Interview with characters in “Impending Love and Death”

In my day job as a journalist, my column name is Freeman of the Press.  I interviewed the two main characters, Jennifer “Jem” Collins and Logan Pierce, of Impending Love and Death which is available Nov. 18, 2015, at http://goo.gl/CFQBd1 through The Wild Rose Press.

Press:   This is Jennifer Beecher known to her family as Jem.

Jem:     It’s Mrs. Ben Collins.  We married in March.

Press:   Didn’t Ben join the Ohio Volunteer Infantry in April?

Jem:     He joined with two of his friends to fight for ninety days against the Rebels.

Press:   What do you think happened to your husband?

Jem:     He’s missing.  When I didn’t receive any word from him, I knew something was wrong.

Press:   Why not wait at home for news?’

Jem:     He could be injured, unconscious, or a prisoner.  I’m a nurse.  I can help him if he’s sick or wounded.

Press:   I heard Logan Pierce refused to help you travel to Washington City.  Do you know why?

Jem:     He gave me a flimsy excuse, but I’m capable of traveling alone.  I was hoping Mr. Pierce could suggest a clean but inexpensive boarding house where I could stay.  It wasn’t like I asked for a tour of the city.

Press:   How did you meet Logan Pierce?

Jem:     He claims I nearly ran him over with my buggy, but I didn’t see him.  Maybe the sun was in my eyes, but he shouldn’t have been strolling in the middle of the road.

Press:   Logan, you’re a politician.  What do you do?

Logan: I began working for Salmon Chase when he was governor of Ohio.  He won a seat in the senate, but President Abraham Lincoln appointed him to his cabinet as secretary of the treasury.  I followed him to Washington City and work as his secretary.

Press:   What is your current assignment?

Logan: As you know the President has declared war on the Confederate States, and it is the Department of the Treasury’s responsibility to pay for the war. I have been traveling to win support for a new state in Virginia and in return gain support in Congress for a proposal to issue bonds to pay for the war.

Press:   How did you meet Mrs. Collins?
Logan: She nearly ran over me with her buggy.  She claims she didn’t see me, but I was in the middle of the road heading toward Mr. Wheeler’s Dry Good Store when I heard her horse bearing down on me.  I barely escaped by jumping out of the path of her vehicle. Women should not be allowed behind the reins of a horse.

Press:   Why did you refuse to help Mrs. Collins go to Washington City?

Logan: Communications can be delayed.  I suggested she remain at home and await news of her missing husband, but she refused.

Press:   Did you reconcile on the train to Washington City?

Logan: We agreed to a truce to escape some blowhard’s version of Darwin’s theory on evolution.

Press:   As a gentleman, shouldn’t you come to the aid of a lady?”

Logan: I make it point to avoid married women.

Press:   But you’re helping Mrs. Collins find her husband.

Logan: I hope I don’t regret it.

Women’s rights not protected by U.S. Constitution

I didn’t realize women’s rights were not protected by the U.S. Constitution.  Did you?

link http://goo.gl/JvgGJM

Writer Jessica Neuwirth hopes to see Equal Rights Amendment ratified into law

by Laura Freeman | Reporter Published: September 27, 2015 12:20AM

Hudson — Although the Equal Rights Amendment was passed by Congress in 1972, only 35 states ratified it, three short of the 38 needed by the 1982 deadline. The ERA supporters hope a new generation of women will change that.

“Equal Means Equal: Why the Time for an Equal Rights Amendment is Now,” written by Jessica Neuwirth, shows how women’s rights have been compromised without the protection of an ERA.

“Many people thought we already had the ERA,” Neuwirth said. “More than 70 percent think it passed and is in the Constitution. More than 90 percent think there should be a constitutional guarantee. We have an information gap. We don’t have equal rights in our Constitution.”

Neuwirth, founder of the international women’s rights organization Equality Now and former director of the New York branch of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, spoke to more than 75 men and women at the Hudson Library & Historical Society Sept. 21 as part of the library’s Libby Walker Women’s Studies Lecture Series.

The book, which includes a foreword by long-time women’s rights activist Gloria Steinem, examines topics like pay equity, pregnancy discrimination, and violence against women and argues the need for an Equal Rights Amendment.

The 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides equal protection under the law and was passed in 1868, Neuwirth said. It wasn’t until 52 years later that the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote, was passed, in 1920.

The ERA was drafted in 1923 so women would have all equal rights, but the time limit for passage by the states expired.

Earlier this summer, actress Meryl Streep sent each member of Congress a personally signed letter along with a copy of Neuwirth’s book urging them to revive the Equal Rights Amendment.

“We need the ERA,” Neuwirth said. “Equal means equal but the legal framework we have now is not working for women who suffer gender-based injustice.

“The Supreme Court upheld pregnancy discrimination stating it did not constitute sex discrimination even though only women can get pregnant,” she said.

The court reasoned if pregnant women were treated differently than pregnant men, then it would be sex discrimination, Neuwirth said.

Women can be paid less for the same job, same experience, etc., because the courts reasoned she made less in her prior job than a man, Neuwirth said.

“Two people doing the same job can get paid differently if they were paid differently in a previous job,” she said. “There is no legal recourse.”

Some people argue they have seen improvements over the years, but sex discrimination still exists, she said.

“For decades, women have earned 77 cents to the dollar earned by men; today it’s 78 cents,” Neuwirth said.

Without an Equal Rights Amendment, women do not have effective legal recourse against discrimination on the basis of sex because the U.S. Constitution does not prohibit sex discrimination, Neuwirth said.

In Ohio, which ratified the original amendment, only five current U.S. representatives support the ERA: Joyce Beatty, Tim J. Ryan, Marcy Kaptur, Marcia L. Fudge and Sherrod Brown. Neuwirth urges citizens to write, email and meet personally with members of Congress and urge support of the ERA amendment.

“This campaign could be short and sweet,” Neuwirth said. “It should have happened a long time ago, only no one knows it didn’t happen.”

For information on the ERA go to www.eracoalition.org and eraeducationsproject.com.

Neuwirth is one of the founders and Honorary President of the international women’s rights organization, Equality Now. She has also worked in the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs and as director of the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. She served as a special consultant on sexual violence to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and a Special Advisor on Sexual Violence to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. As a guest lecturer, she taught international women’s rights at Harvard Law School. She holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. in History from Yale University.

How to pass the ERA amendment

Congress can eliminate the 1982 deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment and with three additional states, pass it, but the change to the deadline could be challenged in the Supreme Court, Jessica Neuwirth said.

The other solution is to start with a new amendment which has been proposed in the Senate:

“Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Section 3. This article shall take effect 2 years after the date of ratification.”

The amendment in the House of Representatives is worded differently and includes the term “women” for the first time in any amendment to the Constitution:

Section 1. Women shall have equal rights in the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Section 2. Congress and several States shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

Email: lfreeman@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-541-9434

Twitter: @LauraFreeman_RP

Being in front of the camera for an interview

Freeman of the Press: Lights, action and remember to talk in front of the camera

by Laura Freeman | Reporter Published: September 6, 2015 12:03AM

As a reporter and photographer, I’m usually the one behind the camera. It is the most comfortable location for me, but sometimes we need to step out of our comfort zone and face the lens.

When Frank Youngwerth of Good Day in Hudson asked if I wanted to be interviewed about a novel I wrote for a show in September, which is author’s month, and I was grateful for the opportunity.

I finished my first novel, “Impending Love and War,” last year, and it was released in October. The day before taping the show Aug. 19, I finished the final edits on my second novel, “Impending Love and Death,” and sent it back to my editor to begin production, so the timing couldn’t have been better.

Of course, the first thing I asked when arriving at the television station at Hudson High School was whether I would get a mulligan or do over if I flubbed something.

“No,” said Station Manager Kerry Paluscsak. “It’s a live taping.”

My nervous level jumped to panic. Can anyone say bloopers?

After filming my book covers, book and a canal boat model I brought, we were ready to go. Kerry attached my microphone, and Frank explained he would make an introduction at the beginning and end to sandwich my interview between an interview with blind major League Baseball broadcaster Ed Lucas, who’s story told in “Seeing Home – The Ed Lucas Story – A Blind Broadcaster’s Story of Overcoming Life’s Greatest Obstacles” and Tom Vince talking about Helen Keller. Great company for a historical romance novelist.

I was given 12 minutes for my interview, and it went quickly and fairly smoothly for a rookie. I think I interrupted Frank once, stumbled over a couple of words, and kept my eyes glued to Frank and away from the intimidating cameras and screen displaying our interview.

It turned out to be a fun experience, and one I would repeat or encourage others to take advantage of if Frank asks you to be a guest.

As clearly as I remember, we talked about the covers of my book. I love old movie posters and wanted my book covers to reflect that look. I have completed two of the six books in the series which takes readers from 1860, through the Civil War years and shortly after.

“Impending Love and War” takes place in 1860 and puts the characters in a race to help runaways slaves escape from chasers, distracting them with a canal boat ride while the slaves are moved from the church steeple in Darrow Falls to a nearby farm.

The descriptions should be familiar since Darrow Falls is based on small towns in our area and the canal is the one in the Cuyahoga Valley. One character is a math instructor from nearby Western Reserve College courting the heroine, who gives him a lesson on proposing marriage.

“In Impending Love and Death” the second Beecher sister is searching for news of her missing husband in 1861 after the Battle of Bull Run and travels to Washington City. Some familiar characters make an appearance in the second book, but it can be read independently from the first story.

I’ll let you know when the second book is available, tentatively in November, from my publisher, The Wild Rose Press. The books are available in print and digital, which is the least expensive and becoming popular for convenience. No bookshelves are needed and a digital copy can travel on any electronic device.

In the meantime, I’m working on book three, “Impending Love and Lies,” which takes place in 1862.

For the newspaper column, go to http://goo.gl/j3y7IZ

For video of interview, go to http://hctv.pegcentral.com

To purchase a print or ebook, go to http://goo.gl/CFQBd1

Email: lfreeman@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-541-9434

Twitter: @LauraFreeman_RP

Facebook.com/Laura.Freeman.5648

Television interview

Watch an interview at http://hctv.pegcentral.com between Good Day in Hudson host Frank Youngwerth and Laura Freeman, author of “Impending Love and War” and soon to be released “Impending Love and Death” published by The Wild Rose Press and available at  http://goo.gl/CFQBd1 in print and ebook format. My interview begins at 32 minutes into the program.

http://goo.gl/CFQBd1

Interview with twin sisters who each wrote a children’s book

http://goo.gl/A5KikQ

Twins from Hudson celebrate double

Triumph with published novels

Suzanne (Young) Cordatos and Sonja (Young) Anderson being published by Sunberry Books

by Laura Freeman | Reporter Published: August 2, 2015 12:09AM

Hudson — Twinsburg won’t be the only place to see double during Twins Day Festivities when twin sisters debut their children’s novels at The Learned Owl Book Shop, their favorite store when growing up in Hudson.

Suzanne (Young) Cordatos and Sonja (Young) Anderson, graduates from Hudson High School in 1981, will have their novels for ages 7-12 on sale and be present to sign them on Friday, Aug. 7 from 1 to 3 p.m. at The Learned Owl, 204 N. Main St. in Hudson. They also are registered for Twins Day Aug. 7-9 and plan to be in the parade.

Cordatos’ novel, “Lost Crown of Apollo,” features a Greek American family on a boating adventure in the Greek Islands. Eleven-year-old Elias and his younger sister get more adventure than they bargained for when they become stranded on a barren island with nothing but headless statues, lizards, a grumpy caretaker and some antiquity thieves for company. Can a self-proclaimed “bad luck magnet” save the sun god’s priceless good luck charm he’s found–and his kidnapped sister–from the thieves?

Anderson’s novel, “Sophie’s Quest,” features an unlikely friendship between a Great Horned Owl and a tiny pirate-wannabe mouse while on a Holy Land Quest. Can Sophie face her greatest fears to save her new friend–something she used to consider “just a tasty snack”?

In this book, children will become better neighbors in our diverse world as they gain a basic understanding of the world’s major religions, along with a hint at what makes Jesus so unique, Anderson said.

Both books are Mediterranean Sea adventure tales, and both are published by Sunberry Books, an imprint of Sunpenny Publishing Group in the United Kingdom. However, when the publisher at Sunpenny requested full manuscripts–on the very same day–she didn’t have any idea that Cordatos and Anderson were even related, much less twins.

Anderson holds a master’s degree in Education from Harvard and Cordatos has a master’s degree in International Studies from Ohio University. They have shared adventures living and teaching together in Tokyo, Japan, but currently “bookend” the USA, with Anderson residing in Seattle and Cordatos in Connecticut.

Anderson said her book took nearly 15 years to research, write, revise and submit to publishers.

The idea for the story came from teaching a multi-faith religion class in Tokyo 25 years ago, Anderson said.

“I was struck by the enthusiasm for the Bible that this particular group of kids had, even though they were from different religious backgrounds,” Anderson said. “I loved learning about their traditions and stories, too, and I remember picturing for the first time a wise owl who could help me and my class sort through all the traditions to get at a wiser sense of God’s truth.”

Children need examples of friendship that defy the odds, like the friendship between natural enemies, Sophie and Timley, she said. They also are surprisingly interested in topics like world religion that are rarely addressed in elementary school.

Anderson said when her daughter was in kindergarten, she had an argument about God on the playground with a Buddhist boy and a Jewish boy

“I wanted to write something to help Christian kids (like my daughter) understand basic tenets of world religions so she could understand and empathize better with her classmates in our increasingly diverse community and world, and vice-versa–I wanted a way for non-Christian kids to understand better what is at the heart of Christianity, to hear for the first time or in a new way about Jesus, who is uniquely ‘God with us.'”

Sophie’s Quest offers children a respectful and fun way to learn something about our diverse world, and to introduce them to Jesus in a fresh and exciting way.

When Anderson began writing “Sophie’s Quest,” she sent new chapters to her twin sister and suggested she write her own stories.

“I think she began with picture book stories, but I remember reading a draft of “Lost Crown of Apollo” during Christmas vacation a number of years ago,” Anderson said. “I can’t wait to read it in its final form.”

Cordatos indeed wrote “The Lost Crown of Apollo” as a picture book but after attending a conference, an editor suggested a novel to enlarge the Greek island setting.

Cordatos said her husband is from Greece and while visiting, the toured the small island of Delos or “mini Pompeii.”

“We were virtually alone with the headless statues, lions, marble columns–and the island’s single palm tree which, in mythology, was the birthplace of the sun god Apollo and his twin, the hunter and protector of women, Artemis,” Cordatos said. “As a twin, I was especially interested in the twin’s story.”

After reading and critiquing her sister’s book, Cordatos said the realized how much she loved creative writing and wanted to share the wonders of Greece with others.

In “The Lost Crown of Apollo” readers will get a taste of Greece’s fascinating long past and mythology, it’s beautiful island culture, boating fun, delicious Greek food and warm hospitable people, Cordatos said.

“We each have local writing friends, but we constantly encourage each other through the ups and downs of writing contests, submissions to publishers, rejection letters, brainstorming new ideas,” Cordatos said. “Writing is not only a talent but a craft–it can be improved, and it helps to work with others to revise.”

Cordatos is working on a book about twin princesses who each have two wishes. Her first picture book, SNEEZE-FIRE from 4RV Publishing will be released soon and is the first in a series about a young dragon facing tough choices.

Anderson is working on the sequels to “Sophie’s Quest” and a young adult novel about Christian persecution in 17th century Japan.

Email: lfreeman@recordpub.com

Twitter: @LauraFreeman_RP

Interview with thriller author Jenny Milchman

AUTHOR JENNY MILCHMAN VISITS THE LEARNED OWL JULY 14

Hudson Hub-Times link http://goo.gl/iYaqQZ

by Laura Freeman | Reporter Published: July 12, 2015 12:05AM

Hudson — Thriller author Jenny Milchman will be at The Learned Owl for a publishing discussion July 14 at 5:30 p.m. in celebration of her new thriller novel, “As Night Falls” published by Random House, June 30 for $26 hardcover.

Recent news headlines about two escape convicts in New York could have inspired the idea behind Milchman’s latest book, “As Night Falls,” a psychological suspense novel about a dark, twisted turn of events that could shatter a family. One late autumn night, a woman looks up to see two convicts forcing their way into her home. Over the course of eight terrifying hours, she’ll discover the perilous connection she has to these men–and that the most dangerous secret is the one you keep from yourself.

Her previous novels include “Cover of Snow” in 2013 and “Ruin Falls” in 2014.

Milchman is a New York Times-celebrated author and a huge advocate for the literary arts, particularly independent bookstores. She’s vice president of Author Programming for International Thriller Writers, founder of Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, host of Made It Moments forum, founder of the literary series Writing Matters, writing teacher for New York Writers Workshop and an award-winning, indie bookstore-celebrated suspense writer. Learn more at JennyMilchman.com.

Although it took 11 years for Milchman to publish her first novel, she said the wait was worth it.

“I work with a lot of writers,” Milchman said. “I know that there are many ways to publish these days. There are people doing terrifically well walking a different road than mine. But for me, when my editor at Ballantine first made that offer…it was like holding a dream in my hands. And it’s been a dream–a digging deep, working hard, having a blast kind of dream–ever since.”

Writing empowers Milchman, and she feels strong while writing. Her readers have shared the same feeling of being stronger after reading one of her books.

“That sense of being able to accomplish something great, do what needs to be done and maybe even save someone in the process–well, we normal folk don’t, and that experience is exhilarating for me as a writer,” Milchman said. “But it was an even greater thrill to learn that my readers get the same kind of charge.”

“As Night Falls” takes place in one night and is written at a fast pace, Milchman said.

“It was a challenge to make the characters full and real people when the reader sees them only during a single life-and-death crisis,” Milchman said. “There is a novel-within-a-novel in the book, with chapters dating back to 1975, and that allowed me to layer in some of what made these people who they are.”

As a writer, Milchman has learned she had to open up and hear others criticism to become a better writer.

“Once I had begun to learn, I still wasn’t ready,” Milchman said. “This game is played at such a high level–readers want and deserve the very best we can deliver. And it takes time, and a constellation of smart people and iterations for us to get there. For me to get there anyway.”

Email: lfreeman@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-541-9434

Twitter: @LauraFreeman_RP

Interview with the author of “Ella Enchanted” and new book, “Stolen Magic.”

http://goo.gl/apfLkI

Author Gail Levine enchants with new book, “Stolen Magic.”

Carson to visit, discuss work at Hudson library April 25

by Laura Freeman | Reporter Published: April 19, 2015 12:00AM

Hudson — Award-winning author of the children’s book “Ella Enchanted” will visit Hudson library April 25 at 2 p.m.

In celebration of its 10-year anniversary on Library Street, the Hudson Library and Historical Society will feature author Gail Carson Levine, who will discuss her new book “Stolen Magic,” to be released April 21, as well as the writing process and her experiences as a successful author.

In “Stolen Magic,” Elodie, dragon detective Meenore and kindly ogre Count Jonty Um travel to Elodie’s Home island of Lahnt. Replica, a statue preventing the island’s deadly volcano from erupting, has been stolen and must be found in three days to save everyone. Elodie must use her wits to unravel a web of lies to discover who is guilty.

Booklist calls the book “A satisfying mixture of fantasy, mystery and adventure.”

“Stolen Magic” is the sequel to “A Tale of Two Characters,” which is based on the fairy tale “Puss in Boots,” Levine said.

Levine’s first book for children, “Ella Enchanted,” was selected as a Newbery Honor Book and later made into a feature film starring Anne Hathaway. The Hudson library will show the film, “Ella Enchanted,” on April 22 at 4:30 p.m. in preparation for Levine’s appearance.

“I loved fairy tales when I was little and would read them by the hour,” Levine said. “I adored the magic, the exoticism and the non-stop action. As an adult I like to explore the illogic, like, why does the prince kiss Sleeping Beauty when all he knows about her is that she’s pretty and doesn’t snore?”

She also has garnered praise for her New York Times bestseller “Fairest,” which was a Best Book of the Year for Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal; “Dave at Night,” an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults; six Princess Tales books and many others.

Levine creates fantasy worlds with fairy godmothers, gnomes, jealous queens and magic mirrors.

“I love to invent magical creatures,” she said.

Her stories discuss topics relevant to all ages, including self-acceptance, bravery and love.

She teaches creative writing to students when she finds the time.

“I love to see what kids come up with,” Levine said. “I’m constantly surprised and delighted by their originality and their insights.”

In teaching adults and children, Levine emphasized not being “over-critical” and to be specific in improvement.

“This spot needs more tension; this bit of dialogue could be more natural; the setting isn’t developed enough in Chapter One,” she explained.

Levine, who received rejection notices for nine years, said she writes a few hours each day and writes wherever she can. Patience is a quality writers need most, she said. Books take a long time to write.

“Sometimes we get stuck and have to work out the kinks, which refuse to be rushed,” Levine said.

In addition to her children’s chapter books, she has penned the nonfiction books “Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly” and “Writer to Writer: From Think to Ink, “and the picture books “Betsy Who Cried Wolf” and “Betsy Red Hoodie.”

Her books have given Levine travel opportunities to Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, Mexico, Canada and Europe.

“When I’ve been somewhere as an author, I come back with fresh insight,” she said.

Levine said she knew she was successful when she visited her old New York City neighborhood two years ago and stopped at the public library, where she had borrowed hundred of books and paid late fines.

“The library had my books,” Levine said. “That was a thrill and sign of success.”

Twitter: @LauraFreeman_RP

Interview of author Jennifer Chiaverini

link: http://goo.gl/qXSs97

Author of historical novel about First Lady Julia Grant and her slave visits Hudson

Jennifer Chiaverini will visit the Hudson library March 8 at 2 p.m.

by Laura Freeman | Reporter Published: March 4, 2015 12:08AM

Hudson — New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini will visit the Hudson library March 8 at 2 p.m. to talk about her newest novel, “Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule.”

The Hudson Library & Historical Society, in partnership with The Learned Owl Book Shop, welcomes Chiaverini, author of the Elm Creek Quilts series and “Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker.”

In “Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule” the book focuses on the relationship between Julia Grant, a Missouri belle and her slave, Jule. Together for 37 years, Jule remained a slave, determined to be free, while Julia Grant marries Lt. Ulysses S. Grant, a staunch abolitionists from Ohio, who would rise through the ranks of the Union army during the Civil War and become President of the United States. Visiting her husband on battlefields, Julia took Jule with her as a slave behind federal lines until the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation inspired Jule to escape and claim freedom.

Chiaverini is the author of “Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker,” “The Spymistress,” “Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival,” and 20 volumes in the Elm Creek Quilts series.

“I first became intrigued by Julia Dent Grant when I was researching the wartime experiences of Mary Todd Lincoln for my novel, ‘Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker,'” Chiaverini said.

They met in March 1865 and Mary had a “very public meltdown” and “accused Julia of wanting the White House for herself,” Chiaverini said.

She drew upon memoirs, period newspapers, journals and other sources for her research.

During her research, she discovered Julia lived with Ulysses Grant at military headquarters, joining him when it was safe and brought “her favorite slave” along, Chiaverini said.

“I was absolutely astonished by the utter incongruity–from my modern perspective, at least–of a Union general’s wife owning a slave,” Chiaverini said.

She wrote “Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule” in part to satisfy her curiosity about Jule, she said. But she found few details about Jule, and most of her personal story is fictional.

“I feel obligated to my readers to adhere to the historical record as closely as I can where significant events and people are concerned,” Chiaverini said. “However, I’m usually comfortable taking liberties with lesser-known historical figures and situations.”

Chiaverini said she always wanted to be a writer and finished her first novel in 1997, which was published in 1999.

Although Chiaverini lives in Wisconsin, she was born in Cincinnati and said it is a point of pride so many important figures from the Civil War were from Ohio.

“What I love about writing historical fiction, is I can delve into the lives of all these people we know but we don’t know enough about,” she said.

Chiaverini has always loved writing and the day she could do it for a living, she considered herself a success. Aspiring writers need to summon up the courage and write. Today through social media, there are more avenues for writing and being read, she added.

“No one can make you stop except you,” she said.

Her next book is inspired by the poem “Christmas Bells” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow written during the Civil War.

“It intrigued me especially when I learned the circumstances of writing it,” Chiaverini said. “It’s astonishing that among all his worry and grief, he wrote this uplifting poem.”

Copies of “Mrs. Grant and Madame Jule” will be available for purchase and signing courtesy of the Learned Owl Book Shop. Refreshments will be served following the program.

Email: lfreeman@recordpub.com

Facebook.com/laura.freeman.5648

Twitter: @LauraFreeman_RP

Interview by Melissa Snark

Author Melissa Snark interviewed me and featured it on her site http://wp.me/p5qJdq-h8

This was one of the questions:  What does your writing space look like?

“I find I write better when it’s quiet so I use a spare room with no television or radio.  A large table, which initially had plenty of open space, now contains two laptops, two printers, a lamp, and an assortment of supplies.  In addition, I have two bookcases filled with research, four filing drawers for writing projects, and a small desk with my dictionary, thesaurus, and current work.  It appears I hate empty space.”

Read the interview at http://wp.me/p5qJdq-h8 and comment to win a chance until April 25, 2015, at an ebook copy of “Impending Love and War,” a historical romance novel by Laura Freeman.

Interview about Impending Love and War

Hudson Hub-Times reporter Laura Freeman pens first novel

by April Helms Special Products Editor Published: December 5, 2014 12:00AM

The cover of Impending Love and War

Laura Freeman, a 10-year veteran reporter at Record Publishing Co., recently published her own novel, “Impending Love & War.”

Freeman, a reporter for the Hudson Hub-Times, said it took several years to write her first book, a historical romance.

“Research is ongoing,” said Freeman, who said she is already in the process of working on her next novel. “Whenever I see an opportunity to learn about history, I take it. When I was passing the barn at Keyser Park in Cuyahoga Falls, I saw workers removing the siding and took photos of the bank barn, which is described in my novel. I also took photographs of the Case-Barlow Farm’s bank barn inside and out. For the canal, I spent time on the towpath in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and at the Akron library. I also picked the brains of Hudson Library and Historical Society archivist Gwen Mayer and Western Reserve Academy archivist Tom Vince for historical information. Whenever I find a book about the Civil War or historic subject at yard sales, I buy it.”

Freeman said a challenge was finding potential publishers for her work.

“I began sending my novel to the large publishers such as Avon and Harlequin, which referred me to its ebook publication,” she said. “After researching the independent smaller publishers, I sent a query and several chapters to The Wild Rose Press which publishes romance exclusively in ebooks and print. They asked for the manuscript and after editing the first three chapters, asked if I would make the suggested corrections and resubmit. I find it surprising that some writers would not want their work edited, but as a reporter, I expect my stories to be slashed and red inked. They accepted my corrected manuscript for publication in April and after rounds of more editing, it was published in October.”

Freeman’s novel centers on Abolitionist Cory Beecher and slave catcher Tyler Montgomery. Cory Beecher didn’t mean to shoot handsome Tyler Montgomery and she only kisses him so he doesn’t find the runaway slave in the barn. Abolitionists never considered marrying slave owners, but her world explodes with newfound desire when her lips touch his. Can she go through with her carefully crafted plans to marry math instructor Douglas Raymond when her heart longs for another?

Tyler Montgomery needs to find the runaway slaves before his rival Edward Vandal captures them. Although he doesn’t want to involve the fiery and beautiful Miss Beecher, once she kisses him, all his plans unravel. As his rival closes in on the quarry, he hesitates to leave, knowing she’s marrying the wrong man. But what does an unemployed lawyer with questionable parentage have to offer the woman he loves?

“I hope [people] have fun reading it,” Freeman said. “The characters are strong and challenge each other. From a pike staff battle on the deck of a canal boat traveling toward Peninsula to the Fourth of July picnic on Darrow Falls town square, the setting should feel familiar to those who live in the area. The idea of abolitionists, colonization and slavery defenders came to me while covering a story on the Underground Railroad at the Hudson library. The conflicting beliefs formed the story where Courtney Beecher is an abolitionists and attracted to unemployed lawyer Tyler Montgomery, a slave owner. Her other romantic lead, a math instructor from Western Reserve College, believes in colonization.”

The book, published by The Wild Rose Press, is $16.99 for paperback and $4.99 for digital. For details, visit www.thewildrosepress.com, Facebook.com/laurafreeman.5648, Twitter @LauraFreeman_RP or her blog at Authorfreeman.wordpress.com.

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