April 13 Ron’s June 13 Kim set out twelve folding chairs. She’d really only expected eight people to actually show up, but twelve felt like faith. Good Yarn was closed for the evening. Sign turned. Blinds drawn. She’d moved the yarn baskets against a wall and arranged the chairs in a rough circle near the […]
April 11, 2026 Ron opened his eyes at 2:10 in the afternoon. Annie almost missed it. She’d been sitting in the chair beside his bed for four days, and the rhythm of the machines had become background music she’d stopped hearing. Beep. Drip. Hiss. Beep. Drip. Hiss. She was reading a paperback novel she’d bought […]
April 9, 2026 Kim heard the news from Frank. He called Monday morning, which was unusual. Frank didn’t call. Frank showed up, drank the terrible coffee, complained about whatever was bugging him, and left. Calling meant something was wrong. “The Sergeant collapsed Saturday,” Frank said. “Cardiac. He’s in the hospital.” Kim leaned against the counter. […]
The Final 4th of Sergeant Drummond will be released in free chapters online throughout April, culminating in a live event on Independent Bookstore Day at Bonfire Bookstore and Yarnery in Woodstock, Virginia. WOODSTOCK, Va., March 4, 2026 — New York Times bestselling author Jason Wright is launching his newest novel, The Final 4th of Sergeant […]
April 7, 2026 Annie knew something was wrong before she reached the front door. Two paramedics were coming out of Meadow View. One spoke into the radio on his shoulder. The other held the door, looking back inside. Annie ran. The hallway outside Room 14 was chaotic. Three nurses. An aide Annie didn’t recognize. A […]
April 6, 2026 The bell above the door sounded different when you were nervous. Annie had been in Good Yarn exactly once, three days ago, with the Sergeant. That time she’d been focused on him. Watching for the curb, the door frame, the narrow aisle between yarn baskets. She hadn’t really appreciated the place. Now […]
April 4, 2026 Kim couldn’t stop thinking about Ron Drummond. She opened the shop at 9:00, just like every other day. Made coffee in the back room. Straightened the yarn baskets that didn’t need straightening. Moved three books from one display to another. Half an hour later she’d given up pretending to work and pulled […]
April 3, 2026 The flags near the register came down on a Friday. Kim folded the first, just like she’d been taught in Girl Scouts thirty years ago. Triangle, triangle, triangle. Stars up. She set it on the counter beside the register and reached for the second. Her hands shook. It was the coffee, she […]
I had the privilege of meeting Jeffrey R. Holland several times, including as John the Shepherd when he attended our “Joy to the World” Christmas show in December of 2024. As we chatted, I reminded him of a piece I’d written years earlier about his unique experience digging a grave in Nevada for a grieving […]