~UPDATE: GIVEAWAY FOR THE PAPERBACK OR EBOOK COPY HERE ON STUFF & NONSENSE HAS ENDED~
Secondary Characters – Rheumatoid Arthritis
When I recently wrote the third book in The Christy Lumber Camp
Series, Lilacs for Juliana, I knew I wanted the heroine’s mother to suffer from
a chronic illness. Mrs. Nora Beauchamps had her last child in her forties, like
me, and I decided to “give” her Rheumatoid Arthritis, like I have.
Portraying Mrs. Beauchamps was a little tricky. She was almost
70, an age I haven’t yet approached. But I tried to imagine how her condition
may have progressed to the point that she wasn’t active during the time my
heroine, her daughter Juliana, was home. So I had Mrs. Beauchamps sleeping in
during the morning and I had her fairly stiff at night and usually unable to
cook. But—there is great variability on any given day for most people with an
autoimmune disorder. So I have Nora enter a time when her symptoms
improve. Early on in the book, I imply that Juliana may not
understand just what all her mother still is able to do. In Juliana’s mind, her
mother is a complete invalid—but she is not. Both Mrs. Beauchamps and Juliana’s
sister, Claudette, who suffers from Lupus, regularly harvest fruit and make
jams and jellies that sell well at the mercantile in town. One reason I wanted
to show my twenty-something year old Juliana as not understanding her mother’s
capabilities is because this often happens in families.
Although Rheumatoid Arthritis is quite different from
Osteoarthritis, I chose to show Mrs. Beauchamps as having a mild to moderate
form of the illness that has not affected her organs. The disease can be life
threatening if it attacks organs such as the heart. However, I chose not to
complicate the plot of the book by showing anything other than that which would
move the plot forward for my hero and heroine.
By the way—my heroine’s mother LOVES my hero, Richard
Christy—and I hope you will, too!
Carrie is offering ONE copy of a paperback or eBook to a USA winner, or an eBook to an INTERNATIONAL winner!!!
To be entered, leave a comment below answering Carrie's question:
Do you have a family member with arthritis? Have you read any
books where you felt this disorder was particularly well shown in the novel?
: : :
Bio:
Former “Yooper” Carrie Fancett Pagels writes Christian historical romances
about overcoming. She grew up in Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where many of her
stories are set. Possessed with an overactive imagination, that wasn't
"cured" by twenty-five years as a psychologist, she loves bringing
characters to life. Carrie and her family reside in Virginia’s Historic
Triangle, which is perfect for her fascination with history. Carrie enjoys
reading, traveling, baking, and beading—but not all at the same time!
: : :
Links to the other blogs in the
blog hop are below! Be in to win!!! Stop by each link (at least 7 of them to qualify for the GRAND PRIZE!!!) and leave a comment
and your email address in a safe format! You might be the winner of a
KINDLE! And a paperback copy will be given to a winner at each blog stop!
~Happy Blog Hopping~
