Well reader friends, this has been a weird week. My internet has been wonky, my server for my blog has had issues, and everything’s been all jumbled. So while today isn’t my normal day for this post, I’m going to post it anyways! Today I’m thrilled to welcome author Kathleen Maher to the blog to share with us her day. But before we get to that, I want to share with you two of her books, because they were well worth mentioning! Plus, be sure to check out the giveaways at the end of the post!
![The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection: 9 Women Dream of Perfect Christmases during the Victorian Era by [Chase, C.J., Dietze, Susanne, Gerlach, Rita, Maher, Kathleen L., Meyer, Gabrielle, Pagels, Carrie Fancett, Riley, Vanessa, Seilstad, Lorna, Vetsch, Erica]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51J0nxADk0L.jpg)
‘Tis the season for all things Christmas, and having several stories about Victorian Christmas Brides? Well that is enough to make anyone giddy with excitement!! And Kathleen’s story just happens to be set in a town not too far from me š
Love Brick by BrickĀ by Kathleen L. Maher
1857 Elmira, New York
SarahAnn Winnifred overcomes orphanhood apprenticing with pioneering doctors. Rufus Sedgwick, relocating his English estate, seeks help for his ailing Mum. Christmas reveals the secret wish of both heartsāfor love.
Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Victorian-Christmas-Brides-Collection-Christmases/dp/1683227190
Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/kathleenlmaher/victorian-christmas-brides-collection/
It just so happens that Kathleen has had another book recently released that looks absolutely amazing. Also set in a town not too far from me, I cannot wait to dive into this book!
The Abolitionistās Daughter by Kathleen L. Maher
1860-1864 Shenandoah Valley, and Elmira, NY
The crusading daughter of a Washington politician comes between twin brothers as the country plunges toward Civil War. Horsemen from Virginia, the twins would defend their livelihood from her meddling kind. When love ignites, friends become enemies. Can the very girl who divided bosom brothers unite them again?
Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Abolitionists-Daughter-Kathleen-L-Maher/dp/1718026242
The Abolitionistās Daughter book trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brp28ZTOWHo
Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/kathleenlmaher/the-abolitionists-daughter/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kathleen L. Maher has had an infatuation with books and fictional heroes ever since her preschool crush, Peter Rabbit. She has a novella in BARBOUR’s 2018Ā Victorian Christmas BridesĀ collection, featuring her hometown of Elmira, New York. She won the 2012 ACFW Genesis contest for her Civil War historical romance, releasing this summer under a new titleĀ The Abolitionistās Daughter. Her debut historical, Bachelor Buttons, blends her Irish heritage and love of New York history.Ā Kathleen shares an old farmhouse in upstate New York with her husband, children, and a small zoo of rescued animals.
Follow Kathleen
on Facebook:Ā https://www.facebook.com/KLMaherAuthor/
on Twitter:Ā https://twitter.com/Mahereenie
on Amazon:Ā https://www.amazon.com/author/kathleenlmaher
and on Pinterest:Ā https://www.pinterest.com/kathleenlmaher/
And now to the good stuff……
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF KATHLEEN
A day in the life of an author is terribly glamourous.Ā Let me tell you exactly what you might be missing out on. First there is the three-dog cleanup every morning, not unlike a five-car pileup, except less crunched metal and more mopping. āGet two puppies,ā they said.Ā āItāll be fun,ā they said.
Next, thereās the hustle of driving two young adults who refuse to get their licenses, to and from work, appointments, school stuff, and social lives (which I donāt have). Who knew that the new right of passage is owning a smart phone, and not that pinnacle of my own youthādriving independence. Lucky me, they still need mom. <3
Somewhere between coffee and planning dinner, I might work in my gardens. (Read: mercilessly war against the weeds determined to overwhelm my perennials, vegetables, annuals and shrubs.) Once in a while they reward me with a facebook-worthy status photo.
Or lately I might find myself working on laundry. By working, I mean loading two, maybe three articles at a time into the portable washing machine that I am blessed to operate until I replace my regular washer. After manually filling the small tub with pots of water for the wash cycle, I get to build my upper body strength by hand-wringing each item. Then I spin in the tiny drum, rinse and repeat. About twenty times a day if the puppies have made Great Dane size messes, or only ten times if its pygmy Newfoundland sized messes. Thirty if theyāve both been total, nihilistic, pillaging Vikings.
At some point after two or three oāclock Iāll wrangle dinner from the eclectic mix of ingredients in the fridge, freezer, pantry and canned goods. I dream of canning from my garden, but so far have only canned tomatoes successfully once. I have the intentions of a pioneer woman, and the attention span ofāSQUIRREL!
On really good days, I will write the antics of the characters in my head, or paint animal portraits, or create crafts. Sometimes my grandloves visit āGigiās houseā and my husband and I spoil them well. Splashed between everything are songs to the great God who has blessed me so greatly, maybe employing a tiny bit of sarcasm, and lots of self-effacing humor. It really is a good life.
Thanks so much once again for having me today, Jessica.Ā I look forward to interacting with your readers, and today I am giving away an e-copy of The Abolitionistās Daughter to one lucky commenter.Ā To enter, please answer the following question: If you were rich and famous, would you still cook, clean, and slave, or would you hire help? Iām neither rich or famous but Iām taking suggestions in case I win the lottery ? Please be sure to leave your email in your entry so you can be notified if random.org selects you.
In addition, I am hosting a rafflecopter to be drawn at the conclusion of my blog tour just before Thanksgiving, with several prizes, including Ammy gift cards, books, and a Christmas goodie basket. Be sure to follow each stop on the tour to increase your chances of winning! (US residents only.)
Link to rafflecopter: http://gvwy.io/48sxkxc
I would live in a hotel as they change your sheets daily, Eat in the restaurant or have a fridge and microwave in the room and I would have the largest they had in the hotel. They clean the bathroom and room too. And I would have someone else do my laundry.
I love your ideas Kim. And best of all hotels can be anywhere in the world. š May have to steal your idea if I win the big one LOL
I would definitely keep doing it. Love being a homemaker and that is all part of it. However, as I’m getting older, it would be nice to hire someone to come ever so often to help with a deep and thorough cleaning of the house. After a few falls, I’m band from ladders and there’s things that need to be done up high. Plus I move slower so help for the deep cleaning would mean it wouldn’t take me a week do to. š
Kay, Iām sorry to hear about your fall incidents. That can be scary. Yes, a little help now and then gets us all by. I hope you have loved ones that pick up the slack now and then for you.
Thank you Jessica. I appreciate your perseverance. The internet sure can be formidable.
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Your life actually sounds lovely! (Well, except for maybe the doggie messes and the handwashing…) š
?. It is mostly lovely. Mostly š thank you Jacquelyn.
So, maid service for you or not? Iām happy to report my washing machine is back to functionality, but it was a lovely hands-on research experiment for my next book about an army laundry during the Civil War. LOL
I have Baby so can relate to doggie messes and needing to clean up the backyard. Almost ready to cry seeing how big the kids are now… I will always, always admire yours and johns love for each other! I guess due to my back and neck issues I would buy a farm in the middle of someplace! Land a must… just to grow my own food, and have animals. I would get a new dishwasher, frig, and stove… I would still cook, not sure on the cleaning as it depends on what it is… and if I can do it… I think I would hire someone to teach the kids school, so as to free me up to write and quilt… They want a teacher more… homeschooling is great but time-consuming. I drive everywhere we go since Faith doesn’t have her permit yet and I am not about to start teaching her in the winter !!! We need to do tea someday !!! Praying Always for you my dearest friend!
Always,
Linda Marie
Faithful Acres Books
faithfulacresbooks@gmail.com
?. It is mostly lovely. Mostly š thank you Jacquelyn.
So, maid service for you or not? Iām happy to report my washing machine is back to functionality, but it was a lovely hands-on research experiment for my next book about an army laundry during the Civil War. LOL
Linda, you are such a hard-working mom. I admire all that you do. I wish we lived a little closer, Iām sure I could learn so much from you. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. That picture of the kids from a few years ago. Sadly, I donāt have any more recent photos of them together.
I think if I were well-off, I would still want to do a lot of what I already do too. I think we are alike in many ways.
Hugs
By the way, I am a huge Bob Ross Fan !!! We all need happy little trees and squirrels in our lives!
Linda
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I’m at that stage where I’m slowing down; early-onset chronic pain issues. So maybe I’d be tempted to hire for the really big things. But I still want to keep moving. Not good if you don’t. Already have your book, Kathleen–she’s an amazing writer, folks!
You make a good point Pat. If I donāt use it Iāll lose it. Mobility that is. So I really should be thankful next time I have to clean or mop or vacuum. ?
I would still do things, mostly by myself. I like to cook, it might be nice to have someone to do it once in a while. It would be nice to have someone come maybe once a month to help clean. I am a stay at home domestic engineer, if I hired someone full time to cook and clean I would lose my job.
Point well taken with jobs and roles. I guess it gives us something to look forward to if we only get a break once in a while. ?
I may hire someone to come in and help once a week or so but I would still do most things myself.
Thatās practical, Julie. I mean, after 20 years of marriage I still havenāt trained my husband to do things like I would, so I guess Iām stuck with myself doing it. Lol
So today I get to pick a winner for my giveaway of an e-copy of The Abolitionistās Daughter. This week went by fast! ?
Random dot org has chosen #1 so that means KIM HANSEN, you are our winner! Congratulations!???
Thank you Jessica for having me here this week. Itās been a blast. Loved everyoneās comments. Thank you all for making this so fun!
Until we meet again, keep your nose in a good book!