1. If you had a warning label, what would yours say?
Warning: Don’t ask about my grandkids. If you do, I might start hunting pictures on my phone to show you. (I know you didn’t ask, but that’s still a grandkid picture.)
2. What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?
I could talk 40 minutes, and often do, about my up and down writing path. I stepped out on that writing path when I was 10 and wanted to star in a mystery story. You might guess I loved reading the Hardy Boys mysteries at the time. A real live mystery a little girl can solve is harder to find than a notebook and a pencil or pen. So, I picked up that pen and wrote Chapter 1, my own version of “Once upon a time, ” and began writing a story starring me, albeit a cuter and much less shy me. My sister and my cousin were my sidekicks. And off we went into the land of imagination to solve a mystery. That’s the only time I’ve written a story with me as heroine. At least intentionally. I’m sure bits of me has made it into some of the many characters I’ve written about since. It would be interesting to know how many people I have attempted to bring to life in words on a piece of paper or a computer screen. All cuter and smarter than me. Or maybe meaner. Or maybe nicer. Or… Well, people and characters come in all sizes with all sorts of personalities.
3. What’s the oddest inspiration you’ve ever had for a manuscript?
This isn’t exactly the inspiration for the whole story, but part of it. In our little country church, the preacher asks every Sunday morning if we have prayer requests. Months ago, one of our members mentioned a woman named Ada June and she was added to our church’s prayer list. I don’t know the woman. I don’t know what her prayer needs are or were. But for some reason the name, Ada June, spoke to me. I wanted to write about a girl named Ada June, and I did. She’s one of the viewpoint characters in my upcoming novel, The Song of Sourwood Mountain, releasing next May. While doing edits on this book, I’m loving getting to know Ada June all over again. She’s only nine in the story with plenty of trouble and a heart longing for a mother and home. And she has a best buddy dog friend. You can already pre-order Ada June’s story and Mira’s and Gordon’s story too, at your favorite bookseller. You might try Baker Book House that has a great pre-order special of 40% off and free shipping.
That’s why I added the picture up top of one of my granddaughters at age nine with a dog. This granddaughter is nothing like Ada June. None of my granddaughters are. They are all much loved and have never had to yearn for family the way Ada June does in the story.
I smiled at the top question about a warning label. So, if you had a warning label, what would yours say?
Comments 14
Fragile handle with care, I have two granddaughters ages 33 and34, the 34 year has Spinal Muscular Athrophy and is being treated for it. The 33 year old was just diagnosed with breast cancer and is facing a mastectomy in the near future. So not only do they need prayer but so do I as we are all three fragile at this time.
Author
I’m sorry to hear that your daughters are going through these hard times, Donna Jean, and if they are having struggles, then I know you are feeling all of it with them as you support them and pray for them. May the Lord shower blessings down on all three of you and the treatments go well and all is handled with care.
WARNINGI have thousands of grandjoy pictures and I am not afraid to use them.
Author
That’s cute. I like the grandjoy love. We can whip out our phones fast to show off those pictures, Sharon.
Warning: mess with my family or, for that matter, anyone I care about, and you’ll be a sorry one.
40 minute talk on cleanliness and kindness with no prep.
Author
You are ready to defend those you love, Evelyn. That’s good and the rest of us better watch our step. 🙂
Then we’ll be ready to listen to your talk to clean up our lives and practice kindness. If only we all leaned to the side of kindness.
I’m not really sure what my warning label might be unless someone wanted to discuss flowers and blooms, I could talk a while on than subject and I have lots of pictures to show.
Author
I’d love to sit down with you and talk flowers and blooms. We could share our pictures and have lots of fun, Connie.
I could talk for 40 minutes about my life before meeting Christ, the day that I attended church and had no idea what was about to happen in my life. No idea. No idea that I needed Him. But I left, a changed person.
From there I could talk about my journey as a Christian and how I got to this point. Not always smooth as many people think but after many years I’m so glad I stayed the course. I might could make an hour talk with this. 🙂
Author
That’s an hour talk I’d love to hear, Loretta. Sounds very inspiring. Life, as you say, isn’t always smooth, but staying the course with the Lord makes life better even in the hard times everyone faces at times. Have you written your talk down at any time?
Ohhh, that one’s easy…
“WARNING…this one is a talker!” I’ve always had what’s known as the gift of gab in my family. I inherited it from my mother who got it from her daddy and so forth. Everyone always said it comes from our Irish ancestors. (My brother has the gift of blarney as well!) Then throw in my love of history that I inherited from my grandmother, and look out! I could talk all day! It’s one of the reasons I love my part time job at our history museum so much…I actually get paid to talk. lol 🙂
Have a great week Ann. It’s supposed to be beautiful fall weather.
Author
It would be fun to sit down with you and talk history and books and grandkids and more, Lavon. The gift of gab can be a good thing. Not sure about the blarney though. Always thought that meant the gab might not be completely true. LOL. I need to come visit the history museum where you work so that I can hear all about it from you.
The weather is great this week and to be enjoyed before the reality of winter on the way hits.
What would my warning label say? I would like to think that it might be dangerous or exciting, but my first thought is that I’m too boring to have a Warning label. But, wait, perhaps that WOULD be my label — Beware! Boredom is very possible when considering this person!
The good news is that I’m a big fan and I can’t wait to learn more about Ada June!
Author
I’m guessing that you aren’t at all boring, Connie. I know the two of us could have some fun talks about books and more. Nothing boring about that. And I do hope you will love reading about Ada June next spring.