Amen! With God’s help, I hope to continue my Sons of the
Shenandoah indie series, and pick up more contracts through Barbour. So many
causes, stories, and thoughts are clamoring to be shared. All to give the glory
to God.
He is so good to fill
our heads with stories. Tell us a little about your family.
My family is my life. I was a single mom to my oldest son
for seven years before the Lord brought me my kinsman redeemer. John and I have
been married for 21 years. We have another son and daughter together. Katie is
at Alfred University
Has your writing
changed your reading habits? If so, how?
Yes, sadly I find I am able to read less often, which is disappointing
in many ways. So many great stories are begging to be read, but I seem to have so
little time. I learn from each book and author I read. I intend to spend less time
on social media and more with a good book. But then, there’s marketing demands….
There’s always a trade-off, isn’t there?
Yes, I’m not sure I’ve
found the correct balance yet. What are you working on right now?
I am beta reading for a talented new writer, Candace West.
She writes stories set in the Ozarks. And I am plotting and putting together
proposals for novella collections and possibly some full-length novels. I have
two projects I started that need attention. I’m a bad story mom to my book babies—some
of them have been suffering neglect. Book 3 in Sons of the Shenandoah is
underway, and I hope to have it done for Nanowrimo next month. Gulp! Wish me luck and discipline.
I spent several of my
growing-up years in the Ozarks. Be sure and tell Candace, I’d love to feature
her books when they are published. What outside interests do you have?
Painting has been a hobby of mine for many years, and I’ve recently
dabbled in other crafts, such as homemade cinnamon dough ornaments. I paint and
create animal art for gifts and keepsakes. I tell my husband it keeps me out of
trouble.
How do you choose
your settings for each book?
Some of my stories are set in my hometown, some are set in
places I have visited or where family history occurred. And sometimes, a place
I have never been draws me to explore it through imagination and photos and research.
Settings help me create atmosphere and almost become another character as I am
shaping stories. I try to immerse myself in the sights, scents, sounds and
details of each place.
I spend a lot of time
researching my settings, too. If you could spend an evening with one historical
person, who would it be and why?
Believe it or not, I would choose Melania Trump. She and her
husband are shaping history in amazing ways, and I would love a glimpse into
the woman of grace and refinement behind the man of great power and controversy.
What is the one thing
you wish you had known before you started writing novels?
I wish I had thought to save a list of story ideas over the
years, even before I committed to write them. I’ve always had vivid dreams,
almost like watching movies, and many of those inspired ideas have been lost to
my poor memory.
That’s why I have a
pad and pen in each room of my house. What new lessons is the Lord teaching you
right now?
It has taken many years for my husband and I to find a vital
fellowship where God’s calling on our lives is affirmed. We are learning body
life all over again, and it’s a very sweet season. But in the midst, we are
crying out for our children to find the same, and the theme of trust and
intercession continues. God’s faithfulness never ceases to catch my breath.
James and I have
started looking for God in everything that happens, even the things that could
be considered bad. What are the three best things you can tell other authors to
do to be successful?
I don’t consider myself successful yet, since I still have
so much to learn. But certain things have been indispensable to me in my
writing journey. Narrowing it down to three, I’d say:
Have at least one good, honest critique partner, and give
good, honest critiques for them as well. Cheer for one another, pray for each
other, and grow in the craft as a team.
Grow your social media presence and engage with people! Love
on them, weep when they weep, rejoice when they rejoice. So many are looking
for connection and I believe that is one of my primary calls as a writer—to offer
genuine connection in a lonely and disengaged world. Word of mouth is still the
best way to build an authentic brand.
Maintain a hunger for new ideas and embrace the fact that learning
never ends. The influx of fresh ideas helps with crafting more original plots
and memorable characters, out of the box marketing, and sharpening craft in
general. If you can cultivate a relationship with a mentor, even better!
Tell us about the
featured book.
Lessons on Love is a 4-in-1 novella collection of historical
romances centered around schoolteachers. The talented and award winning authors
Carrie Fancett Pagels, Suzie Dietze, and Rita Gerlach each contributed a story
as well as me, to offer a diverse and enchanting sampling of classroom romances,
from 1840 New York, 1870 Kansas, 1896 Michigan, and turn of the century Virginia.
“4 Teachers Find More Than They Bargained for in Their
Contracts”
Please give us the first page of the book.
“Something Old, Something New”
Cortlandt, Westchester County , NY
September 1840
“Hadassah,
hurry, it’s almost sundown.”
Gilda turned
from the stairwell cupping her hand in front of the taper as she moved so the
flame wouldn’t sputter out. Keeping one ear attuned for her younger sister’s
response from the upper floor, she set her focus on her other sibling.
“Hannah, do
you want to be late for Papa’s Kaddish?”
After this
first year, only four Yizkor dates on the Hebrew calendar provided for
mourning. Would it be enough to memorialize Eliezer Jacobs? To light his candle
and commemorate a life which had shaped her entire world?
She passed the
looking glass hanging in the dining room and instinctively faced it, but a
white sheet met her gaze rather than her appearance. Of course, the looking
glasses were all covered. She was certain hers would have been a disheveled
reflection anyway, running around and making all the preparations for Mama as
she was, and giving no thought to vanity on this day. At least, not much
thought.
Mama sat, as
she had for weeks since Papa’s passing, in her rocking chair by the hearth. The
slats made a rhythmic sound over the polished wood floor as she rocked slowly,
enshrouded both in silence and her black shawl.
Gilda set her
candle in its holder next to the Yahrzeit Mourning candle on the lampstand and
approached Mama softly. “Would you like to conduct the Minyan, Mama, or should
I?
Deep brown
eyes shuttered, and a long sigh escaped her mother’s petite frame. “You say it,
Gilda. I have no breath to recite.”
Gilda fixed
the shawl that slipped from Mama’s shoulders and nodded assurance. “I’ll do
it.”
The click of
hardware and tread of boots announced a guest entering the front door. A sigh
similar to Mama’s threatened to pull from Gilda’s chest, but she cleared her
throat and attended to her mitzvahs—her sacred duties.
“Shalom, Miss
Jacobs.”
“Aleichem
Shalom, Mr….”
She looked up
from her woolgathering to meet a piercingly blue gaze. This man, she’d never
met before. Startling and yet heartwarming, that a stranger to her thought
enough of her Papa to come. His tailored waistcoat of gray blue fit his trim
figure, accentuating a narrow waist and broad shoulders. He could not have been
much older than her own age of twenty-one, mayhap a year older. This man was
not of great height, apparent once he removed his top hat, nor did he have the
rough hands of a laborer. He was neither neighbor, schoolmate, or synagogue
congregant. Was he a business associate of Papa’s?
Surely this
man, she would have remembered.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
I love hearing from readers! They can reach me at my:
facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/KLMaherAuthor/
pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kathleenlmaher/boards/
goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2531698-kathleen-l
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kathleen-l-maher
pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kathleenlmaher/boards/
goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2531698-kathleen-l
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kathleen-l-maher
Thank you, Lena ! I am
blessed to be invited back to your blog and look forward to sending a print
copy of Lessons on Love to any of your readers within the US , or an e-copy to a winner outside the United States
Thank you, Kathleen,
for sharing this collection with my blog readers and me. I am reading the book
right now. I absolutely loved your story. And I like that the second one has
Swedish characters. I’m ¼ Swedish.
Readers, here are links to the book.
Lessons on Love: 4 Schoolteachers Find More Than They Bargained for in Their Contracts
- PaperbackLessons on Love: 4 Schoolteachers Find More Than They Bargained for in Their Contracts - Kindle
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