology. Her novel, The Least of These, was awarded first
place in the 2015 Fresh Voices contest through Almost
an Author. She
has numerous devotions published through Christian
Devotions.
Kathleen continues to speak to students
about writing and publication processes. She is a member of American Christian
Fiction Writers.
Website – www.KathleenNeely.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/kathy.neely.98
Twitter - https://twitter.com/NeelyKneely3628
Instagram – www.Instagram.com/KathleenNeelyAuthor
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14602744.Kathleen_Neely
BookBub -- https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kathleen-neely
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