Interview with Debut Author Annette O'Hare #Giveaway

ACFW Conference 2014 Genre night
Annette is the sleuth on the end. :)

Howdy y'all! Crystal here and I get the great treat of introducing my Texas buddy Annette O'Hare to you. I'm super excited for her because her debut title Northern Light released YESTERDAY!!! Woohoo!!! (You can't tell I'm excited at all, can you? :) )

I normally have folks introduce themselves, but Annette is in my local author group, and I get to see her at least once a month (normally). She's a fellow redhead with a sweet spirit, a lovely smile, a welcoming personality, and a great sense of humor. Did I mention she's hospitable? We've had Write-Outs at her lovely abode. (You should ask her about her doggies. :) )

ACFW Conference 2014 Gala Night
Annette is the pretty one on the left.

Annette, do me a favor and tell these great folks about your wonderful story Northern Light.

Of course! Northern Light is a historical fiction romance, taking place during the Civil War. Margaret Logan detests the North, having suffered the loss of her fiancé at the hands of Union soldiers. She is uprooted from her home in New Orleans and moved to the desolate Bolivar Peninsula where her father is commissioned to man the Bolivar Point Lighthouse. The family arrives to find that the Confederates have dismantled the lighthouse for its iron to make artillery with. Things get worse when Margaret finds a wounded Yankee washed ashore and her parents insist on bringing him to their home to recover. The sailor, Thomas Murphy, is immediately attracted to Margaret. Despite all that she’s been through, and how she feels about the North, Margaret falls for him. A jealous younger sister makes a selfish choice. Will her decision cost Thomas his life?

This is a good read, y'all, and Annette really brings the time period and location to life. Annette, where did you get the idea for this book?

I really love Texas history, and the Bolivar Point Lighthouse has a fascinating history dating back prior to the Civil War. Also, I have a family connection to the lighthouse. My great aunt was married to the man who bought the lighthouse at auction in 1947. One of the two houses adjacent to the lighthouse bears the name “Maxwell” which is my great aunt and grandmother’s maiden name. I feel like it’s a part of my own history!

I know some books take more research than others. How much research went into this story?

I never knew how much research was required to write historical fiction until I started writing one myself. It’s important to me that the time period I’m writing about has been well researched. There is so much information out there about the Civil War. That can be good and bad. Good because it’s easy to find the information you need and bad because if you make a mistake your readers will surely call you on it. One of the things I’ve realized is that many of the words and phrases we use today weren’t around during the Civil War. My new adage is: If you’re not sure…look it up!

I hear ya. What do you hope the reader takes away from the tale?

One of the big reasons I wanted to write this book that takes place in the South during the Civil War is to clarify some of the reasons the war took place, besides the big issue of slavery. Most people don’t know that the main reason the South went to war was not because of slavery, it was because the southern states were denied their rights. During this time period congress favored the industrialized North, demanding the South sell their raw materials exclusively to the North. The North would in turn tax the finished goods so highly that the agrarian south couldn’t afford what they needed. This is something I would like my readers to learn from by book. Of course another poignant issue addressed in the book is the horrific plight of the slaves and how my heroine comes to understand how awful it really was.

Thanks for sharing. Speaking of sharing, do you have a favorite scene in the book? If so, can you tell us a bit about it?

One of my favorite scenes is a conversation between the hero, Thomas Murphy, and the heroine’s father. The father, Mr. Logan, asks Thomas about his views on the war. Thomas tells him that fighting to end slavery is a worthy cause. Mr. Logan goes on to tell him that many in the South, like himself, believe the South is fighting to end Northern oppression and tyranny. I like this scene because I believe that even today people don’t really know all the reasons behind the Civil War.

What are you working on now?

My current work in progress is a historical romance set during the Great Storm of 1900. This hurricane hit Galveston Island in September of 1900 and still stands today as the deadliest natural disaster to affect the United States.

That sounds like the makings of an exciting read. :) Speaking of reading, tell us, what book are you currently turning the pages on?

Right now I’m reading a novella collection put together by one of my good writer buddies. But the last novel I read was a great young adult book called, Wreath A Girl, by Judy Christie. Wreath, the main character is one of those characters you want so badly to succeed. I think it will be a book that sticks with me for a while.

Where can folks connect with you? Where can they buy your book?

www.annetteohare.com
www.facebook.com/annetteohareauthor
www.twitter.com/AnnetteOHare
http://www.amazon.com/Annette-OHare

Apart from writing, what do you enjoy doing?

My husband and I truly enjoy saltwater fishing on the Texas Gulf Coast. It’s very relaxing, until you hook into a big one! Sadly, we haven’t had much time for it lately. We always say that we’ll get back to it when things settle down. Maybe one day. Ha ha! I also love scrapbooking, crafting with textiles, and spoiling my dogs!

(Folks, I warned y'all about the dogs. Heehee.) Thank you, Annette, for sharing with us today! It's been a real joy having you here.

Thank you for inviting me to your blog!

Okay, y'all, Annette's offering a free ebook of Northern Light to one of this posts commenters. (The winner to be announced in Monday's Weekly Windup post.)  Here's your chance to ask Annette questions, or you can answer your own. Do you enjoy reading Civil War novels? Have you ever visited the Bolivar Peninsula, or maybe toured a lighthouse or two?