Interview with the heroine of Hearts that Survive – A Novel of the Titanic (Abingdon, March 1, 2012) by Yvonne Lehman:

1. My name is Lydia Beaumont. Others behave and speak as if the most interesting thing about me is that I’m heiress to the Beaumont Railroad Company and my father is fabulously rich. However, I think the most interesting is that I’m sailing on the Titanic, the greatest ship ever built and am on my way to America where I expect my life to really begin. And yet, if anyone else knew the secret known only to me, I suspect that would be of incredible interest.

2.  What do you do for fun?

Before John, I was escorted by Craven to the finest establishments in cities like London and Paris. After John, fun was escaping from those who watched my every move, and sneaking out to run around town with friends as if I were a commoner. Now that I’ve matured considerably in the past few weeks, nothing is more fun than exploring this ship with John or just talking and laughing with him.

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it?

I dread revealing my secret because if it were something that would not cause distress, decisions, and uncertainty to many, then it would not be a secret.

4.  What are you afraid of most in life?

Never being free to live and love the way I want, but having my life dictated by others.

5.  What do you want out of life?

What I want most is to marry John and live happily ever after.

6.  What is the most important thing to you?

Marrying John.

7.  Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?

Oh yes, my favorite book is a best-selling one titled Once Upon an English Garden. The author is aboard this ship, in second-class unfortunately but that doesn’t bother John. The two of them have become friends.

8.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

If I could change one thing about me it would be my former naïveté about my own susceptibility to temptation which led to indiscretion.

9.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

Why have a pet when you, yourself, are a pet to your own father, eligible and ineligible bachelors, friends of the family, servants, governesses, tutors, and guards. In a sense, I feel like a pet who is pampered and trained and has every moment scheduled. If I want something fetched I simply speak to a servant and I never fear any disobedience. Were I to have a pet however, I think it would be a little songbird in a cage, so I could set him free.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

Oh, when one is in a palace on the sea, aboard the grandest ship ever built, one simply could not desire to travel elsewhere. We sail on a glassy smooth sea, with only hope and beauty ahead of us and my dear love is walking toward me. The grandeur of this ship is a world of its own. I cannot imagine traveling back from this or being more fortunate than to be aboard this magnificent “unsinkable” ship of dreams.

Interview with the heroine from Love Finds You in New Orleans, Louisiana:

1. Charlotte LeClerc , tell me the most interesting thing about you.

That I’m not who I think I am, but if I reveal more, my author might murder me…and this is a romance.

2.  What do you do for fun?

Attend the opera and performances, avoid my grandmother.

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it?

Anything requiring me to be required to do something!

4.  What are you afraid of most in life?

I most fear dying without ever having made a difference in someone’s life.

5.  What do you want out of life? 6.  What is the most important thing to you?

What I want is to marry someone I love, to have children, and to continue standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.  And it’s important to me that my life, my family’s life, and our desire to help others is all rooted in showing God’s love.

6.  Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?

I do love reading, and one of my most treasured memories is being read to by my Grandpere.  Shakespeare is one of my favorites, but I enjoy a variety of books, including Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein.

7.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I am apt to be impatient, with myself as well as others.

8.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

My cat, Henri, is actually a stray that visits so often I have come to think of him as my own.

9. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

Well, I’m already in 1841, but I would like to go back to meet my parents when they first married.

This week I’m hosting Christa Allan with Love Finds You in New Orleans, Louisiana, Yvonne Lehman with Hearts that Survive, Mary Ellis with An Amish Family Reunion, and Kelly Irvin with To Love and Cherish.  If you want to enter the drawings for the books, please leave a comment on one of the post during the week with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (February 26th) evening.

Bio of Christa Allan:

Blurb for Love Finds You in New Orleans, Louisiana: 

Raised by her grandparents in 19th-century New Orleans, Charlotte LeClerc knows little about her long-lost parents. Now facing an arranged marriage to a suitor she dreads, she finds herself attracted to somebody else: a young Creole man named Gabriel Girod. Meanwhile, her grandparents harbor a family secret. Will the truth set everybody free—especially Charlotte?

Bio of Yvonne Lehman:

YVONNE LEHMAN is an award-winning, best-selling author of novels in many genres such as historical, contemporary, romance, mystery, women’s fiction, mainstream. Hearts that Survive – A Novel of the Titanic (Abingdon) is her 50^th novel to be released March 1, 2012 in time for the 100^th anniversary of the ship’s sinking. She will have a 3-day book signing at the Titanic Display in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee April 27, 28, and 29. Other novels to be released in 2012 are A Knight to Remember in April (Heartsong, second in a series set in Washington DC) and Let it Snow in December (Heartsong, third in the DC series). Yvonne earned her Master’s Degree in English Literature at Western Carolina University and has taught English and Creative Writing on the college level. She founded and directed the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference for 25 years and now directs the Blue Ridge “Autumn in the Mountains” Novelist Retreat  held at Ridgecrest NC. She is a mentor with the Jerry Jenkins’ Christian Writers Guild.

Blurb of Hearts that Survive:

Of all the unbelievable things that occurred, the strangest thing took place. The floating half of the ship began to melt like a dollop of butter on a hot roll. It just melted smoothly into the ocean and the hoard of people were in the water. Their hair didn’t get wet. No water splashed on their faces. For an instant they didn’t scream. They couldn’t. A communal gasp went out over the sea, produced by hundreds and hundreds of terrified people who unexpectedly stepped into icy water up to their necks.

The ship of dreams vanished, disappeared as it sank into the sea.

In its place emerged a nightmare.

The sinking of the “unsinkable” Titanic was not the end of the story for the 2207 passengers, plus the crew. It was the beginning of an unforgettable event that changed history, changed culture. There were only a few hundred saved in the 20 lifeboats. Not only were hundreds and hundreds of souls lost that night, but the event touched people throughout the world. Each person had family, friends, acquaintances and their lives too were touched and changed. Being saved was not the end, but the beginning for those who struggled not just to survive, but to live again.

Read this incredible story of

ONE SHIP… TWO FAMILIES… THREE GENERATIONS.

Bio of Mary Ellis:

Mary Ellis grew up close to an Amish settlement where she loved their peaceful agrarian lifestyle and strong sense of Christian community. She and her husband now live by the largest population of Amish in the country where they take weekend trips to research her books. Mary enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, bicycling and swimming. Before “retiring” to write full-time, Mary taught Middle School and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate—a job with amazingly sweet fringe benefits. All three in her Miller Family series made the Christian bestseller lists. A Widow’s Hope was a finalist in the 2010 ACFW Carol Awards and Award of Merit for the Holt Medallion. Her current release is An Amish Family Reunion.

Blurb for An Amish Family Reunion:

Ties That Bind

Julia Miller misses her children. They are grown and have families of their own now, but her mother’s heart yearns for a houseful of laughter and joy once again. She plans to gather her chicks together in a summer celebration to remember.

At the farm next door, Julia’s niece, Phoebe, meets Eli Riehl, a young man who charms her—and everyone else—with his exceptional storytelling ability on a rumschpringe trip to Niagara Falls. When Phoebe sketches scenes to illustrate one of his tales, Eli encourages her incredible talent, and together they embark on a lofty and unlikely business venture for two young Amish people—writing and illustrating a children’s book.

Eli’s kindness and appeal extend beyond his knack for words to reach inside Phoebe’s shy heart. But he is an only son with five sisters, and when tragedy strikes at home, Eli gives up his writing to assume responsibility on the farm. Though willing to abandon his dream of becoming an author, he won’t give up his beloved Phoebe.

Can their love for a good story develop into something that lasts forever, or will memories of the past stand in their way?

ISBN 978-0-7369-4487-8

Category: Fiction—Romance

Bio of Kelly Irvin:

Kelly Irvin is the author of To Love and to Cherish, an Amish romance from Harvest House Publishing. The follow-up in the Bliss Creek Amish series, A Heart Made New, is slated for release in September. She has also penned two romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine, published in 2010 and 2011 by Five Star Gale. A former newspaper reporter, she is a public relations professional. She and her husband live in Texas along with two semi-adult children, three cats, and a tank full of fish. Find out more at www.kellyirvin.com.

Blurb for To Love and to Cherish:

How Do You Forgive When Your Heart Is Broken?

It’s been four years since Carl left. Four years since he left the safety of the small Amish community for the Englisch world. And in four years, Emma’s heart has only begun to heal.

Now, with the unexpected death of her parents, Emma is plunged back into a world of despair and confusion. It’s a confusion only compounded by Carl’s return. She’s supposed to be in love with him…so why can’t she keep her mind off Thomas, the strong, quiet widower who always seems to be underfoot? Could the man she knew only as a friend be the one to help her to heal?  

In a world that seems to be changing no matter how tightly she clings to the past, one woman must see beyond her pain, find strength in God, and open her heart to trust once again.

Find out more at www.amishreader.com.

Interview with the hero from The Wings of Morning by Murray Pura:

Jude Whetstone, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

I love to fly. And when I’m on the ground I love to work with horses and I love to ride. So I guess I love to have the wind in my hair.

What do you do for fun?

The flying and the riding relax me. But also I love to swim in the river near my home. And then, to walk with Lynndaya Kurtz, that is the best.

What do you put off doing because you dread it?

Mucking out the stables. But if you want to have horses it is a necessary evil.

What are you afraid of most in life?

I hope I can get through life without ever killing another human being.

What do you want out of life?

The freedom to worship God and to follow Christ. And to love as much as possible with as much strength as God gives me.

What is the most important thing to you?

My faith. After that, beautiful Lyyndaya. Then my family and friends. The airplane and horses come after all that.

Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?

After the Bible I like to read stories written by Christian authors. Such stories inspire me. I very much like stories that are westerns as well as ones that are adventures. It is pleasant if there is a love interest along with the ruggedness and adventure.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I would like to be taller. Six foot or six foot one would be great, rather than five ten or five eleven. I think Lyyndaya would like that too though she says she would not change a thing about me.

Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

I have two dogs, a brother and a sister. They are Alaskan Malamutes. Such a beautiful breed. Not only do they look wonderful, but they are warm and friendly and love people. They call them The Teddy Bears of the Dog World.

If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

I would like to go back to Colonial America, say, the late 1600s or early 1700s. Such a simple time and the forests were uncut and stretched for thousands of miles. The land was unspoiled. Of course I would miss taking up an airplane, but the freshness and richness of a new America would make up for that.

Interview with the heroine from An Amish Wedding by Kathleen Fuller:

 1.Naomi King, tell me the most interesting thing about you. I teach Amish cooking lessons to English visitors. I also run a bakery.

2.  What do you do for fun? I love to spend time with my family. But I work so hard, so I don’t have a lot of time for fun.

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it? Laundry. I’ve never liked doing it, however, I usually try not to put things off.

4.  What are you afraid of most in life? Being rejected.

5.  What do you want out of life? To be happy, serving the Lord, and my family.

6.  What is the most important thing to you? My family—I love being surrounded by them and my community.

7.  Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read? I don’t have time to read—but when I do, I read cookbooks! J

8.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would be more easy-going, and carve out time for fun. Sometimes I take myself too seriously.

9.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet? No pets.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why? I never thought about traveling back in time. I suppose if I could, I would like to visit Jesus during his time. Or some of my Amish ancestors, when they first moved to this country. 

Interview with the heroine from Where Wildflowers Bloom by Ann Shorey:

1.  Faith Lindberg, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

 My mother died when I was ten, so I was reared in an all-male household by my grandfather, father, and brother. I know how to split wood and shoot a weapon, but I prefer to do “girly” things.

2.  What do you do for fun?

 I read books about Oregon, and dream about living there.

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it?

As manager of my grandfather’s mercantile, I’m sometimes called upon to demand payment from people who owe us money. I cringe at the very thought.

4.  What are you afraid of most in life?

 Cemeteries. I faint if I get near one.

5.  What do you want out of life?

 I want to leave Missouri and live in Oregon with my grandfather. Our lives were shattered by the War Between the States, and I’d like to run away from the memories.

6.  What is the most important thing to you?

 My grandfather is the only family I have left. Taking care of him is my most important goal.

7.  Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?

 Yes, I’m a good reader and enjoy books about the west. I’m fascinated by accounts of people who’ve traveled the Oregon Trail to live in the fertile Willamette valley.

8.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

 Oh, I’d love to have curly blonde hair instead of my straight straw-brown tresses.

9.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

 My father had a hunting dog named Flint, but my grandfather gave the dog away after my father was killed in the war. I’d love to have a dog of my own. I remember how Flint loved my father.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

 It would be wonderful to go back to the 1850’s and be part of the first migrations to Oregon. Maybe my father and brother would still be alive if we’d been that far away.

Heroine interview from Falling for the Fireman:

Jeannie, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

I don’t know about interesting, but my job is certainly tasty–I make candy and run a candy shop in Gordon Falls.  Or did run one, until it burned down recently.  

 What do you do for fun?

I think my job is great fun, and it’s been hard to be “on hold” while we get ready to open a new store.  Thinking and dreaming about that new store is the most fun I have right now.  I also enjoy playing with my 13 year old son–but I’m not very good at his video games.

 What do you put off doing because you dread it?

Dealing with all the aftermath of the fire.  I dread the paperwork, documenting all Nicky and I have lost, the boring apartment where we have to live now until the new store (and our home above it) is finished.

 What are you afraid of most in life?

I fear that Nicky has been hurt by the fire–not physically wounded, but damaged on the inside.  It’s not fair that he lost his father when he was six and now he has this other enormous loss to endure.  I know I can cope–even though it’s hard–but I worry so much about him.

 What is the most important thing to you?

Nicky.  He’s all I have right now.

 Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?

Well, candy recipe books and decorating books are my favorite ones at the moment, but I like biographies of people who have done great things, too.

 If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I need to be more patient right now, but it’s so hard.  I need to be in my new store doing what I love, but it seems to be taking so very long.

 Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

Nicky wants a pet badly, but the apartment complex we’re renting in right now only allows goldfish, which Nicky says are “lame.”  That’s why I’m so grateful Chad Owens hired Nicky to be the fire department’s official dog walker.  Plug is one portly hound, and Nicky adores him–it’s a good thing for both of them.

If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

To own a chocolate shop in Paris in the 1920’s would be such an amazing adventure.  So glamorous!

This week I’m hosting Allie Pleiter with Falling for the Fireman, Ann Shorey with Where Wildflowers Bloom, Kathy Fuller with An Amish Wedding, and Murray Pura with The Wings of Morning. If you want to enter the drawings for the books, please leave a comment on one of the post during the week with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (February 19th) evening.

Bio for Allie Pleiter:

An avid knitter, coffee junkie, and devoted chocoholic, Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction.  The enthusiastic but slightly untidy mother of two, Allie spends her days writing books, buying yarn, and finding new ways to avoid housework.  Allie hails from Connecticut, moved to the midwest to attend Northwestern University, and currently lives outside Chicago, Illinois.  The “dare from a friend” to begin writing has produced two parenting books, fourteen novels, and various national speaking engagements on faith, women’s issues, and writing.  Visit her website at www.alliepleiter.co or her knitting blog at www.DestiKNITions.blogspot.com

Blurb for Falling for the Fireman:

Harlequin Love Inspired February 2012

ISBN #978-0-373-87725-6

There’s something achingly familiar about the look in fire marshal Chad Owens’s eyes. Widowed mom Jeannie Nelworth knows firsthand what it is: loss, hurt and yes—bitterness. Ever since the fire that changed their lives, Jeannie’s young son has borne that same look, pushing everyone away. So she’s grateful when Chad tries to get through to the boy with the help of his trusty fire station dog.

But the man who’s all about safety and prevention keeps himself protected—from loving and losing again. Seems as if Jeannie will have to add his kind, guarded heart to her rebuilding efforts.

Bio for Ann Shorey:

ANN SHOREY has been a full-time writer for over twenty years. Her writing has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Grandma’s Soul, and in the Adams Media Cup of Comfort series. She made her fiction debut with The Edge of Light, Book One in the At Home in Beldon Grove series for Revell. The Sisters at Heart series is her latest offering. She’s tempted to thank Peet’s coffee and Dove chocolates when she writes the acknowledgments for her books.

She may be contacted through her website, www.annshorey.com, which also contains her blog, http://annshorey.blogspot.com/ or find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AnnShorey.

Blurb for Where Wildflowers Bloom:

How far will she go to follow her dreams?

The War Between the States stole a father and brother from Faith Lindberg—as well as Royal Baxter, the man she wanted to marry. With only her grandfather left, she dreams of leaving Noble Springs, Missouri, and traveling west to Oregon to start a new life, away from the memories that haunt her. But first she must convince her grandfather to sell the family’s mercantile and leave a town their family has called home for generations.

When Royal Baxter suddenly returns, Faith allows herself to hope that she and Royal will finally wed. But does he truly love her? Or will another man claim her heart?

“Where Wildflowers Bloom invites you to settle down over by the checkerboard at Lindberg’s Mercantile Store and get to know the people of Noble Springs as they put the sorrows of the Civil War behind them and embrace life and love anew. Ann Shorey has come up with an appealing mix of history and romance that readers are sure to enjoy.”—Ann H. Gabhart, author of The Blessed and Words Spoken True

“The authenticity of Where Wildflowers Bloom transported me straight to post–Civil War times, yet the characters—their hopes, dreams, conflicts, and fears—all rang contemporarily true. Another winner from Ann Shorey!”—Christina Berry, Christy-nominated and Carol Award–winning author of The Familiar Stranger.

Bio for Kathleen Fuller:

Kathleen Fuller is the best-selling author of the Hearts of Middlefield series. She currently writes Amish fiction for Thomas Nelson. To find out more about her books, visit her website: www.kathleenfuller.com

 

Priscilla King has dreamed of being married to Chester Lapp since she was sixteen. With the help of her sister Naomi’s matchmaking skills, Chester proposes to Priscilla on her nineteenth birthday. As the wedding day approaches, problems emerge: an attendant with poison ivy, a failed celery crop, and a torn wedding dress.

 

At the same time, Priscilla’s best friend Rose is convinced her fiance is hiding something and she is intent on discovering the truth at any cost.

 

Naomi remains hopeful that she, too, will soon find her perfect match. When Chester’s cousin shows up, there’s an immediate attraction between him and Naomi-as well as an obstacle that may just as immediately derail their blossoming love.

 

Is God sending a message to stop the wedding? What is certain is that the hearts of these three women will be forever transformed by this touching Amish wedding.

 

Bio for Murray Pura:

 

Murray Pura, who has two Masters degrees and has pastored for 25 years, now writes full-time at his home in the Canadian Rockies. He has published inspirational fiction and nonfiction with Zondervan, HarperOne San Francisco, Barbour, and Harvest House. His latest books include the nonfiction devotionals Rooted and Streams as well as the romances A Bride’s Flight From Virginia City, Montana and The Wings of Morning. Murray’s writing has been nominated for a number of awards for writing excellence. He and his wife Linda have a son and a daughter.

 

Blurb for The Wings of Morning:

 

When a young Amish man is forced into enlisting in the US Army Air Corps it plunges his life and his Amish community into turmoil. His love for beautiful young Lyyndaya Kurtz, and her love for him, is stretched to the limit as America enters World War One and Jude begins to fly combat patrols over Germany and France. His shunning and excommunication by the Amish for his participation in warfare not only makes a hard situation worse but threatens to end his relationship with Lyyndaya forever – if enemy airplanes don’t do that first.

 

 

 

Interview with the heroine from Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland by Roseanna White:

Lark, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

Oh my, I fear there isn’t much to tell. I’m a bit too bookish and tend to fade into the wallpaper—I am nothing beside my beautiful sister or cousin. Prithee, forgive such a non-answer!

What do you do for fun?

I enjoy little more than settling in with a good tale of adventure!

What do you put off doing because you dread it?

I tend to procrastinate when it comes to bringing up subjects that will result in confrontation. ’Tisn’t that I refuse to argue, mind you, when a subject demands it—but I shy away from it whenever I may.

What are you afraid of most in life?

Spending it alone, as the spinster sister of my well-loved brother. Or worse, spending it alone at the side of the one who should love me above all—but never will.

What do you want out of life?

To find my place, my purpose. Sometimes I fear it shall never be clear.

What is the most important thing to you?

I have always valued family above all . . . and yet recently, I have come to cherish liberty equally—that elusive thing my brother fought for in the Revolution, but which seems so hard to hold.

Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?

Oh, yes! I am all the time sneaking off with one of my favorite books. I read anything I can find, be it sermons or poetry or treatises, but my absolute favorite are books with an adventure within the pages. Don Quixote ranks at the fore of my list.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I would be more. More beautiful, more spirited, more determined, more devout. Just more.

Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

We have animals aplenty on our plantation outside Williamsburg, but none have ever been permitted to be pets—well, unless one counts my father’s and brother’s horses, but I haven’t a mount that is solely mine, I’m afraid. And we’ve no dogs or cats at Endover. Perhaps someday, though, I shall demand such a creature to keep me company. That would surely help the long days pass by the more quickly!

If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

Oh, I wouldn’t travel far—just back a few decades to the days when the pirates roamed the seas more freely. I should greatly like a ship, a cutlass, a pistol—and the gumption to demand my own adventure. Alas, I think I shall have to settle for those novels.

Interview with the heroine from Winds of Wyoming by Rebecca Carey Lyles:

1. KATE NEILSON, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

This is embarrassing, but I have a feeling people who knew me in Pennsylvania would say the most interesting thing about me is the fact I spent five years in prison. I like to think I’m interesting because I’m a totally different person now than when I was first incarcerated. Don’t get me wrong! Prison was awful. I never want to return. Lots of bad stuff happened to me there. But some really good things also happened that changed my life—for the better.

2.  What do you do for fun?

Line dance! I had never tried line-dancing before I moved to the ranch. It’s loads of fun and great exercise.

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it?

I avoid telling people what my life was like before I came to Wyoming. When I lived on the streets in Pittsburgh, I committed about every crime a person can commit, except murder. I know someday, somewhere, somehow, people here will discover I’m an ex-felon. I dread seeing their responses when they find out who the real me is, so I’m pretty vague about my history.

4.  What are you afraid of most in life?

I’m afraid my boss will find out about my past and I’ll lose the internship I’m doing at the ranch to fulfill requirements for the marketing degree I earned while I was in prison. Working on a guest ranch is a dream come true for me, something I’ve longed for since I was a little girl. Plus, I love the Whispering Pines ranch. It’s beautiful here and the people are really nice. It’s a great place to work.

5.  What do you want out of life?

I want to live a normal life and have a real family to call my own. I spent most of my younger years in foster homes and my teen years either on the streets or in jail. That’s why I need to keep my internship, which has the potential to become a permanent job. It’s hard for ex-felons to find work, especially work they like. With steady employment, I can be a productive citizen, one who contributes to society rather than takes from it.

6.  What is the most important thing to you?

This may sound strange, but I think I need to grow up in some aspects of my life and become more childlike in other areas. I didn’t have much fun as a kid, so I can be too serious at times. Plus, some things happened to me when I was young that make it hard for me to trust people—and God. I became a Christian in prison, so learning to trust God is what I want most in life, but it’s hard to let down my guard. I have a sneaking suspicion that growing up and becoming more childlike are both somehow intertwined with trusting God.

7.  Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?

Now that I’ve become a Christian, I’m fascinated by the Bible, partly because the two women I admire the most, my Great-Aunt Mary and my good friend Dymple, have both shared their love for God and his Word with me. I also like to read novels, those where the good guys and gals not only win but become better people. I have to admit, however, that after living on the streets, I find the plots of some books a bit too idealistic.

8.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

My first reaction was to say I’d change my past. But I’m learning God has a plan and a purpose for everyone and everything that happens to us. Still, I wish I could have known my parents and my brother longer. I barely remember them, which makes me sad.

 9.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

My real family had a cocker spaniel named Trudy. She was a sweet dog. I miss her almost as much as I miss my parents and my brother. Here at the ranch, the owner, Mike Duncan, has a collie named Tramp. Tramp is a sweet dog, too, and very attached to his master, who obviously loves his dog. From my experience, men who love their pets and are good to them tend to be really nice guys. That’s definitely the case with Mike.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?

Though it would be interesting to visit the West when it was first being settled and to talk with early pioneers, I’d probably want to return to the days just before I lost my family. I couldn’t change what happened to them, but I could hug my mom and my dad and my brother again and again and tell them how much I love them.