Meet Author Elaine Marie Cooper

        My guest is Elaine Marie Cooper, author of Fields of the Fatherless, a historical fiction based on a true story from the American Revolution. She has also penned three historical romances: The Road to Deer Run, The Promise of Deer Run and The Legacy of Deer Run. Her passions are her family, her faith in Christ and the history of the American Revolution, a frequent subject of her fiction. She grew up in Massachusetts, the setting for many of her novels.
        Her new release is Bethany’s Calendar, a memoir of her daughter’s battle with brain cancer.

What’s your background, Elaine, and how did you became interested in writing?
I think most authors confess to a childhood passion for writing. My early attempts at the craft were an assortment of short fiction, poems, and a television manuscript! I’m sure they were quite amusing. I never thought this interest would lead to becoming a writer but the Lord kept leading me onto that path, regardless of my own plans.

What gets you in a creative mode and how do you begin your writing process?
With prayer that God will guide my writing. And then lots of coffee. ;-)

Many writers utilize a writing group. Where do you get constructive critiques and feedback?
I get lots of feedback from my husband (who is an editor) and other editor and writer friends. I value the opinions of others in the field. About a year ago, I began a writer’s group called Word Weavers so that Christian writers would be able to get constructive feedback on their work. They’ve been an invaluable help to me.

What led you to write Bethany’s Calendar?

I have to say it was the Lord impressing the idea on my heart during praise and worship time at a writer’s conference. I had no intentions of ever writing the painful saga of my daughter’s battle with brain cancer. I thought I would only continue writing historical fiction. But like Bethany’s illness changed her plans, God changed mine.

What is Bethany’s Calendar about?
It’s the story of facing my worst fear: losing a child. It’s also the story of how we helped her through that painful journey and how others in similar situations can be strengthened in their role as caregivers. This memoir is geared toward families dealing with serious illness, cancer sufferers, nurses, and friends of caregivers. I pray that what my husband and I learned during this crisis will give hope and help to others.

Bethany

While reading Bethany’s Calendar, my heart ached for you and your family and I wondered how difficult it was to lay open your “mother’s heart” as you did.
Reliving that painful time was at times excruciating. I had many prayer warriors lifting me up to help me through the writing of the chapters. What a blessing to feel the prayers of others.

What's the most important thing readers will learn from Bethany’s Calendar?
I pray that readers will see how faith in God can help them through the most dire of circumstances. Life is not easy but the Lord has promised us He will never leave us or forsake us. I also pray that caregivers will learn ways to be advocates for their loved ones who are ill. Every patient who is weak from illness, needs a strong supporter who is willing to go to bat for them.

Now that Bethany’s Calendar is out in bookstores, do you have any projects you're currently working on?
I’m working on a historical fiction set in Saratoga, New York in October of 1777. And in October of 1977. And no, it is not a time travel novel. ;)

When you're not writing, what do you enjoy doing?
Being with my family. Crocheting. Going to quality movies. Drinking tea and eating scones.

Where can readers find your book?
At Amazon. Here is the purchase link: http://buff.ly/12izRBy

Elaine’s contact information:
Blog and Website address: www.elainemariecooper.com
Twitter: @elainemcooper
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElaineMarieCooperAuthor
Email: elainemariecooper@yahoo.com

Here's my review of Bethany's Calendar:

         Beautifully crafted … poignant … heartrending, yet full of hope. In Bethany’s Calendar Elaine Marie Cooper lays open her “mother’s heart.” With grace, love, stunning honesty, and welcomed moments of humor she introduced me to and made me love and care for her dear, beautiful, vivacious daughter until her loss became my own. 

        Throughout Bethany’s Calendar, Cooper has delicately woven threads of advice on how to respond and care for patients and families during end-of-life experiences and grief. What a journey. What a blessing. Thank you, Elaine.

Meet Author Elaine Marie Cooper

       It's been my pleasure to become friends with author Elaine Marie Cooper over the past two years. She's a delightful, dear Christian woman and a talented writer. I thought you'd like to get to know her too. Her newest book, Fields of the Fatherless, published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, was released October 22.

Are experiences in your novel based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
        The seeds for Fields of the Fatherless were planted in my mind when I was a young girl. The house up the street from our home was a historical site and my older brother liked to scare me by telling me there was blood on the floor in that old dwelling.
        I never forgot the Jason Russell House but I never actually visited it nor understood the full story until 2012. I was deeply moved by what had happened there during the first day of the American Revolution and the tale beckoned to be told. I feel so privileged to be the storyteller.

Did you have to travel much concerning your books? If so, what’s the most interesting place you traveled?
        I’ve traveled to Massachusetts a few times for book research. Although I grew up there, I now live in the Midwest and there have been many areas in my home state that I’ve not seen. As an author, I feel there is nothing like experiencing the actual settings to inspire me. I’d have to say the most interesting place I visited was the site of my 4th great grandparents cabin in Williamsburg, Massachusetts. It was built in 1782 and there is a large granite stone called the Prince Monument that marks the location. It was very stirring to my heart to be there. You can read about that visit at http://www.elainemariecooper.com/rocks-of-remembrance/

Which of your characters is most/least like you, and in what ways?
        I’d say the character of Sarah (Thomsen) Stearns from the Deer Run Saga is the most like me. She is the youngest in her family, fiercely loyal to those she loves, and often puts her foot in her mouth! LOL!

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?
        I definitely read reviews of my books. I like to know what readers like because they are my audience and I want to please them. Of course, if what they want might be offensive to my Christian beliefs, I do not cater to those whims or wishes. But reviewers definitely help me know what is working and what is not.

What book are you reading now?
        I am currently reading Newspaper Code by Lisa J. Lickel. It is a cozy murder mystery, Book 3 in the Buried Treasure Mystery series. I love these books! It’s like reading an adult Nancy Drew and I feel like taking my flashlight and reading it under my covers at bedtime! Actually, I think I’ve done that, only not with the covers to hide me since I don’t have to worry about Mom telling me to go to sleep. ;-)

What are your current projects?
        My current manuscript that I’m working on is a far cry from my historical fiction. A couple of years ago, I felt the Lord prompting me to write a memoir of my daughter who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2002. I resisted even thinking about undertaking such a painful project for several years, but the Lord had other plans for me. I pray that this story of my journey with my daughter will help other families going through a serious illness with a loved one. It is tentatively entitled, Bethany’s Calendar.

If you could have dinner with one of your characters, who would it be and why?
        Wow, I guess I would have to say it would be Daniel Lowe from the Deer Run Saga. What would it be like to be an enemy soldier in a hostile land and how did he adapt to his new home? I would pick his brain for details! Besides, he is so handsome… ;-)

Do you have any upcoming events?
       I am speaking at Johnston Public Library, Johnston, Iowa on October 27th at 3 p.m. at the Barn. I’ll be chatting about events that led to the American Revolution, as well as my new novel, Fields of the Fatherless, which releases five days prior to this event.
        I’m also doing a book signing at Coldwater Creek in the Jordan Creek Mall, West Des Moines, Iowa on October 30 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. I’ll be selling all four of my books there, including Fields of the Fatherless. I’ll be posting other upcoming venues on my website: www.elainemariecooper.com. The longterm plan is to attend Patriot’s Day activities at the Jason Russell House in Arlington, Massachusetts next April.

Can you tell us about some of the milestones you’ve reached as a writer?
        I feel like just becoming a writer at all is a milestone! I honestly never thought I would be an author of historical fiction. You just never know the journeys the Lord will take you on. Getting my latest contract for Fields of the Fatherless from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas last December was definitely a milestone in my writing journey. Looking back at how it all came about makes me stand in awe of God’s strength, despite my human frailty.

What motivates you to write, and where do you get ideas?
        I always pray that the Lord will be my Motivator in all that I write, so when I feel passionate about a story or a cause, I sense Him moving me towards a blog, an article, or a new book idea. I desire that everything I write will be God-directed.

Do you have a life verse?
        Yes, Proverbs 31:8-9: Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. Those verses speak to my heart every time I read them. They whisper to me that God cares for the poor and the underdogs in our world. Love them and do not be silent when others demean them.

Who is your greatest encourager?
        Without a doubt, my husband Steve. I also have to say that my three dear friends from my coffee club (Sheila, Kris and Cindy) are my best encouraging friends—always faithful, ever caring and ever praying.

Tell me about one of your personality traits.
        Perhaps you picked up on this from my favorite Bible verse but I am always championing the underdog.

Where can people get a copy of your book?
Fields of the Fatherless is available at Amazon, http://www.amazon.com/dp/1938499921/

Thank you, Susan, for welcoming me to your blog. It has been a pleasure and a blessing!

Novelist Elaine Marie Cooper is the author of The Road to Deer Run, The Promise of Deer Run and The Legacy of Deer Run. Her passions are her family, her faith in Christ and the history of the American Revolution, a frequent subject of her historical fiction. She grew up in Massachusetts, the setting for many of her novels. Fields of the Fatherless will release October 2013. Visit her website at: http://www.elainemariecooper.com

 

Colonial Quills Blog Features A Forted Frontier Holiday

On each Monday for the next two months, the authors of the Colonial Quills blog will give a gift of their writing for their readers!

 

The anthology is entitled A Forted Frontier Holiday: A Colonial American Anthology.  In nine installments, the authors will bring their characters from throughout colonial America into Fort Providence in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.

 

 

 

Here’s a list of the installments (including mine, which is Part 2 posted Nov.  12):

Part 1 - Inside Fort Providence by Carrie Fancett Pagels (Nov. 5)

Part 2 - A Providential Proposal by Susan Craft (Nov. 12)

Part 3 - Landlocked by Carla Olson Gade (Nov. 19)

Part 4 - Preserve My Life From Fear by Elaine Marie Cooper (Nov. 26)

Part 5 - A Gift from Buckskin Samson by Kathy Maher (Dec. 3)

Part 6 - Narrow Passage by Pat Iacuzzi (Dec. 10)

Part 7 - Untitled by Lynn Squire (Dec. 17)

Part 8 - Christmastide by Carrie Fancett Pagels (Dec. 24)

Part 9 - Amish Snow by Kelly Long (Dec. 31)

If you love a good story set in colonial America, then visit

http://colonialquills.blogspot.com/

 

Once on the blog, learn more about the authors of the anthology by visiting the Contributors Page.