25 American History Facts Most Students Don’t Kno

25 American History Facts Most Students Don’t Know

by STAFF WRITERS on JULY 2, 2012 of http://collegestats.org

This Fourth of July, while you’re busy with barbecue and fireworks, you just might find yourself feeling a bit patriotic and proud of our country’s history. But how much do you really know about it? If you’re anything like today’s students, you don’t know much at all. We’ve discovered 25 essential American History facts that students struggle with, and the results are a bit worrying.

1. Abraham Lincoln’s significance as the 16th President of the United States:
   
   Education Overtime visited the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and asked students why President Lincoln was important to America. One student answered that his beard made him important; another said he was killed at a puppet show. Few were able to explain his leadership and role in the American Civil War.
2. George Washington’s significance:
   If kids can’t identify why Lincoln was important, you’d at least think they can understand why ourvery first president was an important leader. Nope. In the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress, only 23% of fourth graders were able to point out his status as the first U.S. President, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, participation in the Constitutional Convention, or his role in the French and Indian War. Twenty-four percent entered inappropriate responses, 45% got partial credit, and 7% didn’t even try to answer at all.
3. The best presidents in history:
   Surely, a selection of the best U.S. presidents is a subjective one, but a 2008 Harris poll revealed that the public’s perception is totally off base. It turns out that students and the general public are much more likely to list those with which they’re familiar from their own lifetime, rather than true “greatness.” When measured against the lists that most historians provide, they are completely different.
4. When the American Civil War Occurred:
   In a 2007 telephone sample, students were asked if the American Civil War occurred in the half-century between 1850-1900. Only 43% identified this period as the correct one. This is, however, an improvement upon 1986 numbers: during a survey in that year, only 32% answered the question correctly.
5. What happened at the Constitutional Convention:
   
   In a Newsweek quiz, an incredible number of Americans were not able to pass the basic citizenship quiz. Perhaps the most alarming of these questions was, “What happened at the Constitutional Convention?” This one is so baffling because the answer is right in the question!
6. Who our World War II Allies were:
   In a multiple choice question, many students were unable to pick out the Soviet Union as an ally of the U.S. in WWII. This was in the National Assessment of Educational Progress, an exam that fewer than 20% of American fourth and eighth graders showed more than a basic knowledge on.
7. The authors of the Federalist Papers:
   In Newsweek‘s U.S. citizenship test, few were able to identify the authors of The Federalist Papers. In fact 88% of respondents got the question wrong, failing to share the names of even one of the authors Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.
8. The American Revolutionary War allowed the U.S. to gain independence:
   The Lunch Scholars video from a Washington State high school reveals just how bad things really are in the history department: not one student on the video was able to identify the American Revolutionary War as the war in which American gained independence. Not without a hint, anyway.
9. The role of women as shopkeepers and farmers during the American Revolution:
   When asked what role many colonial women played during the American Revolution, many students weren’t able to correctly answer that women kept farms and shops running during the war: 54% of fourth graders answered incorrectly.
10. What the Bill of Rights guarantees:
    
    The Bill of Rights gives Americans a set of unalienable rights, if only we could remember what they are. A third of students don’t know that the Bill of Rights guarantees the freedom of speech and religion.
11. Christopher Columbus sailed to the Americas, Jamestown was founded before the Constitution was written, and Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation:
    When asked to assign these major historic events to a timeline, only 19% of fourth graders were able to correctly assign all four of them. Four percent didn’t even try.
12. North Korea’s ally in the Korean War:
    In the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress, nearly 80% of 12th graders selected the wrong answer when asked which country was North Korea’s ally in fighting the U.S. during the Korean War. Even worse, it was a multiple choice question, allowing students to choose between the Soviet Union, Japan, China, and Vietnam.
13. The purpose of the Lewis and Clark expedition:
    In 2010, fourth graders were given a map of U.S. expansion and asked to identify why Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark on their expedition. Fifty percent of students were unable to correctly identify that they were sent to gather information about lands for settlement.
14. The rights that are protected by the First Amendment:
    In a question that shared a passage from the First Amendment, students were asked which right it protects. Fifty-five percent of students failed to identify the correct answer as the right to hold public meetings, instead choosing answers including the right to a prompt trial, to a jury of one’s peers, and to vote regardless of race or color.
15. How Native Americans were affected by European settlers:
    
    It seems that students have a hard time understanding the impact that settlers had on Native Americans: only 8% of fourth grade students answered this question correctly on the 2010 NAEP. Thirty-nine percent of students shared inappropriate responses, and 32% only received partial credit.
16. African-American slaves gained their freedom after the Civil War:
    In the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress, fourth graders were asked what changed for African-Americans in the South after the Civil War. Thirty-five percent of students were unable to correctly identify freedom for slaves, instead answering that they returned to Africa, started their own plantations, or became governors. Three percent of students didn’t answer at all.
17. What JFK’s “Ask not what your country can do for you” speech meant:
    Although 50% of fourth graders were able to identify that JFK’s “Ask not” speech was intended to encourage citizens to put their skills to work for the U.S., another 50% did not. Forty-eight percent of students got the answer incorrect, and 2% omitted the question.
18. Why the Pilgrims wanted to leave England:
    When asked why the Pilgrims wanted to leave England in the 2010 NAEP, only 43% of fourth graders answered the question correctly, identifying religious persecution. Most of the responses were wrong, with 55% incorrect, and 2% who failed to enter a response.
19. How machines and factories changed American work:
    Students were asked to identify how work changed for Americans due to machines and factories, and correct responses included: people worked faster, machines did work people used to do, people worked more outside of the home, and people made parts instead of whole products. Only 11% of fourth graders filled in complete, correct answers. A whopping 10% of students omitted the question entirely.
20. When Columbus sailed:
    
    Elementary school kids often learn that in 1492, “Columbus sailed the ocean blue,” but it seems they’re not remembering. More than a quarter of students think that Columbus sailed after 1750.
21. The purpose of the Declaration of Independence:
    Fourth graders were given a multiple choice question to identify the purpose of the Declaration of Independence. Choices included the right to vote, organization of one religion, and how the new government of the U.S. would work. Few chose the correct answer: the Declaration of Independence explains why the colonies would no longer let England control them. Only 35% of fourth graders got this question correct; 64% answered incorrectly.
22. Which war the U.S. fought against Hitler and Germany:
    A whopping 72% of students failed to identify that the U.S. fought Hitler and Germany in World War II. Twenty-seven percent got this question correct, choosing the Second World War over choices including the Civil War, First World War, and the Vietnam War.
23. Who Hitler was at all:
    Forget which war Hitler was a part of — many students have no idea who he was at all. Nearly a quarter of students can’t identify Adolf Hitler. Ten percent of students think he was a “mutinous manufacturer.”
24. The Soviet Union was the leading Cold War communist nation:
    When asked to identify the leading communist nation in the Cold War, 79% of fourth graders got the answer wrong. Instead, they chose France, North Korea, or Germany.
25. The importance of harbors for colonial growth:
    
    When shown a map of the colonial economy identifying harbors, production, and key cities, most students were unable to identify that the location of harbors was important for cities that grew during colonial times. Sixty percent of students got this question incorrect.

Welcome, Lisa Lickel

1: Thank you so much for being here, Lisa.

First up is the obligatory question. When did you first begin writing?

Hi, Roseanne. Thanks for having me here. I’m not one of those child protégé writers. I didn’t get professional about it until I was forty.

2: What inspired you to write?

The inspiration was two-fold: I saw an ad in a magazine that intrigued me for a trust-worthy writing course, which I took as I was gainfully employed at the time. Secondly, a special friend encouraged me after she saw my reports in the local newspaper.

3: What do you like the most and least about writing?

What I like the most about writing is filling up that blank page with type. The least part is being the marketing manager and asking readers to please buy a book.

4: What do you for fun and relaxation when not writing?

I enjoy travel. I’m a local historian and love to work on preservation of records, photos, genealogy and that sort of thing. I’m also a huge reader.

5: Which authors do you like to read?

I really enjoy fantasy, the late Anne McCaffrey was a favorite. Ray Bradbury. Tamera Alexander historicals, pretty much anything by CS Lewis and Robert Ludlum.

6: What’s the one thing you’d most like people to know about you?

I know the end of the story.

7: Tell me about your current novel, where I can find it and your website/blog.

Thank you for asking! My latest release is The Map Quilt. It’s currently an eBook, but I hope to release the print version soon. The Map Quilt is book two in my cozy (light-hearted) mystery series, and features the Underground Railroad, modern technology, murder, and of course, buried gold. It’s available on Amazon

publisher’s bookstore: MuseItUp Publishing

Here's a links from my website 

8: Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

I have oodles of tips for aspiring writers. The first one is, learn to play nice with other writers and develop a thick skin to critique. Find a good mentor and learn how to accept advice. Practice your craft and have an open attitude to learning something new every day. Write a lot. Read a lot.

9: Do you base your characters on real-life people?

My characters are usually recombinant bits and parts of people I’ve seen or known. I might take one person’s hairstyle and put it on someone else who has a particular prominent feature or quirk. Someone’s accent I heard in the grocery store might go on another person from the other department in work who wears funky ties.

10: Where do you get your ideas and what inspired you to write this book?

I get most of my ideas for my books from the news, oddly enough. I am intrigued by a certain event and start thinking, “what if…” and go from there. For the Map Quilt, my “what ifs” came from my love of quilting and the farm we own near a real community of free black farmers who settled the area generations ago. The inspiration for the book came from the success of the first book in the series.

11: What are you currently working on?

I’m working on several Christmas novellas; three historical and one contemporary. I have a manuscript about a woman who owns a business that helps people settle their estates, and a wounded missionary home on leave. When they meet and marry, they have to learn to live with one another.

12. Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?

I enjoy helping other authors and am a freelance editor. I also edit the literary magazine of Wisconsin Writers Association and love to visit book clubs, either virtually or in person if close enough.

Thanks again for letting me visit today.

Please enjoy this excerpt from The Map Quilt.

Chapter One

Judy Wingate awoke with a start. Shaking her head, she realized she had been dreaming.

Foggy images rolled through her mind of pioneer women doing…something. Hmm, teaching that Wisconsin history unit to her elementary school students, combined with her pregnancy, made for the most colorful nocturnal dramas. She eased the covers back, groaning with the discomfort of a full bladder. An internal kick made her grimace and rub her huge belly.

“Ugh! Two forty-five in the morning. I can’t believe I gotta get up again.” She set her feet on the floorboards, trying to rise delicately so as not to rouse her husband, Hart.

Judy headed downstairs with her eyes half-closed, holding onto the rail with both hands. The stealthy pet housecat, Pancho Villa, stopped her up short. “Pancho—outta the way—coming through,” Judy muttered as she danced around him. “We have got to get that second floor bathroom done.”

Yawning, Judy blinked and hoped she could fall asleep again easily. She could not afford to be groggy in front of her fifth grade students, who were already squirrelly this close to the end of the school year. She rubbed her arms and went to run a glass of water from the tap while she looked out the window. Something did not feel right. She frowned and rubbed at the kicks from Hart’s little soccer player practicing on her ribs. She went through the mud room to the outside door and breathed deeply while she watched the waning moon near the horizon. The sky looked hazy to the south. Judy squinted, clutching her glass, her mind roiling with the turmoil of the evening. Hart and his partner, Bryce’s, latest invention for InventivAg, their parent company in St. Louis, Missouri, had been attacked for no reason—and by one of their own team members!—at what was supposed to have been a nice celebratory dinner right here at the house.

Judy shook with fury, just thinking about it.

She poked at the baby’s foot again. If that John Harding thought he was such a good agricultural engineer, he should figure out an easier way to grow a baby. Why, the man had gone ballistic at the most innocent of questions from Hart’s elderly partner-and-mentor’s wife, Ardyth.

Judy looked toward the place in the darkened dining room where the florid-faced Harding had sat, pounding his fist in response to Ardyth’s innocent question about when they could see the batteries for sale.

But Judy couldn’t figure out why Ardyth had cared that much about the battery. She hadn’t fussed about any of their other projects over the past four years. Worse, Hart and Bryce’s boss, Tim Crawford, had waffled, stating perhaps there might be a design flaw, after all.

She closed her eyes and put the cool glass against her forehead.

Not sleepy yet, Judy wandered around the moonlit kitchen. The drying towel was still a little damp under her fingers. The moaning cadence of a fire engine grew louder. The haze outside wove a blanket around the moon. That fire truck was coming their way. She waddled as fast as she could back up the stairs.

“Hart. Hart, wake up.” Judy shook his shoulder.

Hart turned his face on his pillow.

“Hart. Wake up! I hear fire engines.”

That got his attention. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times, turned to the luminous face of the bedside clock, and moaned.

“Hart!”

“Yeah, Judy. Fire engines.”

Judy leaned over the bed, hand on his warm shoulder. “Hart.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing. The fire…” He swallowed the last of his sentence in a huge yawn. “…department’ll take carevit. Go back—”

“There’s smoke. You can see it in the air. The fire must be a big one. Close by.”

She watched while Hart rubbed his face. “Okay.” He pushed himself upright, twisting his neck back and forth. “I’m getting up.” The phone gave a sputtery jingle and he made a grab, dropping the instrument before answering. “Yes?”

Judy sat down next to him, worried now. She rubbed again at her stomach. The baby must be doing summersaults, although how he or she managed to turn in such a tight space was a mystery.

“Barry, hi,” Hart said.

Barry? Judy mouthed “Chief of Police?” at her husband in the dim light. She pouted when he frowned and turned away.

“At the office?”

Please, God, oh please, oh, please, keep everyone safe. Judy reached for some clothes, stopping when Hart touched her forearm, shaking his head, still listening to the other end.

“I’m going over there right now—my prototype’s—I know, Barry, but I have to get there.”

Hart pushed the off button and tossed the phone on the bed. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked as he rushed to pull on his own clothes.

“That was Barry Hutchinson, wasn’t it? The office is on fire. I’m coming, too.”

Judy swallowed her panic as she heard him grunt through the shirt he rammed over his head.

“Oh, no, you’re not,” he said. “Look, you and Pancho stay here. Guard the house, okay? I can’t be worrying about you right now.”

She clutched her maternity jeans to her chest, feeling her heart jump with tension. “But I want to be with you!”

“I know, sweetheart.” Hart stopped and rubbed her shoulders, breathing hard. “I’ll be as quick as I can. Barry already called Bryce. I suspect Ardyth will be here soon. You can keep each other company.” He headed for the door, clawing a hand through his tousled brown curls.

“Just go to work like usual if I’m not back.” Then he was gone.

Hart’s solar powered battery designs were all he’d talked about for the past two years. It was the most important project he and his engineering partner had for their fledgling satellite firm.

What would he do if they were lost? Oh, Lord, you can’t let anything happen to him. Not now.

Ring Around the Rosy

Coming soon to Amazon from Books we Love - Ring Around the Rosy

Harassing phone calls from a killer terrify journalist, Susan Weston after her first big byline.

Detective David Morgan investigates the calls and the fact Susan’s bracelet was found at the murder scene. Sparks fly between them in more ways than one.

 To make matters worse, someone is leaving roses in front of Susan’s door.  Is she being stalked by a killer?

Books You'll Love from Books We Love: Announcing our Sizzling Summer Spectacular Contest...

Books You'll Love from Books We Love: Announcing our Sizzling Summer Spectacular Contest...: SIZZLING SUMMER SPECTACULAR Stock your shelves with spectacular summer reading.  Win one of five $20.00 Amazon gift certificates. ...

Shadows in the Attic

In the process of renovating century old, Queen Anne style Victorian home, author, Anna Hughes decides to convert part of the attic into a quiet place to write. Her fiancé points out a window on the outside of the house that doesn’t show in the attic. It’s only natural, she’d insist on knocking down a wall. Once the wall is down, they discover a room, complete with furniture, a diary, trunk full of treasures, and shadows hovering over it.

Ben Curtis, Anna’s fiancé hates getting dirty but agrees to her harebrained scheme, hoping to prove her wrong. Maybe then she’d give up the idea of writing and get a real job. Once she discovered the room, there was no stopping her. Worse, she insisted she saw shadows.

Chad Andrews was thrilled when Anna hires him to renovate the attic once the wall was knocked down. Too bad she was engaged, he was attracted to more than her house.

Do they hold the answer to secrets of why the room was hidden?

Available at Amazon

Welcome, Sydell Voeller

Summer Magic by Sydell Voeller, available at Amazon Kindle

Published by Books We Love Ltd:  www.bookswelove.net

             When her fiancé calls off their engagement, veterinarian assistant Lisa Prentice joins the circus in hopes of escaping the everyday grind. But life under the big top isn't quite what she expected. None of the veterinarian's former assistants managed to please their short-tempered boss, and Lisa fears that her days are numbered, too. Michael Figaro, a dashing young trapeze artist, is also cautious about whether Lisa can stay, and keeps his distance. Still, Lisa finds herself overwhelmingly attracted to him. Although Michael is the aerialist, it is Lisa who is flying on an emotional high wire. What happened to her safety net? Will their love survive?

Introduction to the Story 

            The year before, while the circus was on a 6-week lay-over at Madison Square Garden, Lisa Prentice had met dashing aerialist, Michael Figaro. There she’d also unexpectedly helped save a critically ill Arabian horse, Ebony, and she’d immediately fallen in love with the horse. Michael was more than a minor attraction too--and now that Lisa’s back, his charisma is once again working its magic on her.  Michael has just met her at the airport, brought her back to the circus grounds, and introduced her to his family-- also circus performers.  His twin sister, Estelle, welcomes Lisa with open arms and invites her to stay  in her trailer, and Lisa accepts.  Michael’s second sister, however, gives Lisa a frosty reception, and Lisa can’t help but wonder why.  Nonetheless, Lisa is eager to watch Michael and his family perform, and now she has the opportunity to do so: 

Partial Excerpt from Chapter 2 

Inside the coliseum, Lisa found an unreserved seat and sat down.  The band was playing a lively tune.  Vendors selling popcorn and cotton candy worked the side aisles.

As the lights dimmed and the music swelled, a rainbow of colors filled the arena.  Lisa's meeting with Claudette soon forgotten, new anticipation flowed through her.  It was time for the Spectacle to begin.

With rapt attentiveness, she clasped her hands together. Animals in bright head dresses and performers wearing sequin-spangled costumes paraded by.  Then came the first act, which soon gave way to the next.  Lisa laughed with the crowds at the chimps bouncing on pogo sticks, clapped for the tiger jumping through a ring of fire, and gazed in awe at the red-sequined showgirls performing an aerial ballet.   

Next the Flying Figaros emerged.  Dressed in glittering silver capes, holding hands and smiling their most dazzling smiles, they sprinted into the center ring.  In seconds the troupe was ascending the high rope ladder, Estelle sitting on Michael's shoulders.  While Claudette began to swing from a trapeze, Michael and Rudolph, perched on high rungs, balanced poles from their foreheads.

In an instant, the blue spotlight shifted back to the two young women.  Lisa watched first one, then the other spin through the air, skillfully performing their famous double somersaults.  The most difficult trick--Michael's triple--was only seconds away.

"And now ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages,”  the ringmaster boomed, "world-renowned Michael Figaro will perform one of the most daring acts in circus history!  The triple somersault!"

A hush blanketed the coliseum.  The drums rolled.  From somewhere overhead, the spotlights dimmed, casting a dramatic hue over the performers.  Lisa's heart pounded.  Every nerve in her body stood on end.  Oh, Michael.  Please be careful, she silently pleaded.

Michael dusted his hands with resin.  Then he began to swing.  The intensity was etched clearly on his face.  His taut muscles revealed the strength in his torso and upper arms.  Last year when she'd witnessed Michael's performance, she'd secretly vowed he was the most gorgeous man alive. Tonight was no exception.

Higher and higher he arched.  With a quick thrust, he tucked himself into a ball and whirled through the air.

The drums stopped rolling.  Lisa felt her hands grow clammy as she braced herself on the edge of her seat. Suddenly Michael's body straightened and his hands connected with the catcher's.  The applause exploded.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the ringmaster hollered, "you have just witnessed the most important feat on the face of the earth!"

While the crowds went wild, Lisa went limp with relief.

Oh, Michael, no wonder you came back, her heart cried out.  His performance was commanding.  Michael Figaro was destined for stardom.  How easy it would be to fall in love with him--only to end up heart-broken once again.  There must be at least a hundred women, watching him this very moment, who would give their souls just to touch his hand.  She could no more hold onto Michael than she had Charles.

One by one, the flyers dropped into the safety net, then onto the floor.  The crowd rose from their seats and cheered louder as the troupe took sweeping bows, then disappeared behind a royal blue curtain.

Suddenly the beating of hooves sounded.  The air stirred as three gorgeous black horses without riders or reins streaked past.  The ring seemed charged with their electrifying energy.

Lisa blinked twice.  Ebony!  The leading horse had to be Ebony!  In the center of the ring stood Mr. Figaro dressed in white and grasping a long whip.

The blue spot lights shifted to red.  While the other horses took their places opposite each other near the edge of the ring, Ebony cantered gracefully to the center.  She reared up.  Like a magnificent mystical creature, she pawed the air.  The other show horses immediately followed Ebony's cue.

Step-by-step she led them through one trick after another.  Then the lights dimmed as the horses made their exit...

Partial Excerpt from Chapter 3

"You still want to see Ebony tonight?" Michael asked as they strolled down a wide sidewalk that fronted the circus grounds.

"Oh, yes!"  Lisa smiled up at him.  The pale glow from a streetlight illuminated his profile.  Overhead, a spattering of stars winked in the cobalt blue sky. A balmy summer breeze lifted her hair.  Until just a few moments ago, Michael had been unusually quiet.  Lisa suspected he was pondering his father's leaving and the added responsibilities that entailed.  Or was it something more?

They crossed the north side of the lot, then threaded their way among the animal cages, trucks, and horse trailers.  In minutes they came to the horse tent and ducked inside.

The sweet smell of fresh hay filled Lisa's nostrils. A horse nickered.  She followed Michael past three black stallions and a Shetland pony that were switching their tails as they munched hay.

"Oh, Michael, there she is!" Lisa cried as she pointed to the end of the row.

"Yep!  Isn't she a beaut?" he asked, beaming.

As Lisa hurried up to the horse and began stroking her mane, Ebony lifted her head and stared back through half-lidded eyes.

"Ebony, you're beautiful!  Just as I'd remembered." The horse's ears twitched.  Lisa reached down, picked up a fistful of hay, and offered it on her opened palm.  Ebony's snout was velvety soft.

"Instant bonding," Michael said.  He grinned approvingly, rocking back on his heels.

"Oh, I hope so.  In fact, I'm looking forward to working with all the horses."

"Good.  I may need some help."

"How are you feeling about that?" Lisa asked as she stooped down to pick up more hay.  "About taking the responsibility for the show horses?" She straightened again, then turned to look up at him.  She watched his grin suddenly fade.

He glanced away.  "Scared.  Very scared."

“I doubt your father would've asked you to do it if he didn't think you were capable."

"It's expected of me, Lisa.  That's what being in the circus is all about.  Most of us, sooner or later, have to wear more than one hat. Pop would still be flying, too, if it hadn't have been for his accident.  And Uncle Rudy...he not only works as our catcher, but oversees the side show most of the time too."

"And here I'm feeling overwhelmed!  All I have to do is assist Dr. Woodstock and pass my probation."  A ripple of excitement overshadowed Lisa's uncertainty.  Tomorrow. Tomorrow she'd finally set out to accomplish what she'd come for. "Back home, my best friend Melanie and I go riding almost every weekend at Doc Largent's stables," she went on. "Will you let me ride Ebony sometime soon?"

"Maybe tomorrow.  If you can find a minute or two to spring free, just check with me or one of the stable boys first."

"I will."

"Let's tell this critter good-night and split." Michael's voice was laced with impatience.

"What's the big hurry?"  She met his gaze and chuckled.

"I...I just thought you might be hungry.  There's a deli not far up the street that makes a mean grilled pastrami sandwich."  He shrugged.  "Besides, as far as I know, you haven't had anything to eat since this afternoon back at the airport."

"Thanks, but I'm still too keyed up to eat any more.  I should really turn in."  She gave Ebony one final pat, avoiding Michael's gaze. Though a late snack with Michael was more than tempting, she knew she mustn't.  Already these few short hours with him had stirred too many confusing emotions within her.

Michael reached out and cupped her chin with his hand, gently prodding her to look at him.  "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"All right, then.  I'll walk you to Estelle's trailer, but I doubt if she'll be there for another hour or so.  She usually goes to my folks' motor home to have a bite to eat. Most likely Mom will save something for me, too."  He chuckled.  "She always thinks if I'm left to my own culinary devices, I'll waste away."

The air was heavy with the scent of sawdust and animals, mingled with mesquite wafting from someone's small propane barbecue alongside one of the trailers.

As they started out, his arm brushed her shoulder. Though the contact was fleeting, she was acutely conscious of his nearness.  A shudder rippled through her.

"Chilly?"

"Yes...no."  She felt like a silly school girl, unable to know her own mind.  Though the earlier rain squalls had been warm and humid, now the air was much too balmy to explain her physical response.  How could she admit to Michael, much less to herself, that his magnetic presence was hopelessly unraveling her?

But in the wake of that awareness her memory instantly sharpened.  The groupies.  That showgirl.  How could she ever compete--even if she did desire a relationship with Michael?  No, they might as well have come from two distinct planets on the opposite sides of the galaxy. She was definitely an outsider to Michael's tightly knit world.  She would remain that way no matter how long she stayed.  And even if she let down her guard and allowed him to capture her in his spell, how long could it last?  Would he soon move on to someone more enticing?  Just as Charles had?

"Michael?"

"Hmm?"

She hesitated before going on.  "Who was that show girl you were talking to tonight?"

"Her name's Rita and she's new here.  She used to be an aerialist with another circus.  I hear she was pretty good. Claudette wanted me to do Rita a favor today--give her a lift--but, I managed to get out of it.  I went to the airport to meet you instead."  He edged away slightly, letting his arm drop to his side.

 Lisa pushed back the fleeting thought that Michael's purpose in meeting her might've been simply to avoid giving in to his twin sister. "I bet that ticked off Claudette," she said.

 "She'll get over it," he answered, his expression unreadable.  "Besides, there was no reason why Claudette couldn't have played chauffeur to Rita.  Rita's great- aunt Mildred--or whoever she wanted to see--apparently lives on some dude ranch near the north end of the county."  They side-stepped a wardrobe trunk someone had left near the door of a fifth wheeler.

"The way I see it," Michael continued in an offhand manner, "Rita is fun to joke around with it, but that's about it.  If Claudette wants to buddy up with Rita, then fine.  She doesn't need to involve me too."

Lisa shot him a questioning glance.  Wasn't Michael aware of his charismatic appeal?  Even something innocent like joking around might give Rita reason to believe she stood a chance with him.

"So are you trying to say Claudette's playing Cupid?" Lisa asked.  "Your sister wants to bring you and Rita together?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"It all goes back to her fear of me leaving--just like we talked about earlier.  Claudette figures if I end up marrying another flyer, then I'll stay with the troupe forever."

"And what do you think?"  She stopped walking and swung around to look at him.

"I'm going to stay, no matter what," he ground out. "I've tried it on the outside.  I'm back where I belong."

"Of course.  Your performance tonight made that more than obvious."

Michael’s message had come through loud and clear.  He could never make a life for himself anywhere other than the circus.

As they started walking again, a picture of Rita returned to her mind.  "Any special reason why Rita decided to join Jessell and Stern?" she asked.

He chuckled.  "So what's with this Rita bit?  You certainly seem more than mildly interested."

"Just curious, that's all," she replied with a shrug, though she could feel her face growing warm with embarrassment.  They passed two keepers carrying buckets of water.

"Rita's troupe broke up so she decided to move on. According to Claudette, when Rita came to Jessell and Stern, she said she needed a change and wanted to work as a showgirl instead.  I guess my sister's made an extra effort to welcome her."

"How accommodating," Lisa said in a low voice.  Actually, it was difficult to understand how Claudette could make anyone feel welcomed.  But maybe she wasn't being fair. Maybe she'd judged Claudette too hastily.

"What was that?"

She flushed again.  "Nothing.  I...I didn't mean that the way it probably sounded.  I guess I'm more tired than I realized."

"Which means I'm doing the right thing by making sure you turn in now."  He grinned again.  "Not that I particularly want to, mind you."

She peered down the row of RVs.  They'd almost come to the end.  "Where are you staying?" she asked.

"Three doors down."  He nodded to a small eighties-vintage trailer.  His pick-up was parked close by.  "It might not be the Taj Mahal, but it gets me by."

"And Claudette?  Where's her place?"

"We passed it already.  Back this side of the costume trailer."

Outside Estelle's RV, Michael dug into his hip pocket and pulled out a key.  "Here.  Take this.  It's a spare and Estelle said for you to hold onto it."  He pressed the key into her palm, prolonging the contact.

"Thanks, Michael."

"Uh...a couple of more things.  Estelle also said to tell you the bottom bunk is yours.  And don't mind her little poodle.  His name's Rags.  Used to be one of Mom's show poodles, but Estelle's let him get soft.  Anyway, he might just decide to give you an overly enthusiastic welcome.  He tends to get a little carried away at times."

"Thanks again.  I'll like that."  She locked her gaze with his.  "Sleep well, Michael."

"You too."  He gave no indication of leaving, but rather leaned closer and settled his hand on the back of her neck. A suggestive smile hovered on the corners of his mouth.  His lips were only a fraction away.

"Lisa?"

"Yes?"

"It's kind of weird, isn't it?  I mean...I never expected to see you again.  When I met you last year, I figured you were just another townie who wandered through."

"Well, I guess I was then.  But I'm not anymore.  I'm here to stay."

A shadow of doubt passed over his face.  "Just hang in there, okay?  Things are gonna be different here.  I guarantee it."

"I realize that, Michael."  She offered him a hesitant smile.  "Truth is, I never expected to sign on with Jessell and Stern either. Serendipity, I guess.  You're right.  Life can be kind of weird sometimes."

"Uh-huh."  Weird and scary, he thought.  His stomach knotted.  He felt as if some bozo had just kicked him in the gut.  Hold on, Figaro. Get a hold of yourself... Yet being close to Lisa, touching her like this...

His voice was ragged as he dropped his hand.  "See ya...see you around."  He hesitated, then reached for her hand and gently pressed her knuckles against his lips. "You'd better get inside.  Now."

"I will."

He turned on his heel and without a backwards glance strode quickly away.

She couldn't go in.  She had to keep watching him. Slowly, gradually his retreating figure faded into the night. Michael, come back! she yearned to call to him.

No! her better judgment ruled.  You don't fit in.  You could never be his.  And even if you could, he'd only end up hurting you.  Let him be.

What was the matter with her? she wondered miserably as she turned the key in the lock.  Why had she allowed her heart to take this crazy roller-coaster ride?  And now, foolish woman that she was, she wanted him more than ever...

Link to Amazon purchase site: 

http://www.amazon.com/Sandcastles-of-Love-ebook/dp/B004X6Z9RQ

Author’s website:  www.sydellvoeller.com