Welcome book lovers! Today I’m introducing you to Maude Welling, the heroine from Carrie Fancett Pagels’ new release My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island.
Maude Welling
Age: 21
Brief physical description: Long wavy golden-brown hair, a little above average height, pretty with a beautiful sweet smile and is average build.
Five words that describe Maude’s personality: Determined, hard-working, naïve, loyal, practical
Inspiration for Maude: The original character for Maude was much different. I had a consultant advise me to make her “less crazy” – her words, not mine! She was a much more imaginative person, more nervous, more OCD and influenced by others. So I had to back away from her and make her a version more toned down. I’d say there is a lot of normal Yooper woman in her!
Background: Her grandmother, Jacqueline Cadotte Swaine, was from a very long line of Islanders and people from the Straits of Mackinac. But Jacqueline’s husband, Maude’s grandfather, was from the South. Their two sons fought on either side of the Civil War – one dead, one presumed dead. She created provisions in her codicil that she thought would prevent that happening to her descendants.
Is passionate about: Music! Loves music, especially the piano!
Strengths/weaknesses: She’s fantastic with numbers. Accounting comes easily to her. She’s asthmatic but doesn’t really want to “think” about it too much and consequently her father does the worrying for her.
Greatest struggle: Her mother died the previous year and she’s struggling with her father’s odd entrenched behavior and his lack of supervision over her brother – so she’s stepped in to watch Jack more.
Greatest accomplishment: She’s a high school graduate and she knows some German.
Most embarrassing moment: I can’t say, but it involves her asthma.
Regrets: She wishes she’d been honest with Greyson and with herself – on the other hand she’d not really known what mature love looked like.
Her most admirable quality: She’s generous and she helps the needy and infirm but she never talks about it.
The thing that attracts people to Maude is: She’s normally pretty wide open – honest. So that makes her subterfuge at the Grand Hotel all the harder on her.
Spends her free time: Chasing down her brother, engaged in church activities, playing piano, and reading.
Saying to live by: Live and forgive.
Favourite Bible verse:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33
Most influential person in her life: Her mother had been.
Maude is most relaxed when… Ben is playing the piano – he’s a virtuoso.
Maude’s idea of a good time is… A picnic somewhere scenic on the island.
In a room full of strangers, Maude would… Try to make everyone else feel comfortable.
If Maude could talk to the author, she would say… thanks for bringing me to life, Mom!
~ About the Book ~
Undercover journalist Ben Steffans, posing as a wealthy industrialist, pursues a story about impoverished men chasing heiresses at the famed hotel. While undercover, he becomes attracted to an intriguing maid. By an act of heroism Ben endears himself to the closed-mouthed islanders—including Maude—and he digs deep for his story.
But when scandal threatens, will the growing love between Maude and Ben be scuttled when truths are revealed?
Barbour Publishing // Amazon // Barnes & Noble // CBD // Book Depository // Goodreads
~ About the Author ~
ECPA-bestselling author Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D., is the award-winning author of a dozen Christian historical romances. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn’t “cure” her overactive imagination! A self-professed “history geek,” she resides with her family in the Historic Triangle of Virginia but grew up as a “Yooper.” Carrie loves to read, bake, bead, and travel – but not all at the same time!
Connect with Carrie
Website // Overcoming With God // Colonial Quilts
Facebook // Twitter // Pinterest // Goodreads
~ Giveaway ~
Carrie has graciously offered to send one lucky winner a copy of My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island. Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bd61d44b4/?
Do you speak a second second language? If so, which language? If not, which language do you wish you could speak?
I keep seeing this book EVERYWHERE. It shows up in my newsfeed, on my twitter, in my INBOX as one of my readers says, “Did you read…?”
*bangs head on desk*
I do NOT have time to read another fabulous book! I’m behind on two reviews as it is.
*book plops in my Amazon cart* Oh! How’d that get there?
I love the sound of this character as a person and the cool beans plot line? SQUEE! I have a feeling she and my Madeline would get along quite well!
Just what every author wants to hear, right? Thanks so much for ordering Maude’s story! I pray you will enjoy it! I know what you mean about being behind on reading and reviews which makes it all the more special! Hugs!
Hehehe! The evil plan is working then! 😏
Beautiful area and the large hotel is beautiful. Would be an ideal vacation to be able to sit on the porch, drink tea, and take in the scenery.
A great thing about Winds of Mackinac Inn which is inspired by the real life Windermere is that it has that great porch and seating so you can watch the harbor and people walking on the boardwalks/sidewalks. Maude would have been too busy working up at the Grand Hotel.
Wouldn’t it?! Thanks for visiting!
Thanks so very much for having Maude visit on your beautiful blog! She loves traveling and meeting new people! Blessings!
You’re welcome! It was a pleasure to have her. 😊
don’t speak another language but have always wanted to. Now i’m trying to learn Japanese on my own because someday I want to visit Japan and I’m fascinated by the Japanese culture and art.
Wow. That’s a challenge! Good luck!
That sounds like a wonderful ambition, Danielle! Best wishes on mastering Japanese!
I don’t speak a second language and I admire people who are bilingual. I would like to speak Italian, it’s such a pretty sounding language. Looking forward to reading about the early day on Mackinac Island. I’m from Michigan and have visited the Island many times. It’s one of my favorite vacation destinations.
I admire bilingual people too. Unfortunately, music terminology is about the extent of my Italian knowledge!
Hi Dianne! My second language is French but just this morning I was talking with someone from Serbia about how its so much easier to read and understand French than to speak it or to hear and understand. Mackinac Island is one of my fave places, too — where my heart belongs!
I took a semester of French in my first year at university and met a guy whose parents were French. He could understand spoken French, but couldn’t speak it himself or read/write it, which was why he was taking the course. I thought that was really odd (not to mention a missed opportunity by those parents!)
I don’t speak anything but English. I did take Spanish and German in High School but it’s been so long ago, lol!
I love character spotlights,they’re always fun and informitive! Thank you for the giveaway!
Taking Spanish and German in high school is two steps ahead of me! Good luck in the giveaway! 🙂
We were required to take a foreign language in high school and in college and when I went to graduate school I had to take a test there for mastery of reading professional psychology articles in French! That was tough!
Wow! Definitely better you than me!
I took two years of Italian in high school. I can speak some Latin.
Marilyn
My son is learning Latin and I learned some Italian when I was in my early twenties.
I always wanted to learn Latin when I was growing up. Now that I’m homeschooling my kids, we’re learning it together. 🙂
I do not speak a second language, unless you count pig latin and gibberish. The books sounds wonderful.
Lol! Ouyay ancay ountcay emthay! Note to self: Autocorrect doesn’t like pig latin! 😂
I never even consider gibberish as a second language! Thanks, Michele!
What a fun blog! Thanks Carrie for sharing so much about Maude! Unfortunately I don’t speak a second language,but would like to. Would like to speak German because of my heritage or French,I like the sound of that language. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the post! I love the sound of French too, but I can never do it justice when I try!
I have been surprised by the number of states that apparently didn’t or don’t require a foreign language to graduate high school. French was my language but I don’t have many of those skills left unfortunately.
I speak a smattering of Spanish, but would love to become more fluent in it. Great character review. Thanks for the giveaway and good luck everyone.
Gracias!
I took some french in high school and remember a few words, but not a lot. Love the “getting to know Maude” and loved the book! The setting is beautiful and though I’ve never been anywhere near Michigan, the pics Carrie has shared are so pretty.
So glad you enjoyed the post!
I just found out this morning that I won a copy of this book on a different blog!! Please take my name our of the drawing, thanks so much 🙂
Can’t wait to meet Maude!!
Congrats, Trixi! I hope you’ll love Maude! Blessings!
Lucky you! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
I speak English with a few words of German and a few words of Spanish because these are languages my kiddos took. and to help them speak it at home I studied with them. It has been a number of years now and a lot has dwindled away. If I could learn a language it would be Spanish.
oh our daughter speaks Spanish fluently now. It is wonderful listening to her with both a Spanish/mid western accent. so pretty on her.
Teaching your kids is a wonderful excuse for learning things you always wanted to learn when you were younger. The only problem is, they tend to pick it up more quickly! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
I would very much like to re-hone my ASL skills. It’s been too many years but I do remember my alphabet and some basic signs. I also took a couple years of Spanish in Jr High and High School but cannot say that I ‘speak’ it. Garble it and jumble it, yes! 🙂
I would like to win a copy for a friend of mine.
I took Spanish in High School but I don’t really remember much. I don’t speak any foreign languages but if I did, realistically I’d probably pick that one because it would come in the most useful in my life.