Welcome, Pegg. God
has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?
In a totally unexpected twist, I have felt the Lord calling
me to write to the general market. That nudging has been coming for a while,
but it really hit hard a few months ago. The idea for a story dropped into my
head—from above, I’m sure—that is a modern-day parable on the sanctity of life.
I had it written, edited, and to my agent within three months. That’s *amazing*
because I’m the world’s slowest writer. At least, I used to be. For me, that
alone is proof positive that I’m where the Lord wants me to be.
And I love the idea of modern-day parables. When Jesus told
His parables, He never once referenced the Torah. He didn’t use religious-speak.
He told stories in everyday language using subjects that non-religious people could
relate to in illustrating the love and character of God. I’d love to be able to
do that.
That is awesome. Tell
us a little about your family.
Let me tell you about my family history. I have been blessed
with cousins who are passionate about genealogy. We have my dad’s side of the
family—both sides—traced back to the mid-1600s when they arrived on America Delano Fort McCord
in Pennsylvania
I love stories based
on incidents in our family histories. James’s cousin has traced their family
back to 1099 when the Normans invaded England Norway and Sweden Minnesota Minnesota
Working as the managing editor for Smitten Historical
Romance has changed it more than my own writing. I find it very difficult to
turn off my internal editor. It’s very annoying!
I so understand that.
I do editing for other authors, and I experience the same thing. What are you
working on right now?
I’m on the second book of a historical romance series set
during Pontiac Fort
Detroit in my home state of Michigan
What outside
interests do you have?
The one I’m best known for spinning and knitting with my own
sheep’s wool. I’ve raised Border Leicester sheep for 27 years. I love working
with wool. I shear my sheep, wash and dye the wool, spin it, and then knit a
variety of garments. My favorite is my signature shawls. I give away a shawl
with the release of each of my books to one of my newsletter subscribers.
People can subscribe to my newsletter here: https://www.subscribepage.com/PeggThomas
I’ve seen pictures of
several of those. They are lovely. How do you choose your settings for each
book?
My books all start with the history, so the settings are
determined by that.
If you could spend an
evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?
Probably Robert E. Lee. I know! I’m a northerner born and
bred, but I’ve been fascinated with him since grade school. He was a brilliant
man faced with an incredibly difficult situation. As a soldier, he was
honor-bound to join the war, but when asked to lead the Union forces, he knew
he could not raise arms against his family, his neighbors, and his friends. He
chose family over country. Through it all, he retained his dignity and the
respect of military people on both sides of the war. I have a book of his
letters to his family. It’s fascinating reading.
Wow, I’ll have to
look for a copy of that. What is the one thing you wish you had known before
you started writing novels?
If I’d known how difficult it is to write a book and get it
looked at by a publisher … I never would have started! In this case, ignorance
was bliss.
What new lessons is
the Lord teaching you right now?
The same old one … patience. And maybe boldness. Boldness to
step out in faith into the general market and do it in a way that always honors
Him.
You’ll do it. When He
gives us a story like that, He makes a way. What are the three best things you
can tell other authors to do to be successful?
Attend a writers’ conference. Yes, they are terribly
expensive, but as with anything, you must pay for some education. You don’t
need to attend the biggest, most fashionable, or farthest from your home. Pick
one that is close, more affordable, and smaller. Frankly, the smaller
conferences I’ve attended have been the best for actual learning. The large
ones are great for networking, but in the beginning, you need to learn.
Take an editing class. There are some great online classes
through the PEN Institute https://peninstitute.com/courses/.
Learning to edit will help you avoid the pitfall mistakes so many beginner writers,
and not-so-beginners, make.
Solidify your brand. Know who you are, what you write (your
genre), and who you are writing to.
Tell us about the
featured book.
I’ve always been fascinated with blacksmiths. As a child, my
granddad’s cabin was close to an old smithy. He would tell me stories about
them. When I had a chance to pitch a collection idea to Barbour with the theme
of blacksmiths, I jumped on it. At that time, the collections were for seven
novellas, but this proposal hit at the same time they were switching over to
just four novellas per book. We had to do some changes, and I hope at some
point Barbour still contracts the rest of the stories, but we wound up with—I think—four
very strong novellas in this collection that sweeps about 100 years of American
history.
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Meg McCracken plopped onto the padded velvet seat next to
her mother. She glared at her three older brothers as they squeezed their bulky
frames through the narrow door and sat opposite her in their father’s coach.
Her father, Callum McCracken, climbed in last and quirked an eyebrow at her
crossed arms.
“Now, Meg―”
“Do not ‘Now, Meg’ me, Father. ’Tis they who need a talking
to.” She tilted her chin towards her brothers, who had the gall to grin back at
her.
“They are your brothers. They do only what any brother would
do for his sister.”
“Is that so? And would you have me be a spinster, then?
Because no man can get within a rod of me without one of these great lummoxes
planting himself in the way.”
“Those who back off are not worthy of you, I say.” Jamie,
the middle of her older brothers and her favorite, winked at her.
“He is correct, you know,” Father said. “You would not
respect a man who ran off at the first sign of trouble. You have too much spunk
for that. Just like your mother.”
The look that passed between her parents added to the heat
in the carriage. A sigh slipped from Meg’s lips. She’d grown up watching these
two people who were so much in love. Was it any wonder she wanted the same for
herself? Those hulking brutes crammed onto the coach’s other seat, however, had
blocked every possible suitor so far.
How can readers find
you on the Internet?
Thank you for having me on your blog again, Lena . It’s always a pleasure to come and chat with your
loyal readers.
And thank you, Pegg,
for sharing this new book with me and my blog readers. I’m eager to read it.
Readers, here are links to the book.
The Blacksmith Brides - Christianbook.comBlacksmith Brides: 4 Historical Stories
- Amazon PaperbackBlacksmith Brides: 4 Historical Stories - Kindle
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