Lessons on Love collection
4 Teachers Find More Than They Bargained for in Their Contracts
4 Teachers Find More Than They Bargained for in Their Contracts
Something Old, Something New by Kathleen L. Maher
New York, 1840s
Her father’s sudden death makes Gilda Jacobs the new schoolmaster, but to teach Christian curriculum she partners with fire-and-brimstone revivalist Joshua Blake, who learns a lesson in love.
Love in Any Language by Susanne Dietze
Kansas, 1870
Mary Clarence teaches English to the children of Swedish immigrants, but when her favorite students’ widowed father, Kristofer Nilsson, is accused of robbery, she’s determined to clear his name.
In Desperate Straits by Carrie Fancett Pagels
Mackinac Island, Michigan, 1894
Desperate for work, Margaret Hadley dresses as a young man to secure a dray driver’s position. When soldiers at the fort threaten her, Mackinac Island’s newest teacher, Jesse Huntington, intervenes.
A Song in the Night by Rita Gerlach
Virginia, 1904
Karin Wiles longs to share the uplifting power of music with children. But when she seeks to improve a poorly run school and include orphans, Nathaniel Archer delivers harsh words of opposition from the school board.
New York, 1840s
Her father’s sudden death makes Gilda Jacobs the new schoolmaster, but to teach Christian curriculum she partners with fire-and-brimstone revivalist Joshua Blake, who learns a lesson in love.
Love in Any Language by Susanne Dietze
Kansas, 1870
Mary Clarence teaches English to the children of Swedish immigrants, but when her favorite students’ widowed father, Kristofer Nilsson, is accused of robbery, she’s determined to clear his name.
In Desperate Straits by Carrie Fancett Pagels
Mackinac Island, Michigan, 1894
Desperate for work, Margaret Hadley dresses as a young man to secure a dray driver’s position. When soldiers at the fort threaten her, Mackinac Island’s newest teacher, Jesse Huntington, intervenes.
A Song in the Night by Rita Gerlach
Virginia, 1904
Karin Wiles longs to share the uplifting power of music with children. But when she seeks to improve a poorly run school and include orphans, Nathaniel Archer delivers harsh words of opposition from the school board.
The Inspiration Behind the Character
By Carrie Fancett Pagels
My heroine, Maggie Hadley, in my novella “In Desperate Straits” in the Barbour Lessons on Love collection was inspired by a fellow Yooper woman. I’m from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, myself, and I met Judy Bishop when she drove our dray to a barbecue at the Cannonball on Mackinac Island. This was about six or seven years ago and I was in a boot because I could barely walk without pain. We didn’t know then that bone spurs were literally sawing away at my Achilles tendon. Ouch! But, because I was in the boot, I got inspiration for what became the Maggie Hadley character. I was inspired by this real-life female dray driver, who was so compassionate and allowed me to sit up by her on the trip to the BBQ.
Close up of tack and several horses in the stalls.
You see, I had always heard about a horse farm over in Pickford, not far from where I grew up in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. That Percheron horse farm supplied most of the horses for the carriages and the horses also wintered over in Pickford. So it was with great interest I discovered that Judy grew up on that farm! And her brother and sister-in-law now ran the Percheron farm. I thought that was super cool. I started percolating the notion of a young woman who grew up on such a farm, but back at a time when women’s choices were so restricted. And I tried to imagine how and why a young lady like that could be able to drive dray on Mackinac Island.
Long-shot extended view of horses & more Percheron horses in their stalls.
So my heroine, Maggie, ends up growing up on the Hadley Percheron Farm in Pickford and she does drive carriages and drays into their small town. In fact, she’s an expert driver (much like real-life Judy). When her brothers can’t work, during the 1894 recession, Maggie seeks to help her family out. She takes over the family’s contract with the island dray business. A fun side note is that Stan Danner, who appears in my novel My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island (a Romantic Times Top Pick and a Maggie Excellence in Literature Award Winner) runs the stables where Maggie Hadley goes to work on the island.
Head Shot of Carrie with Judy
In real life, Judy Bishop is in fact the Manager of the largest carriage outfit in the United States (possibly the world). You see, Mackinac does not regularly allow motorized vehicles on the island other than for emergencies. So most travel is by carriage and deliveries are by dray. In fact, UPS stuff gets delivered from the back of a dray draw by Percherons! Judy is an amazing young woman to be managing this place but really she was born to it!
When I was on the island for two weeks, this past summer 2019, Judy and I finally met up again. She was kind enough to give me a tour of the stables. It was obvious that these horses are her pride and joy.
When I was on the island for two weeks, this past summer 2019, Judy and I finally met up again. She was kind enough to give me a tour of the stables. It was obvious that these horses are her pride and joy.
Giveaway
A signed paperback copy of Lessons on Love collection from
Barbour Publishing to one commenter who answers my question.
A signed paperback copy of Lessons on Love collection from
Barbour Publishing to one commenter who answers my question.
Question: Do you ever think about how a “What if?”
might have inspired a story you are reading?
 Carrie Fancett Pagels | Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D., is an ECPA bestselling and award-winning author of seventeen published inspirational historical romances, tagline “Hearts Overcoming Through Time.” Carrie’s novel, My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude’s Mooring (Barbour, July 2017) won the 2018 Maggie Awards winner for Novel with Religious Elements and was a Romantic Times Book Reviews Top Pick. Carrie’s romance novella, The Steeplechase, was a finalist in the prestigious Holt Medallion Awards in 2017. Her short story, “The Quilting Contest”, was the Historical Fiction Winner of Family Fiction’s The Story national contest and published in a book by that name. Her novella, The Substitute Bride, was a 2016 Maggie Award (published) finalist for Romance Novellas. All three of her Christy Lumber Camp books were long list finalists for Family Fiction’s Book of the Year and The Fruitcake Challenge was a Selah Award finalist. |
| Possessed with an overactive imagination, that wasn’t “cured” by twenty-five years as a psychologist, Carrie loves bringing characters to life. She also teaches at writing conferences and seminars on “Why Back Story Matters” in character development. Brought up in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula, Carrie resides with her family and their adopted Kelpie in the Historic Triangle of Virginia. Carrie enjoys reading, traveling, baking, and beading-but not all at the same time! |
Website: www.carriefancettpagels.com
Blogs: Overcoming With God and Colonial Quills
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Blogs: Overcoming With God and Colonial Quills
Social Media Links:
Facebook Author Page ■ Facebook Personal Page ■ Twitter ■ Pinterest
goodreads ■ LinkedIn ■ Amazon author page ■ Bookbub ■ Instagram
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