10/26/2017

Alaska Meets Kentucky in Cherime MacFarlane's New Chandler County Book




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.

A LITTLE ABOUT “MISSING ALASKA”
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.



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.  šŸ˜Š

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!

5 comments:

  1. Hi Cherime thank you for visiting and loved all the questions that you answered all of your books sound so good.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great interview Cherime and Liz. Congratulations on release day Cherime!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I 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 :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. yes
    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  5. 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