Romantic Reads: Off the Ground

The Story Behind Off the Ground by Cathy Richmond:

As a Virginia history librarian, my mother was active in oral history. One of her favorite interviews was of my grandfather. He had a beautiful Scottish brogue, a humble view of his own accomplishments, and he had a delightful sense of humor.

Grandpa started a jewelry store in Michigan during the Great Depression. Repairs kept him busy, but occasionally he made a sale. Cash was in short supply, so customers resorted to trading. The local Montgomery Ward’s manager traded a gas stove for a black diamond. Why such an unusual stone? Grandpa asked. The manager’s wife had seen a black diamond in her father’s jewelry store in Omaha. Omaha? That’s where I live! How could I build a story around that black diamond?

The 1920s to ‘30s was also the Golden Age of Aviation. Charles Lindbergh, then Amelia Earhart flew solo across the Atlantic, becoming America’s favorite celebrities. Barnstormers performed aerobatics and gave rides. Pilots flew faster, farther, and higher, breaking records nearly every week. And designers built the prettiest airplanes ever. As part of my research, I rode in a 1929 Ford Trimotor – great fun! My fictional story’s heroine, Corrie, had to be a pilot.

Those pretty airplanes weren’t easy to fly. Open cockpits meant pilots sat out in the elements, battered by wind, rain, and the noise of the engine. Pilots used railroad tracks, town names on water towers, and Rand McNally road maps to navigate. Steering the plane meant wrestling a stick connected to cables. Frequent breakdowns required mechanical skills. Corrie had to be strong and independent, so I gave her three older brothers who taught her to drive and play basketball.

My hero, Mac, went to work for Montgomery Ward soon after they expanded into retail by opening five hundred stores. Their Chicago headquarters was the largest concrete building in the world. A 1929 Ward’s catalog showed the variety of items they sold, including live rabbits – you’d better believe I got a scene out of that!

The 1920s was a time of change from courting to dating. Radio played jazz, and movies showed how to dance to it. Speakeasies run by organized crime opened in every town, including Omaha. Women’s hair styles and skirts were shorter.

This era was a time of transition at home too. Early in the 20th century, the woman of house or a hired cook kept the fire burning all day to prepare food. Single women lived at home until they married. Single men lived in boarding houses where meals were provided. In the late 1920s, urban homes were connected to utilities and fitted with modern cooking appliances. Corrie hadn’t been expected to do any cooking in her upper-middle class home, so she had a few kitchen mishaps as a newlywed. Fortunately, Mac was patient, and she had access to cookbooks and radio shows to help her.

The most fun about writing this story was the 1920s slang. In fact, you could say it was the cat’s meow, the bee’s knees, and the elephant’s eyebrows!

I look forward to sharing Off the Ground with you! I’d love to know what you think about Corrie and Mac’s adventures, so connect with me at my website, CatherineRichmond.com.

Thank you, Alexis for letting me visit your blog!

Sincerely,

Cathy

~*~
Author Bio:

Cathy was working as an occupational therapist and raising her family, when a folk song inspired a story about a mail-order bride. 

Spring for Susannah was published in 2011, followed by four other novels of ordinary people experiencing God’s extraordinary love. 

Learn more about Cathy and her life via her author website, CatherineRichmond.com.

~*~
Blurb for Cathy’s book:

She wants to race Amelia Earhart. He's afraid of flying. Will their relationship ever get off the ground?

As the Roaring Twenties come to a close, Mac McFarland falls head over heels for live-wire Corrie Tinley. Now that she’s graduated, they’re allowed to date. But before he can sweep her off the dance floor and into his life, her father gives her a winged death trap—a biplane. Refusing to stick around to see her crash, Mac leaves without saying goodbye.

Corrie’s family treats her like a dumb Dora, but her former basketball coach is respectful and attentive. Mac has a noble air like Lindbergh and dark hair waving over his forehead like Gary Cooper. She can’t wait to take him flying in her new biplane, but he’s disappeared. If she can’t find him, is she destined to fly solo the rest of her life?

~*~
Buy Cathy’s book on Amazon

~*~

Connect with Cathy:

Faceboook: https://www.facebook.com/catherinerichmondfans/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writercatherine/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/writercatherine

Interview with Kristy Cambron, author of The Ringmaster’s Wife

Welcome my new writer friend Kristy Cambron to the blog today! She's here to talk about her new novel, The Ringmaster's Wife. 

Kristy agreed to host a book giveaway contest where YOU have the chance to WIN a copy of her novel! Exciting, isn't it?

Enjoy my interview with Kristy! 

*Words from Alexis are in bold, words from Kristy are not in bold.

~*~

Alexis: Welcome to my blog, Kristy! Thanks for agreeing to an interview about your new novel!

Kristy: Thanks for having me as a guest today, Alexis. I’m glad to be here!

What were the unique challenges of writing this historical novel?

The Ringmaster’s Wife was my first opportunity to explore writing a work of semi-biographical fiction and that certainly posed a challenge or two. I had to consider the depth of research that would be required to ensure we got the story right. Up to this point, I’ve only ever given a voice to fictional characters. I may have had true historical figures referenced in a novel, but they did not have a unique voice, motivation or character profile. So it was new for me to weave fictionalized scenes into Mable Ringling’s life– a real-life character whose story has already been written by our human history. The research was fascinating, though, and the chance to stretch as a writer was simply too much to pass up.

Who are your main characters and what makes them want to, as you say in your book’s summary, “chase a new life”?

The two pivotal characters in this book come from completely different worlds, but they meet in the middle of their prospective journeys and help one another along the way. Our semi-biographical characters is Mable (Burton) Ringling– who rose from humble beginnings to become the real-life circus queen and wife of John Ringling, of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. And our fictional main character is Lady Rosamund Easling– the privileged daughter of an English earl, whose wealth and prestige couldn’t make her happy. Though they started out in very different places in life, both women were the same in that they showed incredible bravery to step out, to risk everything and choose to live a life they’d dreamed of. There’s always risk with trailblazing; these women made me see that it’s possible to live a life that may seem unscripted to us, but has been wholly planned by God.

You’ve set Rosamund’s story in the Roaring Twenties. Why did you choose to write about that time era?

The Roaring Twenties really was a remarkable time in history. On the hinges of the Great War and the Spanish Flu epidemic that swept the world in its aftermath, those living in this time had to endure unspeakable loss, but also had to navigate the optimism that flooded the culture with vast societal change, advancements in science and technology, and the upheaval of many from a rural life to living more consumer-centric, urban ones. When you add the vibrancy of the circus, the fashion and art– even the music– into the mix, you get a story setting that is incredibly rich. I loved every moment of the research and the opportunity to see characters triumph over difficult circumstances permeating a post-war world.

What is about the Ringlings that makes Rosamund choose to join their nomadic lifestyle?

That’s a great question, because I don’t know that Rosamund actually chose the circus life; I think it chose her. She was already a bareback rider at heart– that’s true. But the connection Rosamund shared with her late brother, and the last gift he ever gave her (her beloved horse, Ingénue), is really the catalyst for her journey. It was love that propelled her forward, and the lack of love in an arranged marriage that nudged her onto the steamship that eventually carried her to America, and a home on a circus train. But once there in the midst of the performance world that was already a part of her heart, I think it would have been very difficult for Rosamund to turn back and live the life she’d fled. Adventure is part of who she is, and I happen to love that she embraced it fully.

What was the most rewarding part of writing this book?

There’s no question – it was the research.

I came to greatly respect Mable Ringling as a person, and then fell in love with the character she became. And it was the onsite research at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, FL that really helped me understand the legacy the Ringling and Burton families left for future generations. Spending a research days at the Ca’d’ Zan mansion (“House of John” in Venetian dialect) really made the story come to life. Everywhere the characters go in this book– from the Gatsby-inspired parties at the outdoor ballroom, to the piano-playing in The Court, and the quiet moments Rosamund and Colin share in the 5th story Belvedere Tower – every step they took was also offered to me. I’ll never forget the generosity of the Ringling staff, and the Ringling-North family descendants who shared so much information with me. It was a researcher’s dream.

What do you want readers to remember most about The Ringmaster’s Wife?

I think I’d want every reader to walk away from this book feeling really entertained. (I mean, it is a story of the circus set in the Jazz Age!) But I’d also like for readers to get to know Mable Ringling as a real person– not just a figure in the history books. I’d love for every person to be inspired to look beyond the scripted in their own lives, and to follow the calling God’s placed on their hearts with a relentless chase – especially when risk is involved. Because the truth of it is, we’ll never have regrets with our own life story if we’re following Jesus with everything we have.

Thanks for the interview, Kristy! Would you like to share any closing thoughts?

I’m very grateful for my publishing family, who truly made this book a reality. But I’m also grateful to all of YOU – reader friends who have had such a pivotal role in making my own author dreams come true. Thanks for helping me to be brave (and dream a little), even when the path isn’t clearly cut. This book is proof that good things come when we step out and follow God’s lead!

~*~
Author Bio:

Kristy Cambron has a background in art and design, but she fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. Her debut novel, THE BUTTERFLY AND THE VIOLIN, was named to Library Journal Reviews' Best Books of 2014 and RT Reviewers' Choice Awards Best of 2014 lists, and received a 2015 INSPY Awards nomination for best debut novel.

Her second novel, A SPARROW IN TEREZIN, was named to Library Journal Reviews Best of 2015 list, and received a nomination for RT Reviewers' Choice Awards Best Inspirational Book of 2015. 

Kristy's third historical novel, THE RINGMASTER'S WIFE, was named to Publishers Weekly Spring 2016 Religion & Spirituality TOP 10 and will release from HarperCollins in June, 2016.

Kristy is a Speaker and Design Manager at TheGROVEstory.com, and holds a degree in Art History from Indiana University. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons, where she can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good read.

Connect with Kristy:

Facebook: Kristy Cambron | Twitter: @KCambronAuthor | Instagram: kristycambron

Pinterest: KCambronAuthor | Web: KristyCambron.com | TheGROVEstory.com 

~*~

Win a copy of Kristy's book by entering the book giveaway contest via the Rafflecopter widget below:

SaveSave

a Rafflecopter giveaway