“Mothers are like glue. Even when you can’t see them, they’re still holding the family together.” —Susan Gale
I hope you had a blessed Mother’s Day. Not everyone is a mother, but everyone has a mother. Many of us have had to say our earthly goodbyes to our mothers, but they still live in our hearts through the many memories of times together.
Mothers have been important in many of my stories too. Sometimes I’ve made mothers not exactly the sweetest or best. Jocie’s mother in the Heart of Hollyhill books certainly would have never received a good mother award. Francine’s mother in The Healing Hills lacked a lot too. Other times my mothers are stellar. Darcie was willing to do anything to be able to mother her child in The Refuge. Lacey loved her adopted daughter in The Blessed. Nadine was a loving mother in the Rosey Corner books.
Sometimes the mothers of my characters take a back seat and don’t play much of a part in my books. But Rose, the mother in When the Meadow Blooms, is a viewpoint character. Readers can experience scenes in the story through her eyes and experience her heartfelt love for her daughters. In one of the podcast interviews I did, I was asked why I had two sisters in my story. I said that was because I love exploring the relationships between sisters. Another great family relationship to explore is that of mother and daughter or daughters.
I shared this picture of my mom and my sister and me. Mom was a wonderful mother and she is the model for all my fictional good mothers who want to make life good for their children. She never faced the challenges Rose has to face in When the Meadow Blooms. If you’re a mother, you surely have no trouble imagining how distressing it would be to have an illness that meant you couldn’t take care of your children and have to leave those children at an orphanage. That was Rose’s dilemma.
Here are some bits of an early scene between Rose and her doctor at the sanatorium where she is being treated for tuberculosis.
“You will never be completely well. Tuberculosis leaves its mark on your lungs.” Dr. Bess’s forehead wrinkled in a frown. The doctor was devoted to her patients at Rest Haven Sanitarium and worked tirelessly to help them keep breathing.
Rose didn’t argue with the truth of the doctor’s words, but she didn’t have to be cured. She merely had to be well enough to leave the sanitorium and go get her daughters. “I’m well enough that my girls wouldn’t be at risk if I am with them. Isn’t that right?”
“Your sputum is negative, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t prone to a relapse.” She paused and studied Rose before she went on. “Stay with us a bit longer. Get stronger for those girls of yours.”
“But I think they need me now. I got a letter from Sienna. Something about it didn’t sound right.”
The letter was only a few lines. I am fine. My teacher is nice. I get enough to eat. I am learning to listen. It read like a school assignment with sentences dictated by the teacher. The only part that seemed truly like Sienna was the tiny sketch of a bird for the dot above the i in her name and a drawing of a long-tailed mouse on the bottom of the page.
“Has your older daughter written to you about any problems?”
“No, but she might not if she thought it would upset me.” Calla’s last letter had only been a couple of paragraphs, the words stiff somehow as though she had nothing good to write. “I just have the feeling something is wrong. Mothers have an innate sense about her children.”
Rose knows in her heart something is wrong, but she has few options to change things.
Do you believe mothers do have that innate sense about their children?
Giveaway Continues
My book giveaway doesn’t end until Tuesday 05-10-2022 at midnight EST. I started it in Wednesday’s post with all the links to various ways you can find out more about how I came up with my characters and their stories by checking out some podcasts and the interviews and posts on other blogs. One that has shown up since that post is an interview with Calla. I love it when I can turn the interviewing over to one of my characters. Here’s the link where you can read what Calla has to say on Novel PASTimes. I hope you’ll give some of the links a try. Leave a comment here to get an entry in the giveaway. And watch for that mystery photo game very soon.
Comments 14
Just read the interview with Calls on NovelPastimes.
What a unique perspective!
I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Author
I love doing those character interviews, Robin. My characters are always so much more interesting than me. LOL.
I am sure your life is full of rich stories of the many ways you have been blessed.
I love the names Calla ( no autocorrecting to ” Calls” this time! ) and Sienna too. You chose flowers that are known, but not often thought of for names.
Author
I wanted something different for their names. The Rose for the mother is a common name, but not the others. Of course, it’s just like when you buy a new car of this or that color that might have seemed unusual, you suddenly start seeing other cars that color. I’ve spotted Calla several times as the name of characters in other stories. Haven’t noticed Sienna anywhere. My daughter gave me some calla lilies for Christmas without knowing I had named my character after calla lilies. We’ve always had a little ESP going between us.
I really want this book in large print because my eye site has gotten worse, I have copd and medical medine causes blurry vision, I love love to read and I have so many of your books, I take care of my books they are like new, keep up the writing love you Anne
Author
I don’t have copies of this one in large print as yet, Betty Jo. I do have some of my other books in large print however. So if you are the lucky winner, maybe you can pick one of those. My sister needs books in large print too. She is having a hard time reading the copy of When the Meadow Blooms that I gave her in regular print. She gets many of her books from the library. They often have my books in large print.
I appreciate very much, you reading and keeping many of my books. Thank you.
I believe that one never stops missing a good Mother!!! Mine passed away two months after celebrating her 70th birthday. I think about her every day and it’s been 43 years! Much too young although not as young as some. You have peaked my interest in reading your newest book. 😊
Author
I miss my mother too, K. I got to have more years with her than you did your mother. Mom was 94 when she passed away after three rough years of dementia. She was a wonderful mother. I’m guessing your mother was too and that’s why you remember her every day. She lives on in your heart.
I do hope you’ll give When the Meadow Blooms a try.
Moms know so much more about their kids than many people give them credit for.
Author
Even our kids, right, Elizabeth? I guess that’s why kids think their mother has eyes in the back of her head. 🙂 We love our kids but we, as you say, know them and recognize when something isn’t going right.
I believe mothers know their children so good, they notice any little thing out of the ordinary that happens with them. They might notice a different attitude, or a different way they’re dressed, or new words in their speech. About anything different will send a mother into wondering what the child has been doing to cause these changes and what she needs to look out for.
Author
You’ve described a mother’s intuition well, Connie. I suppose we do spot things about our children that others might not notice. And we do want them to do well and not be unhappy. We hurt as much as they do when they go through rough times.
I loved the interview with Calla and the entire book! As a reader, I was able to get to know Rose, Calla, Sienna, and even Dirk quite well, and their hurts and struggles made them very real. I also loved how they gradually came together and learned to love and appreciate one another.
Author
I’m so glad you enjoyed Calla’s interview. I have fun doing those from one of my characters’ viewpoint. I’m even happier you enjoyed When the Meadow Blooms and liked my characters in the story, Suzanne. They did make a family.