Today I have Lena Nelson Dooley on my blog to help promote her new book Maggie's Journey. Thanks Lena for being on my blog and allowing me the opportunity to help promote this book. I love the cover and can't wait to read it.
Lyn’s
question is since the story is about a girl who’s been lied to, were you ever
lied to by a loved one?
The thing
that I remember most from childhood wasn't about how I was lied to, but
information was withheld from me. When my mother died when I was seven years
old, the hired hand came to pick my brother and I up from elementary school. No
one told us anything. He just put us in the car, drove us home, and parked on
the dirt road in front of the house. He had us stay there in the car. Back in
1950, most rural areas had shared telephone lines with each home having a
different ring pattern. Word had really spread fast that something was wrong
with my mother. So many neighbors stood around in the yard in small clusters
talking. I could see the white ambulance parked under the black walnut trees,
so I knew someone had to be sick or hurt.
After what
seemed like an eternity to a young girl, my father came out on the porch, and
Pete let Brian and I go to him. Daddy looked terrible. I just knew the
ambulance was there for him. When we got close, his skin looked like candle
wax, and I could see every individual hair on his face as if they had been
pushed into the wax. He opened his arms, and we ran to him. Clutching us
tightly to him, his tears streamed down his face, making wet spots on our
clothes. I had never seen my strong father cry.
Then he
said, "Your mommy has gone to be with Jesus."
Until that
moment I hadn't known anything was wrong with my mother. But I did know you
only went to be with Jesus when you died. I couldn't understand why no one told
us anything for such a long time. (Actually, they didn't tell the children
things like that very much back in those time.) I decided right then to never
do this to any of my own children.
Jennifer’s
question is did you base your characters in this book of a true story or your
own experiences?
The stories
in the McKenna's Daughters series lived in my mind for several years. I believe
God gave the concept to me. The three stories in the series are about identical
triplets, born in 1867, who were separated at birth. They didn't know they had
sisters until near their eighteenth birthday in 1885.
Janet’s
Question is I always like it when the main character has a journey to take) and
this one is physical as well as emotional). What kind of research did you do
for the journey?
A lot! I'm
really careful to make my historical novels as true to the time period and
setting as I possibly can. I was having trouble really getting into the setting
of Seattle, Washington Territory, in 1885.
When I
stopped working and started writing, I had to have more interaction with people
than the solitary life of a writer provided, so I volunteered at the local
library. Knowing about the resource people at libraries, I contacted the one in
Seattle. They sent me a treasure trove of places to find what I needed. In
2007, they had started digitizing books from that time period and literally
thousands of historical photos, which were online by decade.
Of course, I
also had to research the railroads of that time period and Little Rock,
Arkansas, from that time period. Little Rock was easier, since I grew up in
Arkansas and studied so much Arkansas history.
Jenny’s
questions are Maggie sounds like many even today who have found they are
adopted, how did you go about setting the period to set this book?
I'm not sure
I understand exactly what she's asking, but human emotions don't really change
that much from century to century. The emotions I used are similar to what a
person would feel today, given the same circumstances. Of course, some of the
legalities were different.
(Jenny here I did write a confusing question I was meaning how did you choose a time period)
Is
Maggie’s mother’s constant criticism due to the fact Maggie is adopted or is
this a gem we need to find out from reading the book? I don’t want you to have
to give away any of the story.
One of the
major threads of the story has to do with why Maggie's mother treated her that
way. The spiritual growth in both characters will help you understand the
dynamics of the relationship, and you'll have to read the book to find the
reason and solution.
(I cant wait to read this book to find out more)
Is there
a message you would like readers to take out reading this book?
God's ways
are higher than our ways. Learning to really trust Him is essential to life.
I love
the front cover it’s like an older photo and well done, did you have any say in
the cover art?
The Charisma House design team is amazing. I did give
them information and a couple of suggestions, but had no idea how they would
use these. They did ask for me to sign off on the cover, and they
made the minor changes I asked for. I recently received the graphic
for the whole cover flat and was blown away by it. The photo wraps from the
front, onto the spine, and onto the back. I've been blessed with good covers
for all by books, but this one is definitely the best.
Thank you,
Jenny, for having me here.
Maggie's Journey
By Lena Nelson Dooley
ISBN 978-1616383589
Realms/Charisma House
October 6, 2011
McKenna's Daughters Series, Book 1
Maggie's Journey grabs you on page one with characters and events that reflect real-life joys and heartaches that change the characters forever. Make room on your "keepers" shelf! —Loree Lough, best-selling author of 80 award-winning books, including From Ashes to Honor.
A girl who’s been lied to her whole life…
Near her eighteenth birthday, Margaret Lenora Caine finds a chest hidden in the attic containing proof that she was adopted. The daughter of wealthy merchants in Seattle, she feels betrayed both by her real parents and by the ones who raised her.
Maggie desires a place where she belongs. But her mother’s constant criticism and reminders that she doesn't fit the mold of a young woman of their social standing have already created tension in their home. With the discovery of the family secret, all sense of her identity is lost.
When Maggie asks to visit her grandmother in Arkansas, her father agrees on the condition that she take her Aunt Georgia as a chaperone and his young partner, Charles Stanton, as protection on the journey. Will she discover who she really is and, more importantly, what truly matters most in life?
Lena Nelson Dooley is an award-winning author with more than 650,000 books in print. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers—where she received the Mentor of the Year award in 2006—DFW Ready Writers, and Christian Authors Network. She lives in Hurst, Texas, with her husband of over 45 years.
