Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Myra Johnson ~ Every Tear A Memory


It's my pleasure to welcome award winning author Myra Johnson to Ink Dots this week. Myra writes emotionally gripping stories about love, life, and faith. She is a two-time finalist for the ACFW Carol Award and winner of the 2005 RWA Golden Heart. Her novel When the Clouds Roll By won the historical fiction category of the 2014 Christian Retailing’s Best Awards. Married since 1972, Myra and her husband have two beautiful daughters and seven grandchildren ranging in age from 19 down to 8 months. Although Myra is a native Texan, she and her husband now reside in North Carolina, sharing their home with two spoiled lapdogs who are always getting into mischief.

Every Tear a Memory  ~ The Great War may be over, but Joanna Trapp still fights a battle within.

Joanna Trapp found adventure serving in France as a telephone operator for the Army Signal Corps, but she still mourns her doughboy sweetheart killed in battle. After her mother’s death, she returns home to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and takes a job as a hotel switchboard operator, but after her experiences overseas, civilian life proves dull. 

She is surprised by the attention from successful hotel manager Thomas Ballard, whose practical nature starkly contrasts her own spontaneous spirit. Spending time with the affectionate and compassionate Thomas helps her broken heart begin to mend, yet Joanna wonders if she can learn to love someone so different from herself. Will their growing friendship lead to romance . . . or will Joanna’s future be forever clouded by grief?

Myra Says... 

If I could explore anywhere in the world tomorrow, it would be...The British Isles. I’ve always wanted to see England, Ireland, and Scotland, and maybe do a bit of genealogical research along the way. I’ve been told that many of my ancestors came from England and Ireland. It would be fun to discover there’s a drop or two of royal blood flowing through my veins, but that’s probably pure blarney! But it would be so much fun to find out, right? 

The best thing I did today is... Enjoy a leisurely lunch on the screen porch with my husband. While the weather’s nice, we like to watch the birds and wildlife in our woodsy backyard. I’m already dreading the approach of winter here, but first we have to contend with the onslaught of fallen leaves! Autumn is my favourite season, Myra. I'd love to sit on your porch with you and watch the leaves fall. Enjoy for me...  

A secret pleasure of mine is...If I tell you, it won’t be so secret anymore! But I’d have to say it’s crawling under the covers at the end of the day and picking up where I left off in the novel that’s currently on my nightstand. The time I can devote to pleasure reading has dwindled over the years, so I enjoy every moment I can.

I wish I could relive the day when I...Wow, tough question! I wish I could relive certain special days in a state of more alertness so I’d remember them better, like my wedding or my daughters’ births or the day I received my first book contract offer. Other days, though, I’d like a do-over so maybe I could get it right this time, like being there for a friend in need. Or when someone offended me and it was hours or days later that I finally came up with the perfect comeback line. (Why does it always seem to happen that way?) Ah yes... that perfect comeback! We can always save them for another day. :)

When I was a child I dreamed I would...Be the next Peggy Fleming. Unfortunately, there were no ice rinks in South Texas at the time, so I had to pretend with roller skates. Even so, it was pretty hopeless, since I’ve never been a fan of falling on my you-know-what. When I gave up on ice skating, I dreamed of either becoming a famous actress or writing books. Writing books stuck, and here I am today!

I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but...I secretly wish I could be a contestant on Dancing With the Stars. True, I’d probably get voted off the first week--or, at my age and fitness level, die of exhaustion! But what fun it would be to learn some of those dance routines! If I could choose my pro dance partner, it would be Derek Hough or Tony Dovolani. Thanks so much for visiting with us this week, Myra. I wish you every success with Every Tear A Memory. 


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If you'd like the chance to win Myra's Every Tear A Memory, tell us if you had ice skates or roller skates as a child. I had neither, but LOVED borrowing a pair from a friend when I visited. Skating was... and is... so cool. (But not the way I did it.) 

Leave a comment in the thread below and I'll announce the winner next Monday. 

Good luck and happy reading,