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Mamie Garrison

by Author Teresa McRae

http://www.amazon.com/Mamie-Garrison-slavery-abolition-Garrisons-ebook/dp/B0182QUN14/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Welcome Teresa! Please tell us a little about yourself?

Welcome Teresa! Please tell us a little about yourself?
Author Bio: Hello. I am the author of the Historical Fiction novel called Mamie Garrison. It is a tale of slavery, abolition, romance and history, set in the years just prior to the Civil War. I am 58 and married with one adult child. I have always enjoyed the written word and am a voracious reader from my early youth. I am inspired by many authors in the historical fiction genre. I am also a lover of Russian literature, particularly Tolstoy and Doestoyefsky. I find great inspiration for creating characters by looking at the ones these two authors have created. There is such a depth to them. I have written for most of my life in one form or another. I have dabbled in poetry and songwriting, and have more started novels than finished ones. In my free time, I like reading, history, crossword puzzles and travel. I am interested in genealogy and working on my family tree. I live in the Midwest United States with my husband, Chris and my dog, Max.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I always loved to read and wrote terrible poetry when I was younger, youth to teen age. When I met and married my husband, a musician, I co-wrote some song lyrics with him. I always thought I would like to write a book. One day, I just sat down and started and the result was Mamie Garrison.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Mamie Garrison took me about a year and a half. I think this was essentially because it started out as a very different book. Mamie was a secondary character. The problem was Mamie kept bugging me to tell her story. When I did that, not really even knowing what that story was at first, it all fell into place.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing? I am different from many writers in that I don't physically write every day. In other words, I don’t type everyday. I think of a scene and I run it through my head till it plays like a movie and then usually put it on paper or laptop. This tends to work well for me. By the time I get to typing, it is almost exactly how I want it. Usually. I do not work outside of writing and tend to do my best writing in the morning after I've had my coffee.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? I would have to say again, the fact that I do not write everyday. Most advice I see from other writers is to write every day. It's always going on in my head, though. I also write in bed and not at a desk. I have to be comfortable for the thoughts to flow.

How do your books get published? I publish independently.

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books? I write what I care about, what moves me. I have always hated injustice of any sort. I always root for the underdog. I think with “Mamie Garrison” I wanted to show that ordinary people can do the extraordinary when it matters. It's not how much you do or even what you do, but rather, the fact that you did what you could.

When did you write your first book and how old were you? Mamie is my first book and I am 58. I've started a few going back to when I was in high school but never finished them.

What do you like to do when you're not writing? I read a lot. Probably at least a book a week. I have done extensive work on my family tree. I still work on it but not as often as I did. I have a granddaughter coming in August and plan to spend lots of time spoiling her.

What does your family think of your writing? They are very supportive. My Mom loves it and has suggested it to her book club. Lol. Gotta love moms. Many in my family have read it and enjoyed it. My husband is very cooperative when I need to be alone to write. I've always been a person who enjoys being alone, so there were no surprises there.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books? The fact that I could start and finish one. I think the biggest surprise was when reviews started coming in and people were writing such nice things about it. I am so happy people like it.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite? Just Mamie, but I am in the process of the second book in the series which will feature some of the children mentioned in the first book. Of course, characters from the first book will reappear. I conceived the idea as a trilogy, but one book at a time. We will see where we go after this next one.

Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they? On my blog, I tend to mention often, that you need to write what you love, what moves you. If it moves you, it will move someone else. I love Hemingway’s quote about finding the truest sentence you can and writing that. Ask yourself, is this truth, is this important? If it is, others will notice. This can be done in any genre. Truth is truth. Even in fiction.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say? I do. I have received such lovely comments and reviews. Most want to tell me they loved the book. Many become enamored of Mamie. She is quite the woman.

Do you like to create books for adults? Yes. I don't think I could ever write children's books. Some subject matter is difficult to write about. I try not to step over the line of good taste and write only what is important to tell the story. For me, this works.

What do you think makes a good story? Oh, it has to be the characters for me. If I connect with a character, then the story seems to flow from that. I also like a few unexpected twists when appropriate to the storyline, and some surprises.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up? I wanted to be a teacher and I was for a number of years.

Book Blurb: Mamie Garrison is a story of an ordinary woman who goes to extraordinary lengths to do what she knows is right. Everything in her young life has led her to this moment, this decision. She will embark on the greatest adventure of her life.
Approximately one hundred and fifty years later, her ancestor, Bella Garrison, inherits a house from her grandmother and finds Mamie's journals in a trunk in the attic. Bella with the help of her historian boyfriend, Andrew, will follow Mamie's journey through her writings, to find out more about this intrepid woman and what she achieved. However, someone is trying to stop them from learning about Mamie. What do they not want Bella to find out?
And...what is the meaning of the strange events occurring in Bella's house?

Author Migraine Central Review of Mamie Garrison:

Mamie Garrison is a proud and heroic woman. Her trials and tribulations were heartbreaking. Yet the horrors during this era in time were felt by more than many. I laughed and cried while reading this book. I loved Bella! This book is well written and executed. The characters are so well developed that I could actually see in my minds eye the care and warm heart of the woman herself and the author. This book deserves five stars just for the sheer hard passion in which it was written. Such a wonderful read. I have read it twice now and will definitely order the hard back if I can. A book for all times. Recommended to any one who loves historical heartwarming books.