It's my pleasure to welcome Cindy Kelley to Ink Dots this week. Cindy is a
screenwriter and author. Her film screenplay credits include the hit television
movie Love Comes Softly, as well as: Loves Enduring Promise, Love’s Long
Journey, Love’s Unfolding Dream, Saving Sarah Cain and The Velveteen Rabbit.
Kelley also co-authored the novel, The
Silent Gift, with her longtime writing partner, Michael Landon, Jr.
Traces of Mercy ~ As the Civil War
ends, a young woman suffers an accident that leaves her unconscious and alone.
Waking up with amnesia, she takes the name Mercy because of the mercy medallion
found around her neck. More than
anything, Mercy wants to find out the truth of her past, but when the town’s
most eligible bachelor comes courting, she decides to look instead to the
future. Life seems filled with promise until a handsome stranger comes into
town, a man who knows her history…and something that could destroy her.
With Michael Landon Jr busy on a movie set, Cindy's chatting with us today.
If I could go
anywhere in the world tomorrow, it would be...on the back of my husband’s
Harley so we could ride along the Million Dollar Highway in Colorado. The Aspen trees are glorious and the
leaves shimmer like gold dripping from the branches. We’d arrive at our
favorite B & B in Leadville, eat decadent food and unplug from the world
for a week! Having just returned from a writing retreat atop Colorado's majestic mountains, I can vouch for those beautiful aspens!
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| Cindy Kelly |
One thing I
enjoyed today is... getting up at dawn to sit out on the back porch with a cup
of coffee and ease my way into the day. This time of year it’s still hot in
Arizona (where I live) so the cooler temps in the very early morning hours are
a treat.
A secret
pleasure of mine is… setting a beautiful table for dinner. I know it’s crazy,
but I love centerpieces and eclectic tableware. Holidays are my favorite! The
possibilities for place settings are endless. I love this about you, Cindy. Setting a special table can be such fun.
A moment that
changed my life is... a challenge that my brother issued to me one day. I
wanted to be a writer and he dared me to do it. He named several well known
authors and said they were published because they actually were brave enough to
write something and put it out in the world. Challenge accepted J
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| Michael Landon Jr, with my dear friend, Jeane Wynn |
When I was a
child I wanted to...have a tree house like the Swiss Family Robinson. I didn’t
necessarily want to be shipwrecked on an island, but I did think it would be
amazing to have my very own tree house like they had. I improvised by spending
a lot of my youth, climbing trees with a book in hand and sitting high above
the ground to read. What a kindred spirit! I had a cubby house where I did most of my reading.
I probably
shouldn’t tell you this, but…I absolutely work best when I have a looming
deadline. I need that ticking clock to get me motivated and I even have a big
white board in my office where I write down my word count for the day. The same thing is true for everything
else – company coming? I’m still dusting or vacuuming fifteen minutes before
they ring the doorbell. Christmas shopping? Running around like a crazy person
the day before Christmas Eve. I call this my ‘method’ but my husband calls me a
champion procrastinator!
Thanks for visiting with us, Cindy. All the best with Traces of Mercy, and your ongoing projects.
*****
If you'd like a chance to win a copy of Traces of Mercy, tell us about the table you enjoy setting the most. Christmas, Easter (that's mine) ... birthday, anniversary? Or... has someone set a special table just for you? Share your table setting story and I'll announce the winner in this comment thread on Friday.
Good luck and happy reading,
