Welcome back. Loree. Let’s
do some fun questions first. What song most closely resembles your life?
Toby Keith’s “How Do You Like Me Now!” It’s a fun, upbeat
tune that give the wink-wink to those who, when I was starting out, didn’t
believe “my little hobby” could become a full time career.
I do understand that.
I had those people, too. Now they have taken notice, big time. Do you have a
favorite Bible verse? And why is it a favorite?
My go-to verse is 1 Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation] has
overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will
not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he
will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” At several points in my
distant and recent past, life sometimes threatened to become overwhelming. And
each time, I only needed to read this verse to remind myself that no matter how
dark life may appear at any given moment, the Father will bless me with the
light that leads me to peace.
What is the one thing
you wish you could go back and change in your life?
Anyone who’s over 25 (and I’m more than 2x over 25!) has a
few regrets. But instead of seeing them as stumbling blocks, I look at them as
stepping stones. Each time I was disappointed (or disappointed others) was a
valuable life lesson that made me who I am today. That said, I wouldn’t change
a thing!
I’m with you. I own
all those mistakes and learned from them. What is the most important
characteristic for a good friend to have?
A good friend must be loyal, above all. If I share a
heartache, a secret, a bit of joy—and ask you to keep it to yourself—that’s
exactly what I expect. And I’ll do the same for you. And since trust and
loyalty go hand in hand, I must always feel a true friend can be trusted.
There are too many
would-be friends out there. What extracurricular activities did you participate
in when you were in school?
I held an assortment of odd jobs, beginning at age 14.
Clocking 20+ hours a week while holding tight to an A-B average in school left
no time for school-type extracurricular activities. When I could, I volunteered
at church, babysitting kids while their parents attended services, or in the
local hospital gift shop, delivering flowers and whatnot to patients’ rooms. In
the community, you could often find me running errands or doing household and
hard chores for elderly neighbors.
I can totally see you
doing that, Loree. What is your favorite movie of all times?
Wow, that’s a tough one! I have a couple dozen favorites.
The first that comes to mind at the moment is Secondhand Lions, an exciting, adventurous, wholesome story of the
importance of family. Two other movies run a close second: Somersby and Shadowlands.
Loved all three pretty much equally!
I haven’t seen the
last two, but I love Secondhand Lions. Tell
us about why you wrote this book.
After reading several articles and watching documentaries
about the recidivism of prisoners, I grew curious; surely there were
organizations that lent a helping hand to recently released convicts, to reduce
the numbers that returned to penitentiaries. I’m blessed to know Linda O’Dell
(Letters from the Lord) who routinely visits prisoners in her home state. She
was generous with her knowledge of the system, and from conversations with her,
I was able to compile a list of questions to ask the experts I interviewed
(wardens, guards, psychiatrists/psychologists that work with prisoners), parole
officers, half a dozen prisoners, and an equal number of family members who
were forced to cope with the system before sentencing, during confinement, and
after release. While it can’t be denied that some ex-cons seem incapable of
changing, a large number work hard toward reformation. I wrote the book for
those individuals and their families in the hope that the stigma of “having
served time” could be overlooked on a case by case basis.
Please give us the
first page of The Man She Knew.
“Maleah, you want to explain this?”
She placed the bowl of mashed potatoes on the dining room
table. “Explain wh—”
When she saw what her brother held in his big hands, the
words froze in her throat.
“Tell me you’re not still mooning over this low-life
criminal!”
“Mooning.” She forced a laugh. “You’re picking up old-people
talk from Grampa.”
“You can’t distract me.”
She’d made two mistakes: thinking the buffet’s silverware
drawer was a good place to hide Ian’s photograph, and saying yes when Eliot
offered to set the table.
“It’s no big deal.” Maleah shrugged. And there it was…
Eliot’s I’m a decorated cop and I can tell when someone is lying look.
Maleah shoved a serving spoon into the potatoes. She and
Eliot had gone round and round on this subject too many times to count, and
she’d lost every round.
“Only one explanation makes sense. You’ve stayed in touch
with him, even though whole family asked you not to, haven’t you?”
“First of all, no one asked anything.” Their relentless
demands had been the primary reason she’d traded the comfort of her childhood
room for a noisy, crowded dorm room at the University of Maryland
He dropped the picture into the drawer and closed it, hard.
“Maybe because that creep turned you into an OCD control freak. You can’t sleep
with dishes in the sink. And name me one other person who alphabetizes the
contents of her pantry and spice rack? Or color-codes and hangs stuff in her
closet in order by length.”
Maleah didn’t bother to explain it was because she’d learned
how much one mistake could alter a person’s life—and the lives of everyone
close to them.
“So I like things neat and tidy. Last I checked, it isn’t
against the law.”
He aimed his pointer finger at the ceiling, preparing to add
to his big brother tirade, but she cut him off.
“Eliot, let’s not spoil Grampa’s birthday dinner, all
right?”
“What. Ever.”
She knew Eliot: The subject was far from closed. Maleah
could only hope he’d take her advice, and not make a scene on their
grandfather’s birthday.
I’m eager to read the
rest of the book. How can readers find you on the Internet?
Before I list the social networking sites, I’d like to thank
you, Lena , for sharing your blog and your
audience with me. You’re by far one of the most generous, big-hearted women I
have the pleasure of knowing!
Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/LoreeLough
Twitter -- https://twitter.com/LoreeLoughAutho
Pinterest -- https://www.pinterest.com/loreelough/
Instagram -- https://www.instagram.com/loreelough13/
Website -- http://www.loreelough.com
Thank you for the
kind words, Loree, and thank you for sharing this new book with us.
Readers, here are links to the book. By
using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The Man She Knew (By Way of the Lighthouse)
- PaperbackThe Man She Knew (By Way of the Lighthouse) - Kindle
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