I’m thrilled to have on the blog today the prolific and talented Cathe Swanson! Cathe, please tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi! After 40 years away, my husband and I recently returned to my childhood home in Minnesota. We are currently living in my parents’ basement – which isn’t as bad as it sounds – and waiting for the world to reopen. We enjoy spending time with our family – three sons, three daughters-in-love, and eight beautiful, charming, and intelligent grandchildren! I like quilting, gardening, papercrafting, birdwatching, kayaking, reading… all sorts of things! I have eight published books with three more releasing this year.
Now, please tell us the highlights of your latest book LONG SHADOWS, which came out April 6th, 2021.
Mona Vickers is forging a safe and loving home for her girls, far away from the hatred and contempt they experienced after their father’s arrest. She’ll do whatever it takes to make it work – even teaching a class that hits too close to home.
Roy Strough, director of the Unity Plenkiss Community Center, wants to help the hardworking mother who’s captured his heart, but he’s already offended her pride once and won’t do that again.
Mona’s growing faith is put to the test when one of her students is caught up in a human trafficking scheme, but the biggest challenge comes from the shadows of their past, compelling Mona to decide who she can trust with their secrets – a man who loves her and an all-powerful God.
What was the inspiration behind this story?
Many of my stories are about women picking up the pieces and making a new start in life after a tragedy or difficult situation. In Long Shadows, my heroine has moved to a new town to get a fresh start with her four girls after their father is convicted of human trafficking and drug-related crimes.
Human trafficking is happening everywhere, sometimes on a large scale by professional criminal organizations and sometimes on a more local level. It’s happening in our high schools and at all levels of society. The internet has made it easier for predators to find and “groom” their victims. It’s appallingly easy for the villains to make connections and establish relationships with young teenagers online.
So many young girls are insecure and have confused ideas about their own value as a person. They want attention – to be seen as attractive and interesting. They want love. Predators know how to take advantage of their vulnerability.
In the book, Mona teaches a class on computer safety, and I use that as a soapbox to illustrate these things.
Do you have a day job? If so, how do you find time in your day to write?
I started writing after graduating my youngest homeschooled son fourteen years ago. It was a good fit for my life. I’ve been a professional dressmaker and quilter for a long time. For nearly thirty years, I’ve been teaching quiltmaking, too. Recently, I’ve been learning to teach virtually instead of in person.
Who was your favorite character to create?
The Unity Plenkiss Community Center, the setting for almost all the Hope Again series, is found in Maly Park, a fictional Chicago neighborhood. It’s a decaying, post-industrial community. My favorite characters are the elderly people who’ve lived in Maly Park forever and the veterans who hang out at the Unity Plenkiss. In Long Shadows, my favorite is Nick Andres, a homeless Vietnam vet with PTSD and a drinking problem.
I also liked writing Roy Strough. He’s got such a passion for feeding and serving people in need! That drive leads him to take control of things, wanting to make it all better. That’s what got him into trouble with Mona. He just wanted to help, and she thought he saw her as a charity case. Not true… he thinks she’s AMAZING.
How did you come up with the names of your hero and/or heroine?
Often, names just come to me when I imagine the character. Because names are chosen by parents, they tend to reflect the personality of the parents more than the individual. Roy’s full name is Royal. His brothers are Marcus and Justice. His sister, Carrie, is really Charity – and she hates that name.
Tiana and Jasmine were named after Disney princesses. Don’t blame me… their mother did it.
I don’t know why Mona is named Mona. She was just “born” that way.
When I need names for secondary characters, I often consult the social security index. If I need a woman born in 1926, I can find popular names for that year.
Surnames are harder, but sometimes they reflect the demographics of the community. Maly Park is a fictional Chicago neighborhood. It’s similar to Hegewisch, which has a large Polish ethnic community. So, Mona’s landlady is named Wanda Jowlaski.
Are you a plotter or a panster?
I do best with an outline, but sometimes the story gets away from me. The best scenes happen organically. In Long Shadows, Mona gets a broken nose in the middle of a church service. Roy tries to help her, and that scene just flowed out. It never occurred to me to write a broken nose into the outline.
Are you part of a writing group?
I am a member of the local and national American Christian Fiction Writers Groups.
Who was the first person you allowed to read your completed book?
I have a team of five readers who read the book as I write it. When it’s finished, it goes to my sister and then to the regular editor.
What book or author has inspired you the most?
Chautona Havig has been a great inspiration to me. She’s the one who encouraged me to start writing seriously back in 2010, and she’s been helping me ever since.
I love her books! She writes in (almost) every genre. Her voice is clean and humorous.
Back Cover Blurb
Old sins cast long shadows
Mona Vickers is forging a new life, building a safe and loving home for her girls far away from the hatred and contempt they experienced after their father’s arrest. She’ll do whatever it takes to make it work – even teaching a class that hits too close to home.
Roy Strough, director of the Unity Plenkiss Community Center, wants to help the hardworking mother who’s captured his heart, but he’s already offended her pride once and won’t do that again.
Mona’s growing faith is put to the test when one of her students is caught up in a trafficking scheme, but the biggest challenge comes from the shadows of their past. A vengeance-bent stalker forces them into hiding, compelling Mona to decide who she can trust with their secrets – a man who loves her and an all-powerful God.
Share your favorite excerpt from your book:
OPENING SCENE:
Mona searched the gymnasium—hundreds of grubby, uncontrolled children—for her girls. She’d put them in lavender today, but the color seemed to be a popular choice, and the afterschool program was a madhouse.
“Mama.”
The word was just a whisper above the din. Pink. The girls were in bright pink today. How could she have forgotten that, after the frantic search for the baby’s pink leggings this morning? She reached out for Tiana but stopped at the sight of the girl’s upturned face. Blue eyeshadow? And mascara?
“Where did you get that makeup?” Mona winced at the sound of her shrill voice, more demanding than she liked to use with the girls. She took a deep breath, eased it out silently and smiled at her daughter. “Goodness, honey, look at you!”
Tiana ducked her chin, not fooled by the belated admiration. “Miss Evie said it would be all right.”
It wasn’t. Mona located the teacher, who stroked blush on the plump cheeks of a blonde student while a crowd of enthusiastic girls made helpful suggestions. Some already wore colorful makeup, and the others appeared to be waiting for their turn. Abbie was among the latter.
Pulling the reluctant Tiana behind, Mona strode toward the group. She glared at the woman, who had picked up an oversized tube of mascara. Was she really using the same mascara for all the girls? Hadn’t she heard of bacteria? Basic sanitary procedures? Mona seethed. Mascara brushes could spread pinkeye faster than shared combs could spread lice.
Her tote slid from her shoulder to her elbow as Mona reached for her oldest daughter, and she lurched forward with the weight of the books. The girls scattered in alarm. Abbie slumped.
“Mama! I can’t leave yet. Miss Evie’s doing face painting. It’s almost my turn.”
“Face painting is butterflies and rainbows. This is not face painting.” Mona considered Tiana’s iridescent eyelids. “Well, it may be painting faces, but not a nice kind. Not appropriate for little girls.”
The teacher ignored her and moved on to lipstick. A shared lipstick. Mona hitched her bag back up to her shoulder and drew the girls toward the door.
“Where’s Jasmine?”
“She’s with the little kids.” Abbie pointed. “The kindergarten kids.”
“Why isn’t she with you?” asked Mona. “I’d prefer that you all stay together.” It was more than a preference. She’d specifically directed Abbie to stay with her sisters.
“She doesn’t like us.”
Mona stopped and stared at her daughter. “Doesn’t like you?”
Abbie fidgeted. “Well, she doesn’t like the other girls.”
“What other girls?” Mona narrowed her eyes. “Are you not including her?”
“I do include her, but the other girls say she’s a baby.”
“A baby!” Mona heard the strident note in her voice and tried to modulate it. “Why is she with the kindergarten group? Tiana’s with you, and she’s younger than Jasmine.”
“I’m in K5, but I’m six,” Tiana said. “Jasmine’s in first grade, but she’s seven.”
Mona blinked at the child in momentary confusion and then returned to her interrogation. “You didn’t call your sister a baby, did you, Abbie?”
“No! But Claire and Summer were doing it, and then Winnie did, and Jasmine started crying and ran off to tattle on them, and then she stayed with the kindergarten kids.”
“You didn’t go to check on her? You were supposed to stay together!”
“But Claire and Summer asked me to play with them, and they’ve never asked me before,” Abbie said. “I really like them a lot, Mama. They’re popular.”
“They called your sister a baby and made her cry! That’s mean! They were bullying her!” Mona spotted Jasmine at a table in the far corner. Hiding? “Jasmine!”
The girl jumped up, knocking the chair away behind her, and pelted toward them. Mona stooped to lift her.
“Hey! Are you okay?”
Jasmine wrapped her legs around Mona’s waist—something she hadn’t done in years. She didn’t answer, but the tremors of her thin body conveyed more than words.
Mona gritted her teeth. Never. They were never coming back here. There had to be better after-school programs or some other babysitting option.
“Let’s get your coats and backpacks.”
The girls collected their belongings, wary under their mother’s grim resolve. Mona wished she could think of something reassuring to say. She wasn’t mad at them. She was mad at the school. Mad in general. Worried. Discouraged. Afraid.
You can find Long Shadows here: https://amzn.to/3tXDIlg
What’s next for you as an author?
2021 is my year to clean up my library.
My first published book was Snow Angels, Book 2 in the Hope Again series. It came out in a Christmas collection. Then I published Baggage Claim, Book 1 in that series. Then we moved, and I didn’t get another book out till Christmas again. Hope for the Holidays was Book 4 in that series. Then – SQUIRREL! – I started a new series. And another one.
Long Shadows is Book 3 in the Hope Again series. I’m currently working on Home Run, which is Book 5, for a September 21st release. Book 6 – the last book in the series – will come out in this year’s Christmas Lights Collection. It was a messy way to write a series!
Matched Hearts, previously included in the CrossRoads Collection, Betwixt Two Hearts. releases on June 1st.
Potato Flake Christmas, from last year’s Christmas Lights Collection, will be released on July 1st.
On October 5th, I have something fun and new – Murder at the Empire is a 1920’s mystery novel. It’s part of Celebrate Lit’s Ever After collection of 1920’s mysteries inspired by classic fairy tales.
And on October 15th, you can get the 6th annual Christmas Lights Collection, which includes the last book (finally!) in my Hope Again series.
It’s going to be a busy year! I’m glad to be wrapping up the stories of the people of the Unity Plenkiss Community Center. I’ve become very attached to them. Next year, I’ll be working on my two other series, finishing up a women’s fiction book for the Mosaic Collection, and writing another book for Celebrate Lit.
You can find Cathe online here:
Newsletter signup: http://www.catheswanson.com/newsletter
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CatheSwanson
Instagram: http://instagram.com/CatheSwanson
For a chance to win an E-book (Kindle) copy of Long Shadows from Cathe, please leave your answer to this in the comments:
What is your favourite Christian fiction genre and why?
