An interview with the stars of Angelina’s Resolve

Today is the release date for Angelina’s Resolve, book one of the Village of Women series. I am so excited about this new series and the cast of wonderful characters. I wanted to introduce you to the hero and heroine. Angelina Dubois and Edward Pritchard. So, I invited them here today.

Angelina, tell my readers a bit about yourself and why there is a Village of Women.

I’m so excited that my story is going to be told. Rights for women are almost non-existent in 1868. My father spoiled me as his only child and indulged my desire to learn architecture. A profession woman didn’t pursue. It didn’t fit the expected mold of women.  I became my father at DuBois Architecture and took little note of society’s norms. But I did know how to use my womanly charms to get what I needed if the straightforward approach didn’t suit the situation.

 The frustrating part of working for my father was all my projects had his name on them or that of my sniveling cousin Hiram’s.

 The  reason father took me on as his assistant was to keep his secret that his eyesight was fading. I had gotten in a routine at the office that was fulfilling, considering its constraints.

 When my father died Hiram inherited the business. Then he fired me and said I need to spend my time securing a husband. How dare he! Then he suggested I could marry him. Marrying me would give him access to the rest of the DuBois fortune. There was no way I would allow that. As an independent, free-thinking woman with a larger fortune, I could take care of myself.

 I was wounded knowing I had no way to pursue my career. I had no portfolio of successful projects in my name to show potential clients. I was reduced to being a wealthy spinster with lots of time on her hands.

Then my best friends Bridget and Teresa help me formulate a brilliant plan. Wealthy male philanthropists were trying unsuccessfully to build utopian cities. We decide women could do it better. The project idea revitalized my discouraged heart. I could put my large fortune to good use.

 It was a huge undertaking. Teresa and Bridget were instrumental in helping with all the details.  I interviewed many women as potential business owners who responded to my advertisement in the paper. Men, who shared my ideal of equality for women were welcome to apply.

I must admit I was so naïve, my well-laid plans didn’t take into account the human element. And my own need to change was evident as I tried to exert my will. If not for Edward’s level-headedness and leadership ability, my project would have died at the blueprint stage.

As we built the town, I learned a lot about myself and grew to love all the residents of Resolve, Kansas. And open my heart to love.

Edward, you’ve been sitting there quietly watching Angelina. What’s your story?

I came home from the War Between the States with a desire to build things that lasted. I approached the wealthy firms in Chicago, confident that one of them would hire me. But my six years as a soldier stole time I could have been building a contractor’s resume. And everywhere I went, they looked down their nose at me.

My sweet, full-of-life sister, Caroline, pointed out the ad for the Village of Women project. I dismissed it out of hand as ridiculous. Women didn’t have heads for business. But Caroline’s eyes shone with so much joy at the prospect of going on that adventure to fulfill her dream of becoming a reporter I couldn’t refuse her. Then she pointed out who was running the project. The name DuBois held influence. If I could secure the general contractor position, it would either open doors for me to get future contracts or make me a laughingstock for having a female boss. But Caroline deserved her dream, and I needed a job that would allow me to provide for her.

And what an adventure. The beautiful, intelligent Angelina had my attention right away. And working side-by-side with her was fraught with challenges. As a perfectionist, she insisted on overseeing every little bitty detail. That was irritating enough, then there was the hired laborers who had no vested interest in the project, a bossy female surveyor, an arrogant rancher, and lots of unexpected disasters to contend with. Like Angelina, I came to love Resolve and its people and a certain Raven-haired beauty too.

I hope you enjoyed a peek into the lives of Angelina and Edward. I’m doing another giveaway today in honor of release day. I’ll give two lucky commenters a copy of Angelina’s Resolve. (Paperback or e-book, international readers e-book only.)  I’ll draw the names next Monday the 11^th and I’ll post the winners on the Tuesday the 12^th.

In the blog comment section, tell me why you enjoy reading fiction.