Terri Wangard and Free Books!

Sailing on the Lusitania is a dream-come-true for Rosaleen and Geoff Bonnard, but their journey turns into a nightmare. Will they ever find their joy again?

Before we chat with today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the free copy of Jeanette Morris's Young Adult novel, Her Shining Eyes, is:

positive.ideas.4you@...

Congratulations! I'll be in touch with you via email, and we'll get your book right out to you. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to learn about new releases! U.S. subscribers are entered in the drawings a second time when they comment.

And now let's meet novelist Terri Vanguard, author of the historical novel, Roll Back the Clouds (Independently published, March 2020).

Terri Wangard grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, during the Lombardi Glory Years. Her first Girl Scout badge was the Writer. These days she is writing historical fiction, and won the 2013 Writers on the Storm contest and 2013 First Impressions, as well as being a 2012 Genesis finalist.

Holder of a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in library science, she lives in Wisconsin. Her research included going for a ride in a WWII B-17 Flying Fortress bomber.

Classic Boating Magazine, a family business since 1984, keeps her busy as an associate editor.

Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.

I swam competitively on the Green Bay YMCA swim team and missed going to Nationals by one second.

Wow. Sometimes a second holds such importance!

Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Roll Back the Clouds.

Geoff and Rosaleen Bonnard receive a once-in-a-lifetime voyage to England aboard the fabled Lusitania in 1915. Europe is embroiled in war, but that shouldn't affect a passenger liner.

As they approach Ireland, a German submarine hurtles a torpedo into the grand ship. Rosaleen scrambles into a lifeboat, but where is her husband? She searches the morgues in Queenstown, heartsick at recognizing so many people. Geoff is finally located in a Cork hospital, alive but suffering a back injury.

While waiting for him to recover, Rosaleen is thrilled to meet her mother’s family, but a dark cloud hovers over her. The battered faces of dead babies haunt her. She sinks into depression, exasperated by Geoff’s new interest in religion. Her once happy life seems out of reach.

What is it about Rosaleen that will make your readers care about her?

Rosaleen is full of excitement about their voyage, but has to deal with a nemesis who loves to torment her. She refuses to cower though. She cares about people, shown in her concern for the maid and her rescue of the baby. She’s lost and distraught when Geoff is missing. She wants to meet her mother’s family, but her insecurity shows. She’s frustrated at changes in their lives. Readers should be able to relate to her. She’s someone you’d want as a friend.

She sounds as if she experiences struggles many readers will recognize from their own lives, but for different reasons. 

What is something you’ve thanked God for this week?

A pain-free night. Most mornings, I wake up with a headache.

What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?

Being Known, by Robin Jones Gunn. Four close friends provide a safe haven of encouragement and vulnerability that is a godsend when life gets messy. To have such close friends is a blessing beyond compare; a very heart-warming story. (Releases April 28.)

What are you working on now?

A companion book to Roll Back the Clouds, which features Geoff and Rosaleen’s next-door neighbors, Peter and Maren Bloch. Maren’s family immigrated from Germany a few years before WWI, and she has to face the anti-German hysteria on her own when Peter goes off to war.

Where else can readers find you online?

Facebook
Twitter: @terriwangard
Goodreads
Instagram: @terriwangard
Pinterest
Website: www.terriwangard.com

The book can be purchased online via the following button:



Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?

The Lusitania was nothing like the cruise ships of today. If you enjoy cruising, what do you like best? If you haven’t cruised, what would you most like to experience?

Clearly, readers, I interviewed Terri before the Corona Virus hit us all. Hopefully, the cruise industry will eventually rebound from its current troubles (along with just about every industry in the world). Let's assume that rebound, in answering Terri's question.

Thanks, Terri, for visiting and telling us about yourself and your book. Readers, Terri has offered to give away a free copy of her book. To enter, leave a comment and your email below in answer to her question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that U.S. subscribers are entered an additional time in each drawing. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com.

Only United States residents are eligible for the drawing, but anyone can subscribe to the blog posts via the GDPA-compliant Feedblitz box above my list of books, at right.

Also readers, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post title.

Annoying legal disclaimer: as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases; drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, GDPA notice, and my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE