#authorinterview – Page 2 – Avonna Loves Genres

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Mists over the Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin

Book Description

The German invasion of the British Channel Islands shatters Dr. Ivy Picot’s peaceful world, forcing her to shoulder the weight of her father’s medical practice and hold together a family unraveling under the strain of war. As conditions worsen in Jersey with the arrival of thousands of forced laborers, Ivy’s quiet allegiance to the Allies compels her to risk everything by providing medical aid to escaped workers–even as danger closes in.

Dutch engineer and resistance member Gerrit van der Zee volunteers to build fortifications for the Germans so he can secretly send maps and diagrams to the Allies. On his arrival in the Channel Islands, he crosses paths with Ivy, who shows him contempt for the uniform he wears. As tensions mount and their missions grow increasingly dangerous, Ivy and Gerrit must confront the cost of courage, the meaning of sacrifice, and whether love can survive in the shadow of war. Will their covert efforts turn the tide–or will they pay the ultimate price for defiance?

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Elise’s Thoughts

Mists over the Channel Islands by Sarah Sundin is another riveting story. All her books seem to educate the readers while presenting a compelling story, relatable heroes in both Ivy and Gerrit and incredibly memorable multifaceted characters. There is danger, suspense, a sweet love story, and family conflicts.

The book opens with the German invasion of the Channel Islands. The female lead, Ivy Picot, has her father leaving the family’s medical practice to serve as a medic on the Allied front lines. Now Ivy along with her older sister, Fern, and younger brother Charlie must manage the practice.

As conditions worsen in Jersey with the arrival of thousands of forced laborers, Ivy’s quiet allegiance to the Allies compels her to risk everything by providing medical aid to escaped workers. She meets Dutch engineer and resistance member Gerrit van der Zee and his friend Bernardus Kroon. They volunteered to build fortifications for the Germans so they can secretly send maps and diagrams to the Allies. But Ivy wants nothing to do with him and shows him
contempt for the German uniform he wears.

Charlie is aligned with Ivy on her views of the Germans and realizes that Gerrit and Bernardus are in the resistance. He volunteers to help them and becomes part of the resistance. The one sibling who readers will grow to hate is Fern. She was a terrible sister and awful person, blaming others, and never taking responsibility. Plus, she aligned herself with the Germans, working for them and having an affair with a German officer.

The tension increases as the dangers increase for Ivy, Gerrit, Charlie, and Bernardus. Readers will not want to put the book down because this story is a page turner.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Sarah Sundin: I have always been interested in the English Islands, which were occupied by the Germans. I looked at Jersey and read about the physicians who took care of the escaped forced laborers. A lot of the men who fought as young men in WWI fought as older men in WWII. The main character’s father was a physician, and fought even though he was a little older.

EC: Jersey folk versus English folk?

SS: There are four Islands, Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark, each with their own unique status. They are not part of the United Kingdom, and are not English, but are a part of Great Britian. They depend on them for military protection, but they have their own laws, police, government, postage stamps, and currency. They have Norman roots but have a lot of British culture.

EC: Did you show how they Germans tried to exploit the difference?

SS: Yes. There was some resentment between the natives and the English there. The Germans deported those who were born in Mainland England and sent them to internment camps. One of the reasons the Germans did it was to drive a wedge between the locals and the English people. It totally backfired. The people of Jersey were upset.

EC: In the story, Ivy and Gerrit seem to struggle with their beliefs. Do you agree?

SS: The quote, ‘the Nazis are specialized in cruelty and erasing the goodness for the Island. Why did God do nothing to stop them?’ It’s the old saying, ‘if God is good why do bad things happen?’ Ivy especially struggles with it but realizes God does not want people to be robots and should make choices.

EC: How would you describe Ivy?

SS: She is intuitive, caring, and compassionate. She has quiet strength and courage. Being a doctor, she faces criticism and must deal with being a woman in a man’s world. Sometimes she can see things others don’t.

EC: How would you describe Bernardus?

SS: He is the friend of Gerrit. He is smart, driven, a little bit reckless. He wants to get things done.

EC: What about Gerrit?

SS: He is cautious to a fault, wants to do the right thing, thoughtful, and gentle. He has an engineer’s mind and sees the world in black and white.

EC: How would you describe Charlie?

SS: He was my favorite character and at some point, stole the story. He is bright, curious, courageous, impetuous, selfless, charming, perceptive, favors and respects Ivy over his other sister.

EC: How would you describe Fern, the older sister?

SS: A charming narcissist. She is bitter, jealous, disloyal, a betrayer, controlling, bullying, mean, efficient, clever, and enjoyed Ivy’s dependence on her. She twists people’s words. She sees herself as the heroine, not as the villainess she is. She will never admit her wrong doings.

EC: What about the relationship between Gerrit and Ivy?

SS: I think it was an enemy to lover’s story that got off to a rough spot. Ivy’s perspective was he wore the German uniform and would not trust him. He is in the resistance but cannot tell her that. For him, it is a forbidden love. He cannot tell her because he would put himself, Charlie, Bernadus, and herself in danger. In the end they became affectionate toward each other.

EC: Do you think the Germans were harsh to the Islanders?

SS: They would not allow people to draw outside. They regulated the water intake, had curfews, and took political prisoners. The Germans cut off Jersey from Britian who provided supplies, coal, and medicine. Now they had to buy from France but do not have trade patterns with them. This was a cruelty of war itself.

EC: Next books?

SS: A Christmas novella coming out in September, titled Twelve Days and Twelfth Night. It is set in San Diego with a USO show. The USO director must put on a show for the sailors. She recruits a Hollywood heartthrob has been, who has severe burns. It is fun and lighthearted.

My next novel comes out in February, set in France. The plot has those living in the mountains of France rescuing 3000 Jewish children during the war. Almost every home in that village rescued at least one person.

THANK YOU!!

***

BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: She Thought She Was Safe by Terri Parlato

Book Description

After the double blow of divorce and her mother’s death, Emma Shrader receives an invitation to meet her estranged father for the first time. Alex Spencer is a wealthy, renowned author who had a brief fling with Emma’s mom, then disappeared. Now he’d like Emma to come stay at his beautiful home on Cheshire Lake in Maine.

The Spencer house is a towering Victorian steeped in history and lore, from its ornate turret to the little cemetery nestled in adjoining woods. It should be an inspiring place for Emma to finish working on her own novel, especially with Alex’s guidance. But when a neighbor is found dead under strange circumstances, the surroundings begin to feel less idyllic and welcoming. Not everyone is happy about Emma’s arrival, either—especially not Alex’s other daughter, Sunny.

There are things Emma keeps to herself about her chaotic childhood and ex-husband, but Cheshire Lake harbors secrets too—some recent, some decades old. What exactly has been going on in this quiet, close-knit community? And how much of it has to do with Emma’s arrival?

As Emma learns of other disappearances and mysterious deaths, what seemed like a fresh start begins to fill her with unease. Emma thought Cheshire Lake held the home and family she’s long been looking for. Now she wonders if she’ll ever be allowed to leave alive . . .

***

Elise’s Thoughts

She Thought She Was Safe by Terri Parlato has the author venturing away from her series with Detective Rita. This is a stand-alone thriller shows how people are not whom they seem and monsters lurk behind facades.

The plot has Emma realizing she needs a new start. After the unexpected death of her mother and the collapse of her marriage, Emma is looking for a place to escape to. She discovers the identity of her father, something her mother had kept hidden. Emma contacts her biological father, Alex Spencer, a wealthy and famous author of historical mysteries. After a DNA test confirms she is indeed his daughter, he invites her to stay at his secluded Victorian home on Cheshire Lake in Maine. Emma is looking forward to getting to know her father better and enjoying the peacefulness of the lake.

But her arrival is anything but peaceful. Emma’s arrival is met with hostility from Alex’s other daughter, her half-sister, Sunny, who manages his career and is fiercely protective of him. Sunny makes it very clear; she isn’t thrilled about Emma’s sudden appearance. Then there is the mystery behind the death of her father’s sister Mary. Emma begins to feel a strange connection to her along with a growing curiosity about what really happened.

Then a neighbor is found dead and another one disappears. She also begins to experience buried memories, leaving Emma to question if she has stepped into a nightmare she may never escape.

The setting also plays a role with its isolation of the property. The setting around Cheshire Lake felt eerie and almost gothic at times, leaving readers to wonder if something is not quite right. She realizes her survival depends on recognizing red flags. Emma realizes she is in immediate danger because those around her want to make sure secrets are kept.

Readers will be hooked from page one. The tension created adds to the unease of Emma whodoes not know who to trust.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Terri Parlato: My editor told me not to write a detective Rita book, so I went back to my family’s roots back in New England. I wanted to do a small-town murder mystery in Maine with some gothic vibes. My husband and I traveled to Boston and Maine. I thought I wanted to write a story about family, incorporating that with my love of history by having the main character, Emma’s father, a best-selling author of historical fiction. All these came together for the story.

EC: How would you describe Alex, the writer father?

TP: He is spoiled, people make excuses for him, self-centered, can turn his emotions off and on, strong-willed, spoiled, a narcissist, someone who enjoys money, and thinks himself as an optimist.

EC: How would you describe Emma?

TP: A librarian. Feels like an outsider to her new family. Faces adversity head on. She is somebody that is looking for some stability and a family.

EC: What about Sunny, Emma’s half-sister?

TP: I have stepsisters and brothers, half sisters and brothers, but none of them are anything like Sunny. She feels superior, is mean, confrontational, possessive of her dad, and wants everything to center around her and her family. She feels superior to Emma and is not supportive. She feels threatened by Emma and does not want her to have any relationship with her father. I see her as a villain through and through.

EC: What is the role of Emma’s ex-husband, Ben?

TP: He was the reason Emma left her life behind. There were some things that happened that she wanted to get away from. She is a woman in her thirties who recently lost her mother and has her husband turning out to be a total jerk. She needed a new start and here comes her dad who is willing to help her out.

EC: What was the role of Alex’s sister, Mary?

TP: Even though Mary is dead Emma feels a sense of kinship with her. She connected to her.

EC: Next book?

TP: It is not a Detective Rita book. I am writing it as we speak and sending portions to my editor to see if he likes it. The story is set in the Northeast, right outside of Boston. It is very different from this book. It is about a group of forty people who have been friends since elementary school. After this horrible thing happens, they are the only survivors. I try to write a different book each time.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Vanished in the Crowd by Rhys Bowen & Clare Broyles

Book Description

New York is busier than ever as two million visitors come to the city to witness the Hudson-Fulton celebration in 1909, marking the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the Hudson River. Parades, exhibitions, carnivals, and a marvelous display of the wonders of the latest invention–electricity–across the city make for two straight weeks of celebrations, which Molly and her family, along with their friends Sid and Gus, are excited to enjoy. But Molly is secretly dealing with financial troubles. She is too proud to ask her friends for a loan, but when they want to hire her as a detective she jumps at the chance.

Sid and Gus are hosting fellow Vassar graduates to take part in one of the parades but one of the women, a brilliant scientist, never shows up. It seems nobody knows where she is, including her husband. Is she trying to run away from her life or is it something more sinister? Why have the Vassar women really come to New York City? When Daniel asks Molly to spy on her friends and find out just what they are planning she finds her loyalties horribly divided. Then the parade turns deadly and only Molly has the tools to find out the truth.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Vanished in the Crowd by Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles per usual has characters and settings that quickly capture the reader’s imagination and interest.

The catalyst for this story is the 1909 New York Hudson-Fulton celebration because the suffragettes have plans of having a float in the parade. Molly’s husband Daniel was put in charge of the new FBI, now tasked with making sure everything goes smoothly with all the foreign and US dignitaries attending. He asks Molly to spy on her friends and neighbors Elena “Sid” Goldfarb and Augusta “Gus” Walcott who happen to be huge suffragettes.

They invited the scientist Willa Parker to stay with them and attend the parade. But she never showed up and now her husband has hired a Pinkerton agent to find her. They offer Molly a job to find her before the Pinkerton agent.

Molly jumps at the chance because the family’s finances are very scarce. She is upset with Daniel for not telling her that he used their savings to pay his men. Plus, he seems to be doing nothing to force his employer to send him a paycheck.

This mystery is based on historical events that focuses on the status of women and the suffragist movement. Molly Murphy fans should be excited that she is back at her profession of being a detective.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Rhys Bowen: The intent for this book was to have Molly going back to detective work. As for women suffrage, we have been leaning toward it as the series has gone along. We played on the injustices to women. Sid and Gus are passionate suffrages.

Clare Broyles: I looked in September 1909, and this Hudson-Fulton Celebration kept coming up in my research. Two million people came in for the parade. I came up with this picture of women on this float dressed up as Greek Goddesses, all collapsing in a die-in. One of them never gets up.

EC: Is Molly wavering in her support of the women suffrage movement?

RB: She is put in an untenable position after her husband, an FBI Agent, Daniel asks her to spy on her friends. She has full sympathy with the suffrage movement but is not political about it. She wants women to have freedom of expression.

CB: She is going on a trajectory. Molly as an immigrant did not want to rock the boat. The one time she did something she ended up in jail with the other suffrages. Now she is much more comfortable in New York and has found her place there, so she is more likely to be on the front lines.

EC: Did you want readers to have mixed emotions about Daniel?

RB: He is a man of his times. He did not consult Molly with money matters and thinks that her job is to make the home a happy place as a wife and mother. At times, he does not listen to Molly’s thoughts, while at other times thinks of her as an equal. He is quite forward thinking and liberal. He has not forbidden her to have a profession outside the home even though he could. A husband at that time had complete control over his wife. Once married she becomes his complete property. The fact that Daniel allows her to go back to work and does not forbid her is quite forward thinking.

CB: We cannot go back and make men from that time the same as men from this time. Daniel did not inform Molly about the family’s money problems because in his mind he would think of it as inappropriate to put any worry on Molly’s shoulder. We see how false that is because she does not have enough grocery money and was having a hard time to make ends meet.

EC: There is a scene in the book where Molly and Daniel are arguing about having the government pay him. Did you get that today with the government shutdown where so many employees are not getting a paycheck?

RB: As we know Congress even then did not do anything sensible. He is waiting for the stupid approval of getting paid and having the FBI as a government agency. Molly is furious of course. He is working without pay.

CB: Daniel has just joined a brand-new government department, the FBI. In my mind if that is true then what else is true? We know the government is very slow to fund money and asks people to work without money. This gave us the opportunity to provoke Molly to go and earn money on her own.

EC: What is the theme?

RB: Women were not included in planning for the celebration. We like to highlight how half the population, women, had no voice. Women were arrested for supporting suffrage. We included Mrs. Belmont who was a real person, one of the richest women of the day, married to Vanderbilt. She inherited this vast fortune. She is a paramount society woman who became a driving force in the suffrage movement behind the scenes.

CB: Maud Malone is also a real person. She would infiltrate political meetings and ask if the men would support women voting.

EC: What do you want to say about Dr. Willa Parker?

RB: She is the brilliant scientist who could not publish papers under her own name, but she had to publish them under her husband’s name. Even Marie Curie had to do it. When readers meet her, she is not a typical woman since her son and marriage are not paramount in her life. She is an obsessed and a passionate scientist. She is so passionate because the virus she was working on, polio, caused her mother’s death, the death of her friend’s son, and her sister’s illness.

CB: For a lot of the book, she is sought after, the heart of the mystery. Why has she disappeared?

EC: Next book?

RB/CB: It will take place right where this one leaves off, with the investigation of Sid and Gus. We took three separate investigations that Molly takes and tie together at the end. Gus has written a play that shows how women throughout the centuries stood up to men. The person who is leading this suppression of vice wants to shut it down. The tension with Daniel will continue as Molly is taking more cases she wants to investigate. He questions if she can be a detective and do her primary role well as wife and mother. It is titled A Whiff of Scandal, coming out this time next year.

RB: Coming out in August will be my historical novel, titled The Castle and the Glen, taking place in Scotland. The plot has a very famous author who cannot finish her novel because of dementia and hires a young and upcoming writer to finish it for her. While doing her research she starts to believe it is not fiction, but real.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Ice Angels by Caroline Mitchell

Book Description

A deadly pattern: Jenny Flynn, Chelsea Hobbs, Sophie Miller. All three children were snatched from the streets of Lincoln, England years apart. All stolen in the bitter chill of winter. All on their way home from school. Then Sophie Miller is found. She’s not speaking, but she may hold a clue to the whereabouts of the missing girls, if someone can get her to open up.

Somewhat reluctantly, Detective Swann calls in his not-quite ex-wife, the perfect woman for the job: Finnish Crime Inspector Elea Baker. No one knows the cases of the Ice Angels better than Elea, and no one is more invested in solving them. Ten years ago, Elea’s daughter Liisa was taken in Helsinki.

Alternating between Elea and Liisa’s perspectives, The Ice Angels is a propulsive and twisty thriller featuring a compelling mother-detective desperately clinging to the hope she can bring her daughter home.

***

Elise’s Thoughts

The Ice Angels by Caroline Mitchell has a gripping story that will have readers on the edge of their seats from the many twists.

The story has Finnish police detective Elea Baker probing the disappearances of two Helsinki 12-year-olds when her own daughter, Liisa, was kidnapped on the way home from school. These children were known as the Ice Angels. All three families received a single white feather in the mail when their child vanished. Now, 10 years later, Elea’s ex-husband, Swann, asks her to consult with police in Lincoln England on their investigation of three more girls’ disappearance. The similarity is that each family received a white feather. No one knows the cases of the Ice Angels better than Elea, and no one is more invested in solving them.

One of the victims,12-year-old Sophie Miller, escaped, and is found clutching a doll that resembles one of Liisa’s favorites. This seems like a breakthrough for Elea, and she immersed herself in finding Liisa.

Told from the alternating narratives of Elea in the present and Liisa in the past, readers get a perspective of how the victim feels and the different emotions of those families left behind.

The best word to describe this novel is WOW as the author emotionally pulls people into the character’s story! Hold on to your hat because this story will take readers on a wild roller coaster ride.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

Caroline Mitchell: I wanted to have my detective, Elea Baker, challenged. I liked the setting where I live now, Lincoln England. Plus, my brother told me how amazing it is where he lives, in Finland, with the rivers, sea, and forest. I merged both areas. Ideas come quickly and freely to me. The theme can be “looks are deceiving,” and that monsters are not always apparent. I think it is more terrifying when the bad people appear like ordinary people. I had my detective come to the UK from Finland to help consult on cases of children’s disappearance.

EC: Since you had two settings is there a difference between the English and Finnish cultures?

CM: Here everyone talks to everyone else. In Finland, my brother says, they do not do small talk at all. They are very loyal. If someone makes friends with you, they are friends for life. Elea can appear quite standoffish but once people get to know her and she lets them in they see she has a heart of gold. Plus, the weather is different in that Finland has extreme cold winters.

EC: Did your professional experience help you write this story since you were a former police detective?

CM: Yes. Even the simple things like working with other colleagues including the banter and the emotional baggage. They call it here, the ‘thin blue line,” where a detective is personally involved but needs to remain professional and not get too emotional about the case. But of course, Elea does, which adds to the intensity of the story. All the cases I worked and the memories I had is like a tapestry.

EC: What about the Ice Angels?

CM: There were three original ones. Each walked home alone before they were snatched. Their parents were sent white feathers. One of the children was Liisa, the daughter of Detective Baker, who disappeared ten years before. The story has tried to find her own Ice Angel, her daughter, who also has a narrative. She was a mother first and a police officer second. She became broken, confident, passionate, loyal, has grief, sarcastic, and unpredictable.

EC: How would you describe Elea Baker?

CM: Having her child disappear put a strain on all her relationships including her marriage that eventually ended. This often happens in the case of missing children where the husband and wife cannot cope with the grief anymore and break up.

EC: What about Liisa, did she have Stockholm Syndrome?

CM: I wanted readers to think about it. Even I was not sure and could be open to interpretation. She had a very strong survival instinct and knew she had to placate them. During her entrapment she kept to herself, quiet, manipulated, lied too, and had a love/hate relationship with her captives. She never forgot her mom and the strong bond was evident. She could hear her mom’s voice in her head all the time.

EC: What about Swann, the lead detective on the new disappearance and Elea’s former husband?

CM: Elea tells him not to give up on Chelsea, one of the Lincoln girls who disappeared, like he gave up on Liisa. She is very hurt by how he acted. There is a scene in the book where he tells her, ‘You told me to leave,’ and she responds, ‘I did not think you would actually do it.’ He is currently jealous of her interactions with other men. He provided quiet strength for Elea at times. There was a weird dynamic because in Finland she was his boss, and now in England, he is her boss.

EC: What was the role of Swann’s current partner, Alice, who had a child with him?

CM: She is part of a love triangle. She is insecure and is uncomfortable with Elea around. She was a B – – – -. She was cruel and not a good person. She personally got pregnant to keep him. Alice has no redeeming qualities.

EC: How would you describe Liisa’s kidnappers?

CM: Psychopaths, evil, and took what they wanted without care or consequence for someone else.

EC: Next book?

CM: There is a sequel. Book two is titled The Night Watcher, coming out about this time next year. It is about a stalker and Elea consults on it, still in England. Readers will find out a lot more about the relationships with Elea, Liisa, and Swann.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Still Waters and An Amish Baby in Her Arms by Patricia Johns

Still Waters and An Amish Baby in Her Arms by Patricia Johns have gripping plots. The characters in the stories must navigate their Amish life with their desires and wishes.

The characters of both books make for wonderful stories. Anyone who enjoys an intense plot, with riveting characters, should read these books.

Book Description

Unsure of her future within the Amish community, Beth Peachy arrives in Lancaster County for the summer to care for her ailing grandmother. Yet with dementia threatening to steal away Mammi’s memories, Beth’s visit quickly evolves into an urgent search for answers to questions that her relatives seem determined to avoid. How can Beth possibly make a lifelong vow to the Amish church when her own family is concealing so much of the past from her?

Beth’s childhood friend Danny Lapp faces his own dilemma as his ex-Amish older brother turns his back on their family upbringing, dishonoring his Plain heritage. Struggling to find some sort of connection with his brother despite their deep difference of opinion, Danny is determined to find a solution before church leadership becomes involved. As Beth and Danny reconnect and seek to help each other in their search for answers, they find themselves stirring up not only surprising revelations about the past, but questions about a possible future–together.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Still Waters has two of the female characters trying to navigate the Amish world versus the English world. Tabitha Schrock left the Amish faith because she wanted to become a veterinarian. Although she has no regrets about that choice, she decided to come back to the Amish community after divorcing her husband who cheated on her. She is getting closer to a friend, Jonas who is willing to help her. Unfortunately, they are attracted to each other but because of Amish rules they can never be married. Tabitha is not the only Amish character who is struggling with her life choices. There is also Beth Peachy who came to Lancaster County to help her ailing grandmother. She wants answers about her dad’s history since he just died. She is also struggling with her Amish faith since she wants to pursue things she enjoys. Danny Lapp is hoping Beth will stay in the Amish faith because he is in love with her.

A powerful subject matter is how Beth’s grandmother, Mammi, has the first signs of dementia. This presents anguish, grief, and peace with the characters since it is hard for Beth to get answers.

***

Book Description

A widow reeling from loss…

Can the storm deliver her a family?

Miriam Yoder thought she’d never feel happy again after the loss of her husband and unborn child—until a baby is abandoned outside her workplace. Seeing this as an opportunity for her heart to heal, she cares for the helpless infant during a fierce storm with her late husband’s brother. But Amish farmer Isaac Yoder has been keeping secrets. Hiding them from Miriam as he temporarily works alongside her at his aunt’s chocolate shop is one thing…but caring for a baby together presents a new challenge. Can their growing connection withstand the weight of the truth and open Miriam’s heart again?

###

Elise’s Thoughts

An Amish Baby in Her Arms is also a powerful book. The female lead, Miriam also questions parts of the Amish faith. She married her true love, Elijah, but he was a bad husband who drank, gambled, had infidelities, and abused her emotionally. She had a hard life after losing Elijah in an accident and the baby she was pregnant with. Now a feminist of sorts she has decided to never remarry and to be responsible for herself, never depending on a man again. Elijah’s brother Zach also has secrets since he was in love with Miriam and did not think she should marry Elijah.

They were thrown together in a storm after finding an abandoned baby. They navigated the dangerous weather to travel to her grandfather, but the storm got even worse and Zach had to stay there. Working alongside each other, caring for the baby, and being in such close contact, they both started having feelings for one another.

***

Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for Still Waters? Was it comparing life as an Amish person versus an English person?

Patricia Johns: I wanted to write about the well intentions of family and how different generations react to the traditions. The characters are struggling to find their place in life, and it is not all perfect.

EC: How would you describe Tabitha?

PJ: Tabitha has given up a lot since she has come back to the Amish life. She feels different and unique. She wants to fit in but also wants more from her life. She is impressive, confident, hopeful, lonely, and is compassionate. Right now, she feels like an outsider.

EC: How would you describe Jonas?

PJ: Jonas does not want to be under his father’s wing and to do something different, like raising sheep. He is loyal, trustworthy, and lonely.

EC: What about the relationship between Tabitha and Jonas?

PJ: He has only eyes for her and is frustrated because of their situation. They both have feelings for each other but realize there is no future.

EC: How would you describe Beth?

PJ: Beth’s family wants to believe that retaining an Amish faith will be an idyllic life. Yet, her family have many secrets they have not revealed. She is considerate, she questions if the Amish life can give her everything she wants. Because of this she is vulnerable, frustrated, and searches to find her place. She has a healthy rebellious streak because she constantly asks questions to get to the whole truth.

EC: What about the relationship between Danny and Beth?

PJ: She sees him at times unreasonable and feels he is not willing to bend or compromise. He wants to have the pure Amish experience. He does not want to acknowledge that times people do not have a great Amish life.

EC: What about the Beth’s dad experience?

PJ: He is the broken rule. He is the walking, talking exception. He is the key to the mystery.

EC: There is a lot in the book about the Amish traditions and rules. Please explain.

PJ: They only have education through the 8^th grade. Marriage is not allowed if divorced. Living in sin is absolutely forbidden. Women in the Amish community lead in the home but nowhere else. The problem comes up when the husband is no good then the women are very vulnerable.

EC: How did you get the idea for the book An Amish Baby in Her Arms?

PJ: I had this image in my head of a baby on a doorstep during a crushing storm.

EC: How would you describe Zach, the male lead?

PJ: Protective, feels guilty, has secrets, and is reserved. He questions why the Amish keeps the English at arm’s length. He has guilt surrounding his brother’s death, guilt about his feelings for his late brother’s wife, and guilt for not agreeing with the fact that the Amish separate themselves from everybody else.

EC: How would you describe Miriam?

PJ: She has grief over losing her baby and husband. She does not want to be reliant on any man again. Miriam is hardworking, stressed, kind, considerate, tough, and determined. She is an Amish feminist even though she herself would not describe herself in that way since she wants to support herself and not be reliant on a man again. She is not looking for a man to rescue her.

EC: What did Miriam go through while married to Elijah, who is now dead?

PJ: She has gone through a miserable heartbreaking experience and never wants to experience it again. She is determined not to put herself in that vulnerable position again. Her late husband, Elijah, broke her spirit, did not respect her, was irresponsible, uncaring, not devoted to her, caused her pain, disorder, unhappiness, and made her lose her self-esteem and sense of purpose.

EC: How would you compare Zach to Elijah?

PJ: Zach is the direct opposite of Elijah. He builds her up, is kind, and supportive. He makes her life easier, respects her, and sees her value.

EC: What is the role of the baby, Ivy?

PJ: She is most vulnerable who needs care and love. She is the catalyst that has Zach and Miriam opening their hearts to this baby, so their own hearts are more open to each other. They must work together to take care of this baby.

EC: What about the role of the storm?

PJ: It isolates Zach and Miriam together. It keeps the rest of the world out and forces them to deal with their personal problems.

EC: Next book?

PJ: It is titled Through the Valley and wraps up this series, “The Amish of Shepherd’s Hill.” The plot will have Tabitha’s long deserved, long awaited happily ever after. Although you could read this last book as a stand-alone you will appreciate it even more if the previous two books in the series are read first.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Scorched Earth by John Gilstrap

Book Description

Disgraced U.S. President Darmond has been ousted from office, but his minions have taken aim at everyone they perceive to be enemies. Off-the-record contractors on a secret list are being eliminated, one by one.

Jonathan Grave and his Security Solutions team manage to turn the tables when the assassins come for them. But the ultimate attack will strike deep at the heart of what’s best about American values.

High-tech weapons, terror-driven fanatics, and top-level betrayal shred the peace of a peaceful gathering in the rolling hills of rural North Carolina. In this showdown, the winner will take all.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Scorched Earth by John Gilstrap highlights, as with all his books, political corruption. It should remind readers of the late Vince Flynn’s book, Term Limits. Now that Vince is no longer writing books, fans of his might want to turn to John Gilstrap who has picked up the torch in a brilliant way.

This novel has vengeance, murder, greed, and political corruption. It picks up where the previous Graves novel, Zero Sum, left off.

Disgraced U.S. President Darmond has been ousted from office, by former FBI Director Irene Rivers. But not all the collaborators were taken out and now some of Darmond’s partners are attempting to kill off-the-record contractors that Rivers used when she didn’t know who to trust within the FBI.

Jonathan Graves and his Security Solutions team are one of those off-the-record contractors that had an attempt on their lives. After managing to survive the killer who came after them, they decide to seek justice by finding out why and who was responsible. He and the team will do what they do best, bringing justice to victims of evil.

The first chapter grabs readers’ attention and the action does not let up. Readers will be turning the pages at a frantic pace. Gilstrap writes a suspenseful and engrossing plot with gripping scenes. People will root for the good guys while also rooting for the bad guys to get their due justice.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?

John Gilstrap: The idea comes from the fact of how a terrorist realizes that Americans watch the news and see pictures of dead children and not appear terribly upset about it. In this story the bad guys are terrorists that have specific plans to kill a lot of children, the American Jihad.

EC: What was it like to write a Graves book without Irene Rivers as a player?

JG: Although she is no longer director of the FBI, she had used while director, off the record contractors like Jonathan Graves to get things done. Irene has longed believed that her FBI agents are out for their own careers. They will do whatever the President wants. I painted Irene to be the last honest person in Washington. She hired these contractors because she could not trust the system to get things done. Now that she is gone people are trying to kill these contractors to get retribution. Irene can never be involved in a Jonathan book, and he can never be involved in an Irene book. As a practical matter it would be difficult to decide who does what in a scene if both Jonathan and Irene were present.

EC: Is it hard to write a story without Irene?

JG: Yes, it is hard to write a story without her, a challenge. It is like having broken in shoes and having to wear new shoes. He no longer has her to protect him. In this book it was not necessary for a work around for Jonathan, but I must think about things for future books.

EC: What do you want to say about the Senator, Maxine Bridges?

JG: She realized that while director, Irene has been investigating her for back pocket stuff. Irene had bits and pieces on her. The Senator is killing the contractors that have any information that can hurt her. She is trying to protect herself. She is also doing bad things to justify the actions of her son. She is also a pedophile, using sex from young men who want to be appointed to the military academies.

EC: What about the other bad guys?

JG: I imagined them to be former military who got paid basically nothing. Now they are offered a lot of money and have talked themselves into believing there is no difference in killing, a life is a life.

EC: Can you explain the quote you have about politicians and the media?

JG: You are talking about this one, “When the swamp rats are angry, they destroy their enemies through stories real and fake, leaked to the media.” I am cynical about politicians and so is Jonathan. The media destroyed Irene because it is about clicks, taking sides, and making sure their narrative is forwarded. They shaped facts to support the narrative they wanted to about Irene. Half the country thought Irene was wrong to bring down the US President and half the country thinks she is a hero.

EC: The airborne attack using paragliders reminded me of what Hamas did on October 7^th. Am I correct?

JG: Yes, it is based on October 7^th.

EC: Next book?

JG: It will be an Irene book, no title yet. It will be published in December 2026. She has accepted the sheriff position. The one daughter, Ashley, who did not go to West Virginia with Irene will go there now. I might have her have a romantic relationship with Billy Stubblefield who was in Burned Bridges.

The Jonathan book will come out nine months after the Irene book.

THANK YOU!!

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