Ann H. Gabhart is as delightful as the stories she writes. I’m thrilled to have her return to Relz Reviewz to share her favourite things and chat about her latest release, River to Redemption. I trust you enjoy the interview and wish you the best with the giveaway!
Over to you, Ann.
*****
Animal
I am definitely a dog person. I started begging for my own dog when I was eight and have had a dog in my life ever since. Right now I have Frankie, an Australian shepherd/lab mix, I got from the Humane Shelter. He is a beautiful dog but he lacks some being a well-behaved dog. We’re working on it.
Rel: Sounds like most Australians, Ann, including the people 😉
Artist
I may show my lack of artistic culture here, but I like Normal Rockwell because of the way each of his pictures told a story. Usually one that could make you smile.
Board Game
Scrabble – I love word games and it runs in the family. My grandmother loved playing Scrabble too. We played often when the family got together. Those triple word scores were fun when you hit them with a z or x,
Book
I’ve always found it difficult to pick a favourite book. Too many great reads over the years. When I read Gone with the Wind in one long Thanksgiving weekend when I was fourteen, I saw how a story can come to life. The Chosen by Chaim Potok showed me how characters can leap off a page and come to life in my imagination. A favourite of my own books would be Angel Sister because of how I used my mom’s stories of growing up during the Great Depression for my background setting.
Rel: I adore The Chosen, too!
Colour
Teal green, but I wear more red.
Flower
I’ve always loved peonies from the time I was a kid and took great pleasure in leaping over my aunt’s peony bushes. Then their blooms simply explode and shout spring. Plus, they have that lovely spicy scent.
Peonies
Ice-cream
I’m not a big ice cream eater, but it’s hard to beat a waffle cone stuffed with strawberry ice cream.
Movie
I’ve watched movies. Of course I have, but none of them are rising to the top as a favourite. I like movies that make me laugh. I like movies that get my heart thumping while I’m hoping the stars will escape danger. I must like movies that I quickly forget because I can’t think of a single one I’d call a favourite. I’m going to start taking notes when I go to the movies so I’ll be ready for this question next time!
Non-writing activity
I enjoy hiking up mountain trails or walking on beaches at sunrise. Most days I’m not in the mountains or on the beach, so I just enjoy walking that crazy dog of mine out on the farm where I try to spot some nature wonders, big or small.
Reading genre
I like a wide variety of books. I have enjoyed mysteries and historical novels. I like books with strong story lines and characters I can root on to a satisfying ending. Maybe my favourite reading genre is a good story one.
Season
I enjoy living in an area where I get to experience the four seasons. But my favourite would have to be spring when the flowers start blooming and the sun starts shining warmer.
Snack
There’s this dark chocolate almond granola bar that is super delicious.
Sport (watch or play)
I’m an avid basketball fan. Just a watcher. Not a player, But I bleed blue for University of Kentucky basketball. I’ve been a fan since I used to listen to the games on my transistor radio when I was a young teen.
TV show
I’m stuck here. Unless some player is bouncing a basketball, I don’t watch much television. I do try to catch the local news. If I have spare time, I’d much rather read than watch television.
River to Redemption
Orphaned in the cholera epidemic of 1833, Adria Starr was cared for by a slave named Louis, a man who stayed in Springfield, Kentucky, when anyone with means had fled. A man who passed up the opportunity to escape his bondage and instead tended to the sick and buried the dead. A man who, twelve years later, is being sold by his owners despite his heroic actions. Now nineteen, Adria has never forgotten what Louis did for her. She’s determined to find a way to buy Louis’s freedom. But in 1840s Kentucky, she’ll face an uphill battle.
Based partly on a true story, Ann H. Gabhart’s latest historical novel is a tour de force. The vividly rendered town of Springfield and its citizens immerse readers in a story of courage, betrayal, and honor that will stick with them long after they turn the last page.
Here’s one of Ann’s favourite scenes from her new release:
A scene from Chapter 1 of River to Redemption
(Adria is seven. Her parents and little brother have died due to cholera.)
But now silence wrapped around her. Nothing but her heart beating in her ears. She wanted to ask her mother if the bad air killed everybody, but she clamped her lips together and didn’t let the words out. She was afraid her mother wouldn’t answer.
Adria squeezed her eyes shut. Where she’d been sick smelled bad. Really bad. She pinched her nose to block the odor, but then her breathing sounded too loud, like she’d been running or something. She pulled a pillow over her face.
She hoped it wouldn’t hurt if the bad air killed her. Maybe her heart would just stop the way the clock had stopping ticking. She tried to remember whether the preacher ever said anything in his sermons about dying. But most of the stories she could remember were about Jesus feeding people or making them well. Maybe if she prayed, he would make her well, and Eddie and her parents too.
“Please,” she whispered into the pillow. She tried to think of more words, but she was tired. So she just said the bedtime prayer her mother taught her. “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. And if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
She prayed that all the time, but she had never worried about not waking up. Not until now. What would happen if the Lord took her soul? Would it be silent like now, or noisy? Angels singing maybe. No, that was when Jesus was born. But heaven might be noisy. Lots of people there, and didn’t they say something about crossing a river? She’d seen a river. The water was noisy. She really needed a drink.
The knock on the door made her jump. Her father had said something once about a person knocking on heaven’s door, but this sounded more like their own front door. Maybe it was the doctor coming after all. When she pushed up off the floor, the room started spinning and she cried out and fell back with a thump.
The door swung open and a deep voice called out, “Somebody in here needin’ help?”
When the big man stepped around the couch, Adria let out another shriek, but her mother didn’t make the first sound. The man stared down at Adria. Sweat made tracks down his black face and he looked like a giant looming over her. She scrambled away from him, but moving made her sick again. She tried to get to the basin, but she didn’t make it.
Big gentle hands reached down to hold her. “There, there, missy. It’s done gonna be all right.” He stroked her hair sort of the way her daddy did sometimes when he was telling her good night.
When she was through being sick, the man wiped her mouth off with a handkerchief and gathered her up in his arms as though she wasn’t any bigger than Eddie. She forgot about being afraid and laid her head against his chest. His heart was beating, steady and sure. It was a good sound, and even his sweaty smell was better than the smell from her being sick.
“What’s your name, child?” he asked.
“Adria,” she whispered, a little surprised the sound came out of her dry lips.
“Adria,” he echoed her. “That’s a fine name. I’m gonna take you back to Mr. George’s hotel where we can see to you.”
“What about Eddie?”
“That yo’r little brother there?” The man’s voice was soft. “You don’t have to worry about him. I’ll come back and do what needs doing.”
Adria didn’t want to, but she couldn’t keep her eyes from peeking away from the man’s chest toward Eddie beside her mother. He wasn’t moving and her mother’s eyes were staring up at the ceiling. “What needs doing?”
“Well, it ain’t an easy thing for a little missy like you to know, but yo’r mama and li’l brother done gone on to glory. All’s can be done for them now is a proper burial. I been doing it for all them that got took by the cholera.” He rubbed his hand up and down Adria’s back and turned so she couldn’t see her mother anymore. “What about your pappy?”
“He died first.” Adria pointed toward the bedroom.
The man nodded. “It’s a sorrowful thing.”
“Am I going to go to glory too?” Glory seemed easier to say than die.
“Only the good Lord knows our appointed time to leave this old world, but I’m thinkin’ that you might have to wait a while to see glory. Could be the Lord has more for you to do down here like he has for me.”
“What’s that?”
“Hard to say. But time will tell, missy. Time will tell. Now you just rest your head down on my shoulder and let ol’ Louis take you on up the street. Matilda, she ain’t bothered by the cholera same as me, and she’s got a healin’ hand. Me and her, we’ll do for you and chase that old cholera out of you.”
“I want my mama.” Adria wanted to cry, but her eyes were too dry. They felt scratchy when she blinked.
“Ain’t that the way of us all. To want our mammies.” He carried her out the door.
Thanks Ann!
ANN H. GABHART, the bestselling author of over thirty novels, has been called a storyteller. That’s not a bad thing for somebody who grew up dreaming of being a writer. Ann’s novels, including her popular Shaker series, have Kentucky backgrounds. Her new release, River to Redemption, was inspired by a true story that happened in a small Kentucky town. Ann also writes about family life, love and sometimes mystery (as A.H. Gabhart). She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren and enjoy life out on their Kentucky farm. To find out more about Ann’s books and to check out her blog, One Writer’s Journal, visit www.annhgabhart.com. You can also join in the conversation on her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/anngabhart or Twitter @AnnHGabhart.
Relz Reviewz Extras
All Things Gabhart @ Relz Reviewz
Visit Ann’s website and blog
Buy at Amazon: River to Redemption or Koorong
July 9, 2018 at 10:19 pm
Nice interview! We like playing Clue.
July 10, 2018 at 5:05 am
We played Clue too, Jennifer, and Monopoly and all kinds of card games as well as Scrabble. Glad you liked reading about my favorites.
July 10, 2018 at 12:04 am
My family loves Monopoly!
July 10, 2018 at 5:07 am
We played that when we were kids, but we were never very cut throat. Nobody ever went bankrupt. Maybe because we’d get reading to play something else before we got those hotels on Park Avenue. I always liked getting the railroads.
July 10, 2018 at 5:09 am
Uh, that’s supposed to say “ready to play” but then maybe we did stop to go to reading something. We all loved books.
July 10, 2018 at 2:20 am
I love scrabble then we also play the Dubuque version of Monopoly but I love board games and with grandkids around it’s so fun. I just can’t wait to read this new book Ann so excited when I get in the mail am going to start right away!
July 10, 2018 at 5:09 am
Thanks, Peggy. I love your eagerness to read River to Redemption. Board games are fun with the grandkids. My grandkids love card games.
July 10, 2018 at 4:46 am
Scrabble is my favorite board game. Also there is a game called Ipswich, which is Scrabble where extra points can be earned by forming a square, and each person has their own board. Looking forward to reading this book!
July 10, 2018 at 5:11 am
My sister and I play Words with Friends which is an online game like Scrabble, Becky. I’ve never heard of Ipswich. Sounds like you might have to really strain your brain to do that. Hope you’ll enjoy River to Redemption when you get a chance to read it.
July 10, 2018 at 6:27 am
I enjoy Words with Friends online. I don’t play many board games. My husband doesn’t like to play them. When the kids and grandkids come to visit, we’ll sometimes play Apples to Apples which probably isn’t technically a board game, but it’s a lot of fun.
July 10, 2018 at 11:52 am
My husband isn’t big on playing games either, except the card game Rook. I like to play Rook too, but it takes four and usually when he’s playing it’s with his brothers and they have enough without me. My sisters-in-law play other card games. I’ve never played Apples to Apples but my grandkids have talked about playing it with their other grandmother. Some of the grandkids enjoy games.
July 10, 2018 at 7:36 am
When I was growing up I loved to play Monopoly.
July 10, 2018 at 11:53 am
My sister and I played Monopoly. It was fun, Connie. We also played Canasta.
July 10, 2018 at 7:38 am
I like Scrabble too although I played a lot of Clue when I was younger. More recently I have been playing a lot of Chutes and Ladders with the grand kids.
July 10, 2018 at 12:03 pm
I don’t think I ever played Chutes and Ladders, but any game is fun with the grandkids, Carol. We played Clue too. Miss Scarlett in the Library with the Candlestick. 🙂
July 10, 2018 at 9:49 am
Our family loves table games. We used to play Scrabble much more than we do now. I think having Words with Friends on our phones/tablets got gives us our fix of Scrabble. We now play more card games like Uno, Play 9 and Skip-bo.
July 10, 2018 at 12:05 pm
I’m with you, Patty, about the Words with Friends making Scrabble less of a pick to play. My youngest grandkid loves Uno. Then we like Quiddler, another fun word game and Five Crowns. My sisters and I play MahJong. Now that’s a hard game.
July 10, 2018 at 10:58 am
I read River to Redemption a few days ago. It is a beautifully written story I enjoyed very much.
July 10, 2018 at 12:06 pm
Thank you so much, Pam. I appreciate your kind words and I’m so happy you liked the story.
July 10, 2018 at 6:51 pm
Life. It was a game you spill the wheel.
July 10, 2018 at 10:16 pm
I remember that game, but I never played it, Kim.
July 11, 2018 at 12:11 am
Our favorite board game is Monopoly.
July 12, 2018 at 1:51 pm
Anita, did you like getting hotels on Boardwalk (I think that’s right) and making everybody go bankrupt that landed there? 🙂 That’s what Monopoly is all about, isn’t it? Seems like I always ended up in jail.
July 11, 2018 at 12:30 am
I love so many board games that I don’t think I can name a favorite. There is something special about getting friends or family together around the table and playing games. Ü
July 12, 2018 at 1:52 pm
You are so right, Cindi. I enjoy playing cards and games with my kids and grandkids. Lots more fun than everybody sitting around playing on their phones.
July 11, 2018 at 12:51 am
I always so enjoy Ann’s books and recently purchased another to add to my shelves. I always enjoyed Monopoly, but I don’t do board games as much as I used to.
July 13, 2018 at 9:25 am
Well, isn’t that fun to know, Cathy? So glad you’ve added one of my books to your shelves. Happy to be there, I’m sure. 🙂 My game playing grandkids seem to be more into card games than board games right now.
July 11, 2018 at 7:09 am
My family and I love to play monopoly, uno, and trouble.
July 13, 2018 at 9:24 am
I used to play Trouble with my granddaughter, Tiffany. Sometimes she’d be all the way to home before I’d get a “six” to get started. Lucky, I’m not. But I do better with Uno. It’s more fun when you have several playing. And there’s popular Monopoly again. Maybe I need to get my Monopoly game out the next time the grandkids are here.
July 11, 2018 at 7:15 am
We were never really game players. We played Scrabble, Clue, Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders or dominoes or Old Maid at our grandparents occasionally. I would always rather be reading. I would like to read River to Redemption. It sounds very interesting.
July 13, 2018 at 9:22 am
I guess we did a mix, but I’m a book lover for sure, Sue. My grandkids like lining up dominoes to make them all fall down. I showed them how to play the game but lining them up was more interesting. 🙂 I hope you will enjoy River to Redemption when you have a chance to read the story.
July 11, 2018 at 8:02 am
I would say that Monopoly would be my favorite traditional board game. But I do love “Words with Friends” on my phone. I’m sure that‘s similar to Scrabble and I can play friends from far and wide. It’s a very fun game!
July 13, 2018 at 9:20 am
Words with Friends is very much like Scrabble, Perrianne, with some minor differences in the board. But you have the triple scores, etc. I play Words with my sister and sister-in-law. I’m losing in one of the games right now. Either have all vowels or no vowels. 🙂
July 13, 2018 at 10:12 am
The two people I play the most with are teachers, so I do not win very much but it’s fun.
July 11, 2018 at 8:27 am
My favorite board game is Monopoly.
July 13, 2018 at 9:18 am
I’m surprised at all the Monopoly players that have commented here, Dianne. Guess a good game has staying power.
July 12, 2018 at 10:10 am
One of my favorite board games is Sequence.
July 13, 2018 at 9:18 am
I’ve never played Sequence, Caryl. I’ll have to check it out.
July 12, 2018 at 11:12 am
I love Scrabble but my favorite board game is Monopoly. Mainly because whenever I play Scrabble, the people I play with always go first and start with like a four letter word! 🙂 It drives me mad! LOL
July 13, 2018 at 9:17 am
That’s funny, Kelly. Maybe that four letter word is all they have or maybe they just like to give you a headstart. LOL. I do hate to start a game without getting on one of those double scores. It’s been a while since I played Monopoly, but I was never cutthroat enough for that game.
July 13, 2018 at 9:33 am
Growing up, we played more card games then board games. I think my favorite ones were Clue or Life (the older versions. Our favorite card games were Rummy, Canasta or Euchre.
This book is already on my must-read list! I loved These Healing Hills and this one sounds just as good 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway chance & author interview.
July 16, 2018 at 10:22 pm
Thanks, Trixi. I like my books being on must-read lists! So glad you enjoyed These Healing Hills. It was great fun going back in time a little and to the Appalachian Mountains to find that story about the Frontier Nurses.
I played canasta when I was a kid and still like the game. Never played Euchre. Card games usually beat out the board games at my house too.
July 13, 2018 at 12:32 pm
My favorite board game is Monopoly. We have fun playing as a family when we get together. One of our adult sons always wins.
July 16, 2018 at 10:26 pm
Your son must be a real estate man and knows the properties to buy, Merry. LOL. I’m going to have to see if my grandgirls want to try Monopoly with so many saying its a favorite game. Seems like I always ended up with the cards that said “Go to jail. Do not pass go to collect $200. Go directly to jail.” Winning $25 at the beauty contest sounded better.
July 14, 2018 at 11:43 am
I always loved playing “Life” and choosing a job, salary, etc.
July 16, 2018 at 10:27 pm
Mallori, that does sound fun. Of course, I would always choose to be a writer and hope for a salary. 🙂