This week I’m hosting Cynthia Hickey with Cooking Up Love, Ann H. Gabhart with Small Town Girl (US and Canada for print copy–an ebook in other countries), Christine Lindsay with Captured by Moonlight (US and Canada only), and Anne Elisabeth Stengl with Dragonwitch (US only). 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 (July 7th) evening.
Interview with the hero from Small Town Girl by Ann H. Gabhart
1. Jay Tanner, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
I’m always ready to try something new. That’s why I volunteered for the paratrooper unit while I was training to go overseas to fight in World War II. Didn’t work out the way I planned, but I was ready to give it a try. Maybe that I like challenges is the reason I fell for Kate. She was a challenge, all right. Most girls have always been ready enough to flash their eyes at me, but not Kate. She said I was a charmer and not her type. But a guy like me who’s never had an easy time in life knows how to fight for what he wants. And I wanted Kate’s love.
2. What do you do for fun?
Drive. When I finally had enough money scraped together to buy my Nash, I was a happy man. It wasn’t new, but it was new enough for me. I felt like the world was mine. With a few dollars in my pocket for gas, I could get in that car and go wherever I wanted. So just driving is fun for me. Books are fun too. I like getting lost in a good book. Of course, the very best fun is dancing with Kate to the music of our hearts.
3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
Polishing my shoes. I hate polishing shoes. My aunt used to make me polish my shoes and my uncle’s shoes too. I could never get them shiny enough to please her or my uncle. Then I joined the Army and they had this thing about polishing shoes too. Once we were out on the battlefield, nobody worried much about shiny shoes, just staying alive. Now I don’t care if my shoes are shiny or not, but I do polish them before church on Sundays.
4. What are you afraid of most in life?
Not being loved. I don’t like to admit that. My mother died when I was a kid and I had to go live with an aunt and uncle who didn’t love anything as far as I could tell. Especially not me. So I got tough and if anybody had asked, I’d have told them that love was the last thing I needed. I could make it on my own. But then I came to Rosey Corner, and everything changed. I put my fists down and quit trying to poke life in the nose. Instead I stood back and waited to see if maybe, just maybe, somebody was going to see the real Jay Tanner and still be ready to love him.
5. What do you want out of life?
A place to call home. A family who will love me forever and never give up on me even if I make mistakes. And peace. We’ve got to beat back those Germans and Japanese so we can keep our country safe. But peace sounds awfully good right now.
6. What is the most important thing to you?
That’s easy. Kate. And Birdie. She’s Kate’s little sister and somehow because of how she latched onto me from the very first time I was in Rosey Corner, she became my little sister too. She never gave up on me even when everybody else was wanting to.
7. Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?
I read every book I can get my hands on. Books with adventure in them are great. Stories that explore the unusual and make me think are the very best.
8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My tendency to pop somebody in the nose first and ask questions later. Might save me a few black eyes. I’m trying to remember the Lord’s advice to turn the other cheek and not let my temper get the best of me.
9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?I’ve never had a pet of my own. That wasn’t something my aunt and uncle would have ever allowed. My aunt even made me throw away my rock collection and it just sat there and didn’t make noise or eat or anything. Then after I got out of school and took off on my own, I was on the go too much to think about having a pet. But I did live with Graham Lindell for a few months. He had an old coon dog named Poe. That old dog didn’t smell so good and he had a mournful baying bark that could jerk a man right out of sleep. But he was a smart old dog. Poe and Graham were so close that I do believe they knew what the other one was thinking. Words or barks weren’t necessary. I wouldn’t mind having a dog like that someday, but I’ll give my dog a bath every once in a while before I let him live inside with me. Graham must have lost his sense of smell a long time back.
10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
I’d go back to when I was a little kid and my mama was still living. I’d like to have her arms around me one more time and it would be good to know if her laugh was anywhere as nice as I remember. Second choice would be back to the Old West. I think I’d fit in good there where rough and ready seemed to be the norm.
Everyone deserves to be loved. That’s just sad.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
Definitely, Mary. That’s why we like to read about love.
Great interview with Jay! Looking forward to this installment of the series
Campbellamyd at gmail dot com
Glad you enjoyed getting to know Jay, Amy C. Hope you’ll like his story.
Interesting volunteer job
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
I loved this book! Ann H. Gabhart has a wonderful voice. Don’t enter me as I already have a copy on my ‘keeper’ shelf. Whoever does win is in for a treat! 😀
Thanks, Cindy. Great that you’ve already read the book and posted your review. It’s a big compliment that my book landed on your “keeper” shelf. 🙂
I would live to be a winner !
Wishing you luck in the drawing, Faye. Wish everybody could be a winner.
Great interview! I can’t wait to get to know Jay even better when I read the book.
Ola, Jay was a fun guy to get to know while I was writing his story. A charmer, for sure.
Can’t wait to read this book
Hope you’ll enjoy the story when you do get a chance to read it, Barbara.
Fun interview. Can’t wait to read the book…would love to win. I keep entering Ann & you just never know! Thanks for the opportunity! Linda
One of these contest is going to be your lucky one, Linda. Thanks for coming over to hear what Jay had to say.
Jay is definitely a charmer but his last comment “sealed the deal” when he said he would love to feel his momma’s arms one more time. Just got ‘Small Town Girl’ in at the library and I hope to read it this weekend!!
Hope you enjoy the story, Connie.
Would LOVE LOVE LOVE to win PLEASE !!!!! Blessings,Dana
Good luck in the drawing, Dana. And you can check out a giveaway I have going on my website too if you want. Details at http://www.annhgabhart.com.
I would love to win this book! I love Ann’s books.
Great to see you hear reading Jay’s interview, Marissa. Good luck in the drawing.
Oops, I didn’t proofread until I hit enter. Guess I’d better learn the difference between here and hear, huh? I hate typos. 🙁
thanks for the chance to read this w0nderful novel….
PS: GO BLUE!!
Karen, we never forget we’re part of Big Blue Nation, do we? 🙂
Just realized that the comment I posted July 4th did not include my email address in the post itself.
Please enter me….Please!
cps1950@gmail.com