Today is extremely exciting for me because of the
introduction I get to make to our guest author. Cherime MacFarlane is one of
my fellow Chandler County authors and
her book MISSING ALASKA: A CHANDLER COUNTY NOVEL from Paper Gold Publishing releases
today—the first of eight wonderful books set in the fictional county located
between Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, that will release one-a-week until
Christmas. Over the next couple of months, you’ll get a chance to meet all the
authors and collect all the books in the series. For today, however, help me give
a huge GLIAS welcome to Cherime MacFarlane 
A LITTLE ABOUT CHERIME—FROM CHERIME!
I came to Alaska kicking and screaming in 1975, and I never
want to leave. I cut firewood on shares for money to get through the winter. I
swore I would not live above the Alaska Range because it was too cold there,
and I wound up in the Copper River Basin where it got just as cold as
Fairbanks.
My second husband, a Scot from Glasgow, was the love of my life. When I write Scots dialect, I experienced hearing it from my in-laws. Each time my husband got on the phone to Scotland, after five seconds I could hardly understand a word. I was my second husband's chief mechanic's helper and roadie.
I live in a cabin which is slowly being surrounded by the city and wish I were further out. My two cats and Husky-Collie mix dog are happy in our little slice of heaven called Alaska. In the silence of winter, dreams of people and places provide a rich pool of ideas to explore.
My second husband, a Scot from Glasgow, was the love of my life. When I write Scots dialect, I experienced hearing it from my in-laws. Each time my husband got on the phone to Scotland, after five seconds I could hardly understand a word. I was my second husband's chief mechanic's helper and roadie.
I live in a cabin which is slowly being surrounded by the city and wish I were further out. My two cats and Husky-Collie mix dog are happy in our little slice of heaven called Alaska. In the silence of winter, dreams of people and places provide a rich pool of ideas to explore.
Russell is running from the mess his mouth made of things in
Alaska. Leaving college, he drives down through Canada. His plan is to see the
Atlantic Ocean and a few other hot spots. By the time he gets home things might
have cooled off.
Gentry is ready to flee her home in Chandler County, Kentucky. On Bald Mountain Road their paths cross, and things in Chandler County are about to get hot. Her family’s barn burning is the least of the troubles. Gentry is desperate to get out of town, and Russ finds it’s time to go home. Can they make it out together? The county Sheriff is the only thing between her father and the two young people.
Gentry is ready to flee her home in Chandler County, Kentucky. On Bald Mountain Road their paths cross, and things in Chandler County are about to get hot. Her family’s barn burning is the least of the troubles. Gentry is desperate to get out of town, and Russ finds it’s time to go home. Can they make it out together? The county Sheriff is the only thing between her father and the two young people.
MISSING
ALASKA EXCERPT:
Then everything
was illuminated as the vehicle's bright headlights found her. A branch of the
tree she attempted to dodge past caught her across the chest, bent back and
propelled Gentry into the road behind her.
A squeal of brakes and the scent of
rubber filled the air. The young woman looked up at the grill of the vehicle
looming a few feet away.
The door of the truck opened, and a
man’s angry voice called out, “What the hell are you doing? You might have been
killed!”
Gentry struggled up on one skinned
elbow and stared at the license plate a short distance from her face. Yellow
and blue, a small flag in the center divided a series of three letters and
three numbers. The plate proudly proclaimed “Alaska” at the top.
“What the hell are you doing in
Kentucky? Are you really from Alaska?”
The man’s dark hand and an equally
brown arm reached out to the young woman. “Come on. We need to get out of the
middle of the road before someone comes along and rear-ends my truck.”
When he pulled Gentry to her feet,
she leaned against the fender. The man stood close enough for her to get a good
whiff of his breath. “You’ve been drinking.”
“I only had a couple of beers with
dinner. I’m not drunk.”
“You almost ran me over. In
Kentucky, it’s impaired driving. You could find yourself sitting in jail.”
Everything about him was dark, but
Gentry didn’t think he was black. The man was different that was for sure. The
fright she got started to wear off. Her mind went into high gear, and Gentry
saw a way to get away from her family.
“I don’t feel real good.” She put a
little quaver in her words.
“Hell! I suppose you want to call
an ambulance.”
“No. With what? I don’t have a cell
phone. But we do need to get off the road. If you could take me somewhere, it
would help.”
“What do you want me to do?”
The harsh tone evaporated. Gentry
detected a hint of concern in his question. “How about you help me into the
truck? I dropped my bag. Could you pick it up, please?”
“Okay. You need help getting
inside?”
“If you would, I’d appreciate it.”
The man turned to grab the pillowcase
off the road. With the case in one hand he took her left elbow with the other.
Gentry kept one hand on the hood and the fender as they worked around the nose
of the truck. She did put it on a little.
All she wanted was for him to get
her away from Bald Knob Road. A doctor bill from the emergency room wouldn’t
help her at all. Gentry hadn’t dared steal more than a couple of thousand from
the stash her father and brother kept in the old coffee can in the chicken
coop.
When they found out she nicked the
money they kept in the can from the sale of illegal ginseng; there would be
hell to pay. If they caught her, Gentry might not live through the beating.
It was difficult to keep her leg
from jumping as she waited for him to climb back into the vehicle. As expected,
he asked if she needed to go to the hospital.
Gentry shook her head. “I’m using
an old pillowslip for a suitcase. What gives you the idea I’ve got enough money
to cover a hospital visit?”
“Don’t you have any family to help
out?”
Arms crossed over her chest; Gentry
turned to glare at the man. “No. I don’t. And you never answered the question,
are you from Alaska? That’s a long way from Kentucky.”
Maybe far enough to never have to
see any of her family again. The thought rattled around in her brain and Gentry
decided Alaska might do the trick.
“Yes, I drove down to the Lower 48
because I needed a break before going back to school.”
“You look a little old to be going
to school.”
He gave a little snort, turned to
give her a once over before turning his attention back on the road. “College,
kiddo. Now tell me where I should take you.”
WHERE TO PURCHASE THE
BOOK
AND NOW SOME FUN WITH CHERIME’S Q&A
LIZ: What was your favorite book as a
child?
CHERIME: One about a weasel and a rabbit. I can picture the cover
in my mind vividly, but don’t recall the name of the book.
LIZ: How did you come up with the idea
for this book?
CHERIME: Alaska is an interesting place. Often couples come up here
and one person loves it and the other can’t wait to get out. It’s actually a
common problem up here.
LIZ: What do you enjoy doing when
you’re not writing?
CHERIME: Making jewelry
LIZ:
If you described your book in three words, which would you choose?
CHERIME: A geographic cure.
LIZ: If you could have dinner with any
three book characters, who would you choose and why?
CHERIME: Non fiction would be Robert The Bruce and William Wallace;
and fiction would be Gideon MacGrough (yes, he is mine but the interaction here
would be amazing).
LIZ: If your house was on fire and you
only had time to save three objects, what would you save?
CHERIME: All three furry kids
LIZ: You’ve been granted one
superpower for one week. Which power would you choose, and what would you do
with it?
CHERIME: Heavens! Supernatural healing and there are a bunch of
people I would go find.
LIZ: Write us a haiku about your book
or one of your characters!
CHERIME:
Russel Dick
On the run.
Will he do a trick?
No clue how much of a haiku that
is. PS in Alaska native families often have last names which would be given
names ie. John or Ed. 😊
LIZ: Time for a mini blitz!
a) Favorite color? Song? Movie?
b) Summer or winter?
c) Morning or night?
d) Rain or shine?
e) Sweet or salty?
CHERIME:
a) Emerald green; One of These Nights – Eagles; Lion in Winter
b) Both
c) Early, almost still night,
morning
d) Shine—even if it means the temp
will fall to minus 20
e) Depends
LIZ: Name three things on your desk
right now.
CHERIME: Big tape measure, door plate from new knob that I didn’t
attach to the door, and kitchen timer.
LIZ: Do you have any favorite authors?
CHERIME: Anne McCaffrey
LIZ: Where is your favorite place to
write?
CHERIME: Right at my converted kitchen table and remote keyboard
stand I made.
LIZ: What’s on your bucket list for
this year?
CHERIME: Get the apartment remodeled. I’ve pretty much covered all
I ever wanted to do by now.
LIZ HAS GOTTA ASK: What’s the most personal thing
you’ve ever put in one of your books?
CHERIME: Ha, ha. Not telling!
Cherime has a $6.00 gift card (good for two $2.99 books!)
for one commenter today. Here’s the question she has for you!
Do you like to learn
about new places and how the people there live?
CONTACT CHERIME:
E-mail: cherimem@hotmail.com
Website: papergoldpublishing.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCherimeMacFarlane/
Twitter: @CherimeMacFarla
Blogs: https://cherimemacfarlane.wordpress.com/
WHAT’S NEXT FOR CHERIME:
BONES OF OTHERS: A sci-fi
fantasy, the second installment of Cat and CoDee.
CHECK OUT CHERIME’S PREVIOUS RELEASES:
AVAILABLE AT
AVAILABLE AT
Thanks so much for joining us today, Cherime! Come back to
visit anytime!
Hi Cherime thank you for visiting and loved all the questions that you answered all of your books sound so good.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview Cherime and Liz. Congratulations on release day Cherime!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy learning about people and places within books... love going along their journeys to see how things turn out for them... thanks for sharing! greenshamrock atcox dornet :)
ReplyDeleteyes
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
I love learning about where people have been and where they are from I moved from bay area,ca where i lived for 48 yrs and moved to dbq, ia where i now live in a very rural area huge change but love it so peaceful and so much wildlife
ReplyDelete