Susan Anne Mason talks about A Worthy Heart
I was delighted to have Susan Anne Mason drop by and talk about her latest release. I met Susan in 2015 at a writer’s conference and she graciously answered my many questions about the craft of writing. Here she is answers specific questions pertaining to A Worthy Heart and she has provided a copy of the book for giveaway, YAY! (Enter the rafflecopter entry form at the bottom of this post)
Susan Anne Mason describes her writing style as “romance sprinkled with faith.” She particularly enjoys exploring the themes of forgiveness and redemption in her stories. Irish Meadows is her first historical novel and won the Fiction from the Heartland contest sponsored by the Mid-American Romance Authors chapter of RWA. Susan lives outside Toronto, Ontario, with her husband, two children, and two cats.
Release date: January 5th, 2016
Q: How does it feel to be continuing on from book one (Irish Meadows) and what has happened in the lives of the characters between the end of the last book and the beginning of this one?
Susan: It’s great fun to continue to the saga of Irish Meadows! It’s like going back to visit a beloved friend or family member. About 3 years has elapsed since the end of Irish Meadows. Rylan and Colleen are busy with their lives at the orphanage, enjoying being parents to their adopted daughter, Delia. The story opens with Rylan’s sister, Maggie and his younger brother, Gabriel, arriving from Ireland for an extended visit. This coincides with Adam O’Leary’s release from prison, and you can imagine all the shenanigans that are about to take place!!
Q: What aspect/part of this book did you enjoy researching the most and why?
Susan: I LOVED researching St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. I’d been there about 10 years ago with a good friend and was very impressed with the architecture and with the huge pipe organ! My husband and I recently celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary with a trip to New York! Standing in the main aisle of the Cathedral, looking up at the organ and picturing Maggie playing there gave me chills!
Q: Which character is your favourite and why?
Susan: Oh, that’s so unfair! It’s like asking a parent to choose a favourite child! Though I love Maggie’s Irish spunk, oddly enough, Adam became my favourite. Which is so amazing since I did not like him one bit in Irish Meadows. But once I delved into his childhood wounds, and discovered what made him who he is, I fell in love with him. And the way he works so hard to prove to everyone that he is worthy of their respect and love only endeared me to him even more.
Q: What was/or where did you get your inspiration for this book?
Susan: I wish I had a good answer to that, Mel! I guess the loose inspiration was the biblical story of the prodigal son. Adam personifies the prodigal son who betrays his father with a life of sin and returns home with nothing, willing to work at the lowest job in the stables. Yet unlike the prodigal son in the Bible, Adam is not met with joy from his father, but rather anger and distrust — which puts a whole new spin on the story. And, of course, adds great conflict!
Q: Does this book have a theme to it, if so what would you say it is?
Susan: I believe the theme is worthiness. Adam struggles with feelings of unworthiness because of his past mistakes. During his prison stay, the prison chaplain rekindles Adam’s faith and allows him to believe he is a worthy child of God. Even so, Adam’s main goal upon his release from prison is to prove his worthiness to his mother and father in order to earn back their respect. Once he meets Maggie, however, he longs to be worthy of her heart, a goal that seems impossible given all the obstacles in their way.
Q: What are you going to be working on next?
Susan: I am currently working on the first round of revisions for Book 3: Love’s Faithful Promise. This story jumps ahead about 8 years to 1922 and focuses on the youngest O’Leary siblings — Deirdre and Connor. Deirdre is a nurse, now going on to become a pediatrician, but a family emergency disrupts her plans and puts her at loggerheads with a stubborn physiotherapist from Toronto, Canada!
(Here is a sneak peek at the next cover, isn’t it beautiful!)
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Yes, there is! This book also contains the story of Connor O’Leary who is working his way up in his father’s business at Irish Meadows. Connor’s temporary promotion to head of the stable hands makes him determined to prove his worth to both his father and to his brother in law, Gil. However, the addition of a wet-behind-the-ears stable boy, barely past puberty, throws a monkey wrench into Connor’s plans, especially when he discovers the boy is really a girl! Josephine Miller is desperate to keep her gender a secret as she fills in for her brother at Irish Meadows. Only somehow she thinks her boss, Connor O’Leary, won’t be fooled for long. (She’s right!)
ENTER TO WIN A COPY OF
A WORTHY HEART
(Open to CANADA and USA ONLY)
Open for entries from 02/16/2016 – 02/23/2016)
24 Comments
Bhriv
What a great looking book! Love the cover and the behind the scenes look! Anticipate a great read!!
Lucy Reynolds
Susan is a new author to me. I enjoyed the interview and the series sounds wonderful. Thank you for the chance. Have a blessed week.
Justina Wilson
Your books sound so Amazing to me! It shouldn’t surprise me, since my Great Grandparents were from Ireland (no sure where cause my Mom was an Orphan at 13. So your stories sound like home. Have you visited Ireland yourself? I had to a piece of me was missing until I did.
Melony Teague
A trip to Ireland is definitely on my bucket list Justina!
Annie JC
Great interview! Susan is new to me, but I’ve heard such great things about her books! I would love to win this. I also love the cover. The eyes draws you in!
As to second chances, yes, I do believe in them because our God is a God of second chances. Where would we be if He wasn’t?
Laurie Bergh
I think everyone deserves a second chance. What they do with their second chance is in their hands. Hopefully people learn from their mistakes and when they get a second chance they do the right thing.
Janice Moore
Your book “A Worthy Heart” sounds so captivating that I need to go back and read the first one in the series. However, I can’t wait to read this one! The cover is wonderful! Now only is the lady breath-takeingly beautiful, I find myself wondering what her expression is trying to say! Thanks for the giveaway!
Janice
Jamie Lapeyrolerie
I love stories with second chances. Redemption stories get me every time!
Trixi
Yes, we do deserve a second chance. Jesus died to wash away our sins, that’s the greatest second chance we can have!
Thank you for the chance to win a copy of “A Worthy Heart”, I have the first book, so I would love to add this one to my collection!
Jan H
I believe we do get second chances. Sometimes third chances. My sister was the prodigal child many years ago when she ran away from home. She returned and mom welcomed her with open arms. I stayed mad for a long time because we were so worried while she was gone. I wasted a lot of time being mad.
Maria Elena
What a great book !!! Yes, i belive that we deserve a second chance. Thank you for this giveaway. :*
Susan Anne Mason
Hello everyone! So nice to be here with you all – even on this snowy day!
Bhriv & Lucy, thank you for dropping by!
Justina – No, I haven’t been to Ireland but it’s definitely on my wish list. I’d love to see the places my ancestors came from!
Annie JC & Laurie B – Glad you love the cover and hope you get a chance to read the story! I love stories about second chances!
Janice M – Yes, Maggie’s eyes draw you right in! She’s probably saying “How can I make Adam believe in himself?”
Susan Anne Mason
Jamie L – I love redemption stories too, and many of my books have this as the theme!
Trixi – So glad to hear that you read “Irish Meadows”! Hope you get a chance to read AWH!
Jan H – A real life prodigal story. You will truly be able to relate to Adam’s siblings!
Maria – Thanks for dropping in and good luck in the draw!
Kathy Watts
I love second chance romances…….my father fell in love with my mother almost immediately and she really wasn’t interested in him. After more than a year he had decided to give up and move on, and she realized she cared for him more than she had been willing to admit and contacted him and asked him if he would like to go with her to her senior prom, that is the night she realized she was in love with him. He asked her to marry him on June 1st, the day after she graduated and on her 18th birthday. They married on Sept 15, 1956. This year will be their 60th anniversary. My mother has dementia, but she remembers the past, just not so much the present. They are precious together.
Heather Olsen
Yes, I believe everyone deserveds a second chance. Hopefully they learned from past mistakes and will show the person giving the second chance, that they can be trusted.
Donna B
Susan is a new author to me. Thanks for the interview and giveaway. I do believe in second chances.
carylkane
I enjoyed learning more about this series! I would love to visit Ireland.
I am grateful for ALL the second chances I have been given.
Thank you for the giveaway! 🙂
Elma Brooks
Would love to win a copy of this book,sound like it’s a good one ,going to check my library to find book one. Thank you for the interview.
Vicki Geslak
Second chance stories are inspiring! Thanks for the giveaway! 🙂
Patty
Sounds like a great series, beautiful covers too!
Yes, I think everyone deserves a second chance. I think we can all learn from our mistakes.
Sherida Stewart
Great interview! I enjoyed learning more about A Worthy Heart, which sounds very good. Yes, to believing in second chances…..and that theme is so appropriate for stories of faith.
kim amundsen
Nice interview. Yes I believe people deserve a second chance.
Vicki Geslak
Thank you so much for the interview and giveaway! I am so excited to receive and read this book!!! I love stories of redemption and second chances. They are so inspiring!
Melony Teague
Congratulations Vicki!