Peggy Blann Phifer is an author and columnist, book reviewer, and author interviewer, whose work has appeared on various Web sites and writer
periodicals both in print and online. She is also an avid reader who loves to
escape by diving between the covers of a good book. Peg enjoys handcrafts of all
kinds and her home shows off some of her work, though most end up as gifts for
friends and family. A retired executive assistant, Peg now makes her home in
southern Nevada with husband Jim.
To See the Sun is her debut novel.
Tell us how much of
yourself you write into your characters.
Not a lot of “me” as much as my experiences. My main female
character, Erin , is nothing like me. And, thinking
about it, there’s very little of me in any of the other characters, either.
Maybe that’s weird, I don’t know. Maybe a little wishful thinking, huh? Like, I
wish I WAS more like Erin . Or Magie, or
Racine.
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
Maybe not quirky, more like hare-brained. As a young mother
living on Milwaukee ’s
southeast side, my dad was sick and Mom had to work. My husband had just gone
through the same thing, so I knew how miserable Daddy was. I didn’t want to
leave him alone. So, I bundled up my two-year-old son and my two-month-old
daughter, took a city bus to the stop where I could catch a commuter bus out to
New Berlin ,
where my parents lived. It was early February, as I recall. The crazy thing is
that I had to leave the commuter bus and walk over a mile to the house,
carrying the baby and holding tight to my son’s hand all the way. I used to
walk that mile both ways every day to work before I got married, in high heels,
so I didn’t think much about it until I began that long walk that day. Daddy
was glad to see me but I got a royal scolding from him, as well as my husband.
The children suffered no ill effects and I never once regretted doing what I
did. But I never tried it again!
When did you first
discover that you were a writer?
When I was a little girl I suffered from severe childhood
asthma and there was little they could do about it in those days. I was limited
to low-to-no strenuous activity, usually kept inside, often in bed. During the
school year, if I had an attack, my teachers would send my schoolwork home with
my sister, along with a selection of books from the school library. I devoured
everything. And soon found myself re-writing some of them. It took most of my
life until I was 40 to realize what I should have known back then. I was a
writer.
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
Oh, my. It covers a broad area. Everything from the classics
to Exodus (one of my all-time favorites.) I read, and still have, all the early
James Bond books. I’ve read War and Peace—twice. I even indulged in the
bodice-rippers for a few rebellious years. My current “passion” is
suspense/thrillers, because that’s what I’m writing. Love James Scott Bell and
Brandilyn Collins, Ronie Kendig and Steven James, to name a few. But my writing
is not as much “thriller” as it is romantic suspense.
How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?
Honestly? Not very well. There are days I’d give anything to
run outside and scream my head off. Or run away and hide. It seems every time I
want to close myself off and do a good, long stint of writing, life happens. Or,
more to the point, one husband, one dog, and seven cats. They don’t get it
that, like Garbo, I just want to be alone.
Just before Christmas, I saw a Tweet from James Scott Bell
with a picture of a door hanging “writer at work” made by his daughter using
“ransom note” style, i.e. letters cut from newspapers and magazines. I thought,
hey, I can do that. So I made one and have it hanging on my door. I have yet to
use it. Something tells me it’s not going to stop the interruptions. But I’m
going to give it a try one of those “I wanna scream” days.
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
I really don’t have a method. Maybe I’ll come across a name
in something I’ve read, or heard a name that found its way into my head. Or
I’ll see a picture in a magazine or online and a name pops into my head for her
or him. That’s how I finally named Erin . In
the book’s early form, I named her character Tori, short for Victoria . But it wasn’t working. Every time
I wrote her name I cringed. Just didn’t sound right for the character I was
building. Then one day I was thumbing through a women’s clothing
catalog—Chadwick’s, I think—and this same young woman kept appearing in different
garments and poses. She fit my mental picture of my heroine to a T. Unruly,
tousled silver/blond hair with an impish grin in a pixie face. One pose shows
her in a pensive mood. As soon as I saw that, the name Erin
wrote itself above her head. Whimsical? I guess. But once I had the right name,
she started talking to me. The same thing happened with all the other
characters. My mind “saw” them and their name followed. Maybe I’m just wired
wrong.
We’re all wired
differently, but none of them are wrong. What is the accomplishment that you
are most proud of?
Besides just getting my book published? Sticking it out to
the end, I guess, despite all the rejections, contest losses with hard
critiques, a disastrous one-on-one meeting with an editor at a conference where
my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth and I couldn’t say a thing. I finally
just stuffed my one-sheet in front of her. Humiliating.
If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?
That should be a given. A cat. I envy the way they stretch.
I love their aloofness, their “I can’t be bothered right now” attitude. They
don’t need the “Writer at Work” sign.
What is your favorite
food?
Mexican.
What is the problem
with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
See #5 and #7. LOL Actually my nemesis is time management.
It is, and always has been, the most difficult thing for me. I was once told,
through a time-management class presented by my employer, that I have a
tendency to let the Urgent crowd out the Important. I’ve found that to be true.
On the plus side, I’m tenacious. If I want to accomplish something, I will.
Sooner or later.
Tell us about the
featured book.
Here’s the back cover blurb:
Pregnant and widowed hadn’t been part of her “happily ever after”
dream. And now, someone was trying to kill her . . .
Erin Macintyre never expected to be a widow and a new mother
in the same year, anymore than she expected mysterious notes, threatening phone
calls, and a strange homeless man who seems to know all about her. The thought
of raising a child without a father is daunting enough—worse when you have no
idea who might want to harm you. Put an old flame into the mix, and her life
begins a tailspin into a world she never knew existed.
When P.I. Clay Buchanan, stumbles upon Erin
at her husband's gravesite, he’s totally unprepared for her advanced pregnancy.
Her venomous reaction at seeing him, however, was predictable. But Clay can’t
let her distrust, or his guilt, get in the way—not when he has evidence that
proves Erin ’s life is in danger.
With few options left, Erin
begrudgingly accepts Clay’s help . . . and it just might be her undoing.
Sounds like the kind
of romantic suspense story I like to read. Please give us the first page of the
book.
Chapter One:
Friday, March
26, late afternoon
What a
fantastic day. A bid
won. A contract signed. The job of a lifetime that would put Stuart and
Macintyre at the top of the construction heap, not just in Las
Vegas , but all of southern Nevada .
Whistling, Justin
Macintyre pressed the keyless remote of his Cadillac Escalade, tossed his
briefcase across the console to the passenger seat and slid behind the wheel.
To top it all off,
after seven long years, he and his wife, Erin, were going to have a baby. A baby! He laughed aloud at the
overwhelming joy of it.
"Hey, world, I'm going to be a daddy!"
He shifted the SUV
into gear and pulled out of the Mt. Charleston Lodge area onto Kyle Canyon Road
and headed down the mountain to the Las
Vegas Valley
below. Despite the successful day, Justin couldn't banish his worry over a
recent discovery of some irregularities in the company's finances. Nothing
concrete, and his Uncle Sebastian, S and M's CFO, assured him everything was
fine. Nevertheless, Justin's uneasiness had prompted him to send what little
proof he had to his long-time friend, Clay Buchanan, a private investigator in Texas .
Preoccupied with
his thoughts, he vaguely registered the yellow and black blind curve warning
sign. Too late he saw the stalled car across the center line. No time to stop! He spun the wheel to the right.
I'm going too fast!
God, help me . . .!
###
Seconds passed and
silence settled once more over the mountainside. A shadow emerged from behind a
Joshua tree and stepped to the edge of the ravine. After a moment, the form
walked to the car in the road and drove away.
###
Erin Macintyre
stretched her arms along the balcony's balustrade of her twenty-seventh-floor
condo above the streets of Las Vegas .
Beyond that, the lower edge of the setting sun kissed the still snowy peaks of
the Spring Mountain Range and Mt.
Charleston .
Justin would be
home soon.
"Erin , where's the zester?"
"Which is the
utility drawer?" Magie Gifford, Erin 's
dearest friend, pulled out drawer after drawer.
"You changed
it." Magie snatched the zester and bumped the drawer shut with her hip.
"That's not where it was last time."
"Very
funny." Magie pushed Erin aside and
proceeded to rub a lemon across the gadget and then whisked the zest into a
frothy mixture of olive oil, Italian herbs, and balsamic vinegar. "Okay,
just drizzle this over the salad and stick it in the fridge."
That done, Erin checked on the lasagna in the oven. The garlic toast
waited on the foil-lined cookie sheet ready to pop under the broiler.
Everything was ready.
"Posh. You
should know by now how those meetings can drag on."
"Yeah, I
know. It's just—"
"Get over
here, Erin . He'll be here when he gets
here."
"You spoil
that critter." Magie brushed off the chair cushion before sitting.
"Yeah, I do. But you love him, too. I saw you sneaking
him some treats earlier." Erin smiled.
"Not to mention the romp you had with him in the living room when you got
here."
"Busted. But
he's so much fun, aren't you, Kazimir?"
At the sound of
his name, the cat uncoiled, left Erin 's lap
and jumped onto Magie's. She snorted. "So much for protecting my black
slacks."
"Thanks for
coming over to help with this meal. I wanted it to be special and I never know
when the nausea will hit." She raised an eyebrow. "But you will leave as soon as Justin gets
here."
"You think
he'll get that bid?"
The first five
descending notes of Welcome to My
World sang out in the condo's foyer. Justin! No, he wouldn't ring the doorbell. Puzzled, she stepped
across the tiled floor and rose on tiptoes to peer through the peephole. She
gasped and jumped back.
The doorbell
chimed again.
Fingers trembling, Erin
released the security lock and opened the door to two uniformed police
officers.
"Mrs.
Macintyre?"
"What is it,
officers?"
"I'm afraid there's been an accident, Mrs. Macintyre.
Your husband . . ."
Yep. You’ve got me
hooked. How can readers find you on the Internet?
Website: http://peggyblannphifer.com
Twitter: twitter/com/pegphifer
Facebook: facebook.com/pegphifer
Thanks, Peg, for dropping by today.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
To See the Sun: Desert Faith Series Book One - paperbackTo See the Sun (Desert Faith Series) - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
30 comments:
So many novels, so little time, so little money! This suspense novel sounds awesome. Widowed and pregnant and hunted? wow. i think i'll need to quit reading the blogs, cause i get a case of wanting these novels you share with us, Lena. Thankyou for the opportunity to win.
marianne - Arizona
mitzi underscore wanham at yahoo dot com
sounds like a book I'd really enjoy reading. PS Also a Mexican foodie too
cheryl in IL
msboatgal at aol.com
Marianne, I can SO relate! My TBR (To Be Read) stack has multiplied into several toppling stacks! Thanks for your comment and good luck in the drawing.
Cheryl, I think I could eat Mexican five days a week—at a good Mexican restaurant. Two of my favorite dishes are Chiles Rellenos and Carne Asada. Yum.
Another great book to add to my to-read list! It's certainly ever-growing :) I'd love to be entered!
cbus.blogger at gmail dot com
Hi, Bethany. Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you:
L=Living
U=Under
C=Christ
K=the King
in the drawing :)
Thanks, Lena and Peg for the info. it sounds really good, and I am so happy for you, Peg! Rose from KY
I would love to read this book.
California
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
My grandma once told me, when I pulled stunts like "taking off somewhere all alone with my two kids", that it was going to make me old before my time. So, watch out.. things creep up on ya.
Peggy, when you re-wrote stories you read while pretty much bed-ridden, did you have different endings?
You COULD be famous if you teach your dog (since the cats don't need the sign) to read your "writer at work" sign, especially if it takes heed the warning. lol
I'm with Lena in that your book, Peggy, sounds like one I like to read. Actually, like the kind my husband and I read together.
Thanks, Lena, for entering my name in your drawing. I live in Mid-Southern Colorado.
purensimplenatural at gmail dot com
Hi Peg, I loved Exodus and also saw the movie. I also loved The Diary of Anne Frank. Can't wait to read your book and have on my wish list. Thanks for the opportunity to enter giveaway.
Brenda from Georgia
misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com
i'd love to win!
maggie in northern indiana
I've been reading Peg's blog and so am very interested in reading her book. I enjoy romantic suspense and this sounds like a good one! Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
pmk56[at]sbcglobal[dot]net
Kansas
Thanks for telling me about this blog and your interview, Peg. Your novel sounds really good. If I don't win it . . . I will certainly buy it.
Mexican . . . Chinese . . . Italian. I don't know. So many choices! But probably, if I had to chose, I'd go with Mexican!
Hugs,
Lynne
Hi, Rose from KY. Thanks for stopping by.
Linda, in California. Happy to meet you.
Pamela J, that was a crazy stunt. Thankfully I'm not that impulsive anymore. Note I didn't say I wasn't still impulsive :) About those long-ago rewrites, yes, they always had different endings because sometimes I'd change the characters.
Brenda, Thanks so much for following me here. I saw the Exodus movie, too . . . several times as long as someone would go with me. LOL
Hi, Maggie! Thanks for visiting.
Pam K, glad to see you over here. Thanks! I hope you'll enjoy the book.
Lynne, my friend, thanks for coming over. I appreciate that.
I am looking forward to reading TO SEE THE SUN. I loved the first page thank you.
Your hare-brained trudge sounds like something I did once too. Sometimes you just have to do these things.
Mary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
Peggy, I was reading through the comments and I loved what you did with LUCK. I always struggle with wishing someone good luck as a Christian, so this works for me.
You book sounds fantastic and I would love to read it!
mafinnegan(at)yahoo(dot)com
Very intriguing start! Look forward to reading more of this book...
Patty in SC
Mary P, you're right. There are some things one just has to do. Getting to Daddy that day was one of them.
I'm curious . . . OLD Australia? Seriously showing my ignorance, here.
:)
Melissa, that LUCK thing was something I saw many years ago. I'm not sure I've got it right, but it does work.
I hope you'll have a chance to read my book. :)
Hi, Patty in SC. Thanks for dropping in.
Thank you for the blessing, Sarah. and thanks for visiting.
Enter me!
Abigail
Blanch, N.C.
God Bless!
Enter me.
Sharon Richmond
Blanch, NC.
Hi, Abigail and Sharon! Thanks for dropping by.
Wow, Peg, this interview was great! I sure learned a lot about you I didn't know.
As for the book, I'm in the midst of reading my Kindle for PC version and loving every minute of it.
I'll still enter the contest, though. Would love to have a copy to donate to our local library (if I win!)
patgonzales(at)arkvi(dot)com
"Wow" to you, too, Patti. Thank you for the kind--and welcome--words about my book. IF you win the copy and get it into your local library, maybe the librarian can talk it up to fellow librarians, and maybe . . .
Well, one can dream, can't one? :)
Best wishes for your book. The opening is rocking! Looking forward to reading this one.
coolestmommy2000 at gmail dot com
NE
There's nothing like life dealing you something unexpected! Would love to read this book!
~Mippy in Utah :)
bunnysmip (AT)yahoo (DOT) com
This sounds like a great book! Thanks for the giveaway.
Nancye in Kentucky
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
I definitely want to read this.
Beth from Iowa
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