THE DISAPPEARING SHIP (The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides collection) - Lena Nelson Dooley - One Free Book

This is the last of the novellas in this collection. I really loved writing it.

Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I first started writing Christian Romance, so my daughters would have books to read. I loved reading romance stories, but they were having more and more things in the that I didn’t like reading and didn’t want junior high aged daughters to read them.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

I hoped I haven’t lived it yet. But there have been many super happy days. Like when my husband and I were married, when each daughter was born, and when each of my grandchildren and great-grandchildren was born. There have been many super happy days in my writing life. When I signed my first contract. When I first won major award. When I first hit a major bestseller list.

How has being published changed your life?

It helped me discover my God-given destiny. I could never read a book the same after that. I’ve gone places I’d never have gone before. I’ve met hundreds of wonderful authors, editors, and publishers. It totally broadened my horizons.

What are you reading right now?

North by Starlight by Diane and David Munson.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m researching a book set in the panhandle of Texas in 1913. I don’t have a title yet. And after that, I’ll be researching a book about a Widow Gold Digger.

What would be your dream vacation?

James and I would really love to go to Hawaii. And I’ve dreamed for years about going to Australia.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Often the story idea comes with the setting attached. Sometimes, a publisher requests a particular setting.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

Mine is two people—George and Laura Bush. I believe God chose them specifically to be our first family when 9-11 happened. I’d love to visit the ranch near Crawford, Texas, while discuss his work with wounded warriors.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Over the years, I’ve had a lot of hobbies, but not so much now. I spend time with family and with friends a lot.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Write. Connect with other authors. Write. Read a lot. Write.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Disappearing Ship a novella in The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides collection is a mystery that draws two people together in an unusual way.

Please give us the first page of the book.

1902, Upper Michigan

Early Summer

Defeated.

The word drummed through Norma Kimbell’s head as she gazed out at the pine forest rushing by the window in a blur. Riding the train always felt as if life were passing her by without noticing her. Despondency clung to her weighing her down like the heavy woolen robe, packed in her trunk in the baggage car, did in the long winter months. Sometimes they went for days without seeing even a peek of the sun.

That’s what she needed right now, to know the sun was shining on her. But how could she believe it? She had failed at the only thing she ever wanted to do with her life. Papa had encouraged her to follow her heart.

After Papa died, she’d spent several years living at the Whitefish Point lighthouse with her uncle and aunt. Because of her inheritance, she’d been able to pursue her dreams. Dreams of being a doctor. She knew it would be hard, but some medical schools accepted a woman or two, and she’d enrolled.

When she graduated at the top of her class, Uncle Charles contacted a friend, who was a doctor in a needy area of Chicago. He’d agreed she could be a part of his practice. After all, he’d needed all the help he could get. But now she was returning to Whitefish Point a complete failure.

Tears filled her eyes, blurring the landscape even more, like one of those impressionist paintings she’d seen in the museum she often visited on her one day off per week. Before she could control them, they leaked down her cheeks. She grabbed a hanky from her lady’s carpetbag and dabbed at her eyes, trying to stem the flow.

“Are you all right, Miss?” The conductor’s gentle bass voice interrupted her thoughts.

She glanced up and gave him a quick nod. “I’m fine.” At least her words hadn’t trembled or revealed just how much she wasn’t “all right.”

After lingering a moment, the man headed farther down the railroad car, checking on other passengers. Norma was so glad the train wasn’t crowded. She wanted to sit as far away from other people as possible. She wouldn’t have been able to carry on a conversation without sobbing. Being by herself was better.

As the train began to slow when they reached the outskirts of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Norma grabbed another hanky and mopped up the rest of the mess from her face. She took a deep breath. Soon they would pull into the railway station. She faced many more miles before she’d reach the Whitefish Point lighthouse and feel her aunt’s arms around her. She needed that hug so much.

But she dreaded seeing Uncle Charles and the disappointment in his eyes. She’d done her best. Her failure wasn’t her fault. But none of the patients wanted a woman doctor treating them. She could understand men feeling that way. But the women? Why didn’t they want her? Much medical treatment dealt with intimate exploration of the patient’s body. She would much rather have a woman examine her, but not a single one of the women who came to the clinic wanted to be seen by her. She was just a glorified nurse for the physician. It wasn’t his fault or hers. Women doctors all over the country were facing the same situation. She’d heard of a few physicians out in the far west, where male doctors were scarce, who experienced success. If someone needed a medical help, and the only one close enough to reach was a woman, they used her. Maybe she should have gone west, instead of staying in Chicago.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Website: www.lenanelsondooley.com

Blog: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/lenandooley/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/lena.nelson.dooley

Twitter: www.twitter.com/lenandooley  

Official Fan Page: www.facebook.com/pages/Lena-Nelson-Dooley/42960748768?ref=ts

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/333031.Lena_Nelson_Dooley

Christianbook.com:  http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_content?page=1728796&sp=67484&event=67484|1728796|67484

Blogtalk Radio, The Lena Nelson Dooley Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/along-came-a-writer/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenanelsondooley/  

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lenanelsondooley

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JPAIDE

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lena-nelson-dooley?follow=true  

Readers, I hope you’ll enjoy reading my story, and the others in the collection, as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Here are links to the book.

The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection - Christianbooks.com
The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection: 7 Historical Romances Are a Beacon of Hope to Weary Hearts - Amazon.com
The Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides Collection: 7 Historical Romances Are a Beacon of Hope to Weary Hearts - Kindle 

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