Pierce Point Ranch Point Reyes

 Jenni Brummett drew inspiration for Ribbon of Fog from a Marin County food magazine feature about the local dairy industry history in “Cow Heaven”, Point Reyes. The article  told the story of an entrepreneurial woman who recognized San Francisco’s need for fresh cheese in the 1850’s.

Point Reyes cooling fog  provides the perfect setting to age cheese and make butter, not to mention historical fiction laced with suspense and romance.  Jenni focused on the early years of this industry when “dairy fever” was pervasive and prospered until the early 20th century. (And don’t we miss those days when the milkman came to our door!).

“ I have fond memories of visiting Point Reyes as a child, traversing the numerous steps to the lighthouse, camping at nearby Samuel P. Taylor State Park, and stopping on the peninsula during my honeymoon 16 years ago,” Jenni says.  “It’s important to me to include an accurate portrayal of the natural world in my stories. The natural history of Point Reyes is varied and intriguing, and I enjoy the challenge of injecting my story with interesting facts.”

 From top to bottom, this state fascinates me, and I want to focus on lesser known locations and times in history as I continue in my writing career.

Ribbon of Fog

Jenni Brummett

A milkmaid who wants to be noticed and a lawyer who tries to keep his past concealed must set their differences aside to find a lost loved one who’s slipped into the dark abyss of depression. Set in 19th century San Francisco and the dairy dotted hills of Point Reyes, freedom is found when Byron and Caroline emerge from beneath a ribbon of fog.

Excerpt

Byron Waverly approached the warm candle glow emanating from the downstairs windows of the Bower farmhouse. His pulse quickened, and after closing and latching the corral gate behind him, he leaned his head on the quivering flanks of his horse. Why had he ever volunteered to leave his comfortable home in San Francisco to venture onto this damp, wild peninsula? In his job as a lawyer, he felt confident and competent. Addressing other people’s messiness was much easier than facing his own demons. Here, even though the fog swirled and eddied around him, he felt vulnerable and exposed.

How would it feel to climb the porch steps, peel the cloak of fog away, and allow candlelight to expose his features? When she recognized who stood on the threshold of her home, would Amanda Bower ever admit how badly she’d stained his character with her lies four years ago? And when he finally cleared that up, would he have the nerve to court her twin sister Caroline, the one he’d always meant to tangle with in the first place?

Jenni Brummett has written card copy for DaySpring cards, and also writes historical suspense soaked in the truth of scripture. She doesn’t shy away from addressing the darker issues within her characters, tingeing her stories with winsome romance while she’s at it. She is married to her high school sweetheart, and their courtship is recorded in her journals for posterity (or not). She is a full time mom of one, and a part time office manager at a physical therapy office.