Author Interview with Kathleen Maher, The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection Blog Tour

Welcome to Stuff & Nonsense, Kathy! I am thrilled to have you here today and know my readers enjoy getting to know you. 

Hi, Anne! Thank you so much for welcoming me to your lovely blog home. I’m excited to be here
and look forward to interacting with your readers.

Tell us a little about yourself and your writing journey.

I’m a caffeine addicted introvert, which means I get really brave when I’ve had a few cups of coffee and make social commitments that later make me want to hide.  LOL But being a writer is perfect, because most of my social engagements are fictional. 

I started this journey when I was in middle school and full of romantic ideas of how my life would be, and how the world works. Naivete and growing pains are close cousins, and I believe my stories have benefited from lessons learned. It has taken me decades to realize my dream of publication, but the long and winding road has been indispensable to understanding God’s ways, character growth arcs (mainly mine) and happily-ever-after endings. 

Tell us about your book and why you wrote it?

My novella “Love Brick by Brick” is essentially every little girl’s fantasy of marrying a rich, handsome international man of mystery. No, not Austin Powers, but the hero is British. The collection features stories of Christmas during the Victorian Age, but I set mine stateside, in my hometown in upstate NY. Rufus Sedgwick is the grandson of an earl, a” veteran” of the Crimean War, as in a lay-chaplain to the soldiers. He has moved his mother and his entire estate—brick by brick—to relocate after certain events have left them devastated. Perhaps the new start will lead to happiness for his poor Mum, and if the fates allow, for him too…

The heroine, SarahAnn Winnifred, has never taken time to dream of anything but what her academic skills can achieve for her, least of all marrying a handsome gentleman of pedigree. She’s a real worker bee, a no-nonsense doctor in training. But when her favorite little orphan friend wishes for a King and Queen to adopt her for Christmas, SarahAnn sneaks in a secret wish, too. Will her longings be the Christmas dream come true for everyone?

This story sort of wrote itself, as I sought to combine several elements of Victorian Christmas lore and local history. It surprised and delighted me as it unfolded, seat-of-the-pantster writer that I am. I hope my readers feel the same. 

What do you think makes a good story?

I love to read romances where the characters are fleshed out, and not cookie cutter figures stuck into a predictable plot. I like surprise twists, a splash of humor, a tug on the heartstrings, and a deep sigh with the happily ever after. I also love secondary characters who steal scenes. For historical fiction, a strong and authentic sense of setting is a must.

Where is your favorite place to write?

In my husband’s recliner, surrounded by cats and with Pandora radio playing. Yes, I am the crazy cat lady of Breesport. Thanks for asking. 😉

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and just have to write down a thought? If so, do you keep a tablet on your bedside table or go to the computer?

I have in the past, but I always woke up my poor long-suffering saint of a husband, so I abandoned the practice. But inspiration ALWAYS strikes at night, doesn’t it? If I get a really good thought, I open my phone on the dimmest light setting and jot a reminder in notes. And hold my breath so I don’t wake up my husband. 

Do you talk to your characters? Keep story boards or boards on Pinterest?

Hi, my name is KATHY and I’m a Pinterest Addict. I have boards for everything from period clothing to the kind of animals my characters have loved. My characters are so real to me I could talk to them, but that would just be crazy, right? (haha crazy. Who, Me?)

Can you give us a glimpse into your next book or story idea?

I have two books out right now (is this a theme about crazy or what?) and my next project is the sequel to the Civil War romance that launched Aug 2. Book Two in Sons of the Shenandoah series is already written, so it is in the edit and cover selection process. I hope to have it out in January. 

In Book One, The Abolitionist’s Daughter, you meet twin brothers Ethan and Devon Sharpe, cavaliers in every sense of the word. Impulsive Devon feels his control slipping over his brother, so he tries several tactics to secure Ethan’s loyalties, one of which is setting Ethan up with the new preacher’s daughter, Ellen White. Poor Ellen does not have a very happy outcome, and I felt she deserved a chance at happiness in the sequel. The twins’ older brother, Gideon, serves as an artillery captain at the Citadel, so he can be near his Charleston cousin Leigh Anne. Two years into war Gideon finds himself a widower with baby girls, wounded—and landing in the care of none other than Ellen White. Poor Ellen. She has to go through a bit more rough handling from a cavalier Sharpe before she arrives at anything resembling happy. But thank goodness, she’s got enough moxy to handle the most stubborn of the bunch. 

In your spare time, do you have any hobbies you enjoy? 

Did I mention Pinterest?  Oh, I did? Okay well, then there’s painting, cooking, baking, crafting, drawing, gardening, cats, dogs, (yes, my husband and I should be building an ark with all the pets we have) and marketing. Oh, and reading. Hmmm, when does sleep fit into my day, anyway?

 

Do you have a favorite book? What makes it stand out from others?

Burning Sky by Lori Benton.  So many things… it’s set in upstate NY, which I love because I typically set my stories in NY. It has a hero who loves his dog, even if he does toss insults at him. (I’m sure they are affectionate and deserved.  What is a “wee little gomeril”?) Benton handles depth in a way that’s effortless—senility, disability, kidnapping, hardship, orphanhood, yearning, shared grief and trauma…and still manages to write a winsome and uplifting story with a beautiful romance. It scores a perfect ten on every level.

What’s the one food item you can’t live without?

Ack! Only one? That’s positively spartan. I have at least ten. Okay, coffee. But no promises that I won’t be ornery without chocolate, Italian meatballs, quesadillas, fried whole clams from Maine…. Good bread…. Apple pie…. 

Where can you be found on the internet?

I have an author page on FB https://www.facebook.com/KLMaherAuthor

On Twitter https://twitter.com/Mahereenie

Amazon author page https://www.amazon.com/Kathleen-L.-Maher/e/B00D8EXO80/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1536612960&sr=8-1

Instagram: https://www.instagram/kathleen_l_maher

And PINTEREST 😉 https://www.pinterest.com/kathleenlmaher/

Is there a question you would like my readers to answer in order to be entered to win a copy of your book?

***If money and time travel were no object, what ultimate Christmas gift(s) would you buy and for whom?***

Book blurb for “Love Brick by Brick” in the Victorian Christmas Brides collection

Love Brick by Brick by Kathleen L. Maher
1857 Elmira, New York
SarahAnn Winnifred overcomes orphanhood apprenticing with pioneering doctors. Rufus Sedgwick, relocating his English estate, seeks help for his ailing Mum. Christmas reveals the secret wish of both hearts—for love.

Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Victorian-Christmas-Brides-Collection-Christmases/dp/1683227190

Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/kathleenlmaher/victorian-christmas-brides-collection/

Kathleen L. Maher has had an infatuation with books and fictional heroes ever since her preschool crush, Peter Rabbit. She has a novella releasing with BARBOUR in the 2018 Victorian Christmas Brides collection, featuring her hometown of Elmira, New York. Her debut historical, Bachelor Buttons, blends her Irish heritage and love of the American Civil War. She won the 2012 ACFW Genesis contest for her Civil War story, releasing this summer under a new title The Abolitionist’s Daughter. Kathleen shares an old farmhouse in upstate New York with her husband, children, and a small zoo of rescued animals.

Thanks so much, Anne.  I just know I’m going to have fun with your readers this week. Can’t wait to select a winner!  I am giving away a print copy of Victorian Christmas Brides Collection to one lucky commenter. (US residents only) Winner will be announced on Monday, Oct 15 for the single paperback copy winner here on this blog post.

Please be sure to leave your email in your entry so you can be notified if random.org selects your entry.

In addition, I am hosting a Rafflecopter to be drawn at the conclusion of my blog tour just before Thanksgiving, with several prizes, including a $50 Amazon gift card, a print copy of each of my books, and a Christmas goodie basket. Be sure to follow each stop on the tour to increase your chances of winning! (US residents only.)

Link to Rafflecopter: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0cc4b6533/

Good luck!

 

Thanks, Kathy, for sharing about yourself and your writing journey! It's always fascinating to learn more about writers/authors. 

Okay, Y'all!!! 

DON'T FORGET to answer Kathy's question above (it's in RED, you can't miss it!) in order to be entered for a paperback copy of the book here on this blog AND leave an email address so you can be contacted if you win. If one or both of these things is missing from your comment, it will not be entered as an official entry. 

You can also enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for another opportunity to win a prize pack!