Book Birthday Party Day Four, Author Maggie Brendan

Only two days left to party after today, can you believe it?! Don't worry though, you can extend the party (trust me) by buying any one of these wonderful books and settle in for a trip to the 1800s, the 1930s or even just a few states away during Christmas morning. Please join me in welcoming historical fiction author Maggie Brendan and celebrate the release of Deeply Devoted.

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Could you please start off with a little bit about yourself for those who aren’t familiar with you or your work?

I love to read and write historical novels. I love the west and all things western, so my first series was The Heart of the West. It was a dream of mine to be an author when I was in grammar school. I lived in Colorado for nearly eight years and enjoyed visiting the historical mountain towns that eventually serve as the backdrop for my books. I’m a Southern gal, born and bred, but always lived vicariously through Zane Gray novels growing up. My brother, Jess McCreede, now deceased, also wrote seven westerns and was my inspiration and mentor.

I traveled to Cheyenne, Wyoming to research the first book in the series, Deeply Devoted. It helps me create a more authentic story, and I hope the reader can see Cheyenne through as it was in 1886 through my eyes.


What’s your favorite thing about birthdays?

Oh, that’s easy! The cake and ice cream! Of course, if there’s a gift even better,

but normally we celebrate birthdays with a dinner out. The one thing I don’t like—is getting older. Lol!


Please tell us a little bit about your new series, The Blue Willow Brides.

My love affair with Blue Willow china began as a little girl when my oldest brother gave me a Blue Willow tea set for Christmas. The Blue Willow china, gracing my hutch today, inspired the idea for my new series, The Blue Willow Brides. The china remains a thread throughout the series, beginning with Deeply Devoted. It explores our devotion to the most important people in our lives, despite the costs, and the reflection of God’s devotion to us.

Deeply Devoted introduces Catharine Olsen, a mail-order bride arriving in America from Holland with the residual pain of a tragic past, her mother’s Blue Willow china, and has her two younger sisters in tow. Catharine finds a love that enraptures both her heart and mind with Peter, but is troubled by Peter’s mother’s endeavors to sabotage their precious marriage. She becomes terrified that her haunting past will be discovered.

Just as china has a pattern, so is God patterning us, engraving us and is the potter of all marriage. Her sister Greta eventually leaves Cheyenne to become a mail order bride to a mercantile owner. The youngest sister, Anna, becomes a mail order bride as well.


If Catharine Olsen attended this birthday party what would she wear?

She’d wear a crispy, white Battenberg high neck blouse and a navy skirt with her hair pulled, up much like it is on the cover of Deeply Devoted. Revell did a fabulous job on the cover with my idea for the heroine and the Blue Willow plate in the background.


Could you share a favorite scene from Deeply Devoted or an interesting scene that didn’t make the final draft?

Copyright 2011

Maggie Brendan

As the rain pelted them, she leaned forward and saw her high-top boots sinking into a muddy hole. She lost her balance and fell over on her hands and knees in the squishy street. “Ja, but not near as bad as you are going to look!” She flashed him a mischievous smile. Peter reached out his hand to assist her with an impish look on his face. She gave a hard yank, catching him off guard, and he tumbled down in a heap. Before he knew what hit him, Catharine

had scooped up a handful of mud and wiped it across his nose and face. “That’ll teach you to laugh at a helpless, wet female.”

He looked at her with shock, sending them into fits of laughter. They drew themselves upright, and Catharine was laughing so hard that she leaned over, a hand to her stomach, as tears streamed down her mud-streaked face.

Peter grabbed her wrist, chuckling the entire time, and held her close to his body, mud and all, unmindful of the passersby. “It’s so good to hear your laughter. I’ve missed it.” His eyes glistened with amusement. “You look rather cute with the embellishment of mud to enhance your outfit, even if your feet are sinking!”

Catharine gazed up at him, and their eyes locked. She liked the feel of his strong arms about her. “Is that so?”

His lips curved into a broad smile, the brim of his hat dripping water down her shoulder. “I have just the cure for being splattered with mud on a rainy night.” His eyes teased her, and he leaned down to kiss her. “A nice hot bath where we can both peel off these wet things and soak to our hearts’ content. What do you say? Shall we get out of this rain?”

Catharine’s answer was a slow, lingering kiss while they stood in a tight embrace, ignoring the rain. A harrumph came from a person walking by, and they slowly pulled apart. Peter grabbed her hand tightly, and laughing and gasping for breath, they sprinted the rest of the way to the hotel.

~Deeply Devoted available from Amazon and other booksellers~

~Please visit Maggie at her warm and welcoming website,

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Giveaway:

Enter to win a signed book plate from Maggie and a copy of Deeply Devoted from me!

~To enter you must fill out the form below. US residents only. Ages 13 and up. Void where prohibited. Open until 9/11/11 @ 12:01am.

~ For two extra entries, leave a comment for Maggie. If you do this, leave your name and last initial in your comment so I can match your extra entries with your form entry. Simple!