Month: August 2023

Getting to Know Lady Abigail from Reclaiming the Spy by Lorri Dudley

~ Kathleen Rouser ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to Novel PASTimes, Lady Abigail. We’re pleased you stopped by today.

I’m delighted to be here. Lovely to meet you. Please call me Abby, all my friends do.

So, Abby, you’re married? For how long?

Nick and I have been married for over ten years, but he’d enlisted in the Napoleonic Wars shortly after the war began. We’d only been married a day before he was called to the front lines.

That’s a short time to be together. How did you stay in touch through letters?

I wrote Nick every day for years but never received a reply. You see, he’d been recruited by a special regiment within the Foreign Office to spy for the crown and was stationed deep undercover in France. He couldn’t risk his letters being confiscated and compromising the mission. He tried to sneak a couple through with his handler, but they never reached me. 

Goodness. Did you think he’d died?

My heart refused to believe. Not even when the crown declared him missing and a casualty of war. I didn’t want to accept that all my prayers had gone unheard. Despite the bodiless funeral and the condolences and sympathy of my friends and family, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Nick was out there somewhere—still alive.

What got you through those hard years?

My mother-in-law, Mama Em. I couldn’t have made it without her strong faith and words of wisdom. She’s the one who told me to take my questions and fears to God. He could handle them. Some days, though, I could barely breathe. My longing for Nick and grief suffocated me. On those occasions, Mama Em would remind me that we’d get through if we just kept breathing. She was right. I learned most from this trial that God listens to our prayers. Even if we don’t hear Him, He’s working. His timing and ways are better than ours, and He works all things together for our good. 

I’m sure her passing was difficult.

Most definitely. She was my last link to Nick. Tossing the handful of dirt on her grave felt so final. It hit me that she wasn’t coming back, and I started to believe neither was Nick. It had been ten years since he’d left, and I was under a lot of pressure from my family to remarry. I didn’t want to burden them, but I loved Nick and couldn’t imagine a life with anyone else taking his place. 

Thank heaven that didn’t happen. 

(Laughs) Indeed. What a disaster that would have been.

How did you and Mr. Emerson meet?

My twin brother and Nick became fast friends as children, and I was the tag-along younger sister. They stormed my tea parties and raided my doll house. Nick used to knot my braids and dangle worms in front of my face, but I retaliated by tying his boot laces together and tossing them high up in the tree branches, so he’d have to walk home barefooted. 

When did the two of you fall in love?

I secretly admired Nick as a young girl, but I never thought he reciprocated those sentiments until he returned from university. I initially didn’t take his pursuit seriously, thinking he was funning me or goading my brother, Stephen, but Nick wouldn’t relent. He coerced my brother into getting him nightly dinner invitations and wooed me until I was bereft without him. Ours was a love based on friendship that grew into something intimate and unique that, with God, nothing—not a war, espionage, nor the detrimental physical and mental scars they caused—could separate. 

What a sweet love story, Abby. I hope you and Nick are reunited soon. Thank you for being our guest on Novel PASTimes today.

Author Bio:

Lorri Dudley has been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household. 

Find her online at her website and watch the book’s trailer here on YouTube.

To purchase Reclaiming the Spy:

Find it HERE on Amazon.

Meet Ann Terry Greene Phillips from Jacqueline Friedland’s The Stockwell Letters

~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to Novel PASTimes! We are pleased you stopped by today.

Our readers might not be familiar with you. Can you tell us a little something about yourself to get us started?

Certainly. My name is Ann Terry Greene Phillips. I was born in 1813 and lived all my life in Boston, Massachusetts. I was raised by my aunt and uncle on Chauncy Place after the untimely death of my parents. I lived with them until my late husband, Wendell Phillips, and I were married and moved together to a modest home on Essex Street. My life has been dominated by twin passions: my abhorrence for the institution of American slavery and my love for Wendell.

What do you think you learned from being raised by your aunt and uncle instead of your own parents?

I am lucky to have been born into a large family, such that in living with my aunt Maria and Uncle Benjamin, I was surrounded constantly by other family members as well. While I missed my own parents terribly, I never suffered for love or attention. Aunt Maria and Uncle Ben were staunch abolitionists, and growing up in their home, I was treated to many opportunities to become involved myself. For example, even as a young girl, I helped my aunt organize and sponsor abolitionist bazaars, where volunteers would donate crafted items to sell, and all monies earned would then be used to support the abolitionist agenda. Similarly, my aunt would bring me with her to meetings of the Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society, where I learned a great deal about the Cause and how to best use my own skills to help eradicate the horrid system of slavery that continued in the southern states. As soon as I was of age, I joined the BFAS as an official member and remained active in the organization throughout my life.

When did you know that Wendell Phillips was the person you wanted to marry?

I will never forget the day I met my Wendell. I had been tasked with accompanying my cousin Mary on a long ride back to her family’s home many miles from Boston. Mary was very much in love with her beau, William, at the time, and she convinced me that he and his friend, Wendell, should join us on our ride. I suppose I was there mainly as chaperone. William brought Wendell perhaps to distract me so that he and Mary could whisper to themselves for the duration of the ride. When Wendell arrived, I remembered that I’d seen him before, at an abolitionist rally that had turned violent. Though I could hardly have focused on the handsome bystander that day, while my friends were being threatened with arrest, I confess I had thought about him several times since. Once we were settled in the carriage and had the opportunity to converse, he began asking me questions about that rally and the Cause in general. I’m embarrassed to admit that I grew quite passionate in my answers, speaking at such length that I eventually had to apologize for droning on so long. Well. Wendell assured me that he’d never been more interested in anything than what I’d been saying. I knew in that moment, that I had found my match.

We were sorry to hear that you’ve had some health challenges. How has that been going?

Yes, a few months after I met Wendell, I began to display signs of a mysterious illness. I had no outward signs of illness, no fever, or cough, or even rashes. Instead, I had headaches of such magnitude that I could not rise from my bed. Similarly, my muscles ached and I experienced shooting pains throughout my body at random. There were weeks when the symptoms were so bad that I could not rise from my bed. Other times, I might experience bursts of energy and hope that I was cured. Over time, I began to understand that the symptoms would simply come and go throughout my life and that I must always take care with myself, or those symptoms would return with vengeance. It has been conjectured since my death that the condition from which I suffered was a severe case of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Sadly, this was not something for which there was any treatment in my time. We did, of course, try the remedies suggested, such as water cures, various herbs, and seaside retreats. Eventually, I simply learned to live with my condition and do everything I was able in spite of it.

Living in the mid-1800s, there have been many restrictions placed on you because of your sex. In some ways, it seems that being female may actually have helped you do the abolitionist work that has been so important to you. Can you talk about that?

I suppose we can all acknowledge now that women are conspicuously absent from much of the historical record. It’s not because we were not involved in the major historical events of our day. We simply had to restrict our participation so that it was behind closed doors. As you probably know, my husband, Wendell, became an active abolitionist and gave speeches throughout the country. He was often called “The Golden Trumpet of Abolition” for his unparalleled oratory skills, and his speeches have been memorialized in many published books. As his wife, let us just say I had great “influence” over the content of his speeches. Similarly, because people were so often focused on the men in the room, female activists such as myself were often able to complete certain tasks related to the Cause without being detected. Though we often had to force ourselves to be creative in our actions, in some ways, being female may have allowed us to be more effective than our male counterparts. 

I’ve heard a rumor that you don’t eat sugar. Can you expand on that?

The rumor is true, and the reason is quite simple. I refuse to sweeten my comestibles with the spoils of slavery. Cane sugar is one of the many crops that my brothers and sisters in the South have been forced to harvest, and until such time that sugar is collected by free people who are paid for their labor and treated fairly, I want no part of it.

I understand that you were one of the wealthiest young women in Boston at the time of your marriage, yet your home is quite modest. Can you tell us why that is?

Similar to my last answer. Yes, at the time that Wendell and I married, I may have been the single wealthiest young woman in the entire city, thanks to an outsize inheritance from my deceased parents. I saw no reason, however, to live in luxury while slavery persisted in this country, not when I could use my funds to help others. Wendell and I lived on what we needed, and the rest, we donated to help the enslaved, the marginalized, the downtrodden, with whatever they required.

Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you? 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The efforts that I went to in order to advance the abolitionist cause and help the enslaved were never intended as a way to bring attention to myself. I simply wanted to ensure that our nation, which promised freedom and equality for all, was living up to its ideals. I hope that my work and achievements moved us closer to that goal, even if there is still quite a way to go. I also hope that people will read my story and decide for themselves.

Thanks for allowing us to get know you a little better!

Jacqueline Friedland is the USA Today bestselling author of four novels, including He Gets That From Me and That’s Not a Thing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and NYU Law School, she practiced as a commercial litigator at the New York law firms of Debevoise & Plimpton, LLP and Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP. After determining that office life did not suit her, Jackie began teaching Legal Writing and Lawyering Skills at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law in Manhattan and working on her first book during her off hours. Finally deciding to embrace her passion and pursue writing full time, she returned to school to earn her Masters of Fine Arts from Sarah Lawrence College, graduating from the program in 2016. Since then, she has published four novels and has been hard at work on new projects. Her books have received multiple awards, including the gold medal for fiction from Reader’s Favorite, and first place in both the NextGen Indie Awards and the American Fiction Awards. 

When not writing, Jackie is an avid reader of all things fiction. She loves to exercise, watch movies with her family, listen to music, make lists, and dream about exotic vacations. She lives in Westchester, New York with her husband, four children and two dogs who shed more than she ever imagined was possible.

Meet Addison Bell from A Summer at Thousand Island House by Susan G. Mathis

~ Kathleen Rouser ~ Leave a comment

Welcome Addison Bell—I mean, Addi. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.

I taught at the Watertown Center one-room schoolhouse for five years, and I’m ready for a change. I love the little ones, but the older children are too much of a challenge. Now, after my papa passed and forced me to board with grouchy old Mrs. Baumgardner, I need an escape. Hearing about the position at Thousand Island House is just the ticket out.

Tell me something about you that readers may find surprising?

I love the Thousand Islands, just seventeen miles from my hometown. The 1,864 islands are shared almost equally between New York state and Ontario, Canada. It’s where Lake Ontario narrows and becomes the St. Lawrence River. Here the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River intersect to become the world’s largest inland navigation system. Huge freighters pass by tiny islands along the main channel and share the waterway with all kinds of boats including kayaks and canoes.

Tell us more about the Thousand Island House where you work. 

Thousand Island House is one of the grand Thousand Islands hotels accommodating up to 600 patrons who flock to the Thousand Islands from East Coast cities and beyond during the summer. The hotel has one of the finest views of the St. Lawrence River, the most refreshing breezes around, and the most modern amenities too. The hotel’s recreation pavilion on tiny Staples Island is a great place to work. 

Who is this Liam Donovan I keep hearing about? 

He’s the Staple’s Island recreation pavilion manager, and he’s a great boss. He’s a little overconcerned with the natural noise children make, and he has some kind of hurt in his life that I’d like to get to the bottom of, but he’s helpful, kind, and a charming Irish gentleman.

And the Lighthouse Inspector, USN Lt. Maxwell Worthington? What about him?

Yes, he’s a lighthouse inspector from Buffalo, and I think he’s tired of leaving his little boy, Jimmy, with a nanny while he travels the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario inspecting lighthouses. So, I get to take care of Jimmy this summer. He’s a delightful little boy. 

If you could leave readers with one message, what would it be? 

Trust in God and His plans for you. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. I want to give readers hope that God can heal a broken heart and help you forgive those who hurt you. He did that for me.

Thank you, Addi. I couldn’t agree more that you have a worthy message.

Here are a few fun, quick questions:  

What is your favorite hobby? Reading, of course.

Please describe yourself with three words. Joyful, friendly, and creative. 

What’s your most precious possession? My deceased mother’s silver locket.

Are you a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty kind of person?

That’s easy. I always look on the bright side of things, except when I get in trouble.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

People misunderstand me. Though I try, folks often challenge and judge me wrongly.

What is your greatest achievement?

Teaching children. I love their zest for life.

What is your biggest secret?

I dream about Liam. Shhh….don’t tell him, please.

What is your heart’s deepest desire? 

That’s easy. To love and be loved. After losing both of my parents and being an only child, aloneness is a terrible place to be.

What have you learned about yourself in the course of your story?  

I’ve learned to trust in God and His plans for me. God can heal a broken heart and has helped me forgive those who hurt me. 

About A Summer at Thousand Island House

By Susan G Mathis

She came to work with the children, not fall in love.

Part-nanny, part entertainer, Addison Bell has always had an enduring love for children. So what better way to spend her creative energy than to spend the summer nannying at the renowned Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island? As Addi thrives in her work, she attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy.

But when Jimmy goes missing, Addi finds both her job and her reputation in danger. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community?

ABOUT SUSAN:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has ten in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment and A Summer at Thousand Island House. Her book awards include two Illumination Book Awards, three American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more. 

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Character interview Tim Beatrice Carraway from the novel The Girl From the Papers by Jennifer L. Wright

~ Cindy Thomson ~ Leave a comment

Inspired by one of America’s most notorious couples, Bonnie and Clyde, Jennifer L. Wright delivers a riveting tale set during the public enemy era of the Great Depression. 

Welcome to NovelPASTimes! Today we’re joined by Miss Beatrice Carraway. Welcome, Beatrice!

Amazon Affiliate Link to help support the blog.

Beatrice: Thank you for having me.

Why don’t you go ahead and tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

Beatrice: Well, my name is Beatrice Carraway, but I guess you’ve already told them that. I’m nineteen years old, and I live in Dallas, Texas, with my mother and my little sister, Eleanor. 

Dallas! That sounds exciting!

Beatrice: Well . . . West Dallas. 

Oh.

Beatrice: But I work across the river in Dallas proper! It’s my grandparents’ house, you see, over there in West Dallas, and my mom, sister, and I are just living there until we can save up some money. We don’t plan on actually staying in that dirty, mosquito-infested, smoke-covered pit. I mean, I trust you’ve heard what they call it?

No, actually.

Beatrice: The Devil’s Back Porch.

Oh my.

Beatrice: Exactly. Nothing but petty thieves, drunks, and factory workers. No thank you. But it won’t be long before I’m across that Trinity River for good, like I’m supposed to be. I’ll have the fancy house, fancy car, fancy clothes. All of it. I mean, having you seen some of the dresses they sell downtown? Silk with dropped waists and creeping hemlines? Goodness. I’d just die to have some of those frocks in my closet.

Well, you look very lovely as it is, Beatrice.

Beatrice: Thank you. I do my best with what I have. This one I’m wearing today I altered from an old dress that had grown thin in the collar. See how I cut the neckline into a V shape and added some fringe? And I added this patch of white cotton to the left shoulder, which I also fringed, to make it a bit more with the times. I based it on a dress I saw in a window display downtown.

You seem to know a lot about fashion.

Beatrice: Well, I have to. It’s part of the job.

The job?

Beatrice: I’m an actress. And we actresses have to stay on top of the latest trends. I mean, what would our fans think if they saw us out in a prairie dress or hobble skirt? Would you want to watch a woman dressed like that up on the stage?

I—

Beatrice: You wouldn’t. Trust me. I may have been born with a face fit for the silver screen, but the clothes are what really make a dame stand out above all the rest.

Is that so? Well, that’s very interesting, Beatrice. I’ve never met an actress. What shows have you been in? Anything I might have seen?

Beatrice: Umm . . . well . . . nothing in Dallas. Yet. I’m fairly new to the city, and I’m still waiting for the directors here to finally figure out what a talent has landed on their doorstop. I mean, I was Little Miss Firecracker, 1916. I performed a rendition of “Alabama Jubilee” that had the judges two-steppin’ faster than a three-legged cat on a Texas sidewalk at noontime in July.

Interesting metaphor.

Beatrice: Thank you.

Well, so, what are you doing in the meantime? As you wait for the actress thing to pan out?

Beatrice: Right now I’m waiting tables at Hargrave’s. It’s right downtown, and the tips are pretty good, especially being so close to the medical school. Lot of lonely college boys looking for a good time, if you know what I mean.

I’m not sure I do. By “tips” you do mean just extra change for good service and a quick meal, don’t you?

Beatrice. Yes . . . *winks* and no.

*Coughs*

Beatrice: Oh, stop. It’s not like that. They just like to take us waitresses out for drinks and dancing sometimes. It’s nice to have a night out on the town. I certainly wouldn’t be able to afford it on my paycheck. 

So I’m guessing you have your fair share of beaus, then?

Beatrice: *shrugs* I’ve been on a lot of dates, but none of them have been keepers. I’m still looking. But I’ll tell you one thing.

What’s that?

Beatrice: When I do find the right man, it’s going to be forever. Just me and him until the very end, whenever and however that may be. 

Well, thank you for your time, Beatrice. I look forward to seeing your name up in lights—or in print—very soon.

Beatrice: Oh, you will. I guarantee it. 

About the Author

Photo by Pure Simple Photography, 2021

Jennifer L. Wright has been writing since middle school, eventually earning a master’s degree in journalism at Indiana University. However, it took only a few short months of covering the local news for her to realize that writing fiction is much better for the soul and definitely way more fun. A born and bred Hoosier, she was plucked from the Heartland after being swept off her feet by an Air Force pilot and has spent the past decade traveling the world and, every few years, attempting to make old curtains fit in the windows of a new home. She currently resides in New Mexico with her husband, two children, one grumpy old dachshund, and her newest obsession—a guinea pig named Peanut Butter Cup.

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