This mid-week of March has been pretty weird. First, it rained for a couple of days, then it snowed on Wednesday, and now today it’s supposed to be like 60 degrees! Great for the coming weekend, but still…gotta love the unpredictable weather when you combine March and Kentucky’s odd climate habits.

This week on the Character Tour, Sherri Johnson introduces us to her main character from Song of the Meadowlark. Enjoy!

Interview with the heroine from Song of the Meadowlark, Cora Buchanan:

1.  Cora, tell me the most interesting thing about you.

I am the poster child of young adult rebellion gone straight. I married someone my parents didn’t approve of and left Florida to live in South Carolina with him. I thought we had a great marriage until he was arrested for trafficking drugs and then fled after his parents bailed him out. That’s when I realized my parents had been right and I started on my path to change. The saddest part about leaving South Carolina was leaving behind Clark’s parents who had been like parents to me.

2.  What do you do for fun?

It took me a while to remember what fun having fun can be. When I lived at the beach growing up, I loved to swim in the ocean. I still do but now I live on a ranch in South Georgia. I’m learning to ride horses although I’m still pretty scared of them.

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

Paying bills. I hate doing it!

4.  What are you afraid of most in life?

I’m afraid of being abandoned—again.

5.  What do you want out of life?

I want a family who will love me and who will support me in my dreams.

6.  What is the most important thing to you?

I used to think a career and material possessions were the most important things in life. But now that I have been through a total life change, loving God is the most important thing to me.

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

I love to read romances and mysteries.

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

I would change the way I shrink away from conflict. I have learned that not all conflict is bad but I still tend to avoid it.

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

I do not have a pet right now because I live on a ranch as a nanny. When I was growing up I had a black Labrador named Bandit. He stayed by my side all the time. I left him when I married and moved away to South Carolina.

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

If I could travel back in time, I would go out West to the late 1800s. I have grown to love living on the Southern Hope ranch and think it would be exciting to live as they used to back then.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sherri Wilson Johnson is the author of To Dance Once More and Song of the Meadowlark. She is from Georgia, has been married since 1988, and is a former homeschooling mom. She loves to write, read, eat ice cream, ride roller coasters and make people laugh. She loves Jesus, her family, Bengal tigers, her little shadow, Posey the Chihuahua, and her 13-year-old Labrador, Sheba.

Well, I think that was a refreshing interview–lots of fun! Cara really seems like a gal I could pal around with. Thank you, Sherri and Cara, for stopping by.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks because I’ll be slowly shifting over to a new format for the Character Tour. I’ll be asking the questions–the hard questions, the fun questions, and all the questions in between. Be sure to join us next week!

Welcome back to another Character Tour post. Each week, my to-be-read pile is growing and growing. So many interesting characters, so little time. This week is no exception. It is a pleasure to welcome Nancy Thelen and one of her characters from The Color of Light. Stay tuned at the end for giveaway information and last week’s winner!

Interview with Doug Sterling:

What is it like working on the well know TV show, ‘On Board’?

It’s demanding and rewarding at the same time. The schedule is grueling. We generally complete a job in three days or less, then hit the road to the next job. The hours are long. On the other hand, it’s rewarding to see the finished product.

Are you able to utilize your own creativity?

I follow Ric’s lead. He comes up with the designs and ideas.

It appears that you do the majority of the work.

No, that’s not true. This is Ric’s show. We work as a team with the local contractors.

It’s a well-known fact that Ric relies heavily on you, and on that high octane power drink that he carries around with him at all times. Is that the only thing that keeps him going?

We all work at warp speed during a job.

This episode that you have just finished in Rivers Run. How is that different from prior episodes?

This episode changed the whole format of the show. Jackie O’Reilly was the next to receive a free room makeover. It was her idea to pay it forward to Kat and Gunny Merriweather. It was the nicest thing I’ve ever seen in all my years of working for ‘On Board’. She was so gracious and giving. All future shows will be based on paying it forward to someone who is truly in need.

Did you find it boring to work in a small Northwoods town?

Not at all. I actually found Rivers Run to be tranquil and soothing. Sunset Lake was beautiful and quiet. The folks in that little town came together like no other when a disaster hit. They are so thoughtful and giving. Jackie and her family worked alongside everyone else to help out wherever they were needed.

It sounds like this Jackie made quite an impression on you.

I’ve made a lot of good friends there. Each one is special in their own way.

Rumor has it that you spent the Fourth of July with Jackie and her family.

Like I said, I made good friends there, including Jackie.

What can you tell us about Jackie? It’s quite unusual for someone to turn down an offer of a free room makeover.

I can tell you that she’s kind and caring. She puts others’ concerns ahead of her own. She values the quality of life in Rivers Run and the surrounding area.

Nothing more that you care to share?

I’m not at liberty to discuss other people’s private lives.

It’s my understanding that Rivers Run is against future development. Our sources tell us that they have snubbed a developer, underhandedly stopping the sale of some prime property. Do you know anything about that?

If you’re referring to the old church camp, all I can tell you is that the Real Estate agent received a legitimate offer for the purchase of the property on Sunset Lake. I doubt that there was any underhandedness.

Are you saying that you know who purchased the property?

I’m not saying that. I’ll telling you what I was told recently, during a conversation that was made in a very public place, where anyone around could hear. The agent appears to be upstanding in the community.

Who would have enough money to purchase a piece of prime real estate that a development company was interested in?

You’ll need to discuss that with the Realtor. I don’t have the answers you’re looking for. Or perhaps you’ll want to contact the developer and discuss their ideas and tactics.

Let’s get back to Jackie. She’s made a name for herself locally as a fine craftsman of stained glass artwork. Have you seen any of her work?

She worked on repairing a small piece for Kat and Gunny. She has a lot of talent.

So, you haven’t seen any of her personal work?

We didn’t have a lot of time outside of working on the build. What little time we had was spent relaxing and having good conversation.

It appears you don’t wish to share any personal information. Why is that?

You’ve said it right there. It’s personal. I’m sorry, but I need to get packed. We’re leaving shortly. Thank you for your time.

About the Author:

Nancy Thelen resides in Northeastern Wisconsin. She is employed full-time, and fills her free time with taking care of her church’s library, cooking, blogging, and of course, writing. The Color of Light is the second in the Rivers Run Cottage series. She has several more in the works, and never tires of plotting the lives of the characters living in a small Northwoods town. Her books are currently available on Amazon.com/kindle.

I’ve always wanted to learn stained-glass. That would be so fun. Sorry, I know that wasn’t the point of the whole interview, but it stuck out to me. I think we need to get personal with Doug, and I’ll bet the only way to do that is to read the book!

To make this weekend a little better, Nancy is gracious enough to offer up a digital copy (ebook) of her novel. Yay! So, leave a comment below with your email address, and I’ll get you entered.

Which brings us to an exciting announcement.

The winner of Hide and Seek by H.L. Wegley is…Shirley Blanchard!