This week I’m hosting Nancy Mehl with Simple Secrets and Ann Gabhart with The Seeker. If you want to enter the drawings, please leave a comment on one of the post during the week with your email address. I will not enter you without an email address (my way to contact you if you win). If you don’t want to leave an email address, another way you can enter is to email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawings end Sunday (June 13th) evening.
Interview with the heroine from Simple Secrets by Nancy Mehl:
1. Gracie Temple, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
I always thought I was interesting. I mean, I’m an artist. I work as a graphic designer. People seem to think that’s cool. But things changed when I left everything behind to go to Harmony, Kansas. You see, my Mennonite uncle left his house and property to me. I sure couldn’t figure out why. But once I got to Harmony, I began to find out things about myself that I never knew. For example, I’ve always been drawn to city boys. You know, the urban types with styled hair and those thin, dark framed glasses that make people look smart? But there’s this down-home, farm boy with stormy gray eyes who lives in Harmony. There’s something about him that makes my heart beat a little faster. What’s up with that? And then there’s that awful family secret I found out about when I got there. To be honest, since going to Harmony, I’ve found out all kinds of things about myself that I never knew. Now that’s interesting.
2. What do you do for fun?
I love to be creative. Painting is a favorite pastime. I’d kind of drifted away from it after getting a job with an ad agency in Wichita. I mean, there’s just not much time to paint. But when I went to Harmony, I found a talented young artist named Hannah Mueller who wanted me to teach her some of the technical aspects to painting that she’d never had the chance to learn. I find that I really love working with her. Oh, and there’s this Old Order Mennonite girl, Sarah Ketterling, who does something called wood block print. She’s teaching me, and I love it! Of course, sometimes I just like to sit on my front porch with Sam Goodrich (he’s that good-looking farm boy I mentioned?) and watch the stars. In the country, there are so many stars to see! Who knew?
3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
Well, I’m not crazy about cooking because I’m not good at it. And I don’t like to clean out my cat’s litter box. But of course, it’s a necessary job. Other than that, the thing I hate the most is telling people things they don’t want to hear. Unfortunately, in Harmony, It’s happened quite a bit. There are lots of secrets in Harmony, but one by one we seem to be uncovering them.
4. What are you afraid of most in life?
Hmmm. Hard to say. I don’t like weird noises at night. You see, I live alone so spooky sounds frighten me. I try hard not to be afraid because I know God doesn’t want me to fear. But sometimes it’s hard. I’m trying, though.
5. What do you want out of life?
Funny you should ask that. I used to know what I wanted. But now I try to listen to God and follow the path He has for me. Sometimes He tries to take us in new directions, but we hold on too tight to our own ideas. I’m striving to let go and follow Him. I guess that’s what I really want – to find that special place He has for me.
6. What is the most important thing to you?
God, family and friends. Until I went to Harmony, I never realized how important family was – or how special friends can be. I found out that the people I thought were my friends in Wichita were really just acquaintances. Harmony has changed my life and my priorities.
7. Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?
I love to read. Mysteries are my favorite genre.
8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Well, I’ve been told I’m too nosy. And sometimes I say things I shouldn’t, you know, before I really think it through? When something negative happens my first reaction is to be afraid instead of trusting God. I’m really working on this one. And please. Let’s not even talk about these stupid freckles. (That’s more than one thing, isn’t it?)
9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
Yes, I have a cat named Snicklefritz. I named him this because it’s my dad’s pet name for me. I figured if I gave my cat the same name, people would think my dad is talking about the cat instead of me. It’s embarrassing. There was this incident at my high school graduation…
10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
Oh, that’s easy. I would go back to the day Jacob Glick died. You see, my uncle spent his whole life in Harmony protecting the person he thought killed Jacob. That’s why he stayed separated from his family and why I never got to know him. If I could change that moment, I could change his life – and mine.
