Anne Mateer’s debut novel has just released so enjoy meeting Rebekah and learn how the story came about.

Over to you, Anne:~

Brief physical description

Rebekah is 19 years old, of average height and medium build. Her light brown hair is often unruly and her brown eyes often flash with fire. She is a sturdy farm girl, but prefers stylish, modern things. She is full of energy.

Actor/famous person

I’ve never gone into a book with a physical picture of my protagonist, but the funny thing is that everyone who has read the book and seen my book cover says, “That’s exactly Rebekah!” The model they used is almost a dead ringer for Megan Follows in her Anne of Avonlea role, though with more brownish than reddish hair.

Strengths and weaknesses

Rebekah’s strengths also tend to be her weaknesses, depending on the circumstances. She can be decisive—or impulsive. She can be strong—or stubborn. She can empathize with others—or she can rely too much on her feelings. But ultimately her greatest strength is her faith while her greatest weakness is her lack of life experience.

Quirk (if any)

I don’t think Rebekah has any truly definable quirks, though other characters in the story do!

Your inspiration for the character

Although my initial inspiration for Rebekah was one of my great-grandmothers, Rebekah really didn’t turn out anything like her. My characters tend to be conglomerations of many people and looking at Rebekah now, I believe she is an interesting blend of my daughter and me.

Background to the story

I grew up hearing how the influenza and the Great War led to my great-grandparents’ marriage. Being the romantic that I am, I took the kernel of their story and began to dream of a novel. But I had to wait years to find focus for the plot and characters because little research had been done on the influenza epidemic of 1918! After finally delving into all I could find about the influenza epidemic, I attended a local historical symposium. One of the papers presented at that event focused on aviator training at Fort Dick and Love Field in Dallas during the Great War. That lecture provided the final piece of the framework for Rebekah’s story.

Thanks for sharing, Anne ~ I’m looking forward to reading your story!

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