Talkshow Thursday: Meet Pegg Thomas
Linda: Thanks for joining me today. Congratulations
on your debut story “Embattled Hearts” with Barbour Publishing. How did this
come about? Did you submit a novella and the publisher decided to add it to a
collection, or did they contact you?
Pegg: It was a God
thing. My son was dating a young woman whose sister is a Christian literary
agent. We became Facebook friends and she gave me the ‘heads up’ that this Pony
Express collection was in the works, but hadn’t been contracted by Barbour yet.
They were three writers short and she asked me if I’d like to work up a
proposal for it. Well … yeah! When Barbour picked up the project, I sent in my
proposal and they took it.
LM: Congratulations!
That’s exciting. Research is a huge part of writing, whether historical or
contemporary. Do you have a research tidbit you stumbled on that caused you to
thing “aha?”
Pegg: For “Embattled
Hearts” that moment was linking the story to the Civil War. President Lincoln
needed the communication between the coasts during the early years of the war.
The fear was that California might side with the South. With the Pony Express –
and then the telegraph – the line of communication remained open and the
president knew what was happening on the west coast.
LM: What is your
favorite part of the writing process?
Pegg: The next new
idea! The work is in fleshing them out.
LM: What do you
do to prepare yourself for writing? For example do you listen to music or set
up in a specific place?
Pegg: I turned our
son’s old bedroom into my office and that’s where I work. I prefer quiet to
work in, other than the natural sounds around me. I live in a rural area, so my
sheep baaing, horses clip-clopping past on the road (we live in an Amish area),
birds singing, that sort of thing.
LM: If money were
no object, what is your idea of the ultimate vacation?
Pegg: I’m not a globe
trotter. We camp weekends during the summer and that’s what I enjoy. I guess
even if money were no object, you’d still probably find me on the shores of
Lake Superior, camper behind me, cook fire in front, book in my hand. Doesn’t
take much to make me happy.
LM: What is your
next project?
Pegg: I have another
story, “In Sheep’s Clothing,” coming out in January with The Bouquet of Brides
Collection from Barbour. That one is set in Colonial Connecticut and the
heroine is a spinner and weaver. It was fun for me to write. I raise sheep and
spin and knit with the yarn. I have a few other proposals out to Barbour, but
I’m also working on a new full-length novel I hope to have finish by the end of
this year.
LM: Where can folks
find you on the web?
Pegg:
Website: https://peggthomas.wordpress.com
Blogs: https://quidproquills.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pegg.thomas
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Pegg_Thomas
Pegg's Bio: Pegg Thomas lives on a hobby farm in Northern Michigan with
Michael, her husband of *mumble* years. A life-long history geek, she writes
“History with a Touch of Humor.” An avid reader and writer, she enjoys fiction
stories threaded through historical events and around historical figures. Pegg
is also the Managing Editor of Smitten Historical Romance, an imprint of
Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. When not working on her latest novel,
Pegg can be found in her garden, in her kitchen, at her spinning wheel, tending
her sheep, or on her trusty old horse, Trooper. See more at www.PeggThomas.com.
