Tell us how much of
yourself you write into your characters.
It would be impossible not to write myself into my heroines
in some way, but I try to create unique individuals whose tastes,
personalities, and preferences are separate from mine. In most of my novels, my
moral values are the predominant values of the heroine, but in one story, Butterfly Come Home, the heroine was a
“bad girl.” The way I developed her was this: at each point where the heroine
had to make a choice, I asked myself what I would do, and then I had the
heroine do the opposite.
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
When I was a new bride I discovered that my husband, after
taking his morning shower, had a bad habit of bringing a wet towel into the
bedroom and hanging it on the tall wooden post of our bed frame. After he’d
gone to work, I’d discover the wet towel and, fearing that the wood finish
could be damaged, I’d take it back to the bathroom and hang it up. One day I
didn’t go into the bedroom until afternoon, and was quite dismayed that the wet
towel had hung there all day. The next day, when I again discovered the wet
towel on the post, I gave some thought to how I could break my husband of the
habit without nagging and came up with a plan. That night, I went to bed
earlier than he did as was my custom, but I didn’t fall asleep. When he came to
bed and pulled back the covers on his side, there was his wet bath towel. He
was mildly annoyed and started to laugh. So did I. He never left the towel on
the post again.
When did you first
discover that you were a writer?
When I was in elementary school I loved writing letters, but
people I wrote to seldom answered, or took a very long time in sending a reply.
That’s when I realized that I like writing a whole lot more than the average
individual.
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I love reading very old books from the 19th
century and early 20th century, both nonfiction and fiction. I also
absolutely love reading old newspapers on microfilm, especially from the 1890s.
As for contemporary publications, I enjoy the research sources such as those I
read about the Erie Canal . I have more than a
couple dozen books plus a doctoral dissertation and a few dozen newspaper and
internet articles that formed the nucleus of my research material for Bluebird
of Brockport, A Novel of the Erie Canal . Newspaper of the early 1830s offered very
little information since they printed mainly advertisements and political news
with almost no news of the cultural or social events.
For pleasure reading, I enjoy Christian genres: historical
romance, historical fiction, women’s fiction, and once in a while, suspense or
a cozy mystery.
How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?
We’ve moved to a remote location where there’s no “run, run,
run” and we’re quite happy here. Our definition of traffic is when one car
passes another going in opposite directions. You’re as likely to hit a deer, as
a car in our region.
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
I create two lists of the alphabet, one for first names and
one for last names. From the internet, I print out lists of common names for
the decade or year of the characters’ births, and pick from the lists with an
effort not to duplicate the first letter of the names I choose.
What is the
accomplishment that you are most proud of?
There are two. First, I’m most proud of creating a body of
work that reflects well on the history of my adopted state, Michigan . God truly blessed me in leading me
on that path and giving me all the support necessary to complete those fifteen
titles. In addition, I am pleased that after all these years of writing, I
could create a story about the history of my hometown, Brockport ,
New York , on the Erie
Canal , and present it to readers in an accurate and engaging way.
If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?
I see myself as a cat. I love cats but have never owned one.
My parents didn’t allow cats and my husband is allergic and dislikes them. I
don’t relate to the sneaky, stealthy nature of cats because I’m much too
forthright and honest for that, but I do relate to their independence and often
aloof nature since I love “alone” time and have a low need for socializing.
What is your favorite
food?
Rice. In almost all forms except for wild rice, which is a
grass and not a grain. My digestion is so touchy I don’t know what I’d do
without rice.
What is the problem
with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
Yikes. I started out so naïve I didn’t have any problems.
The more I wrote, the more I realized I didn’t know how to write well. That
remains my biggest problem today, overcoming the lack of confidence that what I
write is done well technically and is going to engage the reader. Only good
editing and good reviews can help, but then I go on to the next WIP and wonder all over again, “Is it good enough? Will anyone like it? Am
I using good techniques, or could I learn to do better?”
Tell us about the
featured book.
Bluebird of Brockport, A
Novel of the Erie Canal, grew out of my desire to write compelling
historical fiction that portrays the early era of the canal that runs through
my hometown in western New York
State
Dreams of floating on the Erie Canal have flowed through Lucina
Willcox’s mind since childhood. Yet once her family has purchased their boat
and begins their journey, they meet with one challenge after another. An
encounter with a towpath rattlesnake threatens her brother’s life. A thief
attempts to break in and steal precious cargo. Heavy rain causes a breach and
drains the canal of water. Lucina comforts herself with thoughts of Ezra
Lockwood, her handsome childhood friend, and discovers a longing to be with him
that she just can’t ignore. Can she have a future with Ezra and still hold onto
her canalling dream?
Ezra Lockwood’s one goal in life
is to build and captain his own canal boat, but two years into the construction
of his freight hauler, funds run short. With his goal temporarily stalled, and
Lucina Willcox back in his life, his priorities begin to change. Can he have
both his dreams — his own boat, and Lucina as his bride?
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Friday, April 30, 1830
Lucina Willcox could hardly
keep from shouting for joy. Today, she and her mama and papa and younger sister
and brother would move their belongings onto their canal boat. Tomorrow, they’d
start hauling freight on the Erie Canal . For
the past seven years, since the age of eleven, she’d dreamed of leaving their
wheat farm a few miles north of the village to go canalling. Now, her dream was
about to come true!
Her heart pattered faster as
their farm wagon, filled with furniture, kegs, crates, and firkins, bumped and
rattled up the hill, past blooming dogwood that sweetened the balmy air, and
onto the Main Street Bridge
From her seat on a keg in
the bed of the wagon she tried to read the name painted on the boat’s stern.
But her reading and writing started and stopped with her own name, and she knew
it wasn’t Lucina Maria Willcox that
she saw.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
Visit my blog where you will find all my contact info
(Facebook, twitter) and book sales info (website link). http://greatlakesromances.blogspot.com
And thank you, Donna, for the interesting interview.
Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Bluebird of Brockport, A Novel of the Erie Canal
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