Today we have the pleasure of meeting another heroine, this one Ada Wentworth from Beyond All Measure by Dorothy Love!

Dorothy is also offering a giveaway, so to be entered, just leave a comment below with an email address. If you’re having the problem where it keeps redirecting you to a sign in page, try logging in to your account first, then coming here to comment. (This is a Google issue, so there’s unfortunately nothing I can do.) If that also fails, just shoot me an email with your comment to roseanna [at] roseannawhite [dot] com.

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About Beyond All Measure

(I so love that cover!) And now, without further ado . . .

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Hello, Ada Wentworth and thank you so much for talking with me today! To begin, could you just tell us a little bit about yourself?

It’s my pleasure, Roseanna. I was born in Boston, but spent a lot of time with my mother’s family in New Orleans when I was growing up. After my father died, I came to Hickory Ridge for a position as a lady’s companion and let’s just say, the southern Appalachians are nothing at all like Boston. It has its own charms though.

It does, at that. I’m an Appalachian girl myself, though my home’s nearer to Cumberland, Maryland. So tell me–what’s one of your most interesting traits?

My mother taught me the art of hat making. I adore hats! I love wearing them and making them for others. I’ve made quite a few for the ladies of Hickory Ridge and they turned out very well if I do say so myself.

Oh, what fun! I’m a hat lover myself. What’s your favorite indulgence?

Last year before I arrived in Hickory Ridge, I would have said going to the Boston Library or going skating with my friends, but since coming here to Hickory Ridge I can’t think of anything I love more than a quiet walk in Miss Lillian’s garden with Wyatt Caldwell, or chatting with my friends in the quilting circle, or  teaching my young friend Sophie to make hats. The quietest pursuits often bring the greatest rewards.

How very true. Now . . . what do you fear more than anything else?

Oh my. Not to be rude, my dear, but that’s a bit personal on such short acquaintance, don’t you think?

Begging your pardon, Miss Wentworth–I suppose it is. Forgive me, and allow me to redirect my question. May I ask who your favorite person is in the world (whether they’re still with you or not), and why?

I adored my mother and I miss her still. She was everything I hope to be—beautiful, kind, and smart as a whip. Mother was also the one of the most wise and spiritual women I know. She certainly left me some big shoes to fill.  Since her passing, and my move to Hickory Ridge, I’d have to say Wyatt Caldwell has become one of my favorite persons, too. For the same reasons—his kindness, his intelligence, and just between us girls, he has the most beautiful blue eyes I’ve ever seen. And the way he calls me darlin’ makes me….dare I say it? Weak in the knees.

Oh my, I can’t blame you. There’s nothing like a fine set of eyes! Now, pardon me if this delves into the too-personal again, but I always ask this of my interviewees. If you could change one part of your past, undo one decision, what would it be?

I never would agree to marry Edward. Falling in love with him was the biggest mistake of my life.

I appreciate you sharing. Now allow me to ask a more lighthearted question. If you could travel anywhere, to any time, where would you go and why?

I’d go back to my childhood in New Orleans, to those warm spring evenings with my cousins and my aunts, sipping lemonade in the cool shade of the magnolia trees and watching the moonlight playing on the river.

That sounds positively delightful! What’s the most surprising thing someone has ever said about you?

Miss Lillian, who was none too happy about my coming here to care for her, told me she thought I’d make a Southern girl after all. We had our differences, especially at first, but we became friends despite the difference in our ages. She’s another one I miss. I imagine her and my mother in Heaven, watching over me. It brings me comfort to think of it.

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Thanks so much for chatting with us, Ada and Dorothy! I love getting to know the characters like this. =) Now here’s a bit about Ada’s creator.

About Dorothy

Dorothy Love is the author of the Hickory Ridge series,  historical novels set in the beautiful Smoky Mountains region of  her native Tennessee.  Her well-researched, heartwarming stories of small town Southern life, faith, friends, and family reflect the emotions, concerns, and values of women everywhere.

When she isn’t busy writing or researching her next book, Doro loves hiking and hanging out with her husband Ron and their two golden retrievers, Major and Jake. Lifelong avid travelers, the Loves have explored the cities and the back country of New Zealand, photographed the Cuna Indians of the San Blas Islands, traversed the Panama Canal, explored Bermuda on motor scooters, and combed the best beaches in Hawaii and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

For more than twenty years they have collected antique maps depicting their many ports of call, chiefly those  maps by 19th century mapmaker and engraver John Rapkin. Published by John Tallis of London, Rapkin’s maps in the 1851 edition of Tallis’ Illustrated Atlas are among the most visually appealing of the Victorian age.    The Loves make  their home in the Texas hill country.

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Check out Dorothy’s website at http://dorothylovebooks.com!

Void where prohibited. Entry into the contest is considered verification of eligibility based on your local laws. Chance of winning depends on number of entries. Contest ends 6/28/11. Winner will have two weeks to claim prize.