Interview with Joan of Arc

My friend and fellow Michigander Rohn Federbush has brought someone special, an historic figure and main character in her book, St. Joan's Architect.

Let's get started. 

Please introduce yourself for those who haven’t met you in your author’s other books.

You mean you haven’t heard of me, Joan of Arc? I was made a saint in 1920, but the French hardly recognize my contribution to their existence. The Lord sent me on a mission to rid France of the English.

Tell us about your family.

My mother, Romee, was instrumental in garnering support for my cannonization. My father, however, wanted to drown me when I started riding horses and refused to marry the neighbor’s boy. My cousins road beside me in the war against the English but died valiantly on the battlefield.

How did your upbringing influence who you are today?

My religious zeal started early. We lived next to the village church. When I was thirteen my Voices, St. Michael, St. Catherine and St. Margaret, appeared to me as they were painted on the walls of the church. They agreed with me that the English who were pillaging the neighborhood needed to leave France.

What was your first thought when you met the hero and heroine?

I found a perfect person to haunt. Catherine Marksteiner was a young architectural student visiting Mont Saint Michel. Some people believe I hid on the Mont for four months before the English captured me. Romee’s father had the funds and contacts necessary for constructing the Dome of St. Joan on the empty western platform of St. Michael’s church.

Why did you select them?

The French were forgetting my contribution to their history. I tried haunting authors who loved me, like Mark Twain and Bernard Shaw; but my fame was dwindling. I finally decided an amazing structure added to the Mont might bring more tourists and pilgrims to a clearer understanding of my life and my infamous death.

Why did you choose your occupation?

I agree with you. I even asked my Voices how I, a poor peasant girl, could save France. But the Lord’s ways are not easily understood by humans. Sometimes you just know, you are the only one who sees the picture clearly enough to be of any help to anyone. Isn’t that why you are a writer? You know more than you can even explain to me that you can be of service if you only believe that’s why you were made to visit earth.

What are your strengths? Weaknesses?

I believe. Trusting the Lord slipped a bit when I needed to face the fire, but I regained my belief before the first flame touched my toes. Have you read my trial, where I recanted? I was the first Protestant you know.

What is the biggest hurdle you had to overcome?

Convincing others I had no other goal except to restore France to its citizens. Very few people believe I heard my Voices, do you?

If your story was made into a movie, who would you want to play you?

With all the controversy about gender identification, which I faced too all those years ago, I think a young man would do just as well as a virginal damsel. I smote the English as much as I could, telling them I would bring them down from the clouds if need be—not a feminine attribute, stuely.

Do I have any hobbies?

I like to inhabit the dreams of young girls to verify they can accomplish anything they believe in. It takes most of my free time, don’t you know.

A free day?

Probably pick a few flowers to grace the graves of my comrades in arms. Or run with my steeds in the Elysian fields of heaven.

Thank you very much for chatting with us today. Now we'd like to know more about your story.

Blurb

A fledgling architect, Catherine Marksteiner's graduation trip to Mont- Saint-Michel includes a visit from St. Joan's ghost. Catherine is not sure who is rendering the intricate drawings but she's fallen in love with the island and wants to marry the artist who sketches her. He's already engaged, but his smitten cousin Romee is ready to offer his father's shipping fortune and Vatican connections as well as his hand in marriage.

Excerpt

Catherine’s Dream

            Catherine looked closely at the gigantic pink diamond ring on her left hand. Inside its intricate facets she could see hanging gardens, festooned arches and blue butterflies floating within its boundaries. Catherine settled softly down with a few of the butterflies to the grassy floor of the dreamscape, where a young girl picked flowers for wreaths and garlands to hang on the branches of a sacred beech tree. Sweet orisons wafted through the air. Catherine recognized the gentle maid who became the champion of France.

            “Joan of Arc,” she called.

Available at Amazon: https://amzn.com/1489707751

About the Author:

Born on a farm in southern Illinois, Rohn Federbush finished her Masters of Arts in 1995 from Eastern Michigan University of Ypsilanti. She started writing full time after retiring as an administrator of the University of Michigan’s Applied Physics PhD. Program. Finishing fifteen novels without finding traditional publishers motivated Rohn to self-publish many of her award-winning books. St. Joan’s Architect was a finalist in the Heart of the West 2001 RWA Utah Contest. Presently she is editing her memoir-novel entitled Home from the Woods, which mentions her present husband, two sons, one granddaughter and one grandson.

Other books by Rohn Federbush:

St. Joan’s Architect on Mont Saint Michel, 

Hastings’ Dead 

The Farm Stray, Mysteries of the Macabre

In Lincoln’s Shadow

Saturday Sampler: LOVE'S TRIUMPH by Rohn Federbush

Love's Triumph

by Rohn Federbush
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Genre: Historical Inspirational Romance
Release Date: April 4, 2014
Length: 192 Pages

Abigail Breckenridge is studying to become Ann Arbor’s second female attorney, but a scandal interrupts her studies and sends her off to Europe to avoid the town gossips.

Charles Van Aker, a 6′ 5″ poet, is the oldest of eight and at the age of 18 helps run his father’s furniture company. Charles and Abigail have been friends since grade school, so when the scandal surrounding Abigail violently erupts, Charles and his large family of brothers and sisters stand by Abigail.

Through scandal, distance and lost faith, the love between Abigail and Charles grows steadily, but can it survive the tragedies that a typhoid epidemic buries them under?

The Book Excerpt

Excerpt 1

Ann Arbor, Michigan, June 1879

Humidity from a threatening storm wilted the starched-lace on the pleated front of Abigail’s engagement gown. At the head of the table, Grandpa drained his water glass and then dabbed at his substantial white moustache with his napkin. Hoping for twilight’s first shift of air, Abigail directed the butler, “Isaac, the windows.”

Isaac followed the Breckenridge house rules and pulled the dark green shades below the table top’s level, in order not to let breezes snuff out the candles. Behind the blinds and white filigree curtains, fly-paper curls ambushed insects drawn to the savory aroma of roast duck. Cooler air reached Abigail’s ankles, but harsh barking from the neighbor’s collie only added to the jangled state of Abigail’s nerves as did Grandpa’s continuing challenges to her darkly, handsome fiancé, George Lott.

Grandpa’s subject was George’s finances. “You think you can keep this girl in fancy dresses?”

George stiffened in the straight-backed, dining-room chair. “All she will ever ask of me.”

On her left, Charles Van Aker, her blond, curly-headed friend since grade school, smiled and then attempted to lighten the mood. “You could terrorize our Abigail, so she’ll never open her mouth.” No one cracked a smile, but Charles plowed forward. “Or, keep her in the house so no one will notice she’s out of fashion, no longer in harmony with society.”

George didn’t raise his eyes from his plate. Abigail scowled a warning at her grandfather, but he refused to look her way. Finally, Grandpa realized the ill-advised line of questioning. He frowned and then smiled at Abigail, his faded blue eyes twinkling with mischief. “Did I tell you, Abigail, they found Confederate gold out at the Husted’s?”

Abigail relaxed with the change of subject. Under cover of the tablecloth, she raised her skirt above her knees to take full advantage of the cooling breeze. She planned to share this secret of staying serene with Dolly Colt at the next opportunity. Where was her beautiful, redheaded friend? Dolly’s empty chair across from Charles reminded Abigail of their Jewish neighbor’s Seder celebration, where an extra place was set for an absent, invited guest. The prophet, Elijah, was welcome to occupy the Breckenridge chair any time, but she expected Dolly Colt.

Lightning struck nearby, shaking the house and making the candles flicker. The collie outside hushed.

Then Abigail screamed jumping up to escape whatever had grabbed her knees.

About Rohn Federbush

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

Rohn Federbush retired as an administrator from the University of Michigan in 1999. She received a Masters of Arts in Creative Writing in 1995 from Eastern Michigan University. Frederick Busch of Colgate granted a 1997 summer stipend for her ghost-story collection. Michael Joyce of Vassar encouraged earlier writing at Jackson Community College, Jackson, Michigan in 1981.

​Rohn has completed fourteen novels, with an additional mystery nearly finished, 120 short stories and 150 poems to date.

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Being Scared by Alicia Dean

My friend, author Alicia Dean, is here to talk about my least favorite topic. Fright. Halloween is NOT my favorite time of year. Except for kids in costumes. And candy. Oh, yeah. Candy. But scary movies is not my idea of fun. It is Alicia's, so here she is.

Do you like to be scared?

I know it’s strange, but I do. I love the adrenaline rush that a good scare can give, although, admittedly, I don’t enjoy true scares, like being afraid for my children, being involved in car wrecks, or literally getting murdered.

 I loved scary movies as a child and my three children all grew up watching scary movies. They love them to this day. As a matter of fact, the three of them and I are planning to get together this Halloween season for a night of horror movie watching.

 As a child, I loved ‘Psycho,’ ‘The Birds,’ ‘Night of the Living Dead.’ Remember those movies? Some of my favorite movies as an adult are the Halloween franchise (minus Halloween 3, which shouldn’t have even been part of the franchise), ‘IT,’ ‘The Shining,’ and a movie that not that many people are familiar with. It’s from the early 80’s and it’s called ‘Visiting Hours.’ Very scary! Loved it. 

I don’t like gratuitous gore. To me, gory doesn’t equate with scary. And, I usually don’t care for movies with unrealistic creatures. I never understood the ‘Alien’ craze. For me to really be frightened, I have to know that it’s at least remotely possible that the horror could happen in real life.

What about you? Do you like scary movies? Which ones are your favorites?

A Halloween Anthology – Six Stories by Six Authors

MYSTERIES OF THE MACABRE  

Authors Alicia Dean, Leah St. James, Alexa Day, Renci Denham, Rohn Federbush, and Elvy Howard share Halloween mayhem in 6 short stories:

A masked stranger ~ Teen angst ~ Ghostly appearances

Hot Halloween sex ~ A tropical nightmare ~ Visions from the past

http://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-Macabre-Halloween-Alexa-Day-ebook/dp/B014LZ6T6I/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1442322320&sr=1-1&keywords=mysteries+of+the+macabre

My story is Scarred:

Gothic romance 

Blurb:

Sometimes, the most haunting scars are the ones beneath the skin. 

When Natalie Jayne moved away from her home town ten years earlier, she left behind painful memories, along with Simon, the man she loved. Now, she's back on Halloween night to attend a memorial marking the one-year anniversary of the tragic passing of her childhood friend, Jessica. Rumors that Simon was responsible for Jessica's death unnerve her. Even more disturbing is her unsettling attraction to a masked stranger she meets at the event. Her gift may be the key to unlocking the truth, but will it also lead to heartbreak? 

Excerpt:

 In spite of her intent to go inside, Natalie remained rooted in place. There was something intriguing about this man, something that made her want to know more about him. Not badly enough to remove her gloves and use her gift, however. She’d sworn off that, other than for emergencies. But she had to admit she was tempted to get the answers to the questions spinning through her mind. Who was he? What did he look like beneath the mask? What would it feel like to touch him…?

She shook her head. What an insanely inappropriate direction her mind had taken. She couldn’t allow herself the luxury of touching others. Not if she wanted to keep her secret…and not if she wanted to keep from learning the secrets of others. Besides, this man was a stranger…a masked stranger. She should be afraid…or at least wary. But she found she was neither.

BIO

Award-winning, multi-published author Alicia Dean began writing stories as a child. At age 11, she wrote her first ever romance (featuring a hero who looked just like Elvis Presley, and who happened to share the name of Elvis’ character in the movie, Tickle Me), and she still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Alicia is from Moore, Oklahoma and now lives in Edmond. She has three grown children and a huge network of supportive friends and family. She writes mostly contemporary suspense and paranormal, but has also written in other genres, including a few vintage historicals. She is a freelance editor in addition to being an editor for The Wild Rose Press.

Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley, MLB, NFL (she usually works in a mention of one or all three into her stories) and watching her favorite televisions shows like Vampire Diaries, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, Haven, New Girl, The Mindy Project, and Dexter (even though it has sadly ended, she will forever be a fan). Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Sharon Sala, Jordan Dane, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.

Find Alicia here:

Website: http://aliciadean.com/

Blog: http://aliciadean.com/alicias-blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008364070487

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Alicia_Dean_

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/aliciamdean/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468339.Alicia_Dean

Meet Rohn Federbush

Today, I’d like you to meet fellow Michigan author Rohn Federbush. Before I bombard her with questions, LOL, I’d like her to tell you a little about herself:

Seventy-two years ago I was born in a rented farmhouse in southern Illinois. As a divorcee in the 60’s, I raised two sons, who were the first of their 45+ cousins to pursue a college degree. I obtained a Masters of Arts from Eastern Michigan University in 1995. I am published in The Red Wheelbarrow, Potpourri, Princeton’s U.S. 1 Workshops, and the University of Michigan’s The Bear River Writers Respond to War. Awards, published poetry, short stories and non-fiction articles may be read at www.rohnfederbush.com. I retired from the University of Michigan as Administrator of the Applied Physics PhD Program. My husband, Professor Emeritus Paul Federbush, researches mathematical physics at the University of Michigan. We have traveled to Europe, China, Patagonia, New Zealand and Israel.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I was sixteen, my sister’s baby died after not completing a day of life. Her name was Diane Thaddeus Schultz. I was shocked because my high-school English class remained unaware of my family’s loss, or the world’s. So I wrote a poem and eulogized my niece, hooking me forever on the potency of catharsis and the power of adding to the remembrance of a lost child.

What a wonderful gift. How long does it take you to write a book?

The first draft is finished in about three months, but the editing takes even longer.

I hear you there. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I’m usually at my writing desk by 9:00 in the morning. I’ve been writing full time since 1999, when I retired from the University of Michigan as an Administrative Assistant. Of course, I take breaks, and lunch. However, I don’t stop until I have ten new pages or 4:00 arrives. My completed books are piling up, but I am still happiest and better balanced when new work is created. It is tempting to market full time, but the writer work-ethic in me rebels.

Ten pages is a lot. I admire your work ethic. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

I follow my curiosity. How does it feel to be this character or that one? Could I live in this place or that climate? What if I had lived in those times, in that war among those gardens? What if my goal had been to be a race-car driver, or a ghost-hunter, or a forest ranger? While I yet live, the wonder of life keeps me intrigued.

Good questions. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I paint cartoonish pictures in oil and even watercolors. I love the control over colors. I paint a lot like Gauguin.

What does your family think of your writing?

After thirteen years of steady work, my family has pretty much resigned themselves to the fact that I’ll be writing on my death bed. One sister-in-law thought I might have missed a career as a painter, but she received one of my better oils.

How many books have you written? Which one is your favorite?

I’ve completed 15. My favorite is the one I’m working on. Editing or writing new scenes, always claims my heart.

What do you think makes a good story?

When an idea presents itself for a story, the title usually comes first and then the resolution. I think we all write with a purpose. Sure to entertain is required, but to last in the world of more books than people, the need to share an understanding of how life works and my belief in a Higher Power in our lives motivates me.

What is the most important thing you do for your career?

Hiring My Girl Friday, Florence Price, has saved me from frustrating chores I don’t have the patience to learn. Such as my website design, promotion ideas and an increasing number of tasks I ask her to undertake.

Florence is a gem, all right. What do you enjoy most about life?

I like being married better than living alone. Of course, I am married to the best man in the universe. I’m also thankful for my good health and a caring, loving Creator and Lord. My grandchildren are perfect and my children claim every ounce of affection I own.

Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, outline, or...?

I outline. I use Elizabeth’s system from “Write Right” and Michael Hauge’s “Six Stage Plot Structure,” which is a furtherance of Debra Dixon’s “Goals, Motivation, and Conflict” structure for characters. I put the finished outline, which includes one-sentence scene descriptions into the body of my manuscript and start writing the Rough Draft. Nothing is ever final, the outline, the sequence of scenes, etc. But the skeleton exists. The next day’s scene can be reviewed before bed and embellished in the morning. If I get stopped, I interview the characters to find out where we’re going.

If I were a first time reader of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?

Salome’s Conversion, published by CreateSpace, is Biblical fiction and a great romance if I do say so myself. Favorable reviews may be read on my website www.rohnfederbush.com

List two authors we would find you reading when taking a break from your own writing.

Elizabeth George, when she hurries up and finishes another book Also Elizabeth Kostova’s next work is awaited.

Where can readers find you?

My website is www.rohnfederbush.com I’m also on Linkedin and have two Facebook pages.  

Salome’s Conversion is available at Amazon http://amzn.com/1466401389

Thanks for being here, Rohn. I wish you all the best.