Birthday Party Interview and Giveaway: Margaret Brownley

I am SO delighted to have Margaret Brownley with me today! As many of you know, I loved her most recent book, A Vision of Lucy. *happy sigh* Read my review here.

Welcome, Margaret! Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: I penned it all. Nothing wrong with that—except I happened to be writing for the church newsletter. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, my former pastor took me aside and said, "Maybe God's calling you to write fiction."

So that’s what I did. I now have more nearly 25 novels to my credit, including bestselling and RITA finalist A Lady Like Sarah—not bad for someone who flunked 8th grade English. Just don’t ask me to diagram a sentence.

What was your favorite part of A Vision of Lucy to write?

I just loved writing Lucy. She is so much fun and passionate about life, yet there’s that deep yearning inside. It was also fun learning about photography in the 1800s. I look at my aim and click camera with new appreciation.

As do I! I learned a lot. :) Please tell us a little about the plot.

The story takes place in 1886 and deals with loss, guilt and forgiveness—themes that are just as relevant today as they were in the Old West.

The idea for my protagonist Lucy Fairbanks was sparked by an advertisement in an old newspaper. In 1860 Julia Shannon of San Francisco took the family portrait to new heights when she shockingly advertised herself as a daguerreotypist and midwife.

Lucy doesn’t deliver babies but she is determined to capture the “perfect” picture and she’s not about to let an intriguing stranger like David Wolf and his long-held secrets stop her. Photographs can reveal more than they hide and David and the little town of Rocky Creek are about to find out that anything can happen when posing for Lucy—and usually does.

I know I'm not the only person to wonder about those delightfully hilarious photography quotes at the beginning of each chapter...can you tell us a little bit about them?

All I can tell you is this: I made them up. They took me longer to write than the actual book!

I'm so glad you included them. They were delightful! What is your favorite time period to read about? How about to write about?

I love writing and reading about the old west because that’s when women came of age. The westward migration freed women in ways never before imagined. Women abandoned Victorian mores and rid themselves of confining clothes. The gun may have won the west, but it was the women who tamed it. They brought churches, schools, newspapers and helped build community.
These are the heroines for whom we like to cheer. It must have been a shock to the male ego to have to deal with such strong and unconventional women—and that’s at the very heart of my stories.

I also like writing serious themes with a touch of humor and the old west lends itself nicely to laughter, don’t you think? Since people lived so close to the land it’s also a perfect setting for an inspirational novel.

It does, rather. :) Is there a random fact (or two) about you that most people don’t know?

I hate to cook but raised a professional chef, which I consider a great accomplishment. I own a
swimming pool but can’t swim. One day…

*smile* What is one thing you dread doing?

I dread flying—more so today that in the past. I’d rather walk.

What are you currently reading?

You’ll regret asking this question, I’m sure. I read all over the board—four, five, six books at a time. I’m currently reading Doc Susie and The Working Cowboy’s Manual for research; Tribes, for business expertise (I have to keep reminding myself that writing isn’t just art, it’s a business), Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain (interested in how the brain works and why) and Lee Child’s Gone Tomorrow for a change of pace.

I love knowing what others read! What were your favorite books as a child?

I love Little Women and pretended I was Jo, the writer.

If A Vision of Lucy was being made into a movie, which actors would you like to take the main
characters?

I plan to put Hugh Jackman under contract to play all my heroes. The search is still on for the “perfect” Lucy. Maybe readers have some ideas.

Yes, he's perfect looking! Readers, make sure to comment if someone comes to mind! :) What do you enjoy most about being a published author?

I get to live in two centuries at the same time.

Thanks so much for coming, Margaret! How can my readers learn more about you, or contact you?

Thank you for having me! By the way: My story Snow Angel is now available in A Log Cabin Christmas Collection and the first book in my new Brides of Last Chance Ranch series, Dawn Comes Early, will be published in March. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.

Readers can contact me through my website: http://www.margaretbrownley.com/
I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Awesome! Thanks again, Margaret!

Well, my readers, guess what? Margaret has offered to give away a copy of A Vision of Lucy! Thanks for that too, Margaret. :)

We are offering this giveaway to anyone who lives in the continental United States! And guess what? You don't even have to follow. Just comment and tell me you want to be entered! And that will gain you one entry right there.

As to extra entries...

+2 if you follow.

+1 for proposing an actress or two for the part of Lucy.

+1 for having my button on your blog.

+2 for blogging about it!

+1 entry if we're friends on goodreads.com !

There we go! :) Good luck, everyone! This giveaway ends on November 24. Continental  USA only. Feel free to put all your entries in one comment! Also, leave your email if you like.

Ready...set...ENTER!