Today, I have Margaret Brownley visiting Rodeo with a Twist of Suspense. She’s graciously consented to an interrogation, eh-hem, interview, and didn’t buckle under the pressure. And just for the fun of it, I decided to give my take on her new release, A Lady Like Sarah. So, to start things off, here’s my review on A Lady Like Sarah:
What can I say, it was like taking a romp through the Old West. Oh, wait! I did.
We’re introduced to our wandering hero, Reverand Justin Wells, who has landed himself in the midst of an exile of sorts. By no fault of his own, his church in Boston has sent him packing to a li’l ole Texas town called Rocky Creek. On his way through Missouri he stumbles across a firey redhead cuffed to a dying US Marshall, and the troubles begin.
She survived an ambush, but the last thing Sarah Prescott wanted was a preacher man for an escort. Sarah’s wanted for “murder” and no one, not even a handsome, loving, tender, preacher like Justin Wells is going to take her back to Rocky Creek. Even with a baby girl who has stolen her heart. And well, confound it, no man, not even her big brother George is gonna tell her what to do. Until she falls in love with Justin and realizes maybe God can get her out of the scrape she’s found herself embroiled in and turn her into a lady yet.
When the back cover blurb said this book was filled with “mishaps, laughs, and adventure”, it wasn’t lying. Even the littlest adventurer, baby Elizabeth, took the spotlight now and again from her adoptive parents. (Good grief, it had me wishing for another baby while reading it. You forget sometimes how cute those little chubby cheeks can be.) I can’t wait to see what Margaret Brownley has up next in this series.
Now, without further adieu, here’s Margaret Brownley!
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First, I would like to thank you for having me—and to thank all of you readers for visiting.
You’re quite welcome! Tell us a little bit about your book, A Lady Like Sarah.
The story takes place primarily in Texas in 1879. He’s a preacher; she’s an outlaw—and they’re both in a heap of trouble. A Lady Like Sarah is in bookstores now.
What’s the story behind the creation of Sarah and Justin?
A Lady Like Sarah was inspired by the true story of Pearl Hart. Desperate to help her seriously-ill mother, she stopped a stage and, with the help of a loaded pistol, convinced its passengers to help pay her poor mama’s medical bills. (Bet you didn’t know that health care was highway robbery even back in the Old West.) The question that kept running though my mind was, how desperate would a person have to be to rob a stage? Suddenly a character named Sarah popped up on the page and demanded in no uncertain terms that I tell her story.
The strangest part about Sarah is that she has a distinctive speech pattern. She kept waking me up in the middle of the night to talk to me. What’s interesting is that some readers have written to tell me that they couldn’t get Sarah’s speech patterns out of their heads, either.
I don’t plot in advance so I never know how a story will turn out. I knew from the start that Justin Wells was a preacher, but I didn’t know until the end that Sarah’s faith—not his—would be the driving force that sees through their troubles.
Interesting! And admittedly, her speech patterns haven’t left me either. I love her character and how she jumped off the pages.
What’s the take-away thought you hope your readers have after they finish A Lady Like Sarah?
I love this question because next to giving a reader an entertaining and enjoyable story, I try to leave them with something to hold on to. One of the themes in the book is that it’s still possible today as it was more than a hundred years ago to triumph against all odds. Another theme that developed during the writing of the book was that God always sends the right people into our lives when we most need them. When I discovered that theme, it stopped me in my tracks. It made me think about all the wonderful people I’ve known through the years. I hope my story inspires readers to do likewise.
How true! I can say in my own life that God has dropped the right people in my path, and dropped me into other people’s paths at the right time.
Who broke the news to you that A Lady Like Sarah was picked to be a Women of Faith book? And what was your reaction to the news?
My editor broke the news early one morning and, in my excitement, I forgot to turn off the running bath. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a detriment to my husband’s health. The tub overflowed and there was water everywhere. My husband and I ran around frantically mopping the floors, which made him late for a doctor’s appointment. By the time he reached the doctor’s office, his blood pressure had skyrocketed. The doctor was about to take drastic measures until my husband explained the crazy chain of events.
Wow! A bit of trouble not unlike what Justin and Sarah ran into. <};^)
Okay, if you were take a step back to the 1870′s-80′s what is the one thing you’d take with you that you know you couldn’t live without?
My home library (more than a 1000 books and counting). That counts as one thing, right?
Where do you put them all!?!
What’s up next for you?
I just finished the 2nd book in my Rocky Creek series, A Suitor for Jenny. It’s schedule for publication September 2010. I got the idea for this book after seeing a meeting notice in an old Kansas newspaper for an organization called The Society for the Protection and Preservation of Male Independence. What fun the heroine has breaking through that society!
I’m now writing the third and final book in the series.
Can’t wait!
Any parting words of wisdom?
If you’re a reader, you don’t need any words of wisdom as you’re already wise.
If you’re a reader AND a writer, rent the movie Julia and Julie and pretend it’s about writers instead of cooks. Julia Child enjoyed the process of cooking, even the failures. Julie didn’t enjoy the process, which led to constant meltdowns and relationship problems. The lesson here is that you have to love the process. If you’re just getting started, stay focused on learning the craft and discovering your inner writer. Don’t worry about the publishing end. That’s down the road. Celebrate every little success. Enjoy the ride. And write, write, write. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell talks about the 10,000 hour rule to success. Before I was published I put in my 10,000 hours by writing four books. At least two of them (okay, three) were pretty crappy but I learned.
Thank you, Margaret for dropping by and chattin’ a spell. Like she said, A Lady Like Sarah is in bookstores now. Seriously, go out and get one. You’ll love it. I promise!
