This week I’m hosting Annslee Urban with Smoky Mountain Investigation, Gail Gaymer Martin with Treasures of Her Heart (US only), and Kathleen Y’Barbo with Their Unexpected Love (US only). If you want to enter the drawings for the books, please leave a comment on your post 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 20th) evening.
Interview with the heroine – Nikki Townley from Treasures of Her Heart by Gail Gaymer Martin:
1. Nikki, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
I suppose the most interesting thing about me is that I gave up a glamorous, well-paying career as a fashion buyer who traveled all over the world to go to a tourist town in northern Michigan to help run my ailing great aunt’s antique shop. I had no idea where that would lead me, but I will tell you it was a frightening but exciting time.
2. What do you do for fun?
I’ve done some community theater and learned that my aunt was in theater in England. I guess it runs in the family, but I also enjoy nature and shopping. What woman doesn’t love that?
3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
I sometimes distrust people, and I can’t sort through the reasons I feel that way and I dread finding out I’m right. I sometimes avoid learning the truth because of what it might mean. The loss of a friendship, for example. Is it worth taking a chance? So I tend to put off learning the truth.
4. What are you afraid of most in life?
By making the move to northern Michigan, I’m afraid I’ll lose my friendship with Rob Moore, my dearest friend. We’ve been pals for years and attend parties with each other and have a great time, but now that I’m gone I’m concerned someone else will fill my shoes, and then I fear someone else will fill his. I’m very muddled about the whole thing. There’s nothing more precious than an amazing friendship.
5. What do you want out of life?
More than anything, I want a life that is purposeful and one that gives me happiness. Purposeful using my time and talents for the good of others as well as my own pleasure. Happiness is a sense of comfort, an easy relationship with a good friend or two filled with laughter and sharing. What could be better?
6. What is the most important thing to you?
Family and good friends. I love my parents and respect them. They have raised me to be independent and strong in many ways. Moving away from them has been difficult but I find that we are still close and that’s important to me too.
7. Do you read? If so, what is your favorite type of book to read?
Finding time to read has been difficult when my career took so much time, but I do enjoy an occasional best seller or a good story that I hear about from people whose opinions I trust. I love stories about friendships and interesting characters.
8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
As independent and strong I say I am, part of me has a difficult time saying what I want to someone I care about. Rob, my good friend, is always asking me to decode what I mean. He seems to think my conversations are partly cryptic. I guess I’m not always blunt. I think he should be astute enough to know what I’m saying.
9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
Because of my travels and apartment living, I haven’t had a pet since I’ve been on my own, but now living with Aunt Winnie who has a cat named Whimsey, I don’t think I’ll ever be pet-less again. I enjoy Whimsey purring and wrapping herself around my ankles when she wants something. Usually it’s food, but I have to guess. She might just want to be petted. Whimsey is as cryptic as I am, I suppose, but she is filled with contentment and love.
10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
Because of my Aunt’s missing fortune and vanishing savings, I would love to go back in time to the earlier years when my Uncle Jack was alive and find out what was going on in his business life. He’s left us with so many questions and the answers might help us find the missing wealth I’m sure Aunt Winnie should still have. Most everyone involved with him back then are gone. . .I think. Putting the puzzle pieces together has been difficult and I’d love to ask Uncle Jack questions.