 My Thoughts: I want to visit The Treasure Chest! Reading about the store was definitely my favorite part of the book. I found the “behind the scenes” of running a thrift store so interesting! I just so happen to be reading this book at the same time as I was running my annual garage sale and it made me view my “products” in a whole new way 🙂 This was a light, easy to enjoy novel set in what sounds to be a delightful small town. I appreciated the church references throughout the book. This Jewish girl learned a great deal 🙂 St. Marks sounds just lovely! I enjoyed this book and appreciated how my perception of certain characters changed throughout the story as I was granted more insight into their personalities. Characters who I initially liked I ended up hating and characters who I initially wasn’t a fan of morphed into lovely people. Love when that happens! A cute, easy read! A Discussion With Margaret Rodeheaver, In Her Own Words: How did you create the idea for your book?
I volunteer in a thrift shop similar to the Treasure Chest where, as it says on the back of the book,“anything can happen!” We have some interesting customers, and receive some surprising donations, including the emerald necklace I mention. A large, beautiful painting was donated to us, and one of our volunteers with connections in the art world was able to have it auctioned, which of course brought in more money than we ever could have sold it for. Meanwhile, I had vacationed with my husband in Homosassa, Florida (near the Gulf of Mexico, about 300 miles from my middle-Georgia home) and learned that Winslow Homer had fished and painted there in the early 1900’s. So it seemed plausible that someone from my fictional town of Chinkapin might have encountered Homer on a fishing trip to Florida and received a painting, which was passed down through the family and ultimately ended up at the Treasure Chest. As far as some of the characters in “Hidden Treasure,” I’ve known lots of musicians and several guitar players, so Chase was easy. And an artist in my family has led a lot of paint-along classes like Jeff does in the book. The scenes in St. Mark’s church were also easy, because faith plays an important part in my life, as it does for Laurie. I’ll leave it to readers to figure out what small Georgia town Chinkapin is based on. Sadly, the original for the Coffee Pot café is closed! What audience would be most interested in your book? Fans of Debbie Macomber, Kristy Woodson Harvey, or Jan Karon would love “Hidden Treasure” and the rest of the Chinkapin series (Book 2, “Finders Keepers,” has just been published!) It would appeal to adult women who enjoy a feel-good story of friendship, faith, love, and second chances, who enjoy art and music, and like a little romantic sizzle to spice things up. Where can your book be purchased? Paperback and Kindle versions of “Hidden Treasure” can be purchased from Amazon. The eBook is also available from many online retailers, including Apple, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo. https://books2read.com/b/4EMpMY Use three adjectives to describe your book. Engaging. Entertaining. Uplifting. Any additional information that you would like to provide about you and your book. “Finders Keepers,” book 2 of the Chinkapin series, has just been published, and book three is coming in November, so stay tuned for more. And remember, writers love readers! You can help your favorite writers by sharing your thoughts with friends, via social media, or anywhere books are discussed or purchased. |
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