Sunday, March 15, 2015

Cherime MacFarlane

Cherime MacFarlane - Guest Author
 full story on StoryCrafters, Ink!
To read about this amazing woman and wonderful writer who lives in Alaska, please click on the link or read the attached excerpt.

When did you decide to become a writer and why?

My first clear memory is of my Dad, unable to sleep sitting at the kitchen table writing. I wish I had his stuff now, 'cause I'd transcribe and publish it. I've always been telling myself stories to amuse myself, or go to sleep on. It's always been there. 

What genre or genres do you write?

Contemporary romance, historical romance and a bit of fantasy. 

How many books do you have published?  Can you tell us about your current book?

22 at last count. There are 3 current works in progress, one of which is scheduled to go into the new CLA anthology. The next installment of the Copper River Romances is about 40K down and another little bit of fantasy is harping at me to do it.

The last one out is The Twisted Laird, the MacGrough clan. Being a tiny family, they are nearly wiped out by the battle of Culloden. The laird, Hamish MacGrough, having the sight, has made provision as did the first Gideon in the 1300. Somehow, Hamish's younger brother, lame nearly from birth, must get what is left of his family to Glasgow. There, he must guide and protect the women and children. This is not an easy job for a young man who is insecure about his ability. 

Do you have a website or blog?  What kind of features do you post?

You can find me on Wordpress. I put anything and everything on there. I review books, post about authors I enjoy reading, things about Alaska, pictures, you name it and it will probably find its way on there.  

Who are your favorite authors and why?

Annie McCaffrey for her ability to build worlds and draw you into them. There are so many, I know I mentioned others in other places. I'm going to name one that is probably going to earn me a bunch of boos, but Andrew M. Greeley is another. I've read all of his stuff. The main thing I liked about his writing was the fact that it entertained me. There are times when that is all you are really looking for, a bit of relief from the daily grind. 

Do you have any hobbies or interests that you enjoy?

I enjoy creating jewelry. It's something I've been doing since the 1960s or so. I once sat under a jeweler in Arizona and learned the art of twisted wire silver jewelry from him. I also did art welding for many years. 

Where is your favorite place to travel?  Where would you like to go?

Scotland and Alaska. There are a lot of places here I still haven't seen. Scotland is a lot like Alaska, a smaller scale however. Glasgow town is a treat in so many ways. I really enjoy puttering about in a city that is Art Deco to its lovely bones. 

Describe yourself in three words.

A nut case.  (Join the club. Cherime!  We’d have to be nuts to be authors, right?)

Do you have a family?

Yes. Both blood and acquired and they all mean the world to me.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

Experience all of life you can without ending yours. Heaven only knows what will wind up in a book eventually. My love and I did some insane stuff, but it had to be done. Several times one wrong move would have ended it all.  

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Author Bio

I came to Alaska kicking and screaming. I never want to leave. I have 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 up there and wound up in the Copper River Basin where it got just a cold as Fairbanks. I have farm dressed a bear that came too close to a friend's livestock and was shot by her 12 year old son. The bear bacon I smoked was great. I used a fish wheel to get in salmon for winter. I packed out the salmon a mile up the ridge and a mile down to the road. I have had to lift and hold something that was far past my strength and almost passed out while doing it. I have helped erect the walls of a new room 16 feet in the air and if either of us slipped it was going to be a good long stay in the hospital or a short one in the morgue. I have hauled water in 5 gallon pails and pumped water from 30 gallon garbage cans into the house at below zero temperatures for over 30 years. I am still the best hand wood splitter I know. I have sailed a small sailboat and loved the sound of the wind in the rigging. I lost one husband to alcohol and another to disease. The second one was the love of my life and my best friend. I am Cherime MacFarlane and I am an Alaskan.

Not to mention, an amazing woman and a wonderful writer!  Thanks for appearing as a guest author on my blog, Cherime, and for sharing so much of yourself with us.

Links

For more info, please visit her Amazon author page: http://amzn.to/1wMiasG




9 comments:

  1. Thanks for appearing as a guest author on my blog, Cherime. What a fascinating interview and an interesting person you are!

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  2. She is such an interesting person.

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  3. Most assuredly! Thanks for dropping by, Carole, and commenting.

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  4. Writer from a young age- love it! Great to read a little more about you, Cherime!

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  5. Great interview. Cherime is an interesting person as well as a fantastic writer.

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  6. Wow. What a life. Makes you want to read more for sure.

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  7. Wow. What a life. Makes you want to read more for sure.

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  8. Thanks, Nikki, Jayne, and Ellie for stopping by! Cherime brings a lot of personal experience to her writing, which gives her stories authenticity--that and excellent research.

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