Heroine Interview from Tides of Hope

Interview with the heroine from Tides of Hope from Irene Hannon:

1. Kate MacDonald, tell me the most interesting thing about you.
I don’t consider myself that interesting, but others always seem intrigued when they find out I’m a Nantucket native and that I operate a charter fishing boat.

2. What do you do for fun?
Fun’s been in short supply these past few years. Since my husband died, I’ve been busy raising my daughter alone and just trying to make ends meet on pricey Nantucket. There hasn’t been a lot of downtime. But my favorite fun activity when time permits is spending an afternoon at the beach with my daughter.

3. What do you put off doing because you dread it?
Apologizing. I have fiery red hair—and a temper to go with it. Often I have a hard time saying I’m sorry after a blowup. That’s why my relationship with our new Coast Guard commander got off to such a rough start.

4. What are you afraid of most in life?
Losing someone else I love.

5. What do you want out of life?
Inner peace. I know that sounds trite, but the past few years have been filled with so much upheaval and worry…I would love to be able to wake up in the morning and feel the way I did when Mac was alive—cherished, joyful, secure and optimistic about the future.

6. What is the most important thing to you?
My faith, my daughter and my Nantucket heritage.

7. Do you read books? If so, what is your favorite type of book?
I have no time for pleasure reading. But when I’m not operating the Lucy Sue (my charter boat) or substitute teaching at the high school, I copy edit manuscripts for a publisher in New York. They send me all different kinds of books, but I have to say my favorite ones are those that have a happy ending.

8. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My temper! I wish I could be calm, cool and collected like my neighbor, Heather Anderson, who runs The Devon Rose Tearoom next door. I admire her poise.

9. Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?
No pets. My daughter has asthma and is allergic to lots of things—especially cat dander—so it’s not worth the risk.

10. If you could travel back in time, where would you go and why?
To the whaling days of Nantucket. I’ve read so much about the history of the capable, independent women who ran the town alone while the men were away at sea. I’d love to meet some of them. They’ve been my inspiration these past few difficult years.

(Author’s Note: Tides of Hope is Book 1 in my Lighthouse Lane series. Watch for Heather Anderson’s story, The Hero Next Door, coming in August.)