A Story to Tell by Carma Donati

About the book

Anne Barrett has a true zest for life and a tireless dedication to her career as news editor for The City Times. This consuming source of livelihood happens to be situated directly across the street from the busiest engine house in the city and Lt. Marcus Reid, a charismatic firefighter who tauntingly challenges her to do a series on the demands of being a firefighter. The forty-five-year-old divorcée quickly agrees to his proposal -- an assignment which entails visiting the twenty-some engine houses, getting to know the diverse personnel and eventually going on emergency and fire runs herself.

From the onset it is apparent that Annie and Marcus share a devout enthusiasm for their jobs, and as their lives become more entwined, an equally fervid passion -- of a personal level -- develops. As a result, Annie and Marcus become increasingly torn between fulfilling their own desires and those dictated by the circumstances that engulf them. Marcus certainly doesn't harbor any hatred for his wife of twenty-odd years, but he can't remember when he fell out of love with her. And, he is now keenly aware of the vitality that Annie has brought to his life.

Eventually the inevitable occurs -- they're discovered. Although Marcus wants to move forward and share the rest of his life with Annie, his family members dictate otherwise and he soon succumbs to their whims. Now, suddenly, in stark contrast to the spontaneous ease in which these two fell in love, they struggle painfully with the realization they must sever their bond. Two who had come to know each other in the most intimate sense of the word and emerge as one united soul have become fate's tormented victims.

The void and disturbance created by the absence of Annie from Marcus' life has left him half the man he once was, and regardless of the consequences, he now realizes he must follow his heart. He eventually has the unique -- and perfect -- opportunity to contact her and their disjointed routine becomes quickly realigned. Annie, is once again back in his life, back in the forefront of his heart and back on the fire scenes.

Shortly afterwards, during a routine blaze, Annie watches on as Marcus skillfully navigates the crews from his perch atop an adjacent building. Suddenly, in the stroke of a heartbeat, an underground gas line erupts and the resulting explosion riddles the structure. Marcus' comrades hasten to his rescue. Once the extent of his injuries are realized, Annie is allowed to share a fleeting final moment with the man she loves.

Two days later mourners parade through the streets behind Marcus' draped caisson. Mournful sirens drone in the background as these individuals from all walks of life congregate to celebrate this selfless and fallen hero. Annie watches on in solitude .. and anguish .. from across the street.

Months later, with celebratory libations in tow, Annie makes good on their plan to spend their first official New Year's together. As she sits at his gravesite, a young man approaches, and in the same selfless and accepting manner his father would have bestowed, he invites her to stay. She does so, and the two of them share a solemn and simple toast to the man they love .. to the man who has given each a profound story to tell.

About the author

This past summer I turned a very youthful 50 years of age and have never felt more vibrant. I have devoted 24 years to the field of education, and am also actively involved in a variety of extracurricular activities such as layout and design of district-wide communiqués, creation of the high school's athletic hall of fame directory, layout and design of all programs for the school's theatrical productions, permanent senior class advisor in charge of graduation ceremonies for more than 600 seniors and student publications advisor for the school newspaper and yearbook.

I also set aside time for a limited number of community service projects and in fact, hope to donate a percentage of the eventual proceeds from A Story to Tell to one of the area programs implemented to raise funds for burned children in Northwest Ohio. I also make sure there is time left in the day for me. Running four miles a day is one of my most therapeutic indulgences.

I was married for 20 years... until the children were out of the house... and have been divorced for five. My son is in the plastic extrusion molding business in North Carolina and my daughter in chiropractor college in Chicago. I have both a B.A. and a M.A. with majors in English and minors in counseling psychology.

Before settling into a field that was more conducive to raising a family, I worked in industry. Some of my assignments included designing product catalogues and brochures, and coordinating and supervising nationwide trade shows. I also created a corporate-wide quality control employee communiqué and newsletters.

On the educational scene I have written proposals for revised courses of study and state-mandated departmental philosophies. I worked with the Bowling Green State University English Department to design courses of study bridging the transition from high school to college and also did an extensive course of study/text book correlation for Harcourt Brace's Educational Division.

I have also written free-lance product-related magazine article proposals for local advertising firms and in 1995, created and designed a Toledo (OH) Fire & Rescue Department historic yearbook. It was through the wealth of knowledge imparted by these heroic individuals -- and the actual fire and rescue runs on which I accompanied them -- I gained the authenticity of detail for A Story to Tell.

It wasn't until I successfully battled breast cancer in August of 1997 that I was truly driven to act on the "when-I-get-around-to-it" projects I had been putting off. One in particular was the storyline that had been playing out in my head -- and heart. I soon found myself caught up in the genre from which works such as Bridges of Madison County, The Notebook and Message in a Bottle emerged and decided... finally... to try my hand at fiction. I spent the summers of '98 and '99 fulfilling that dream and A Story to Tell was the resulting product. It is category fiction and approximately 55,000 words.

Most of my friends, family members and colleagues .. and yes, even my ex..., would categorize me as diligent, compassionate, positive, youthful, energetic and resilient. I am extremely eager to learn all that I can and firmly believe I have a deserving manuscript to share with the world. I hope to realize that dream.