ALASKAN ESCAPE - Maryann Landers - One Free Book

Welcome, Maryann. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters. My second book in the Alaskan Women of Caliber Series is based on my own story. Friends tell me they can hear me in my books in various parts of the stories. Maybe since they are all in first person, I can’t help myself :)

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done? What a great question. I’d just met my husband to be, and he commented on my planned trip to Fairbanks. He said they are all a bunch of tree-squeezing, bunny-loving poesy-sniffers up there! Well, my friend and I bought some polyester clothes at value village and took pictures of ourselves hugging a tree and brought them to Bible study that next week. He wasn’t sure what to think of me. Then he saw I was making fun and thought “oh she likes me.”

When did you first discover that you were a writer? I wrote my first novel in less than two months. When it won an award the next year, I could hardly believe it that it wasn’t just a published book but also award winning. I felt at that time an amount of confirmation that was a huge encouragement to me.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading. I’m such a picky reader. I like Women’s fiction but only some subsets of the genre, I enjoy historical fiction and Biblical fiction.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world? Yup, I run. At least I try to. Exercise helps me blow off steam. However, the single most important thing to me is my relationship with the Lord. When I have consistent time spent praying and reading the Bible, it’s the most helpful part of my day.

How do you choose your characters’ names? I’ve based all my books on true stories. I take the middle name of the person or a variation of their real name.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of? Raising my kids. I can hardly believe God let me be their mom. They’re all adopted and almost dropped right from the sky!

That’s wonderful. If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why? Hmmm, maybe a porpoise. They are so happy and they get to dive and swim!

What is your favorite food? Thanksgiving dinner. Does that count?

Yes. I love Thanksgiving dinner, too. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it? I have two kids at home and I homeschool them and I have lots to juggle with that.

Tell us about the featured book. It inspired by the story of my friend who is an amazing lady who lived on a fishing vessel for fifteen years. The story takes place in the remote southeastern part of Alaska.

Please give us the first page of the book. Alrighty here you go.          I watched my husband crouch in place, awaiting the release of the black panther. The cat’s emerald eyes escalated the tension on the movie set. Bill pursed his lips, and I mimicked his rhythmic breathing. After twenty-three years of marriage, I was in tune with his every move and could read even the slightest twitch. As he watched the caged animal with intense focus, I was assured he was comfortable in his role.

Together, we’d committed to acting in movies using trained but otherwise wild animals like grizzlies, snakes, and panthers. I checked my watch and noted that we had one more scene, which allowed us time to arrive home and make supper for our five kids.

We’d practiced our parts with precision and repetition, and in a moment, the predator would release at the sound of the buzzer as it had countless times before.

To the right of the set, a cage contained the long body of the panther, whose black fur shimmered in the low light. His muscular legs stalked his cage. I appreciated the intelligence of the cat and how it was trained to behave as a fierce predator through the use of small fish snacks hidden from the camera. It was all part of the show, leading an audience to believe the animal was lethally bursting onto stage, savagely seeking its human prey. The appearance was all that mattered; the graceful beast was only a crew member acting its part.

C’mon, let’s finish this.

There was comfort in the knowledge that the animals were trained, but tension lingered at the end of the long day, taking its toll on my thoughts. Offstage, I crossed my legs and shifted my position on the stool. Danger lurking in every scene was supposed to be a casual happenstance. But I recalled how my heart had raced with worry a few weeks ago when a bear reverted to its natural instinct and clawed at me. That night, I’d spoken to Bill about my doubts over continuing with the acting crew. He’d used statistics to assure me I would more likely die in a car accident. His calm promisee of the expert training that was carried out on and off set temporarily calmed my nerves.

The Brazilian animal trainer assumed the director’s role during the animal scenes, and he picked up his loudspeaker. "Alright, you’re set, Bill. I’ll count it down from three." He scanned the crew of actors and stagehands, including myself, and nodded in our direction.

I closed my eyes and breathed a prayer for safety. Then I opened my eyes, setting my gaze on my man, strong and muscular from years of working on the family farm. I never voiced a fear with him nearby since I felt shielded in a cocoon when I was with him. His presence was commanding and protective even though he was a gentle giant—well over six feet tall.

In this career, we learned to juggle the instinct to flee and played along with beasts.

The fan blew the potted palm trees, creating a space similar to the Brazilian jungle the panther called home. Above the noise of the fans, the stereo speakers blared bird calls and trickling water. The Brazilian animal trainer, Bruno, called out, "three, two, and one."

The Pavlovian buzzer sounded, and the cage gate was lifted by two stagehands. Franz, a heavyset man who’d worked for decades with the crew, helped loosen the gate. As he pulled it, the panther swiped at the bars, and Franz threw the gate into the air, sending it sailing toward Bill where it clanged on the floor beside him.

In a trance-like prowl, the panther moved gracefully toward the obscured fresh-fish snack he knew was his promised prize. His piercing eyes squinted, and his nose sniffed the air.

The practiced pattern was for the feline to walk past Bill and feed on its treat beyond, where it remained.

Instead, the panther froze. Its nose twitched and eyes darted. What did it sense? Why didn’t it move forward? Turning, the panther stared menacingly at Bill.

I gasped and covered my mouth. Dear Lord, help us! I prayed.

Bruno sprang into action, running to Bill and yelling out commands in Portuguese as he drew a long knife from its scabbard.

How can readers find you on the Internet? The fun way is to google my name and then see what you can find. Or you can go to my webpage directly at https://www.mary-ann-landers.com and check out the story behind the story of what inspired me to begin writing two years ago.

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

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/Alaskan-Escape-Women-Caliber-Book/dp/1737392585/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1668015726&sr=8-1

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