One of my favorite
things about A Christmas for
Katie is that the heroine
is a librarian. See, little Katie Weaver, one of the main characters in this
novella, has a fondness for books and libraries and librarians. That’s just like
me!
Did you ever visit
the library growing up?
Libraries have always
been special to me. I remember my first neighborhood library fondly. The
children’s section was in a trailer next to a very old building where the main
library was housed. That trailer was crowded and packed with books-and I thought
it was the most amazing place ever. I still recall taking
home The Little
Matchmaker and reading it over and over again.
Eventually, my mother got me a little book bag to carry my books back and
forth.
Years later, they
tore down the old building and carted off that trailer and built a beautiful new
library. In high school, I’d hang out there with my girlfriends. Supposedly, we
were studying…but usually we were looking at all of the old paperback romances
in the back aisle. That’s where I used to check out old Barbara Cartland
regencies four and five at a time.
In college, Boulder’s
library next to the park became a haven for me. I read all of Agatha Christie’s
books, then moved onto several more mysteries series while studying English
literature in college. When I got my first teaching job in Mesa, AZ, I had no
extra money, so that city’s library became a favorite spot,
too.
Nowadays, I have to
admit to being a little impatient for library books. I read a lot, and I read
fairly fast, so it’s far easier to order a new book on my Kindle than it is to
drive over to the library. But I still find myself in our town’s library several
times a year, supposedly doing research…but more than likely sitting back in the
stacks, skimming through stacks of novels and cookbooks.
I hope you will enjoy A Christmas for
Katie, and Miss Donovan’s
romance, too. I really enjoyed setting most of a novel in a place where I have
so many happy memories.
Do you have a
favorite library memory?
I grew up in Houston, Texas, went to Colorado for college, and after
living in Arizona, Dallas, and Denver, we moved to southern Ohio about
ten years ago.
Maybe you are a little bit like me. I’ve been married for almost twenty years and have raised two kids. I try to exercise but really should put on my tennis shoes a whole lot more. I’m not a great housekeeper, I hate to drive in the snow, and I don’t think I’ve ever won a Monopoly game. However, I am the best wife and mother I know how to be.
Isn’t it wonderful to know that in God’s eyes that is okay? That from His point of view, we are all exceptional? I treasure that knowledge and am always so thankful for my faith. His faith in me makes me stand a little straighter, smile a little bit more, and be so very grateful for every gift He’s given me.
I started writing about the Amish because their way of life appealed to me. I wanted to write stories about regular. likeable people in extraordinary situations-and who just happened to be Amish.
Getting the opportunity to write Inspirational novels is truly gratifying. With every book, I feel my faith grows stronger. And that makes me feel very special indeed.
