I have a great book recommendation for
you (with a gorgeous cover). Banished Love by Ramona Flightner, is a historical
women’s fiction novel. But before you can know more about the novel, get to
know the author a little by reading the interview.
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INTERVIEW
What
is the sweetest thing someone has done for you?
I am fortunate that I have a lot of
sweet memories. One that comes to mind is when I went to a writer’s conference
in San Francisco a few years ago. I felt overwhelmed and terrified to be there
amongst so many wonderful writers while I felt like such a novice. After the
first afternoon, I entered my hotel room and I had two gorgeous bouquets of
flowers waiting for me. There was one from my parents and another from a dear
friend. Both cards told me how much they cared for me and of their faith in me
and my abilities. Their support was invaluable.
What kind of music do you like?
I like folk music, classic rock,
classical music, Latin (especially Juanes), and traditional Irish music. I love
Mumford and Sons and was fortunate enough to see them in concert last year.
Do you like to dance?
I enjoy dancing and I often dance at
home. I have a little boogie I do to some of my favorite songs and when I am
washing the dishes. I don’t dance all that well, so I tend to stand on the
perimeter of the dance floor at parties. But, I always have a good time.
Can you describe your dream home?
For me, it’s not about what the home
looks like or how big it is, it’s the essence of the place. It’s about how I
feel when I walk in the door. The feeling that my friends, family and I would
always feel welcomed as we entered. I envision shelves covered in things I have
brought home from my travels and photos of said places. A pot of tea always at
the ready, an eagerness to hear the latest story, be it about recent travels or
the day’s work. That’s home to me.
If you could be any character, from any literary work, who would you choose to be? Why?
I know this is most likely a cliché
amongst women, but I would come back as Elizabeth Bennet. She was a strong
woman who spoke her mind, supported her family and still married the man she
loved. In a completely different, more modern vein, I wouldn’t mind being
Hermione Granger.
BANISHED
LOVE
by Ramona
Flightner
BLURB
Free-Spirited…
Clarissa Sullivan dreams for more from life than sipping tepid tea
in stifling parlors in Victorian Boston. She defies her family’s wishes,
continuing to teach poor immigrant children in Boston’s West End, finding a
much-needed purpose to her life.
Radical…
As a suffragette, Clarissa is considered a firebrand radical no
man would desire. For why should women want the vote when men have sheltered
women from the distasteful aspects of politics and law?
Determined…
When love blossoms between Clarissa and Gabriel McLeod, a
struggling cabinetmaker, her family objects. Clarissa’s love and determination
will be tested as she faces class prejudices, manipulative family members and
social convention in order to live the life she desires with the man she loves.
Will she succeed? Or will she yield to expectations?
BANISHED LOVE follows Clarissa Sullivan on her journey of
self-discovery as she learns what she cannot live without.
EXCERPT
“Colin, anything in that paper
interesting enough to share? You read it like you are hoping to find some
long-lost treasure,” Lucas cajoled.
“Hmm…no, nothing uplifting like that
song. Just more tales of death and woe around the world. The Boxers are getting
more powerful and dangerous.” Colin sighed, setting aside the Boston Evening
Transcript.
“And why should we care about a
bunch of pugilists?” Mrs. Smythe demanded, her thin face even longer with her
disapproval.
I giggled; Lucas snorted before
acting as though he were sneezing to hide his amusement, but Colin stared at
Mrs. Smythe with frank fascination.
“Do you read the papers, Mrs.
Sm…Sullivan? Talk with your friends?” At her cold stare, he continued. “The
Boxers are discontented Chinese on the verge of rebellion who are
indiscriminately killing Christians in China. Including American Christians,”
Colin said helpfully. “I thought it was the topic of conversation these days.”
He glanced toward Lucas and me, and we both nodded our agreement.
“A genteel woman,” Mrs. Smythe
began, with a sniff in my direction to indicate I must be lacking in that regard,
“would not know of such vulgar goings-on halfway around the world with a bunch
of savages, my dear Colin. I do read the papers but only the parts that pertain
to my world and me. The parts about running a good home, a good kitchen. About
decoration.” With this, she waved her hand around the room to indicate its
frightful state. “Decorum.” Yet another censorious glare was sent in my
direction. “These are the important matters of my life,” she stated with one
more sniff, showing her displeasure at the topic.
AUTHOR
Bio AND LINKS
Ramona
Flightner is a native of Missoula, Montana. After graduating from Tufts
University with a B.A. in Spanish, she earned a Masters degree in Spanish
Literature from the University of Montana. Her Master’s thesis, Chilean
Testimonial Literature: the collective suffering of a people, highlighted her
continued interest in the stories of those who were at risk of being forgotten
or silenced.
She
studied nursing at the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a Master’s
in Nursing as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She has worked for ten years as a
family nurse practitioner providing care to the poor and under insured at two
community health centers, first in Wilmington, Delaware and now in Boston,
Massachusetts.
An
avid reader, she began writing three years ago. She enjoys the demands of
research and relishes the small discoveries that give historical detail to her
books.
Ramona
is an avid flyfisher and hiker who enjoys nothing better than spending a day on
a remote Montana river, far from a city. She enjoys research, travel,
storytelling, learning about new cultures and discovering new ways of looking
at the world. Though she resides in Boston, Massachusetts, Ramona remains a
Montanan at heart.
Her dreams are to see the plains of East
Africa, marvel at the wonder of Petra in Jordan, soak in the seas of the South
Pacific, and to continue to spend as much time as possible with her family.
Banished
Love is her first novel and is the first in the forthcoming Banished Saga.
AUTHOR
WEB PAGE: http://www.ramonaflightner.com
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/ramonaflightner
PINTEREST:
http://www.pinterest.com/ramonaauthor
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Lara
Reznik grew up on Long Island but escaped to New Mexico in 1970 in a Karmann
Ghia that she and her boyfriend jump-started cross-country. As an English major
at the University of New Mexico, Lara studied under esteemed authors Rudolfo
Anaya and the late Tony Hillerman. She also attended a summer program at the
prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop.