SEW IN LOVE - Darlene Panzera (and other authors) - One Free Book

Welcome, Darlene. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

As an author, I create characters with their own quirks and personalities to fit the plot, but I do draw upon my own experiences and emotions and put them into the story. In one book, I wrote about what it was like after the passing of my beloved horse. In my current novella, Hearts Sewn With Love, my heroine shares a deep bond with the hero’s young nephew. I am very close with my own children and so many of those passages are written from the heart and how I would feel if I were in the situations my characters face.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I brainstormed a murder plot while floating on tubes in the middle of a lake with my daughter. The water carried our voices and two ladies who’d been swimming nearby gave us funny looks when we came back to shore. I just smiled at them.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

In 5th grade I was introduced to creative writing when my teacher gave each student a booklet full of photos and writing prompts. This opened my imagination to a whole world of possibilities. Then when I was fourteen, I saw friend writing a “novel” in a spiral notebook and decided I would write one too.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I enjoy a wide variety of books. Fantasy, mystery, suspense, romantic comedy, YA, both contemporary and historical romance.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

I take time every morning to regroup with a cup of tea and a short Bible study. I use a day planner that is frequently updated and never leaves my side. And sometimes I just have to take a day off to go on a day trip or nature hike to have some fun and keep me balanced with what is truly important.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I often use a phone book or a baby names book. If writing a historical, I Google what names were popular in that time period or region. I also use an alphabet chart to make sure I don’t have too many character’s names starting with the same letter.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

I cut a full-length novel down to half its word count in three weeks and won a contest by Avon Books to have my story published with NY Times bestseller, Debbie Macomber. That contest win launched my career.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

Either a horse so I could run fast over the fields or a monkey so I could swing from trees. I climbed a lot of trees when I was young. Even now, I love climbing around the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse at Disney World.                 

What is your favorite food?

Popcorn!

What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

My greatest roadblock was figuring out how to write a proposal (to get a contract) before my book was written. I had published several books without a full proposal, then one day an editor said I needed one and I was stumped. So I studied story structure and created a template to help me brainstorm and develop a cohesive outline. Each year I tweak it as I continually learn new things.

Tell us about the featured book.

My newest story, Hearts Sewn With Love, is one of four historical novellas by different authors in the Sew In Love collection by Barbour Publishing. Each of the heroines in these stories is a seamstress and find that love mends broken hearts. My novella is set in 1850 during the California Gold Rush, a time and place where females were so scarce that they could have their pick of husbands. Opportunities also existed for women to earn profits equal to the men by starting their own businesses. My heroine is thrilled by the success of her new seamstress shop but her heart is torn between the men who all want to marry her and the one handsome, stubborn, gold-miner who won’t.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Maggie McDermott leaned over the rail of the 226-foot side-wheel paddle steamer, her pulse quickening as she surveyed the Sacramento port where they would soon dock. “Almost there, Mother,” she said, glancing at the beloved, gray-haired woman beside her. “’Tis a long journey we’ve had, but within the hour we will step off this boat and into our new home.”

“God willing,” Clara McDermott muttered, a touch of a smile upon her lips.

“Yes,” Maggie said, and drew in a deep breath. For she fully believed leaving New York City and journeying to Gold Bar, a small town outside Sacramento, must certainly be God’s will for their lives. Even if it meant she must marry Lewis Parnell, her late father’s second cousin, whom she barely knew.

“Surely,” her mother said hesitantly, “Cousin Lewis would have estimated the time of our ship’s arrival?”

Maggie glanced toward the shore where several finely dressed men had gathered to greet the new arrivals. “I am certain he will be here.”

It had taken their schooner, the Cordova, six and a half months to sail from Boston down around Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America, and then back up the other side of the continent to California. But they’d whisked through the mile-wide waterway known as the Golden Gate and into San Francisco Bay on schedule. From there, they secured passage aboard the Senator, and it had only taken another six days for the paddle steamer to transport them upriver to Sacramento.

Maggie’s mother clasped the folds of her gray cape tighter about her neck as they followed the other passengers off the boat. “I don’t see him.”

“He must be up there by the buildings.” Maggie swept her gaze over the sparsely treed town perched on the hill. “And if he isn’t, we can at least find something to eat while we wait for him.”

Her mother nodded. “A good meal would be nice. I never want to eat another crust of moldy bread from the meager rationings of a ship ever again.”

“And you won’t have to,” Maggie reminded her. “Cousin Lewis assured us in his letter that we’ll be living in luxury.”

Her mother’s face took on a wistful expression. “In a big house along the river, with an expansive green lawn and terraced gardens.”

“And enough gold lining our pockets to make us richer than a leprechaun,” Maggie said, smiling.

Her mother’s weary eyes suddenly brightened. “At the moment, enough money to buy a meat pie would suit me just fine.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I love to hear from my readers! You can find me at:

Website: www.darlenepanzera.com

Facebook: /DarlenePanzera

Twitter: @DarlenePanzera

Instagram: author_darlenepanzera

Thank you, Darlene, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I love reading stories set in this time period.

Readers, here are links to the book.

Sew in Love - Christianbook.com
Sew in Love: 4 Historical Stories - Amazon Paperback
Sew in Love: 4 Historical Stories - Kindle

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