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| New Author Elizabeth Rye |
Welcome our first interviewee, Elizabeth Rye, who has many reasons to celebrate,
because her writing debuts in
AWorld of Joy!
JK: What happens in your story?
ER: Blair and
Derek have been divorced for two years when out of the blue Derek calls with an
odd request. His Aunt Agnes is dying of cancer and has invited the couple to
spend Christmas with her. The problem is that she doesn’t know about the
divorce and Derek doesn’t want to tell her. Instead he calls Blair for help. “I
was hoping you’d consider being my wife for the weekend,” he asks.
Despite his hostile attitude, Blair agrees. She’s never
stopped loving him and decides that now is the time to fight for what she wants
— what she wants is her husband back.
Will this Christmas be one of joy? Will Blair and Derek be
happily reunited? To answer these and other questions, read “Weekend Wife”
by
Elizabeth Rye in
A World of Joy.
JK: Where did the
story’s inspiration come from? How does it reflect the holidays for you?
ER: The story
came over time. One day around the holidays several years ago, Blair introduced
herself to me. All I knew was that she was divorced from her husband and that
he’d called because his aunt was dying and wanted to see them, not knowing
about the divorce.
That was the story I had. I didn’t know what the end was.
All I had was the beginning. When the holidays ended that year I had gotten no
further and the inspiration for a Christmas story wasn’t there in February for
me and so I put it away. I didn’t look at it again until I saw requests for the
ASMSG anthology,
A World of Joy.
This time, when I picked the story up, Blair was talking
again, leading me onward to what her story was. Years ago I’d thought her story
would be a novella but I soon realized that it wasn’t that complex. It was a
simple story.
For me, Christmas is a time be thankful and a time to be
with those we love. That is Blair and Derek’s story.
JK: What else do you
write?
ER: I
began as a writer of children’s stories and simple poetry. As the journey
continued, my word vocabulary grew and I began to write adult fiction, though I
still dabble with the latter two from time to time.
Currently I’m working simultaneously with a collection of
essays chronicling historical events in America that have been forgotten, two
romance novels and a mystery novella.
I find writing to be fun and above all, a learning
experience. From all walks of life, a story waits and it is the writer who must
pounce like a cat or spin a web as a spider does to catch the prey that will
become our next book.
Though my short story, "Weekend
Wife," will be my first official publication, I have published dozens of
articles on my blog. These range from self-help essays for writers, writing
exercises and advise, to historical and modern disasters and others that take
on a lighter side. I believe a writer should never limit themselves. To that
end I write what interests me, be it popular or neglected thoughts and dreams.
JK: Any other happy
tid-bits to share?
ER: I have an old car with a warm heater. I still have enough money in the
bank to pay off my Avon bill – I sell. My family and friends are supportive of
my writing whether they understand/agree with it or not. In time, every story
finds an ending.
JK: Can you share what you’ll be
doing this Christmas?
ER: This
Christmas I’ll deck the house out. This includes a green tree in the living room
and a pink tree somewhere else. I don’t know if it’ll find its way to the dining
room, entranceway or the landing – it’s been in all places over the years. I
have my mini village from Wal-Mart/Walgreen’s/Dollar General to put up – that’s
when the buildings still cost a dollar each. Stockings, of course, go over the
mantle. Upstairs, I place Christmas Little
Golden Books over
each of the bedroom doors.
I plan to make several batches of cookies and let someone
else clean up the mess. Naturally, I get to eat the first ones out of my 1926 Peoples
Gas oven.
I think we’ll have ham this year and I’m going to see a big mound of real
mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce next to it. Surrounded by my family and my
two year old turtle, Sparky, this Christmas will be one of joy.
JK: Do you have any other
writing coming out soon?
ER: At present I don’t have anything else scheduled for publication. I have
many irons, as they say, in the fire, with several nearing their final stages.
Some of these will go the agent/publisher route, others I will self-publish.
JK: Thank you so much for being here.
ER: Thank you, Jessica, for taking the time to conduct this interview and
for all your work in the writing industry. Writers' work hard and it is in
these moments that our dreams are realized.
