A BOXER, a singer, a good-looking young man, Victor charms everyone -- except his demanding mother. She's a tough Oklahoma homesteader who insists Victor owes her a loyalty forsaking all others. Caught between his upbringing and a longing to be free, Victor goes to desperate lengths to escape. He makes his get-away by joining a Conoco Oil surveying party in the early 30s. His adventures on the road, and with the women he attracts, keep Victor preoccupied until everything backfires in California. RUNNING FROM GRACE is a riveting sequel to the period novel MAMA GRACE. Told from the viewpoint of her youngest son Victor, the awesome heroine of the Oklahoma frontier this time emerges as something disturbingly different: a ruthless and fearsome villainess. Cover photo by the author. Author's photo by Steve Gorton.