Please welcome my critique partner, best friend, and awesome author, Kathleen L Maher to my blog this week! Kathy is giving away to two lucky winners choice of her Shenandoah books. And I am giving away a folded book art. Read on down to find out how to enter.
Where are you right
now (LVR, DR, Bathroom) and what are you wearing? You have to tell the truth.
2012:
I am actually dressed before 7 AM today! It’s a small
miracle. I have on denim capris, an orange cotton embroidered tee and my Third
Day zip-up hoodie. And purple fuzzy slippers. They’re hideous and comfy as all
get out.
NOW:
I’m in my living room, and I am wearing brown pants, a brown
and sage shirt and sage sweater. Another miracle to be dressed early in the
day. I’m winning at life. What can I say? 😉
Debbie
Lynne: Drat! I thought today was going to be PJ day!
What is the funniest,
strangest, or most interesting thing you have learned when doing research?
2012:
I was doing research on Charleston during the Civil War, so
I had my ears open for all things related. I was listening to the radio and
heard my local weatherman talk about the strangest weather incident he’d ever
heard. He claims to say that a live alligator, fully grown, fell from the sky
and landed downtown Charleston in 1862. Can you imagine the rumors of
apocalypse that must have circulated? Just today I read on Yahoo news about a
two-foot shark that fell out of the sky on a golf course in California. They
think an osprey dropped it. Why can’t it be money, falling on my lawn? Twenties
and fifties would be lovely. Or gold. I’ll take gold as long as nobody gets
hurt when it falls.
NOW:
I can’t top that. But a close second is a Civil War soldier
I once read about. He was shot as he had one leg up in his saddle stirrup,
standing at his horse’s side. He died instantly, and rigor mortis somehow froze
him in that position.
Debbie Lynne: Good Grief! I can just hear the officer that
found him and taps him on the shoulder. ‘Soldier, what are you scared stiff?’
If you were told you
were being sent back to live in the 19th Century, and you could bring one
thing from today, what would that be?
2012:
I know everyone says toothpaste and deodorant, and that is a
good answer. So besides those, I would bring photos of our modern marvels like
airplanes and space travel. I figure it will be a great conversation starter,
if it doesn’t get me burned at the stake for sorcery!
NOW:
Chocolate. Don’t judge me. And my husband. I don’t travel
well without either.
Debbie Lynne: Good thing you are bringing him along with you
in June when you come to see me. I’ll send chocolate ahead. 😉
What is something
that very few people know about you?
2012:
Hmmm, I am relatively unknown, so pretty much everything!
Heehee Okay. Most people don’t know that I used to have a really good
singing voice. In high school I had the privilege of attending New York State
School Music Association’s All State choir two years in a row. We stayed at the
Concord Hotel in the Catskills, the same place where Sinatra and so many others
have sung. It was a real thrill. But asthma and chronic allergies have eroded
that voice from what it once was. I still love to sing along to Kari Jobe and
Kutless and Tenth Avenue North, among my favorites. Just not where others can
hear me. LOL
NOW:
Yeah, I’m still a relative unknown. 😉 But those who know me
now would probably find it hard to believe I was once young and thin. I find it
hard to believe myself.
Debbie Lynne: Don’t let her fool you! Her name and books are
growing in popularity every day! She’s still a young chickadee. And she is
beautiful inside and out!
What is your favorite
material item that you own (examples: ipod, Gone with the Wind book,
grandmother’s rocking chair)
2012:
My home.
It has creaky floors and a slowly shifting foundation and a
roof that will need replacing, but I am so very thankful to God for my home. We
were once homeless as a family when my husband was out of work, and I
appreciate the miracle it is to live here in a beautiful small town where crime
is rare and the church bells chime three times a day, and where I can tend my
gardens and watch my children play in safety. I wish everyone that blessing.
NOW:
Same. And it has a new roof, by a miracle provision of God.
Debbie Lynne: Except now it is her grandchildren playing in
the yard.
What one novel did
you read that made you want to be a part of the story?
2012:
None. Honestly, I think that is why I write. I’ve read books
that I love, but none of the characters ever did what I would have and that
made me want to write myself in their shoes, to explore a story world with my
own imagination rather than only getting to see what the author shows. That is
why there is so much of me in each character I write.
NOW:
Burning Sky by Lori Benton. I was haunted by the boy that
lives in the woods. I want to go there and adopt him. Feed him a good meal.
Give him a warm bed. And show him kindness and appreciation for his bravery.
Debbie Lynne: She proves my point. She’s beautiful inside
and out.
If you could live in
any time period other than the one we live in, when and where would that be and
why?
2012:
I am fascinated by the end times. A little fearful, too, to be honest, with all the tension and hate of the world converging on little Israel to annihilate her. But if these aren’t the end times already, I would wish to be in the generation that gets to witness the Lord’s return and to be taken up to meet Him in the air. What could be more fabulous than that?
I am fascinated by the end times. A little fearful, too, to be honest, with all the tension and hate of the world converging on little Israel to annihilate her. But if these aren’t the end times already, I would wish to be in the generation that gets to witness the Lord’s return and to be taken up to meet Him in the air. What could be more fabulous than that?
NOW:
Any time my mom was still alive, and I could tell her how much
I appreciate her. Yeah, my eyes are leaking.
Debbie Lynne: Awe. But you will see her again and the cool thing
is it could be in your 2012 time period to live in pick!
If you were writing a
book about your life what would the title be?
2012:
Not Perfect Yet
NOW:
Still Not Perfect
Debbie Lynne: But Pretty Darn Close
Thanks for having me on your blog, Debbie Lynne. Both then
and now. 😉
________________________________________
Kathleen L. Maher has
had an infatuation with books and fictional heroes ever since her preschool
crush, Peter Rabbit. “Love Brick by Brick,” a novella with her hometown’s
history, appeared in BARBOUR’s 2018 Victorian
Christmas Brides collection. Her Civil War romance The Abolitionist’s Daughter released in 2018 and Book 2, The
Chaplain’s Daughter in 2019. She has another novella coming out in Barbour’s
schoolteacher collection Lessons on Love in Oct 2019. Kathleen shares an old
farmhouse in upstate New York with her husband, children, and a small zoo.
Follow Kathleen
Facebook
author page: https://www.facebook.com/KLMaherAuthor/
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/kathleenlmaher/boards/
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2531698-kathleen-l
BookBub:
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kathleen-l-maher
I’m offering a GIVEAWAY of winner’s choice of my books. I’ll give an e-copy
to two winners, randomly selected, of either Book 1 The Abolitionist’s Daughter, or Book 2 (in Sons of the Shenandoah
Series), The Chaplain’s Daughter.
To enter, answer
this interview question:
If you could go back
in time and change a historical event, where and when would that be, and what
would you hope would be the outcome?
You can get bonus entries
by following me on any of those media sites listed above or signing up for my
newsletter. I don’t have a live link to sign up, so leave your email addy in
the comment and I’ll add you manually. Let me know your total # of entries in
the comments.
Okay, a good luck!
A feisty army laundress must disarm a
grieving Confederate Captain’s pride to win his heart.
Twin
brothers part ways over a fiery social crusader. Can love mend fences burned by war?
Book art folded with love by me, Debbie Lynne!
I wouldn't change anything. Follow on Facebook and Bookbub
ReplyDeleteHi Kim. I love your trust in God’s sovereignty in history. But wouldn’t you be tempted just a teeny bit to make your great grandparents billionaires? LOL thanks for the follows And good luck in the drawing
DeleteWhat a fun post! I already follow you on FB. So this comment and FB is two entries. I have a hard time with changing history. God is the Director here, not me. And Debbie Lynne, that book art????!!!! Awesome! I don't know how you have time to craft items with your busy life. Ladies, thanks for sharing your friendship with us, your readers.
ReplyDeleteGod is indeed the director. But wouldn’t it be amazing if Hitler never rose to power, or if chocolate weren’t discovered and I never gained all that weight LOL
ReplyDeleteSeriously, thank you for the follows and good luck in the giveaway
I love to read about the Civil War and the Reconstruction period and I am so sorry that President Lincoln was assassinated. That would probably be what I would most like to change!
ReplyDeleteIt is 9:30 on the Monday after Easter and I am fully dressed but I am still enjoying coffee as I I read this,
Happy Earth Day & Blessings!
Connie
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com
Hi Connie! Coffee is a must on a Monday after a busy weekend. I am having holiday hangover – – meaning I am absolutely exhausted from all the cooking cleaning and preparing etc. but it is such a blessing to visit here.
DeleteI love your answer about sparing Lincoln. Reconstruction after the war would’ve gone so much different with his reconciling plan. I’m working on book 3 after the war and I hate what Lincoln’s successor did to the south. It was punitive and mean. My characters are battling through some of those struggles now.
Thanks for coming by and entering. Good luck
DebbieLynne your book art is so beautiful. I am so excited for whoever wins it. I love the one you made me that says “praise” which is a theme in my life. I need to take its advice more often ;-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for having me as your guest this week. Your readers are already at work, I see. So awesome. Looking forward to interacting with everyone.
I don't think I'm wise enough to choose the correct event to change anything for good so I'll stick with changing nothing. It's all in God's sovereign will! :-)
ReplyDeleteLoved getting to see the comparison between the two interviews, ladies! Y'all both ROCK!!!!
Thank you Anne. All I can think of is Back to the Future and how people started to disappear when Marty changed the past… lol
DeleteI appreciate you stopping by 😊
That's a great analogy! I can't imagine my life not encompassing everyone in it, whether they evoke good or bad memories. It's shaped who I am and brought me to Christ. I wouldn't want to miss that for anything!
DeleteGood morning Debbie Lynn and Kathy :). I am sitting here in my comfy clothes and my back brace - only 10 more days, hopefully! Perhaps the only thing I would wish to have changed is to have a little more $$, so we could pay bills on time and maybe even have our own home. However, the Lord has provided until now, and I know He will continue to care for us! Love the book art, Debbie Lynn :)
ReplyDeleteIf only we could give that million dollar idea to our grandparents in the past and advise them to invest well LOL I know what you mean. But it takes a special kind of savvy to get by on little. I really respect Frugality. I have tried to learn it all these years myself
DeleteGood morning Kathy and Debbie Lynne! I'm just stopping by and say hello. Kathy, I want to say again that I loved the Abolitionist's Daughter and I appreciate what a great job you did with the writing! God has blessed you with a wonderful ability to write. I wouldn't change anything in history, because of the domino effect--who knows what all might happen? I wouldn't mind going back in my own history and changing a few thoughts and behaviors, so I would have been a better person at the time. We can't dwell on that sort of thing, though. I just trust in God that my future thoughts and behaviors will be more in line with Him. Blessings...
ReplyDeleteYou are a genuine saint, Kay. What a beautiful sentiment, to be able to go back and fix our mistakes. I’m with you there. But me being me and all, I would probably bungle it worse LOL
DeleteThank you for your kind words. Your encouragement means a great deal to me. 💕
I would do away with war. I would hope for peace. I am a follower. fishingjanATaolDOTcom
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete
DeleteHi Jan. I love the idea of ending war and making peace. I was just reading an interview with Dennis Prager of Prager university. He made an interesting point that World War I and World War II annihilated huge portions of western civilization, leaving Europe open to secularism and foreign invasion. There are so many ramifications to war. I can’t wait until the lion lays down with the lamb And we beat our swords into plowshares as Scripture says.
Thank you for coming by and good luck in the drawings
I would change the assassination of President Lincoln to see what other great things he could accomplish. I enjoyed reading the interesting interview. Blessings
ReplyDeleteThank you Lucy. You’re right – – it would’ve been so interesting to see what else Lincoln could have accomplished. He was such a brilliant politician and I believe a good moral man
DeleteThanks for coming bye
I think I would change history to not have so many wars too.
ReplyDeleteHi Brenda, yes. Wars have been the biggest cause of heartache throughout history.
DeleteThank you for visiting the blog. Good luck on the giveaway
This was a fun post with chuckles and smiles as I read it.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I would like to change from history would be the life of President Abraham Lincoln. He had so much to offer our country if his life had not been cut short. I enjoy visiting his historical places here in our local county along with in our state capitol. Thank you for the giveway. I'm following you on FB, Goodreads, BB and Amazon. I'm subscribed to your newsletter and a follower of Debbie's blog and other places, too.
marilynridgway78[at]gmail[dot]com
Thank you Marilyn. I appreciate the follows. So that's like four or five entries. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteYour area sounds like it is rich in history. My mom used to have Carl Sandberg's comprehensive biography on Lincoln, and I read bits and pieces of it back in high school. Such a fascinating man.
Good luck in the drawing.
Tough question with so many possibilities and repercussions. For a just for playing along answer, it has to be no Hitler. Think how many lives would be saved not only then but down through the years. My faith tells me to trust a God in all things so leave everything alone. Having a relative invent something to make us billionaires would be fantastic unless it causes us to stagger in our faith. Following for 5 entries and please send newsletter, nkw3024@aol.com
ReplyDeleteHi prayer warrior, thank you so much for reading and answering! I love your faith, that God had his purpose even in such a difficult time of history. I agree he can be trusted even in the hard things.
ReplyDeleteThat’s awesome of you to follow five ways! I will add you to the newsletter. Wishing you good luck!
I would go back and try and stop assassination of President Lincoln.
ReplyDeleteFollow on all sites. :)
Thank you Connie T. 💕 so that’s five entries?
DeleteAnd my winners are :
ReplyDeleteKim Hansen, and Connie Tillman. I will be contacting you to find out which of my ebooks you would like.
Congratulations to the winners, and thank you so very much DebbieLynne for having me this week, and thank you everyone for coming by and sharing your historical thoughts.
And guess what I forgot to announce? The winter for DebbieLynne’s beautiful folded book cart.
ReplyDeleteDrumroll please…
And the winner is: Anne Payne!
Congratulations
Once again, thank you so much DebbieLynne not only for having me back on your amazing blog, but also for creating this beautiful and inspiring book art. I know Anne will treasure it. I certainly do mine that you made me.