Friday, March 11, 2016

Mamie Garrison by Teresa McCrae

Mamie Garrison 
by Author Teresa McRae
 


Welcome Teresa! Please tell us a little about yourself?

Author Bio: Hello. I am the author of the Historical Fiction novel called Mamie Garrison. It is a tale of slavery, abolition, romance and history, set in the years just prior to the Civil War. I am 58 and married with one adult child. I have always enjoyed the written word and am a voracious reader from my early youth. I am inspired by many authors in the historical fiction genre. I am also a lover of Russian literature, particularly Tolstoy and Doestoyefsky. I find great inspiration for creating characters by looking at the ones these two authors have created. There is such a depth to them. I have written for most of my life in one form or another. I have dabbled in poetry and songwriting, and have more started novels than finished ones. In my free time, I like reading, history, crossword puzzles and travel. I am interested in genealogy and working on my family tree. I live in the Midwest United States with my husband, Chris and my dog, Max. 

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I always loved to read and wrote terrible poetry when I was younger, youth to teen age. When I met and married my husband, a musician, I co-wrote some song lyrics with him. I always thought I would like to write a book. One day, I just sat down and started and the result was Mamie Garrison.


How long does it take you to write a book? Mamie Garrison took me about a year and a half. I think this was essentially because it started out as a very different book. Mamie was a secondary character. The problem was Mamie kept bugging me to tell her story. When I did that, not really even knowing what that story was at first, it all fell into place.


What is your work schedule like when you're writing? I am different from many writers in that I don't physically write every day. In other words, I don’t type everyday. I think of a scene and I run it through my head till it plays like a movie and then usually put it on paper or laptop. This tends to work well for me. By the time I get to typing, it is almost exactly how I want it. Usually. I do not work outside of writing and tend to do my best writing in the morning after Ive had my coffee.


What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? I would have to say again, the fact that I do not write everyday. Most advice I see from other writers is to write every day. It's always going on in my head, though. I also write in bed and not at a desk. I have to be comfortable for the thoughts to flow.

How do your books get published? I publish independently.


Where do you get your information or ideas for your books? I write what I care about, what moves me. I have always hated injustice of any sort. I always root for the underdog. I think with “Mamie Garrison” I wanted to show that ordinary people can do the extraordinary when it matters. It's not how much you do or even what you do, but rather, the fact that you did what you could.


When did you write your first book and how old were you? Mamie is my first book and I am 58. I've started a few going back to when I was in high school but never finished them.


I have received such lovely comments and reviews. Most want to tell me they loved the book. Many become enamored of Mamie. She is quite the woman.


Do you like to create books for adults? Yes. I don't think I could ever write children's books. Some subject matter is difficult to write about. I try not to step over the line of good taste and write only what is important to tell the story. For me, this works.


As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? I wanted to be a teacher and I was for a number of years.


Book Blurb: Mamie Garrison is a story of an ordinary woman who goes to extraordinary lengths to do what she knows is right. Everything in her young life has led her to this moment, this decision. She will embark on the greatest adventure of her life.
Approximately one hundred and fifty years later, her ancestor, Bella Garrison, inherits a house from her grandmother and finds Mamie's journals in a trunk in the attic. Bella with the help of her historian boyfriend, Andrew, will follow Mamie's journey through her writings, to find out more about this intrepid woman and what she achieved. However, someone is trying to stop them from learning about Mamie. What do they not want Bella to find out?
And...what is the meaning of the strange events occurring in Bella's house?


Author Migraine Central Review of Mamie Garrison:
Mamie Garrison is a proud and heroic woman. Her trials and tribulations were heartbreaking. Yet the horrors during this era in time were felt by more than many. I laughed and cried while reading this book. I loved Bella! This book is well written and executed. The characters are so well developed that I could actually see in my minds eye the care and warm heart of the woman herself and the author. This book deserves five stars just for the sheer hard passion in which it was written. Such a wonderful read. I have read it twice now and will definitely order the hard back if I can. A book for all times. Recommended to any one who loves historical heartwarming books.

 

Teresa McRae’s website: www.teresamcrae.com


Twitter: @tshep1957

Instagram: teresa_mcrae

Amazon:



THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!





2 comments:

  1. I love Indie authors, especially those from the midwest.
    This is a fascinating topic and I love how you brought it to a new generation.
    And showed the importance of the written word in the process.

    ReplyDelete