Dear Readers, this is
a new author to this blog. I’m thrilled to introduce you to Pegg, and later in
the year, we’ll have stories in the same novella collection Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides.
Welcome, Pegg. Tell
us how much of yourself you write into your characters.
Quite a bit with this story. In
Sheep’s Clothing in A
Bouquet of Brides Collection is about a spinner and weaver who lives in Milford , Connecticut Milford
to set the story in because I discovered the town while researching my family
tree. My family has roots there in the 1700s.
What fun. What is the
quirkiest thing you have ever done?
Golly. How to judge which thing is quirkier than all the
others?! I recently bought an antique spinning wheel. I’ve restored it to
working condition and in my research have established that it is around 200
years old.
Cool. I love
authentic antiques that work. When did you first discover that you were a writer?
My grandma told me many, many years ago that I should write
a book. This was back when a long-distance phone call wasn’t in the budget. I
guess my letters were a bit … um … lengthy. It was always in the back of my
mind to do it, but I didn’t get started in earnest until the dreaded empty
nest, when I needed something to do.
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
Historical fiction is my first love, hands down. I also read
a lot of historical romance but I enjoy an occasional fantasy, a western or
two, and I still enjoy an engaging biography.
How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?
I refuse to run, run, run. I prefer to saunter through life.
My husband and I are happy to scale back and keep things simple. Our idea of a
good time is camping—preferably some place without wifi or cell phones. We live
on a small hobby farm, growing much of what we eat. We’re not off the grid, but
we could slide off pretty easily.
Sounds wonderful to
me. How do you choose your characters’ names?
I don’t have set formula for that, but since I write
historical stories, I like to check the census for the closest year and place
to where I set my story. I’ll pick a last name from there and look to see what
first names were popular. Sometimes I just mix and match what I find in the
census, sometimes I only use the last name.
What is the
accomplishment that you are most proud of?
Being a wife and mother.
If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?
Oh, probably a grizzly bear. I’d rather be at the top of the
food chain.
What is your favorite
food?
Bread. Pretty much any type at all. So as you can rightly
guess, I’m not a gluten-free gal.
People shouldn’t eat
gluten-free unless they have a real physical problem with gluten. What is the
problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome
it?
Fear of failure. I’m not sure I’ve totally overcome it yet.
Writers conferences helped the most. Without attending those, I don’t think I
would have achieved my goal of being traditionally published.
Tell us about the
featured book.
A
Bouquet of Brides is a collection of seven historical romance
stories with heroines who have a flower for their first name. My story, In
Sheep’s Clothing, is the very last. It could be an alphabetical thing … but
I like to think they just saved the best for last. My story is about a woman
who has been jilted and left a spinster—in more ways than one—and a handsome
young journeyman fuller who moves to town. Both have something to hide and both
need to let it go, but it’s an orphan lamb that brings them together.
Sounds wonderful. Please
give us the first page of the book.
April 10, 1702—Milford , Connecticut
With a final snip, another layer of guilt fell into Yarrow
Fenn’s lap. It landed amid the soft folds of wool from her loom. This cloth was
quite possibly the best she’d ever made. She ran her fingers over the loosely
woven threads. Once finished at the fulling mill, it would make a splendid
gown. But not for her. The guilt pressed against her chest, tightening her
shoulders. The traveling peddler would buy this bolt of cloth when he arrived
in a few weeks. He’d sell it in Boston —in
direct conflict with the king’s law.
She cast a glance out the window, the sun already well above
the horizon. Pushing aside the guilt, she folded her cloth into a flat bolt.
After several futile attempts to tame her wayward hair under its linen cap, she
pinned her straw hat over the top and slipped on her shawl before gathering the
newly woven cloth into her arms.
Her room on the back of the saltbox-style house had its own
entrance. She nudged the door shut behind her with her foot, then hurried
around the front of the house. She was neither quick nor quiet enough.
“Where are you going?” Pennyroyal, Yarrow’s younger sister,
stood in the front doorway with her hands on her eighteen-year-old hips, her
belly straining against the pleats of her apron.
“’Tis the opening day of Tucker’s Fulling Mill.” That Penny
could forget the main topic of conversation after church yesterday, the opening
of the mill and the impending arrival of the new journeyman fuller, testified
to her preoccupation with the coming babe.
“I had quite forgotten.” Penny pressed the back of her wrist
to her forehead. “Hurry back. I feel poorly again today. You shall need to
start supper.” She shut the door.
Pray the babe would come soon. Penny, ever the spoiled
youngest of the three sisters, had bordered on tyrannical these past few weeks.
But one must make allowances at a time like this. Yarrow shrugged and walked
on.
Their house rested on the northern edge of Milford . Yarrow followed the road toward
town. When she turned onto the main road, the steeply pitched roof of the new
fulling mill on Beaver Creek was just visible. Excitement bubbled and eclipsed,
for the moment, her guilt.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
Readers, Pegg has a
special giveaway:
To celebrate the release of In
Sheep’s Clothing, I’m giving away one of my signature wool shawls. My
shawls are made of wool from my sheep. I shear the sheep, wash, dye, card,
spin, and knit them. They are 100% hand made in the U.S.A. To enter the drawing, simply
sign up for my newsletter.
Thank you, Pegg, for
sharing this new book with us. I’m eager to read it, and I know my readers are,
too.
Readers, here are links to the book.
A Bouquet of Brides - Christianbook.comA Bouquet of Brides Romance Collection: For Seven Bachelors, This Bouquet of Brides Means a Happily Ever After
- Amazon paperbackA Bouquet of Brides Romance Collection: For Seven Bachelors, This Bouquet of Brides Means a Happily Ever After - Kindle
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book,
your choice of either a print or ebook. You must follow these instructions
to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or
territory or country if outside North America .
(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 Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz,
Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave
your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
