A Great St. Patrick’s Day Read for you!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Want a fun Irish-focus story? Check out The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy!
It’s my first novel, but if you haven’t read it already, here’s a little info about the story.
What inspired you to write The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy? I swore I’d never write fiction, but never say never! My hubby and I went to a book talk/signing, and after we left, I jokingly said, “I could write a story about a quilt!” I then proceeded to tell him the entire story, and he said, “Well, write it!” Thus began my journey of writing The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy.
How would you describe this book to someone in a 30-second blurb? The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacyis the story of a 1850s Irish immigrant and a 21st-century single mom who are connected by faith, family, and a quilt.
How did you research or plan your book? My cousins did lots of research on our ancestory, so that was the basis for the 1850s immigrants. But I did extensive research about the Irish potato famine, the history and culture, the customs, and so much more. I also visited Ireland and Wolfe Island, Canada, and my hubby and me event went to Ireland to see where it all began. It was an epic trip!
Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book? Any woman who enjoys historical and contemporary fiction would find The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy interesting. The book is full of history, family, faith, and most of all, hope.
Do you relate best to any one of your characters? The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy is based on my family story—my great great grandmother, Margaret, and loosely based on my story as well. The hardest part about writing Maggie’s story was not holding tooclosely to my story!
Do you have any photos of the setting of your book? The antique photo on the cover that represents Margaret is my grandmother. I have many, many photos of the setting on my website and Facebook pages.
Tell us about any places your characters visit that you’d encourage readers to visit. Northern Ireland, upstate New York, Wolfe Island, Canada, and Colorado Springs. By the way, all of my novels are set in the beautiful Thousand Islands in upstate New York. If you haven’t been there, you definitely should add it to your bucket list.
How does your personal experience enrich this book?Oh my! It’s all about personal experiences! The historical family, my ancestors, have six children from ages nine months to thirteen years. Can you imagine immigrating on a famine ship with six kids? And how did they feel leaving Ireland and moving to the New World? The contemporary character has her own struggles similar to my past. She’s a single mother who has lots of challenges, especially when her only daughter nearly dies in Africa. Yes, it is two stories of my personal journey in one novel.
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing a book? I’m a Morning Dove, so after working out at the Y, I spend most of my mornings and early afternoons plugging away on my computer, dreaming up a fine story, and creating characters that connect to the reader.
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