Welcome back, Maggie. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write
about?
I try to explore topics about learning to fully love, trust
and have true acceptance of our fellow man using faith and our belief in the
one who created us. I want my characters to show empathy and not be judgmental
before they know the “whole story” as we so often do in real life. It’s much
easier to write about the spiritual
aspects than to live it out every day
in the “real” world. It’s a struggle every day.
What other books of yours are coming out soon?
Deeply Devoted,
book one in The Blue Willow Brides,
just hit the bookstores last week. My next one in the series will be next fall
and it’s temporarily titled, Three Little
Words and the third one, Timeless
Perfection. It’d be great if Revell would keep my titles, but I’ll know
later. I was happy that they kept Deeply
Devoted and The Jewel of His Heart.
If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person
(not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?
No one really comes to mind except Sam Elliot. I’ve long
admired all the western roles he’s played through the years and actually
modeled my character, Luke, in my first book, No Place for a Lady, after him. He’s got such an incredible
speaking voice.
What historical person would you like to meet (besides
Jesus) and why?
Mary the mother of Jesus! I’d like to pick her brain as to
what it was like to be the Mother of God and what it was Jesus like raising him.
Now that would be a story!
How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only
rejections from publishers?
Persevere, stay persistent, and don’t give up. Be ready to
take good constructive criticism if a publisher gives you feedback after
rejecting your manuscript. Part of being able to do handle rejection is to have
a good critique partner or group. We’ve all been there. You’ll know you’re a
writer when after a rejection, you say, “That’s it! I won’t write anymore,” in
anger, then after you cool off and nurse your ego, guess what? You find
yourself parked in front of your manuscript because you can’t not do it, if it’s your passion.
Tell us about the featured book.
A Blue Willow tea set,
a tragic past, a worn letter, and devotion to her two younger sisters, is all
that mail-order bride Catharine Olsen brings from Amsterdam to Cheyenne, WY to
meet her future husband. Peter is a gentle, but hard-working wheat farmer, who
doesn’t realize the extent his meddling mother will go to in order to discredit
his bride after he decides not to marry the lady she chose for him. Will
Catharine’s secret past threaten the idyllic life she has created with her new
husband?
Please give us the first page of the book.
Catharine Olsen sipped the last of her tea from the bottom of
her cherished Blue Willow teacup, then carefully placed it on the saucer on the
table next to her. She leaned back on the settee, shoving her curls away from
her face, and slipped a letter out of her Bible. Though she knew the words by
heart, she reread the letter, now worn and discolored from time.
Catharine,
It is hard for me to contain my joy
that soon we shall meet and you will be my bride. I feel like I already know
you well from our correspondence. I pray you will have safe travel on the Union
Pacific. You should have a day to rest after the long, arduous journey. I will
promptly call for you at the hotel the next day. Until then, I remain
affectionately yours,
Peter Andersen
Had it been just yesterday when she stared from the train’s
window at the prairie that seemed to stretch as far as her eye could see? The
relentless wind whipped the unending gold-tipped grass, and there was not a
tree in sight . . . just open fields with an occasional cabin dotting
the landscape and perhaps deer or elk grazing in the distance. Peter had told
her to keep a lookout for them, and maybe a herd of bison. She wondered how she
would adjust to such surroundings after leaving her beloved Amsterdam
Would her heart ever heal? A single tear slid down her cheek, but
she hastily swept it away before her sisters could see. She sighed and glanced
over at them sitting with their heads together, reading a newspaper they’d
picked up at the last stop. She prayed silently that all would work out as she
hoped, but she knew from experience that only the Lord could see what was in
store.
“Next stop, Cheyenne
True to the conductor’s word, the train slowed its approach at
the Union Pacific depot. Catharine decided that it was one of the most
beautiful railroad depots she’d ever seen. The impressive structure looked
fairly new with its multicolored sandstone, stone arches, and steeply pitched
roofs that resembled a castle. Peter had written in his letters that the stone
was quarried from west of Fort Collins , Colorado
Finally, with a squeal of metal on
metal and a belch of steam, the engine halted, then passengers immediately
scrambled to the exits, happy to have arrived in Cheyenne.
How can readers find you on the Internet?
They can find me on my website or blog and I’m a resident
blogger on Bustles and Spurs.
www.BustlesAndSpurs.comThank you, Maggie, for the interesting peek into your life and story.
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Deeply Devoted: A Novel (The Blue Willow Brides)
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