Heroine Interview from For Love or Loyalty by Jennifer Hudson

This week I’m hosting Jennifer Hudson with For Love or Loyalty (no giveaway) and Allie Pleiter with The Firefighter’s Match (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 drawing ends Sunday (Nov. 24th) evening.

Interview with the heroine from For Love or Loyalty by Jennifer Hudson:

1, Lauren Campbell, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

I suppose it would be my compassion. I can’t help but see the cares and worries of those around me and I want to help them, especially when my father and brother are the cause of their misery.

2. What do you do for fun?

I love to go exploring the grounds around the ruins of Kilchurn Castle on Loch Awe. The history of the castle and its ownership from the MacGregors to the Campbells fascinate me.

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?

Facing challenging circumstances that make me uncomfortable. I feared taking Iona MacGregor’s place in the fields at Mallard Plantation, but she’s old and frail. Whatever had to be endured, surely I could handle it better than she. But the thought of placing myself at the mercy of the overseer, takes my breath away and makes my skin crawl.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?

Losing hope and my faith in that awful bordello—that Malcolm won’t find me in time. And I don’t understand why God has allowed this to happen to me after I have faithfully served Him and did my best to be His servant all these years.

5. What do you want out of life?

To be happy. To be loved. To have a family of my own. And I want the same blessings for my little sister, Blair. I want to bring her to the Carolinas and get her away from my father and brother.

6. What is the most important thing to you?

God and the things I believe to be true of Him.

7. Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?

I mostly read the King James Bible, but one of my favorite books was Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In fact, it was my ability to read this book that got me out of the hot, sweaty fields and into the big house. The owner’s son at Mallard Plantation rode by us indentured servants and dropped his book. I picked it up and called to him. He asked me to read it, and I did. He decided I was too educated to be laboring like that and went to his parents to move me to the main house.

8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? 

I always thought I had a strong faith and I understood God, but when I was tested beyond my endurance, I turned out to be much weaker than I wanted to be. I feared the weakness in my body. How long could I endure the beatings, the starvation, taunts and isolation until I gave in? Why was it all happening to me in the first place? Did God love me? Was He real? I questioned his sovereignty and his love for me. The one thing I would change is that the Holy Spirit in me would be stronger than my flesh.

9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet? 

No.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why? 

To Kilchurn Castle when it was at its greatest height, because I love these ruined stones, and I like to imagine how beautiful it was when