Hello everyone! I'm very happy to feature Author Paulette Mahurin today! Below, you will see the Book Description of her Novel: The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, my Interview with Paulette, and her Book/Social Links, so check this all out, and thank you for stopping by! :)
Book Description Via Goodreads
The year 1895 was filled with memorable historical events: the Dreyfus Affair divided France; Booker T. Washington gave his Atlanta address; Richard Olney, United States Secretary of State, expanded the effects of the Monroe Doctrine in settling a boundary dispute between the United Kingdom and Venezuela; and Oscar Wilde was tried and convicted for gross indecency under Britain’s recently passed law that made sex between males a criminal offense. When news of Wilde’s conviction went out over telegraphs worldwide, it threw a small Nevada town into chaos. This is the story of what happened when the lives of its citizens were impacted by the news of Oscar Wilde’s imprisonment. It is a chronicle of hatred and prejudice with all its unintended and devastating consequences, and how love and friendship bring strength and healing.
My Interview With Paulette
- Tell us a little about you :)
First let me say thanks so
much for doing this interview with me to help spread the word of my book, The
Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, which forwards the message of tolerance and also
helps animal rescue, since the profits from the book are going to the first
& only no-kill animal shelter in Ventura County, Ca (Santa Paula Animal
Rescue Center).
I’m a Nurse Practitioner,
specializing in women’s health in a rural clinic where I live in Ojai, CA, with
my husband Terry & our two rescue dogs, Max & Bella. I have taught in
various college level nursing and Nurse Practitioner programs in California.
- How did you come up with
the idea for The Persecution of Mildred
Dunlap?
I was in a writing class,
when the teacher came in with a stack of photos. There was one of a couple of
women standing very close together in circa turn of the twentieth century
clothing. We had to write a ten-minute mystery. The photo screamed out to me,
lesbian couple afraid of being found out.
- How long did it take to
write?
Six years.
- What was the research
process like?
I loved it, stretched my
brain cells. When I first started research into that time period and found it
was around the same time Oscar Wilde was imprisoned, in Britain, for homosexual
activity, the light bulb went on, to make this the impetus that caused the
lesbian couple, Mildred & Edra, to become fearful of being found out. After
this, I got very excited about what else the research would turn up. The year
Wilde was imprisoned, 1895, was ripe with things that could generate a lot of
bigotry and hatred, the theme of the story. There was the Dreyfus Affair that
divided France’s view on anti-Semitism, Booker T. Washington gave his Atlanta
Address to help get his race into school which was fodder for racism, and the
U.S. had expanded it’s the Monroe Doctrine’s reach into South America, which
generated international hostility.
- This sounds like an Incredible
Story; what do you want your reader to get from it? What do you want them to be
aware of?
I’d love for the reader to
take away the message that intolerance existed then as it still does, and to
see how what we think, what we believe, and go into agreement with about
another human being, can be hurtful, and ruin lives. Thoughts generate wars.
Thoughts put into action can kill. We as a human race need to put a little
space around how we judge someone and see what our judgments do to our hearts
and souls. I’d also love for the reader to see the beauty and power of
friendships.
- I always ask this Q when I
can…which actors do you see playing your main characters?
I’m laughing. Wouldn’t
that be something… I’ve often thought if it ever came to that, I’d love some
unknown actors to get a chance to play the parts. I would love someone like
Paul Haggis or Ron Howard to direct that would be more important to me.
- Other Qs-
- How long have you been
writing?
Around fifty years!
- What are you currently working
on?
While in college I wrote
an award winning non-fiction short story about a couple that met in their oncologist’s
office, both suffering with terminal illness. They connected and formed an
incredible bond… I’m up to chapter 7, but it’s now on the back burner because I
have to single hand promoting this book.
- For aspiring writers, do
you have advice for them?
Sit in the chair and
write. It’s that simple, a writer writes. Don’t buy into the excuses,
self-doubt, or justifications that there isn’t time, etc. Just sit your butt
down in the chair and start vomiting out the words. Tell the critic in your
head to shut up. Just do it, whether ten minutes or ten hours.
- What are your favorite
genres do read?
I’m open, especially
lately, since I’ve been helping some writer friends with reads and reviews of
their work, and read some really great paranormal. To me a good story is a good
story and if it grabs and holds my attention, and I’m sorry when it ends, then
that’s the book for me. I think to be genre specific can be limiting, within
reason. I can understand if someone isn’t into erotic or violence and they just
don’t want those images in their heads, but you can find that in any genre. I’m
not opposed to any story lines, bring ‘em on!
- Have you read any books
lately? Which ones?
I read the Siren of Paris, by David LeRoy, which I
loved. It took place in Paris, during WWII-Hitler’s regime. He really brought
it home, the oppressive environment, all the betrayal. Am currently reading
Suzy Witten’s The Afflicted Girls,
about the Salem Witch debacle. She’s a masterful writer. I read and loved
Brenda Sorrel’s The Bachelor Farmers.
She’s a beautiful writer and wrote into that story one of the best winter
scenes of any book I’ve read of late. And, I don’t want to forget mentioning,
Amelia Cruzon’s Mungai and the Goa
Constrictor, in which she used animals as her character’s. It was a
wonderful parable of so many philosophical themes, innocence vs. manipulative
evil, brain washing vs. freethinking, etc. I just loved it.
*Thank you so much
Paulette for your time in answering these Qs!
My pleasure. Thanks so much for having me and helping me
spread the word on my book. It is my hope that the word will spread all over
the world and create an energy that will help those unhappy faces get off death
row and have wagging tails in their new forever homes.
About The Author
(Via Goodreads)
Paulette Mahurin is a nurse practitioner, specializing in women's health in a rural clinic in where she lives with her husband and two rescued dogs. She also taught in several college level nursing programs, including UCLA, where she had a Master's Degree in Nursing from their nurse practitioner program. Her two passions are writing and rescuing dogs.While in college she wrote and published two award winning non-fiction short stories.
Book & Social Links
Thank you for the opportunity to be featured on your great blog site! It's been such a pleasure to connect with you, Marissa.
ReplyDeletePaulette
It's my pleasure to be hosting you today! :)
DeleteGreat interview ladies. I enjoyed reading about the author and the book sounds good.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Naida!
ReplyDeletePaulette
Wonderful interview, Paulette. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as I did reading your wonderful book. Thank you so much for your incredible mention as well. A lovely surprise :)
ReplyDelete