Welcome, Linda!
Tell us a little about yourself, your family, and how you started writing? I started
writing as a child. I still remember the first notebook my folks gave me. It
was a yellow lined tablet with images of giant red, blue and yellow pencils on
the cover. We took a lot of car trips visiting family and taking vacations
while I was growing up, and writing stories was how I passed the time. When I
was around ten years old, I created a newspaper called The Good Times. I made up all the news, and including an editorial
column and weather report. It only last a few issues. But that gave me the
writing bug.
Love’s Harvest
is a sweet story that I enjoyed reading. Tell us how you came up with the idea
for your novella.
I’m
glad you enjoyed it. Many years ago, I read Francine River’s Redeeming Love, a fictionalization of
the book of Hosea set during the old West. It was an amazing book I have read
several times. Since then I’ve wanted to use the same concept and toyed with
idea of doing a fictionalization about Priscilla and Aquila, but the story
never solidified. I was studying the book of Ruth when members of my group blog
suggested we create a collection of novellas. I immediately knew Ruth was my
story, and that the WWII era would be the perfect time period in which to set
it. After that, the other plot pieces came together quickly.
What audience
are you targeting with your book?
Most
women would enjoy Love’s Harvest, but it may resonate more strongly
with women in their forties or older
The characters
in your book are very strong women. What type of characters do you most enjoy
reading about?
I
write about strong women, because that’s who I like to read about. I love
Scarlett O’Hara. Although not always likeable, she is strong willed and doesn’t
let life mow her down. My kind of gal!
If you could spend an evening with one historical
person, who would it be and why?
Tough question. I’m a
“history junkie,” so there are lots of women from the past I’d like to meet.
But if I can only pick one, I’d have to say Priscilla from the Bible. I did a
lot of research while I was considering writing about her. She was a leader in
the church during a time and in a culture when women were generally property,
to be seen and not heard. If you’ll notice, she is generally mentioned first in
passages of scripture that talk about Priscilla and her husband. Some of my
research indicates that is because she was a woman of wealth, perhaps more so
than Aquila. I’d like to talk about how she balanced her work, home, and church
lives. She was close to Paul. I’d love her opinion on him!
What kind of
research went into writing Love’s
Harvest?
I
already knew a lot of generalities about the British home front, but needed to
dig deeper into the Women’s Land Army. What was the procedure to join the
organization? What were the responsibilities? How did someone get assigned to a
particular location? What were their wages? Was lodging included? Uniforms,
etc. I watched many interviews with former Land Army Girls on youtube.com and
read several memoirs. In the Bible story, Naomi and her husband end up in Moab
because of a famine, so I had to find a famine to start my story. It took a bit
of time, but I finally discovered an extended drought that resulted in a famine
in the Volga region of Russia during the 1920s. I researched about famine in
general and that one in particular. Interestingly, it affected a large number
of Germans who had settled there under Catherine the Great. As a result of the
famine, they left the area, and many of the emigrated to the U.S.
What have you
learned from having your first book published that you could pass on to those
just beginning to write?
I
learned so much during this process, but the most important thing was the
importance of the writing community – for encouragement, camaraderie, feedback,
and assistance. Writers I barely knew readily jumped in to offer help with the
process. Others volunteered to be beta readers or early reviewers. And of
course my critique group helped me write the best possible book because of
their spot-on feedback. A crucial part of any writer’s life should be a
critique group. Find one or start one as soon as possible – whether online or
face to face. I am a better writer than I could ever be without my critique
group.
What do you want
your readers to gain by reading your book?
Forgiveness
and God’s plans for our lives are themes that appear regularly in my stories. I
hope to encourage readers that no situation is too big or too small for God. I
think sometimes people feel like they are bothering God with stuff they think
is too petty for his attention. He wants to be involved in every area of our
life.
How did you weave a spiritual thread through Love’s Harvest without
being preachy?
I used
internal and external dialogue to exemplify my characters’ dealing with
spiritual issues, so that readers could watch the thought processes unfold as
each of the people in the story dealt with their particular circumstances.
Please share a favorite scene from Love’s Harvest with us.
The platform vibrated beneath Noreen’s
feet as the train rumbled into Berlin Station. Hordes of people shoved their
way toward the iron behemoth. Babies wailed. Parents barked orders at their
children to stay close. The smell of unwashed bodies mixed with the coal dust
in the air.
Perspiration trickled down Noreen’s
face, and she scraped a damp strand of hair behind her ear. The satchel on her
back threatened to tumble to the ground, so she hitched her shoulder to settle
luggage back into place. The bulging bag that had traveled with her from London
to Berlin so many years ago would now make the return trip.
She gripped her bulky, brown suitcase
tighter and braced herself against the tide of humanity. Not ready to get swept
into the train, she hunched closer to the wall. Odelia and Rosa stood sentry at
her side.
Noreen glanced at Odelia’s face, whiter
than usual. As the departure day approached, the young woman had become quiet
and withdrawn. More than once this morning, Noreen found her frozen in place,
lips moving in silent prayer. When questioned, her daughter-in-law claimed she
was simply petitioning for safe travel.
The loudspeaker crackled with static.
The mob quieted. A child cried out then
fell silent.
“Achtung!
There will be a slight delay due to mechanical difficulties.”
A moan rose from the crowd.
“Please move back from the train. We
will announce when it is time to board. Thank you for your cooperation.”
“I can’t do this.” Odelia sobbed into
her crumpled handkerchief. “I’m sorry, Mutti.
Don’t hate me, but I cannot go with you to England. I’m not brave enough.”
Noreen pulled Odelia into her arms.
“Hush, child. I could never hate you. You have to do what is right for you. You
should stay and make your life here.”
Several people stared at the trio as the
young woman continued to cry. Rosa stroked her sister-in-law’s back. “Where
will you go? Your family is gone.”
Odelia sniffed and wiped her face with
the damp cloth. “I have a second cousin who lives in Hamburg. After Manfred
died, she said she would take me in.” She patted her handbag. “I received a
letter from her last week renewing the invitation. She owns a dress shop and
said I could work with her doing alterations.”
Noreen opened her bag and reached
inside. She withdrew several Deutschmarks and thrust them into Odelia’s palm.
“You will need these until you receive your first paycheck.”
“No, I’ve taken enough from you.”
“Nonsense. I insist you take them. And
before you leave the station be sure to get your ticket refunded.”
Rosa unwrapped the blue scarf from
around her neck. She draped it across Odelia’s shoulders. “It’s not much, but
it will keep you warm during cold nights.”
Odelia’s lip trembled. “Thank you. I
will miss you both."
The women clung to each other while
Noreen prayed.
“Your attention, please. We will now
begin boarding the train to Brussels. Please proceed in an orderly fashion.”
The buzz of voices filled the station as
the people jostled each other. Odelia gave Noreen and Rosa a gentle push
forward. “Go. Don’t miss your train. I’ll be fine.” She held up a scrap of
paper then handed it to Noreen. “This is my cousin’s address. You can write to
me there. We’ll stay in touch.”
Noreen stuffed the paper into her purse
and nodded. She brushed Odelia’s damp cheek. “Blessings on you, child.” She
turned to Rosa. “This is your chance. You can remain in Germany, too. I don’t
have another son or a brother who can marry you.”
Rosa
shook her head. “Please, don’t try convincing me to leave you. If you’re going,
I will go, too. If you stayed, I would stay. You are my family, and even your
God has become mine.”
Book Blurb:
Noreen
Hirsch loses everything including her husband and two sons. Then her adopted
country goes to war with her homeland. Has God abandoned her?
Rosa
Hirsch barely adjusts to being a bride before she is widowed. She gives up her
citizenship to accompany her mother-in-law to her home country. Can Rosa find
acceptance among strangers who hate her belligerent nation?
Basil
Quincey is rich beyond his wildest dreams, but loneliness stalks him. Can he
find a woman who loves him and not his money?
Three
people. One God who can raise hope from the ashes of despair.
About the author:
A
freelance writer for over ten years, Linda Shenton Matchett has had a wide and
varied career that includes stints as a Human Resources professional, youth
center director, B&B owner, and dining services manager. She loves history
of all kinds, and serves as a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII. A
member of Sisters in Crime and ACFW, Linda writes World War II and mystery
fiction. She was a semi-finalist in ACFW’s 2013 and 2015 Genesis contests. She
makes her home in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region with her husband Wes and
fur-baby, Ben.
Connect with Linda:
Website: www.LindaShentonMatchett.com
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZZcKFOPJxA
Facebook Author
Page: www.facebook.com/LindaShentonMatchettAuthor
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/lindasmatchett
Google+:
lindasmatchett@gmail.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/authorlindamatchett
Book Link:
Sounds like a wonderful, inspiring story. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interview, Norma and Linda. I love WWII books.
ReplyDeleteI love history too. There would be a lot of people I'd like to meet.
ReplyDeleteI am a fan of historical fiction. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteConnie
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com