Interview with Elaine Cooper and new giveaway of Fields of the Fatherless, part 2

Welcome Elaine! We are so happy to have you here this week as a follow up to the review of your lovely novel (posted here Oct 28), and that you have agreed to share a bit about yourself.

 

(Elaine) Thank you so much for having me!

 

Q: First of all, coffee or tea? In your story you show how tea was a sign of British loyalties, and how true Patriots only drank coffee.  

 

A. In deference to Betsy Russell and the Patriots of 1775, I’ll have some coffee, please. Do you have any fresh milk? ;-)

 

Q: What causes are you passionate about, and do they find their way into your writing?

 

A. I am passionate about many things, mostly about injustice to the down trodden and poor. In my third book, “The Legacy of Deer Run,” I depicted the prejudices of the upper class townspeople to the “hill people” who were hard workers but quite poor. That attitude is so contrary to God’s teaching as described in James 2: 2-6. In Proverbs 29:7, it says “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” There are so many verses about the poor in Scripture that, were I to write them all down, it would take up this entire blog post and more!

 

Q: When did you first know you were a writer?

 

A. I’ve written stories and poems since I was a child but I suppose I understood that I might be a “writer” when a newspaper editor saw some of my work and she offered me an opportunity to do freelancing. I still find it difficult to grasp the concept of being called a writer. Every time someone introduces me as an author, I have this uncomfortable feeling that I should be looking around the room for the “real” author!

 

Q: If you could sit down and interview any person, fictitious or real from any time, who would that be and what is the first question you would ask?

 

A. I’ve always been intrigued by Mother Theresa and her work. I think I would love to sit down with her and ask, “How did you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is what God called you to do?” Imagine the love in her heart to reach out to those who many would prefer to ignore!

 

Q: Who have been your mentors, and how did they help you most?

 

My biggest mentor has been my husband, Steve. When I first met (and then married) newspaper reporter, Steve, I was intrigued by his job but never in a million years imagined that I would become a published author. When I, many years later, felt the compelling urge to write my first novel, Steve was instrumental in helping me hone my skills. I’ve always admired his work and hope that my writing is even half as good as his.

 

I’ve also learned so much about the craft from author/editor Lisa J. Lickel. She knows her history and she knows word “stuff!” LOL! And she taught me so much about writing book reviews, a skill that is tougher than many might think.

 

Q:  What do you hope your readers will take away from your books? And can you hint at any works to come?

 

I want my readers to first of all be drawn into the characters in my story, to feel their fears, joys and hopes. But I also want my readers to come away spiritually awakened in some way so that they feel closer to God. Since I write historicals, I definitely want my readers to be swept up in another era so they can, hopefully, understand life long ago.

 

Works to come? I am taking a one-book-break from historical fiction to write about my journey with my daughter through her battle with brain cancer. She passed away ten years ago this month when she was only 24-years-old. What I hope to accomplish in Bethany’s Calendar is to show God’s grace and mercy in the midst of my life’s greatest trial. But I also hope that my journey with my daughter will help other families going through similar circumstances know how they can be an advocate for their loved one. And how they can survive, with God’s strength.

 

Q: Do you have a question you would like our blog readers to answer?

 

Hello blog readers! I would like to know if you like a historical novel that has lots of romance, or if you prefer historical fiction with just a small taste of “love in the air.”J  

A copy of Fields of the Fatherless will be drawn for one lucky winner via random.org on Friday. You can gain extra entries by subscribing to this blog, Elaine's blog, and sharing on fb, twitter, or google+ at top right ADD THIS bar. Tell me in the comments where you shared, and don't forget to leave your email addy with your answer to Elaine's question.

 

(Kathy) Thank you for being with us this week. I wish you every blessing as you write for His glory!

 

(Elaine) Thank you so much, Kathleen!

 

 

ABOUT FIELDS OF THE FATHERLESS:

 

Sometimes the greatest stories of bravery and sacrifice are hidden from the history books. Sometimes those stories need to be told.

 

In the early months of 1775, war is brewing in the American colonies. Although frightened, eighteen-year-old Betsy Russell of Menotomy Village, Massachusetts, wants to be prepared in case of attack by the British troops.

Her father, prosperous farmer Jason, is the fourth generation of Russells on this land—yet their very rights as British Colonials are being stripped away one by one. Will the King of England take the Russells’ land as well?

Tensions are growing here in the countryside west of Boston and the outbreak of battle seems almost a certainty. Jason desperately wants to protect his family—his wife, children and grandchildren—and their future. Betsy makes every attempt to be prepared for the worst.

But not even the American militia could have predicted what was about to occur—right on the Russells’ doorstep. If Betsy loses everything she holds dear, are the rights of all the Colonists endangered? (Based on a true story.)

 

 

Novelist Elaine Marie Cooper is the author of The Road to Deer Run, The Promise of Deer Run and The Legacy of Deer Run. Her passions are her family, her faith in Christ and the history of the American Revolution, a frequent subject of her historical fiction. She grew up in Massachusetts, the setting for many of her novels. Fields of the Fatherless releases October 2013. 

Visit her website at: http://www.elainemariecooper.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElaineMarieCooperAuthor

 

My review of Burning Sky by Lori Benton, a novel of the Upstate NY frontier

Willa Obenchain’s quiet strength will stay with me for a long time, and so will this beautifully written story of the New York frontier. 

Taken captive by the Iroquois as a child, Willa now returns to her white village near present-day Herkimer, uncertain of her place in either world. She finds more questions than answers in the abandoned farmstead of her parents, whose loyalty in the recently ended Revolution is questioned. Locals from Shiloh, especially a former love interest Richard Waring, claim her parents disloyal to the patriot cause, and threaten to confiscate her land. To complicate matters, Willa’s sworn solitude has been invaded by a wounded botanist—Neil MacGregor—whom she takes in, and who in turn charms her grieving heart.

Clues about her past come into focus in the ethereal visits of a mysterious boy in the woods. Francis Waring is a heartbreakingly pure soul and the polar opposite of his brutal older brother Richard. Francis’ underdog simplicity and vulnerability drew me more powerfully than any other force in this deeply moving novel. This book has depth that haunts your heart and an uplifting power that ascends to. . .well, the Burning Sky.

For me, this is the best read of this year, by far. Bravo, Lori Benton on a breathtaking debut. 

Don't forget that we have an ongoing giveaway of this gorgeous novel. Leave a comment to be entered! A winner will be chosen by random.org on Friday. Good luck!

interview with Lori Benton and giveaway of her debut novel Burning Sky, ends Aug 16

This week we are celebrating Lori Benton's fabulous debut with an interview today, a review Wednesday, and a giveaway on Friday! Be sure to leave a comment with your email to enter both today and Wednesday.

Welcome Lori! We are so happy to have you here this week, and thrilled that you have agreed to share a bit about yourself.

Q: First of all—biscotti and coffee, tea and crumpets, or scones and latte? J

A: Coffee in the mornings, tea in the afternoons. But, alas, I am eating gluten free these days. Before that it would have been scones and tea. Thankfully there are gluten free alternatives, and some of them aren't half bad. J

Q: When did you first know you were a writer?

A: I remember it well. I was nine years old when my best friend announced (already an avid reader) that she had written a story. She showed it to me, and that was a moment of revelation. Anyone, whenever they felt like it, could write their own story, about whatever they wanted. Of course I had to give it a go. I wrote Yellow Feather and the Wild Mustang (and thanks to a grandmother who saved that story, dated 1978, I still have it). I never lost interest in storytelling from that day on, although writing took a back seat to painting for a few years during high school and art college. But in 1991 I began writing again with an eye toward one day being published.

Q: How does New York State history play into your writing?

A: My debut novel, Burning Sky: A Novel of the American Frontier, is set in upstate New York in 1784, months after the Revolutionary War ceased raging in the back country so close to British Canada, and the inhabitants of the Mohawk Valley and along West Canada Creek were finally able to straggle back to their homesteads (if they still existed) and pick up the pieces of their lives. Burning Sky presents a portrait of one such (fictional) settlement at this time, and the scars that both the land and people were left to bear and overcome. European settlers and their neighbors the Iroquois, who experienced their own struggles, defeats, and triumphs during the War.

Q: If you could sit down and interview any person, fictitious or real from any time, who would that be and what is the first question you would ask?

A: The answer to this question evolves, since I’m always researching the 18^th century, learning about the people of that time, sometimes scratching my head over their choices and actions—or marveling at their bravery and dedication. Just now a certain man comes to mind. I’ll introduce him, as I don’t believe he’s well known. His name was Peter Agwelentongwas, also known as Good Peter. He was an Oneida Indian who helped lead his people during the Revolutionary War era. Unlike most members of the other Iroquois Six Nations, the Oneidas fought for the patriots. And they suffered for it. Many Oneidas were by this time Christians. Good Peter, born in the 1720s, accepted Christ as his Savior in the 1750s. He was a warrior known for his fervent faith—he taught himself to read the Bible, translated into Mohawk—and for his loving nature. In spite of the terrible poverty and suffering the Oneidas experienced after the war, he maintained a hopeful optimism about his nation. He would travel from village to village, offering kind words and prayers, singing hymns, and preaching sermons to encourage his brothers and sisters, until his death in 1794.

This is what I’d like to ask Good Peter. Tell me what is the reason for the hope that is in you? Not because I don’t already know the Answer for myself. Because I would very much like to sit beside this beloved man and hear him tell me about his Savior.

Q: Beautiful portrait. I looked up Oquaga, where Good Peter regularly preached--near what is now Deposit, NY--and it's less than 2 hours from where I live. In that vein, who have been your mentors, and how did they help you most?

A: So many writers have mentored me during my 20+ year writing journey, most of them unknowingly. Some of the best mentoring I’ve received has come from simply reading novels of the sort I long to write myself, paying attention to what it is that’s ringing that bell for me, and attempting to recreate it in my own words.

There is one place where I’ve learned a great deal about writing fiction over the past 15 years, and that’s the Compuserve Books & Writers Community. It’s the oldest books and writers forum on the internet. It’s gone by different names over the years, and there are writers who’ve been members there since its inception. One of them is bestselling author Diana Gabaldon, and it’s down to her books that I became interested in the 18^th century in the first place. I’ve learned much about writing from Diana, and others on the forum, many of them multi-published authors and journalists. But there was one woman, Lauri Klobas, who had never published any fiction of her own, who helped me tremendously. Lauri had a gift for editing, especially for wading through a tangle of overwritten prose like I once produced (and still often do in my first drafts), and cutting away the excess to find the core of a story. It’s largely because of Lauri that my writing finally captured the eye of an agent, and I’ve dedicated Burning Sky in her memory.

Q:  What do you hope your readers will take away from Burning Sky and your other books in general?

A: Aside from the obvious—being entertained and feeling like they've gained a new circle of friends in the characters—I would like the reader who finishes Burning Sky to be encouraged and reaffirmed that God is working all things together for good in their lives. That they can trust Him without fear, through pain and disappointment, through hardship and hard work, no matter what the situation looks like on the ground. He has good plans for us, blessings now, and on into eternity.

Q: Do you have a question you would like our blog readers to answer?

A: I’ll put to them the same question you asked me (it’s a good one!). If you could sit down and interview any person, from any time, who would that be, and what is the first question you would ask?

Thank you for being with us this week. I wish you every blessing as you write for His glory!

Visit the Burning Sky page on Lori's website where you can read the first two chapters now: http://loribenton.blogspot.com/p/burning-sky.html

Lori's Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLoriBenton#

Burning Sky

Abducted by Mohawk Indians at fourteen and renamed Burning Sky, Willa Obenchain is driven to return to her family’s New York frontier homestead after many years building a life with the People. At the boundary of her father’s property, Willa discovers a wounded Scotsman lying in her path and feels obliged to nurse his injuries. The two quickly find much has changed during Willa’s twelve-year absence—her childhood home is in disrepair, her missing parents are rumored to be Tories, and the young Richard Waring she once admired has grown into a man twisted by the horrors of war and claiming ownership of the Obenchain land.

When her Mohawk brother arrives and questions her place in the white world, the cultural divide blurs Willa’s vision. Can she follow Tames-His-Horse back to the People now that she is no longer Burning Sky? And what about Neil MacGregor, the kind and loyal botanist who does not fit into her plan for a solitary life, yet is now helping her revive her farm? In the aftermath of the Revolutionary War, strong feelings against “savages” abound in the nearby village of Shiloh, leaving Willa’s safety unsure.

Willa is a woman caught between two worlds. As tensions rise, challenging her shielded heart, the woman called Burning Sky must find a new courage—the courage to again risk embracing the blessings the Almighty wants to bestow. Is she brave enough to love again?

I am giving away a copy of this beautiful book to one lucky commenter. Answer Lori's question about who in history you would love to interview, and you might win this beautiful story of the NY frontier. To increase your chances of winning, tell me if you follow this blog, Lori's blog or FB author page, or share on Twitter, FB, or Google+ That gives you 8 chances. Good luck!

Wind of the Spirit by J.M. Hochstetler

Jonathon Carleton has been adopted into the Kispekotha sect of the Shawnee tribe as the fearsome warrior White Eagle in the previous book, and Elizabeth Howard is a spy for General Washington among well-to-do British circles in New York City. They long for one another, but neither knows if the other has survived or still thinks fondly. Both have tempting love interests, but cannot commit their heart to another.

When mutual friend Charles Andrews arrives in New York to propose a trip west to find Carlton, Elizabeth jumps at the chance. Little does she know the adventure, danger, hardship and thrills awaiting her.

White Eagle/Carleton holds a fragile balance in the tribe between believers in Moneto's son, and those with murderous intent, set in their traditional ways. He must prove to the Shawnee his loyalty as his nemesis stirs up distrust and ill will toward him, by marrying a woman among the tribe.

When Elizabeth arrives, he is thrown into an impossible choice. Offend the people who have become his family, or forsake the love if his heart.

Rich in history, brilliant in imagery, evocative in beautifully written passages and resonant with characters who bring to life the longings of young, forbidden love, this book is the best of the American Patriot series so far. More of what I loved in Daughter of Liberty and Native Son, this brings the simmering love story and the dramatic backdrop of the American Revolution to full boil. Heartbreaking, riveting, promising, and engaging, this is a book I will not soon forget.