This week I’m hosting Sandra Bricker with Always the Wedding Planner Never the Bride, Bonnie Leon with Wings of Promise, Maggie Brendan with Deeply Devoted, and Connie Stevens withScars of Mercy. If you want to enter the drawings for the books, 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 (September 4th) evening.
Hero Interview from Wings of Promise by Bonnie Leon:
Paul Anderson, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
I hate to be uncooperative, but what people would find most interesting about me is something I’d rather keep to myself. There’s only one fellow who knows all about me and that’s Patrick. He’s not the type to judge. He’s a good friend.
The second most interesting thing about me would have to be that I’m a bush doctor. I provide medical care to people living in the bush—homesteaders, miners and natives in remote villages. I like it. Life’s never boring. And it means I get to spend a lot of time with Kate. She’s my girl friend and my pilot.
What do you do for fun?
Fishing is probably my favorite thing I do to relax. The creek has plenty of fish and dropping my line in the water while sitting in the midst of the wilderness makes me feel settled inside.
During the winter months I like mushing. There’s nothing like setting out, just me and my dogs. They love to pull. When we get on open ground I have to hold them back or they’ll sprint all the way. I love the feel of the wind swishing past and the sound of the runners whooshing across the snow. It’s exhilarating.
What do you put off doing because you dread it?
Letter writing. My family lives in San Francisco, but the only one I stay in touch with is my brother Robert. He keeps my mother and my other brother and my sisters up to date on what’s going on here in Alaska. He’s always asking me to come home for a visit, but I’m not ready, not after what happened. And I guess that’s why I don’t write much, just makes me feel bad.
What are you afraid of most in life?
Kate’s cracking up in her plane and getting killed. Even worse than that would be if she disappeared somewhere in the wilderness and never came back. I’d never know what happened. It would be like living in a nightmare.
She’s so brave and I’m proud of her, but one day the worst could happen. I don’t know if I could keep on living if it did.
What do you want out of life?
My first thought is peace. I live in the midst of tranquility, but I don’t feel it. My past haunts me like a shadow. And I can’t stop worrying about Kate. I wish she’d give up flying and settle down here with me on the creek. If that happened, I’d be a happy man.
What is the most important thing to you?
I want to be the best at what I do. Right now that’s being a doctor. There’s a lot of pressure working in the bush. I never know what I’m going to come up against next and when I lose a patient I feel bad, real bad. There’s nothing worse than that.
Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?
It’s hard to pick a favorite. I enjoy all sorts of books. My mother had a library with shelves packed with books. I was introduced to a variety of styles and authors from my earliest years. I love adventures so one of my favorites and one I’ve read more than once is The Call of the Wild written by Jack London. In fact, I named my lead dog after the one in his book. His name is Buck. Another favorite would have to be The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written my Mark Twain. I like the story but what I like most is Twain’s turn of phrase. It’s refreshing and his stories are full of surprises. I also like John Steinbeck. His most recent book, Of Mice and Men was outstanding. The story has stayed with me.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I wish I could be more fun loving, like Mike. He takes life as it comes and rolls with the punches. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him afraid or even angry. I brood over things too much.
Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
I have my dogs, three of them. They’re good mushers. But Buck he’s my favorite. He’s a big malamute—strong and loyal. I bought him when I first came to Alaska. He’s been a good friend and partner. I can always count on him. I’ve also got a raven named Jackson. He got caught in one of my traps a year or so ago. I doctored him back to health and he’s been hanging around ever since.
If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
If only I could. I’d go back to the week before my wife, Susan, died. I’d have delivered our son cesarean section. If I’d done that they’d both still be alive.
