The Authors of "A Historical Collection"
Cheryl Pierson: Hi Karen, and thanks so much for having us all here today. I'm a native of Oklahoma. I live in the Oklahoma City metro area with my husband. The mother of two grown children, and pet-sitter on occasion, I am
always busy. A romance author who loves to read, I also teaches novel writing classes and am the co-owner of West Winds Media, an editing/teaching business for writers. I write short stories that have appeared in VICTORY TALES PRESS anthologies as well as anthologies compiled by Adams Media and Chicken Soup.
Kate Kindle:
This past year with Victory Tales Press has been very enjoyable and rewarding for me. I've written four novellas/shorts for VTP. By the way, Victory Tales Press is now celebrating its one year anniversary. The most exciting news for me has been the eBook and print publication of my novel, Angel's Requiem. I hope you will purchase A Historical Collection: Sweet/Sensual, for the relaxation and inspiration that only a collection of short stories can offer.
As for my background, I've been a journalist and teacher, a mother who has raised four children, and the wife of a husband who shares my interests in playing Irish music, and enjoying the cultural pleasures in New York City.
Miriam Newman: Fantasy poetry driven by myths and legends has been my passion for as long as I can remember. I have published in poetry before catching the romance writing bug. I bring that background to my writing along with a lifelong addiction to horses, an 18 year career in various areas of psychiatric social services and many trips to Ireland, where I nurture my muse. My published works range from contemporary fantasy romance to fantasy historical, futuristic, science fiction and historical romance. Currently I live in rural Pennsylvania with a "motley crew" of rescue animals.
I live in California with my husband, three fascinating children, fo
ur dogs, and three cats. Jack, my Chihuahua/Yorkshire terrier is my writing buddy and sits long hours with me at the computer. Whether your reading fancy is paranormal, historical or time travel, all my stories capture the rich array of emotions that accompany the most fabulous human phenomena—falling in love.***What inspired you to write your story for A Historical Collection?
Cheryl Pierson author of Jason's Angel: I normally write my historicals in the old west setting of Indian Territory, but because we have Indian blood on both sides of my family, I decided to do something a bit different with JASON'S ANGEL. During Andrew Jackson's presidency, he enforced the Cherokee Removal from Georgia and many other states (because gold had been found in Taladega). He ordered the Cherokees moved west to Indian Territory on what became known as The Trail of Tears. Although many of the Cherokees lived just as the whites lived, in plantation houses, some of them with slaves of their own, and had their own government, this removal was anything but voluntary. I began to wonder…what if some of the Cherokees stayed behind? Jason's mother was married to a Scotsman. That might offer her some protection, being married to a white man, but it couldn't stop the hard feelings of the neighbors that wanted them gone. I gave Jason a tragic past—a mother and father who were murdered when Jason and his little brother, Eli, were only children. They go to live with their father's brother, so they're safe from the Removal. Because their father is Scottish, their last name is McCain, but they carry the Cherokee coloring of their mother. When the Civil War comes along, Jason decides to fight for the Union, although he's a born and bred Georgian. Eli leaves his uncle's inhospitable home and follows Jason to battle. When they're both severely wounded, a Confederate angel comes to take them to her home where they might be properly cared for.
Miriam Newman author of Deirdre : Just about the time Rebecca Vickery asked me to write a short story for her Historical Anthology, I had been thinking of the poetry I wrote for forty years before I ever published a romance. Some of that poetry was very romantic and much of it was based on the Irish Bardic poetry of my childhood. The echo of that style can be heard in the works of Gerard Manley Hopkins, W. B. Yeats and Dylan Thomas, but the earliest written Bardic poetry dates back to about the 6th century, and the oral traditions of bards greatly pre-date that. The "Tain Bo Cuailnge"—the Cattle Raid of Cooley—falls into that category and is mentioned in my story, "Deirdre." Much of the Bardic writing would hardly be recognizable to modern readers as poetry, comprised as it was of long genealogical records and nearly journalistic accounts of deeds of lords and ancestors. The ancient tale of Deirdre of the Sorrows, with which I was raised, falls roughly into that category and I had begun to wonder if I would like to undertake my own rendering of the ancient tale. Rebecca's email came right at that time and a new project was born.
Kate Kindle author of A Tale from the Red Chest : What inspired me was summers in Pennsylvania coal country where some of my ancestors live. These were very happy times among colorful, warm and ambitious people. A few years ago, years after visiting my folks there, my family and me went down the Lackawanna County coal mine, now closed. I experienced the life of a miner. I was glad Rebecca Vickery asked us to do an historical story so I could do The Tale From the Red Chest.
Karen Michelle Nutt author of The Devil's Wolf: At a Scottish Festival I came across a book about the reivers and was intrigued to find out more about the border families. Many of the reivers had colorful names such as Archie Fire-the-Braes, Out-With-the-Sword, and Cleave-the-Crune. I created a few colorful names for my tale: Two-Left-Feet and the Devil's Wolf seemed an appropriate name for the hero of this tale.
***Was your story based on a true life event and how much research did you need to do?
Cheryl: All my stories are based on historical things that have happened. This one didn't need a lot of research because being born and raised in Oklahoma, we are taught about the Removal and Trail of Tears through all school grades as part of our Oklahoma history. My great grandfather was Scotch-Irish, and I have a great grandmother who was Cherokee, and another great grandfather who was Choctaw. So my stories are a mixture of history and true life events and people.
Miriam Newman: No, it wasn't. Most of the research I needed was already in my head
Kate Kindle: I did hours of reading on the web, in addition to an onsite visit to the coal mines. Yes, this is a fact-based story.
Karen Michelle Nutt: They Along the Scotland and England borders, the lawless period of reivers organized their family groups to steal from their neighboring clansmen.The
Maxwells were the strongest family in the Scottish West March until the Johnstones reduced their power in the sixteenth century. The feud between the Johnstones and the Maxwells was the longest and the bloodiest in history. ***What are your hero and heroine's first impressions of each other?
Cheryl: Sabrina is a volunteer nurse in a Confederate hospital. She is appalled at the treatment of wounded Union prisoner Jason McCain. If she doesn't bring him home with her where he will get the treatment he needs, he will surely die. When Jason comes to, through his fevered haze, he thinks Sabrina is an angel.
Miriam: As in so many tales of this type, they were nearly magically drawn to one another and love was instant—a deeply fatal attraction.
Kate: First impression? Hmmm. Well, Maddy and Jack were lifelong best friends. She admired his courage. He liked her for her friendship and concern for him when he was a young boy in the mines. Later, of course, his innate courage and spunk, and his good looks, made him the alpha male whom Maddy realizes she has fallen in love with. As for Jack, he realized Maddy was a beauty now, and his warmth for her became desire.
Karen : At a Scottish Festival I came across a book about the reivers and was intrigued to find out more about the border families. Many of the reivers had colorful names such as Archie Fire-the-Braes, Out-With-the-Sword, and Cleave-the-Crune. I created a few colorful names for my tale: Two-Left-Feet and the Devil's Wolf seemed an appropriate name for the hero of this tale.
***Tell the readers where they can find you:
Cheryl Pierson: Website: www.cherylpierson.com
E-mail: fabkat_edit@yahoo.com I love to hear from readers and other writers!
Miriam Newman:
At my website, www.miriamnewman.com and at both my
publishers— http://victorytalespress.yolasite.com
and www.thedarkcastlelords.com
Kate Kindle: You are welcome to visit at my blog: kindlecloudnine.blogspot.com. You can find my print book, Angel's Requiem: Amazon
Karen Michelle Nutt: Website: http://www.kmnbooks.com
Blog: Here at KMN Books Blogspot
I hope you enjoyed meeting the authors of A Historical Collection.
Don't forget to stop by to read Kate Kindle's interview with Rebecca Vickery and Laura Shinn and to wish them continued growth and excitement with their company, Victory Tales Press. Kate's Blog:
http://kindlecloudnine.blogspot.com/p/happy-birthday-victory-tales-press.html
The Western Saga Authors are at my website to chat about ghost towns and favorite westerns, we'd love to have you come by: http://www.kmnbooks.com
***Contest: Don't forget to leave a comment or a question at each of the blogs for your chance to win gift certificate from Victory Tales Press!
Victory Tales Press: http://victorytalespress.yolasite.com/
