Read Sleeping Beauty for Free Online

critique manuscripts for a small fee.” Then he paused and pointed a finger at Terri. “Better yet, this summer I’m running a writing group on campus. It’s for serious writers who haven’t published yet but are working on something.” Maxfield fished out his wallet and handed Terri his card. “That’s my number, if you’re interested. I’m trying to keep the group small. Two people have signed up already so don’t wait too long to decide. I’d hate to have to turn you away.”
    â€œThanks,” Terri said, as she put the card in her purse.
    â€œJoshua, what did you want to ask me?” Casey asked. Ashley thought she sounded a little sharp.
    Maxfield smiled at the dean. “Nothing that won’t keep. I’ll catch you later.” The author turned to Terri. “It was nice meeting you.” Then he focused on Ashley. “I hope you’re thinking seriously about the Academy. It’s an excellent place to go to school.” He paused and his smile widened. “Maybe I’ll get you in my class.”
    Maxfield walked off and Casey led Terri and Ashley across the street to the science building.
    â€œJoshua Maxfield,” Terri said, smiling. “Have you read his books?” she asked Casey Van Meter.
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œ A Tourist in Babylon was so great.” She paused. “How long has it been since it came out?”
    â€œAbout ten years,” Casey answered.
    â€œThat’s what I thought. And The Wishing Well was published the next year. I wonder why he’s taken so long to write his third?”
    â€œYou can ask him if you decide to join his group. That sounds like a great opportunity for someone working on a novel, to get advice from a published writer.”
    Casey turned to Ashley. “That’s why we asked Joshua to join our faculty. We want our students to have opportunities they don’t get in public school. He lives on campus. If you develop an interest in writing, like your mother, you’d be able to consult with him whenever you wanted to. Joshua is very approachable. He loves working with our students.”

Chapter Four
    T erri Spencer parked in the visitors’ lot of the Oregon Academy. It was the second week in June, and the weather was as sunny as her mood. Ashley had decided to attend the Academy in the fall and the decision had started the process of healing. During the summer she was living in the dorm and working as a counselor in the school’s nationally respected soccer clinic. Terri was going to have lunch with her at noon, but she had something important to do first.
    Joshua Maxfield’s writing group was going to start in two weeks, and Terri had joined it. The members were supposed to submit a writing sample that Maxfield and the group would critique. Terri had brought her partially written manuscript for Maxfield to read. She still could not believe that the author of one of her favorite books was going to help her with her writing.
    The Academy had a building for pre-school through fifth grade, another for the middle school program, and two buildings—one for science and the other for liberal arts—for the high school. Joshua Maxfield’s office was in the middle of the hall on the third floor of the liberal arts building. The door was closed. Terri knocked.
    â€œEnter,” Maxfield said.
    This was the first time she had been in a published novelist’s work-place, and Terri was uncharacteristically nervous. She opened the doorand took a quick look around. Maxfield’s office surprised her. A mug of coffee, a half-eaten doughnut, and a neatly stacked manuscript were the only things on his desk. There were no family photographs, no literary journals or books, not even an ashtray.
    The rest of the office also had the feel of temporary occupancy. A bare coatrack hid in a corner, and a glass-fronted bookshelf, with very few books, stood near it.