The Beginning: The Rattle Snake Cove Series

By David Carney

The adventure, historical romance multi-generational Rattle Snake Cove Series, starting out in Scotland during the Clearances and potato famine, tells of a fictional community in Jackson County, Alabama.

Danny runs away from home to avoid being sold and ends up with Gypsies in France, where he's persuaded to illegally cross the Russian border to help set up a medicine smuggling network.

While trying to find his mother in Arizona he endures many hardships until he moves back to his father's home town, where he meets Maggie Ann.

After receiving the Silver Star for heroism in Vietnam he is invited to help create a top secret U.S. government mission.

While setting up an American democracy training school, illegally in Russia, Danny is kidnapped by the Russians, leading to a confrontation with President Johnson.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Carney
• Release date: Mar 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393215233

David Carney

David R. Carney retired from the U.S. Army and Alabama Army National Guard as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer and is also a retired banker. He spent seven years in Europe and has travelled to over thirty countries around the world. Carney is an author and is able to draw on his rich background of diverse international experiences to write his books. He was raised in a dysfunctional family and lived in homes across the nation while attending many schools, and as such, he became a high school dropout who later attended eight years of college and university earning four degrees, all with highest honors, including an MBA from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.  Carney has been very instrumental in the military veteran’s community, often speaking at events as well as organizing events for deployed service members and their families. He has been recognized by the U.S. Army and also by his community for his many military and veteran activities. For his support to the National Guard the Adjutant General of the Alabama National Guard awarded him the Distinguished Service Medal of Alabama, the highest award presented by the Alabama National Guard. He has also been presented the key to five Alabama cities for support to their service members. According to a recent Huntsville Times (Alabama) article a photo of him is “What Volunteers Look Like.”  A Redstone Arsenal Rocket front page article about him said he is a “People Person Dedicated to Service.” The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Redstone Huntsville Chapter voted Carney and his wife, Judith, to be their Volunteer Family of the Year 2019. They won the same award at the Third Region, AUSA (nine states and territories across the southeast). David is on the Board of the Huntsville Madison County Veterans Memorial and as such co-wrote a book about the Memorial which has been widely received across the area. Although now retired, he is still writing novels and how-to-do books. He lives in the small town of New Market, Alabama with his wife, Judith, and their two cats. Judith is also a published author. They are very active in their church.

Book preview

Preface

1932

Rattle Snake Cove, Jackson County, Alabama

The ten-year-old boy sat by his father’s side. They sat on the front porch of their small home. Daddy, I want to ask you something. he said.

I’ll answer your question, Son, but first I want you to look all about you. He pointed his pipe stem in a broad sweep, indicating the tree-covered mountains, pastures and plowed fields stretching out in front of them. This land, the stream out there, this house, the cows, the pigs are all ours. Some day they will be all yours. He emphasized the last phrase by pointing his pipe stem at the boy and raising his eyebrows. He went on, Even the fish you pull out of the stream are all ours. I enjoy sitting here on the front porch as the sun goes down and admiring all that God has bestowed upon us. I feel truly blessed, and you should, too. All right, what is your question, Daniel?

Daddy, before our family came to Rattle Snake Cove, where were they? Where did we come here from? How is it that we have so much?

Those are mighty tall questions, Son. And I’m glad you asked. Are you old enough to hear and to remember the Carmichael legend? The boy nodded solemnly. When you get older, you will have to tell your children all about us. So settle down and relax. Go get me a glass of that cold spring water first. This will take some telling.

Before I start, I will have to explain about ‘Lairds’ in Scotland. The lairds, or Lords, owned, by right of inheritance, large plots of land and usually had a large number of tenant farmers living on their land. He gave them protection, and they paid him annual rent.

As the last rays of sun settled on the tall mountains surrounding Rattle Snake Cove, the story began.

Spring, in the year of 1847

In the Lowlands of Scotland, in the Clyde Valley of Lanarkshire,  Somewhere between Glasgow and Edinburgh

COME IN, BARKED THE laird, also called The Bruce, through his lineage to Robert the Bruce.

You sent for me, Uncle? replied the tall, muscular man in his mid-twenties.

The young man had a full red beard and wavy red hair. He stood out everywhere he went. Nobody dared offend him.

Yes, Richard. Close that door and come sit down. Now, tell me, when are you going to marry that girl? His heavy Scottish accent rolled the Rs off his tongue, as he spoke, as did Richard‘s.

Richard, startled by such an abrupt question, answered, How do you know about her, Sir? But then he decided to be more tactful to the clan chief. Well, yes sir, this fall after the crops are in, we’re going to marry.

Richard, you will wed tomorrow evening, right here in this hall, commanded The Bruce.

What? But Sir, why so soon? What’s going on? Is it not up to us? Richard queried.

"Listen to me, young man! You know I’ve spent a lot of time in Glasgow in the past. I’ve listened to a lot of people and I have learned. In fact, I’ve bought many, many pints of ale just to loosen their tongues and get people to talk. All the pubs knew me. Every time a ship came in, I was right there buying ale, talking and learning.

"Our clan, our villages, and our entire country have terrible problems. The Clearances are bad enough, what with the king trying to destroy our clans and our way of life, and turn us all to sheep farmers. The lands just will not support all the people and the sheep, too. Sheep need a lot of land to feed; they don’t leave room for our people. Now, on top of it all, we have the potato famine and many of our people are going hungry, even starving to death. I have learned that many lairds are paying passage for their people to go to America. Others are simply burning their tenant’s homes to force them to go away, yet there is nowhere for them to go. I have a plan for our people, and that’s what I’m going to tell you.

"I have purchased a ship, large enough to carry 200 people. I’ve also hired a ship’s captain. He will be here in two days with his entire family. You are going to be our laird in America. Tomorrow evening you will invite all our people to your wedding and that’s when I will make the announcement, after you take your vows. They will have two days to