Elizabeth Maddrey – Romantic Real Life & Fictional Interview – Part 3 of 3

Shannon here: Contemporary romance author, Elizabeth Maddrey gives insight into her real life romance and her characters’. Comment on any post dated Jan 14 – 18 to get your name in the drawing for her debut novel, Wisdom to Know. Deadline: Jan 26th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Elizabeth:

• Where is the most romantic place you and your spouse have ever been?

Ireland, hands down. Everything there is magical and romantic – even the airports. And that’s good, because they have traffic circles just outside of them, so you spend several jetlagged minutes going round and round trying to figure out where you’re going while you focus on driving on the other side of the road. Or at least, we did.
But if I had to narrow it down a little more, I’d say Glendalough. It’s in county Wicklow in a valley, and was a monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin. Even though it seems to have a pretty steady stream of tourists, you can head out onto the paths to the waterfalls and hidden ruins and it feels like it’s just the two of you, caught between two times. 

• What simple gesture does your spouse do that melts you every time? 

He gets up with the kids on Saturday so I can sleep in. It’s somewhat win-win, because he usually gets up around 5 on weekdays, so to sleep til 7 when the boys get up is still a little sleeping in for him, but I know he could really use a little longer as well. Despite that, though, he gets up and gets them breakfast and plays with them so I can sleep in. I’m not sure he realizes how much that means to me. 

• Who is the most romantic, you or your spouse? 

Me. I think it’s probably because I tend to live in a little bit of a fantasy world anyway, so it’s not a big stretch from that to little romantic things or big romantic gestures. Tim is a logical, math and computers guy, so romance doesn’t usually occur to him – but that just makes the things he does do even more special.
And really, for all that I love to read about and write romance, it’s not something I need with huge frequency. There’s romance in little things every day that I know he probably doesn’t intend to be romantic, but some days taking out the garbage in the kitchen is more meaningful than the most grandiose gesture you can imagine.

• Who said, “I love you” first, you or your spouse?

I did. We were in our usual spot on the lawn in front of Blanchard Hall–where he proposed if you read that story. It was a warm-ish spring night and we’d been talking and star gazing and generally just avoiding going back to our separate dorms to do homework. And I looked over at him and realized how much I loved him, so I said it. He turned his deep blue eyes on me and the barest hint of a frown poked down the corners of his lips and he said, “That’s a big word.” 
It was another three weeks before he told me he loved me. But I knew he meant it.

• How soon after meeting the heroine did the hero know she was the one? 

Kevin and Lydia went to high school youth group together. Kevin had an encounter at a youth retreat where God told him Lydia was the woman He had for him. Initially, Kevin wasn’t thrilled with that, but he was willing to take God at His word. As he got to know Lydia better, Kevin realized that she was someone worth fighting for. He just didn’t realize how much fighting he’d have to do or how long it would take. 

• How soon after meeting the hero did the heroine know he was the one?

Lydia’s pretty independent and, in high school when she and Kevin first met, she was part of the in-crowd and Kevin was a little geeky. She wasn’t quite a mean girl, but she got pretty close, so while she knew Kevin existed, that was about as far as it went.
After Kevin started trying to be her friend, she realized he was a good guy to know, but had zero interest in anything beyond that. Even as an adult, it took some pretty severe circumstances, including nearly losing Kevin’s friendship, for Lydia to realize that he was the man for her. 

• If your hero and heroine end up married, where will they go on their honeymoon?

Since Kevin’s ancestry is Scottish, he’s always wanted to spend some time sightseeing in Scotland, so that’s his plan. Lydia was hoping for the beach somewhere. So, they’ll take the train from England to France, spend a few days in Paris, and end their honeymoon on the Riviera.
About Elizabeth: Elizabeth Maddrey began writing stories as soon as she could form the letters properly and has never looked back. Though her practical nature and love of math and organization steered her into computer science for college and graduate school, she has always had one or more stories in progress to occupy her free time. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books and has mastered the art of reading while undertaking just about any other activity.
Her debut novel, Wisdom to Know, Book 1 of the Grant Us Grace Series, was released in January, 2013. Courage to Change, the second in that series, continues the story of characters from the first book will be released in April 2013. She is also the co-author of A is for Airstrip: A Missionary’s Jungle Adventure, a children’s book based on the work of a Wycliffe missionary.
Elizabeth lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. with her husband and their two incredibly active little boys. She invites you to interact with her at her website www.ElizabethMaddrey.com or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ElizabethMaddrey
About the book – Wisdom to Know – Grant Us Grace: Book 1: Is there sin that love can’t cover?
Lydia Brown has taken just about every wrong turn she could find. When an abortion leaves her overwhelmed by guilt, she turns to drugs to escape her pain. After a single car accident lands her in the hospital facing DUI charges, Lydia is forced to reevaluate her choices.
Kevin McGregor has been biding his time since high school when he heard God tell him that Lydia Brown was the woman he would marry. In the aftermath of Lydia’s accident, Kevin must come to grips with the truth about her secret life.
While Kevin works to convince himself and God that loving Lydia is a mistake, Lydia struggles to accept the feelings she has for Kevin, though she fears her sin may be too much for anyone to forgive.
Book Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Know-Elizabeth-Maddrey/dp/1938708008/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1356036960&sr=8-2&keywords=wisdom+to+know
Come back Jan 21st for Vanetta Chapman!