BIO: Sandra
Ardoin is a multi-published author of short fiction who writes inspirational
historical romance. Her Christmas novella, The Yuletide Angel, releases October
2014. She’s the married mother of a young adult and lives in North Carolina .
Tell us how much of
yourself you write into your characters.
My mother told me I was boring, so … I guess if there’s
anything of me, it’s my belief system and how I see the world. I’m not sure I
can create protagonists that see things in a different way—spiritually, etc.
But I can relate well to the shyness of my heroine in The Yuletide Angel.
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
The quirkiest thing I’ve ever done is probably not something
I should speak about in public. J
One thing that was out of character for me happened when I
visited my parents who lived on Florida ’s
intercoastal. Hurricane Elena struck in 1985, and we evacuated to my brother’s
apartment to worry for three days over the damage done to the house. After they
gave the all-clear to return to the neighborhood, we sat for hours in traffic.
Once we were within a few blocks of the house, my mom broke free of the
vehicle, impatient to find out if their home still stood. I yelled for her to
come back. She didn’t. What could I do? Someone had to be there when the
National Guard tossed her in the pokey for dodging their check point. I took
off after her with an eye out for pursuing soldiers pointing guns. I’m happy to
say we made it, and the house was fine. But for this law-abiding citizen, it
was an adventure.
Now I and my readers
are wondering about that quirkiest thing that shouldn’t be talked about I public.
J When did you first
discover that you were a writer?
In 1986, I made my first sale. My poster quote was purchased
by Argus. It said, “Christ is the third partner in a perfect marriage.” It was
all up hill after that.
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
When I was in third grade, I devoured the Little House
books. In high school, I developed a love for anything by Mary Roberts
Rinehart, Agatha Christie, and Phyllis Whitney. Rebecca is still my favorite classic, but I also enjoyed Jane Eyre and anything by Jane Austen.
For years, gothic romance/mystery/romantic suspense was my reading mainstay—the
authors above, plus Mary Higgins Clark, Elizabeth Peters, Tony Hillerman. Then
I started reading more historicals, which is the direction the Lord has given
me in my writing. But I still love mystery/suspense and prefer my historicals
with at least a thread of such.
How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?
First, lists! If I write out my tasks and mark them off as I
do them, I see my progress and don’t worry as much about forgetting to do
something important.
Second, I try to stay on top of things. I try not to
procrastinate. It gets on my nerves.
Third, I relax at night. After supper and the dishes are
done, I try to chill out watching TV or reading.
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
They need to fit the time period. I have an aversion to
reading obvious contemporary names in a 19th century-set novel. However, I’ve
learned that some names we might consider contemporary are not so much. One
source I’ll use is www.galbithink.org/names/us200.htm
to find names.
I kept my baby name book to use for first names. I’ll use
the phone book, or lists by country, for last names. Mark McCutcheon’s Building Believable Characters has a
great list toward the back of the book. And it depends upon the setting. So
many places in North Carolina (and Texas , for that matter)
were settled by Germans and Scotch-Irish. Last names can reflect that.
I love to dig through past documents for names—for instance,
marriage records. I came up with some wonderful ones in a Texas marriage document from the mid-1800s.
There were names like Reason, Green, Valentine (all men), Sophronia, Easter,
Delaney (all women). Now, Delaney is one that sounds more contemporary, doesn’t
it?
Last, but not least, they have to fit my idea of the appearance
and personality of the character. Violet Madison, my heroine in The
Yuletide Angel, is very shy, which brought to mind “Shrinking Violet.”
What is the
accomplishment that you are most proud of?
Violet learns that we have to be careful of the “pride”
thing, so let’s say that I’m thrilled each time my writing finds a home, but I
try to keep it in perspective.
If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?
A quarter horse. I love horses—always have, always will.
What is your favorite
food?
Mexican. I miss Tex-Mex, but I’ve gotten accustomed to the white-cheese
queso served in North Carolina
restaurants.
What is the problem
with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
Frankly, it’s something I’m still working on—wordiness, or not
writing tight. Why say something in three words when I can say it in six?
Tell us about the
featured book.
The Yuletide Angel is a Christmas novella set in 1890.
Here’s the summary:
It's Christmastime in 1890s Meadowmead, and someone is
venturing out at night to leave packages at the homes of the needy. Dubbed The
Yuletide Angel, no one knows the identity of this mysterious
benefactor.
No one, except Hugh Barnes, a confirmed bachelor who finds himself drawn to the outwardly shy but inwardly bold Violet Madison, a young woman who risks her safety to help others.
When Violet confesses her fear of eviction from her childhood home, Hugh longs to rescue her. His good intentions are thwarted, however, when Hugh's estranged brother shows up in town ... and in Violet's company.
But Violet faces an even bigger threat. A phantom figure lurks in the shadows, prepared to clip the wings of The Yuletide Angel.
No one, except Hugh Barnes, a confirmed bachelor who finds himself drawn to the outwardly shy but inwardly bold Violet Madison, a young woman who risks her safety to help others.
When Violet confesses her fear of eviction from her childhood home, Hugh longs to rescue her. His good intentions are thwarted, however, when Hugh's estranged brother shows up in town ... and in Violet's company.
But Violet faces an even bigger threat. A phantom figure lurks in the shadows, prepared to clip the wings of The Yuletide Angel.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Hugh Barnes hid behind the winter skeleton of an oak tree
near the rundown house on Kelsey
Street and watched a shadowy figure creep up the
porch steps. By the dull beam of the cloud-covered moon, he distinguished more
movement than features. He needed no light to discern who skulked outside the
widow’s clapboard house. According to local accounts, he was witnessing a visit
by The
Yuletide Angel.
After opening the front door and leaving a flour sack
bulging with good will, the angel tiptoed away. At the road, she turned and
swept back toward town, her dark skirts swaying with her quick, bold steps.
Hugh blew a warm breath on his cold hands and stepped out
from behind the tree. He kept his distance, but made certain the town’s
Christmas-season Samaritan remained in sight as she delivered food to someone
else in need. He frowned as the crisp, December air bit his face. A bout of
insomnia had led him to his bedroom window in time to see her leave her home
well after midnight. Curiosity caused him to follow.
Violet Madison, his shy neighbor, was The Yuletide Angel. He
could scarcely take it in.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Visit me at www.sandraardoin.com
and on the Seriously Write
blog. Connect with me on Facebook,
Twitter, Google+, Goodreads,
and Pinterest.
The Yuletide Angel, is available for pre-order on Amazon.
Thank you, Sandra, for sharing this new Christmas book with us.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Yuletide Angel
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.
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17 comments:
Great interview! I'm in Wendell, NC so curious as to where you are in NC.
Kathy Church
I would love to win a copy of The Yuletide Angel. Thank you for the chance.
I live in Indiana.
Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy W.
A wonderful first page thank you & such a beautiful cover.
Thank you, Kathy. I'm about thirty miles north of Charlotte--transplanted to NC and loving it here! :)
Thank you, Cindy! I grew up in northwest Indiana.
Thank you, Mary. I glad you like the cover. My publisher did an awesome job of taking the feel I envisioned and making it a reality.
Thank you for having me, Lena!
Great interview and such a lovely sounding book! I can't wait to read it!
Blessings,
Kelly Y in central VA
kelly *at* dkcountryarts *dot* com
Thank you, Kelly! :)
Would love to read this, just in time to get in the Christmas spirit :) dkstevens from NEbraska dkstevensne *at* outlook dotcom
Hi Sandra,
Great interview, sounds like a great book. I like the way you choose names from baby books and phone books.
God's blessings.
Norma live in Ohio
Thank you, Deanna. Christmas will be here before we know it. :)
Thank you, Norma. Baby books have such a wide range of names that have been popular throughout the years.
Would love to read this. Good people in a world that sometimes forgets the needy. Nice story line. :)
Doreen PriviesAndPRimsATYahooDotCom
Lancaster County, PA
The Yuletide Angel sounds very sweet, very romantic! I'd love to win a copy!
Kristen in OK
kam110476 at gmail dot com
I love Christmas stories! Looking forward to reading this novella! Thank you for sharing!
CindyG. in FL
Thank you, Doreen, Kam, and Cindy. I appreciate your kind words about The Yuletide Angel! :)
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