This week I’m hosting Martha Rogers with Christmas at Holly Hill, Janet Lee Barton with Somewhere to Call Home, Jennifer AlLee with A Wild Goose Chase Christmas, and Nancy Rue with Too Far to Say Far Enough. 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 (November 18th) evening.
Interview with the heroine, Allison Chamberlain, Too Far To Say Far Enough (The Reluctant Prophet trilogy by Nancy Rue):
1.Allison, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
Y’know, I never think of myself as necessarily “interesting,” but I’ve learned that I’m not like most people. While that’s not something I’m always happy about, I can start there. The thing that makes me the most “unique” is that they tell me I’m a prophet. Not the future-telling kind. More like the “I can see what’s wrong in society and God keeps making me speak out about what that is even though it turns a lot of people off.” See how that’s not the same as “interesting?” It’s not a good conversation starter . . .
2. What do you do for fun?
Without a doubt that would be riding my Harley with my son Desmond on the back, especially if we’re following Chief, probably the hottest guy on a motorcycle since, well, since anybody. I love everything about it, including the fact that God, too, loves a ride on a Harley.
3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
Anything that smacks of domesticity. Any of my friends will tell you I don’t cook and when I do it’s barely edible. I only keep a clean house to set an example for the Sacrament Sisters and because my son is, to put it in raw terms, an adolescent pig. Left to my own devices, I’d probably procrastinate until I got my first notice from the Health Department.
4. What are you afraid of most in life?
Someone taking Desmond from me. Adopting him was a long and painful battle, and sometimes I still wake up in the middle of the night and go down to his room to make sure he hasn’t been stolen away in the night. It’s one of those things where I keep giving the worry to God and ten minutes later I’m gnawing on it again.
5. What do you want out of life?
To follow the Nudges with certainty and authenticity. I mean that. I grew up with money. Lots of it. And I know not only that it doesn’t bring satisfaction but that it can be your ruin if you’re not intentional about your life with God. I basically want to die hearing God say to me, “Well done, Allison. You’ve been faithful.” Hopefully God will overlook a few things . . .
6. What is the most important thing to you?
The people in my life, the ones God has given me in my corner of the world. I never had that many friends growing up and now that I have a community that is clearly the body of Christ, I take care of it. With everything that’s in me. Because I know what it’s like to live without it.
7. Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?
I’ve never been much of a reader. If I did read, it would be Nancy Rue’s books. Do you know her? (Okay, JK – real answer = If I did read it would be other people’s stories of how they followed the Nudge. I think that would bolster me in the tough times.
8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
How much time you got? The thing is, the one trait I want to change about myself – the way I have of blurting things out and THEN thinking about them – is the very thing God uses in me as a prophet. I’d like God to soften that sometimes, though, you know? I don’t think I really need to tick EVERYBODY off to get the message across. We’re working on that.
9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
No. I like animals just fine. In fact, one of my many jobs was as a carriage tour guide and I loved Bernard, “my” horse. But right now I have enough to do taking care of the two-legged beings. If I could have a pet it would be a big ol’ fat cat with an attitude.
10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
I would definitely go back to the time of Henry Flagler who revived the city of St. Augustine when it was languishing. I’d want to work beside him so that he wouldn’t ignore the least of these and create a city that has no place for them. I like to think I could have influenced Henry. Either that, or we would have had some passionate debates. At the very least, I could find out what he was thinking and how this situation happened. That might give me some insights into how to change it.