Interview with historical romance novelist Carol Nickles

Historical romance author Carol Nickles joins me today and we’re chatting a bit about her new novel, Thumb Fire Desire.

During her virtual book tour, Carol will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:
Carol Nickles is the ninth great niece of Johann Valentin Andreae, the first writer of the science fiction genre. Her ancestry also includes a long lineage of textile artisans. Her great-great-great-grandfather emigrated from Germany in 1845 and established the Yale Woolen Mills in the thumb of Michigan in 1881. Carol wrote her master’s thesis from Michigan State University on the history of the mill. She has taught at both Utah and Michigan State Universities. She divides her time between writing, promoting international refugee assistance and performing as Mrs. Claus.

Welcome, Carol. Please tell us about your current release.
Thumb Fire Desire is an historical romance set in Michigan’s thumb peninsula with the backdrop of Michigan’s most significant natural disaster, The Great Thumb Fire of 1881. The epicenter of the fire storm took place smack dab in the middle of the “thumb nail” in the village of Parisville,the first Polish-American settlement in Michigan. Hence, the majority of characters in Thumb Fire Desire are Polish. They speak Polish phrases. They eat Polish food. They engage in Polish rituals.

What inspired you to write this book?
My interest in history and culture. I wanted to tell the story of The Great Thumb Fire through the points of view of people who survived the fire by jumping down wells, laying prostrate under the huge fronds of tobacco plants, or plunging into the Cass River.

Excerpt from Thumb Fire Desire:
Two days north of their homeport of Port Huron, Michigan, Captain John Speck navigated his command, the Dove, through pelting rain. Runnels of water splashed across the deck from starboard to lee. They traveled light since they expected to load a large wheat inventory- the money crop of Michigan’s thumb.

As they reached Fort Gratiot, then Lakeport, the landscape became astonishing. All along the shoreline, the effects of firestorms were evident. Trees, ninety feet in length, thirty feet in limb width, lay tossed on the beach. Odd items floated in the water alongside them: a peck of crabapples, a toeless sock, a cracked canoe paddle, a tree limb supporting a mudded bird’s nest, a tiny, sleeveless nightgown, a leather satchel hand-tooled and stamped with the initials S.M., and a rowboat with cotton roping neatly coiled in the bow.

What exciting story are you working on next?
Beards, Brunscrackers and Snowflake Kisses is a novella under contract with The Wild Rose Press as part of their Christmas Cookie series. This story will be released Fall of 2022 and is a sweet romance featuring two students who “meet cute” at a Santa School.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I began my “writing career” as a playwright. As a girl, I wrote scripts and enlisted my sisters to perform in little plays. Sound familiar? Think Little Women!

Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I have many interests but I discipline myself to pursue a limited amount of passions. I write. I design and sew quilts. I advocate for refugees.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
To remind myself to incorporate all senses in my writing, I surround my writing space with music, (island music, folk music and 60s pop), the scents of rose or gardenia, the textures of wool or silk or cotton, the sight of streaming natural light.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An archaeologist.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Never miss an opportunity to make a new acquaintance. You will find story gems in elevators, grocery check-out lines, doctor offices, beach visits.

Links:
Website | Facebook | TikTok | Twitter

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