Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?
M. Lee: Contemporary
romance, mysteries, women’s fiction and young adult historical fiction.
I write what I love. I was fortunate to grow up in an incredible, loving family. The romances all revolve around loving families and communities, reflecting so much that I cherish. I love to read mysteries so my two mystery series sprung from my love of the genre and the fun of figuring out “whodunnit.” Same thrill, different process. My other books have come from interests and passions over the years.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
M. Lee: Oh gee—that’s
hard to answer. My love of reading was definitely instilled by my parents, but
all the hundreds of amazing authors I’ve encountered have certainly influenced
me. College professors certainly encouraged my developing writer’s voice. Then
a “push” came from a writers’ group of teachers. We formed to explore our own
writing process so that we could bring that excitement to our work with young
students. I found I loved writing and have never stopped.
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
M. Lee: Reading and experiencing life! I get ideas everywhere.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
M. Lee: Little Lucy (now I’m dating myself).
M. Lee: She was a plucky little gal and I saw myself in some of her antics.
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet 'in person'
and why?
M. Lee: Ruth Fishel, a treasured spiritual teacher and writer. I’ve been
reading and rereading her wonderful little book, Wrinkles Don’t Hurt: Daily
Meditations on the Joy of Aging Mindfully for eight years and its teachings
never grow old.
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would
you do with it?
M. Lee: Read, write, take a long walk, have lunch with a dear friend, spend
time with family.
Beverley: What are you working on now?
M. Lee: Lady Love, number five in the Ricky Steele mystery series and a holiday romance
set in Horseshoe Crab Cove, number seven in the Morgan’s Fire series, as yet
untitled.
2020 Character Interview:
Beverley: What’s your name?
Maggie: Maggie
Williams
Beverley: Where did you grow up?
Maggie: Saguaro Valley, AZ
Beverley: During what time period does your story take
place?
Maggie: Present day
Beverley: What’s your story/back story?
Maggie: I was raised by my dad, Ned Williams, a veterinarian and
Saguaro Valley’s most famous wrangler. The summer after my senior year I had an
amazing one-night stand with Ben Morgan, the oldest son of Ben and Leonora
Morgan, the Valley’s wealthiest landowners and owners of Morgan’s Run Ranch.
The next day Ben left town and never looked back. My heart broken, I departed
for college only to discover six weeks later that I was pregnant. I then came
home, gave birth to my beautiful daughter Emma and went to work in the stables
at Morgan’s Run.
Beverley: Why would someone come up with a story about
you?
Maggie: Because I’m strong, resilient and hardworking. With my dad’s help, I’ve raised Emma, who is now four years old. I nursed her through a devastating accident that left her wheelchair-bound and continue to provide a loving and nurturing home for her.
Beverley: What’s your
goal in this story?
Maggie: To be strong for Emma and to resist the charms of Ben Morgan, who has returned to Morgan’s Run to recover from a heart episode. I’m trying to find a way to tell him about Emma without having my heart shattered again.
Beverley: What
conflicts are you facing?
Maggie: My conflicting feelings about Ben, to whom I’m drawn like
a moth to a flame. I’m crazy in love with him while trying to protect myself
and Emma from hurt. I’m also weighing the risks of a new surgery that may help
Emma to walk again. Post-surgery Emma still cannot walk and is facing grueling
months of physical therapy that does not appear to be helping. Endeavoring to
keep her positive while working full-time and sorting out my feelings for Ben
are all major conflicts in Emma’s Dream.
Beverley: Do you have a plan for resolving them?
Maggie: I have lots of help with this. Team Emma--my Dad and Ben’s family (parents and five siblings) step in to help with Emma’s post-surgery recovery. I slowly move toward allowing myself to love Ben again, although the road has a number of bumps and rolls!
Beverley: Is there
anything else you’d like us to know about you?
Maggie: I have an amazing community of friends and family who
support Emma and me no matter what, most especially my dad, Ned Williams, the
kindest, steadiest person I know. Emma’s
Dream and all eleven of the Morgan’s Run books are, at their heart, about
family and community. I am very fortunate, indeed.
Blurb for Emma’s Dream
A woman is the last
thing on Ben Morgan’s mind as he comes home to Morgan’s Run, his family’s ranch
in Saguaro Valley. Doctor’s orders, he’s home to heal, but the sooner he can
get back to Santa Barbara, the better. Then he runs into Maggie Williams on
Main Street, prompting vivid memories of a magical night, and Ben’s ailing
heart skips a beat.
Father of her beloved five-year-old daughter,
the eldest of the Morgan sons is the last person Maggie expects to have crashed
into her car and back into her life. For years, she has struggled to forget him
and to make a life for herself and her daughter, Emma, the mirror image of a
father, who is unaware of her existence. Now, here he is, looking more gorgeous
than the day he ran out of town. Maggie swears Ben Morgan will never break her
heart again.
As Ben
Junior made his way into town, he passed familiar sights, largely
unchanged. Nothing changed much in
Saguaro. The Town Garage had a fresh coat of white paint. “Whoop-de-doo,” he said aloud, making a
mental note to drop the Rover off for servicing soon.
As he
turned right on Main and headed toward Gracie’s Diner, a horn blared and the
clunker in front of him screeched to a stop.
Ben braked, but not in time to stop the Rover before it tapped the rear
of the clunker. Ben swore under his breath and backed up, pulling over to park
at the curb. As he did, the clunker’s driver leaped from her car, screaming and
waving her arms. He shook his head.
Foolish woman had left her heap in the middle of the street. Tall and slender, she wore Jackie O. sunglasses,
a baseball cap pulled low on her forehead, a faded cotton shirt over blue
jeans, and cowboy boots, the uniform for nearly every female rancher in the
valley.
“Geez,
Toto,” he muttered, patting the Rover’s seat. “We’re not in Kansas anymore.”
As she
approached the Rover, Ben noticed her jeans hugged every curve, full breasts
not quite obscured by the baggy shirt.
He couldn’t see her face, but he had to admit the rest of the package
was intriguing and also vaguely familiar.
He approached as she bent to survey the clunker’s bumper.
“What’s
the matter with you?” she screamed, walking in circles, arms still
flailing. “Oh, my God, oh, my God, what
am I going to do?”
Ben
stared at her back, astounded at what was clearly a huge overreaction. The clunker
was fine, hardly a scratch on it, although it would be hard to tell with all
the other dings. Then, just as quickly
as it started, the fire went out and she flopped down to sit on the curb, head
between her legs, sobbing.
“Hey,
hey, it’s not that bad, is it? We hardly
touched each other. No harm done.” He
sat beside her, wondering whether he should pat her on the shoulder.
Immediately she quieted and looked up at him.
“Oh, my
God. This just gets better and better.
It figures.”
Ben
Morgan, the one person she expected never to see again, sitting beside her in
the middle of Main Street. Could things
get any worse? She leaned forward,
hiding her face, wondering whether he’d go away if she sat there long enough.
“Maggie? Is that little Maggie Williams? After five years, I’m in town less than a
minute and the first person I bump into is you.”
Buy
Links for Emma’s Dream
Amazon Kindle: https://bit.ly/emmaamazon
B&N Nook: https://bit.ly/emmanook
iBooks: https://bit.ly/Emmaibook
Kobo: https://bit.ly/emmakobo
Google: https://bit.ly/emmagoogle
Social Media Links:
Website: www.mleeprescott.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/M.LeePrescottAuthor
No comments:
Post a Comment