Fiction From the Foothills: Interview with Leslie Lynch

07/20/2015 / CAstfalk / 11 Comments

Leslie Lynch writes “novels of suspense and healing.” She is the author of The Appalachian Foothills Series (Hijacked, Unholy Bonds, Opal’s Jubilee, and Christmas Hope.) Not only is she a writer, but she is a pilot and a nurse, possessing enough technical knowledge to make this writer jealous.

I’m fascinated by Appalachia. Maybe it’s my hometown’s proximity to West Virginia. Maybe it’s my affection for the people of the Virginia mountains who were ejected to establish Shenandoah National Park. In any case, I was intrigued by Opal’s visit to her Appalachian home in Opal’s Jubilee. Can you tell me a little about the Foothills region and why you chose it as a setting for the series? What is Appalachia like today?

Hijacked Hi, Carolyn! First, I’d like to thank you for inviting me to your blog today. It’s an honor to visit with you and your readers!

My books (so far!) are set in Louisville, Kentucky, which is about a hundred miles from the foothills of the Appalachian range. A remote valley in that wilderness plays a large part in Hijacked, book 1 in the series; Opal McBride of Opal’s Jubilee (book 3), burst into my consciousness fully formed and from a small fictional town in western Kentucky on the edge of Appalachia. Mountain mists and hidden hollows spark my curiosity, and there’s a mystique about the folk art and culture that beguiles. Continue reading →

Seven Quick Takes Friday

07/17/2015 / CAstfalk / 3 Comments

Week in Pittsburgh Edition

I’m still adapting to re-entry following vacation, so before I forget where we went and what we did, I’ll recap. We spent our vacation in the city where my husband and I spent the first twenty-five or so years of our lives: Pittsburgh. We’re the only members of our immediate family who no longer live there, so our visits are harried as we try to spend time with as many family members and friends as possible. This year we took a whole week, built around my niece’s wedding, and did some things we hadn’t had an opportunity to do with the kids – or even ourselves. Continue reading →

Things Change, You Change, It’s Okay

07/13/2015 / CAstfalk / 2 Comments

Some changes happen in the blink of an eye. (Think a lightning bolt strike.)

Some changes are such gradual transformations that the difference is nearly imperceptible except when glimpsed from afar. (Think the Grand Canyon’s creation.)

Changes may be monumental, calamitous, or inconsequential. The big changes are instantly recognizable, but the small, subtle shifts are often missed. Continue reading →

Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Ways Music Helps Me Write

07/07/2015 / CAstfalk / 2 Comments

The title reads, “Top 10 Ways Music Helps Me Write,” but you could substitute the creative activity of your choice: painting, sculpting, or even more rote activities. I’ve written about the music related to the creation of Stay With Me. Music has an uncanny way of altering mood and spirit. I’ve found that the right music can help me cope on the most trying days, elevating frustration and drudgery with lightness and good humor.

I couldn’t resist this piano picture, mostly because it looks like every piano I’ve owned – missing a few ivories and , ahem, well-loved.

Serves as background noise. Sometimes a little white noise cuts the distraction. The rhythm and hum of music can help you tune out the random noises, sounds, and dare I say, voices, that drive you to distraction. My mom couldn’t understand it, but I often did high school homework with music in the background. It improved my concentration. Continue reading →

Stay With Me: The Recipes, Part II

07/06/201501/24/2021 / CAstfalk / 4 Comments

Stay With Me will be available in less than three months! In May, I wrote about the music that inspired the book, and in April, I blogged about the settings. Last month, I shared several of the recipes for the delicious treats mentioned in the book. Rebecca does a lot of baking, so there’s plenty more to share this month! Continue reading →

Small Success Thursday

07/02/201506/25/2018 / CAstfalk / 5 Comments

Why small success? Because that’s the only kind I know! Even the big ones come in small steps. Here’s my paltry offering for the week.

Baked, baked, and baked some more. I killed my hand mixer, and my oven is liable to rebel from extreme overuse. It started with chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodles for the junior high youth ministry. I suspected their energy levels might be depleted after zip lining and rolling around in an OGO ball.

I moved on to blueberry muffins and gingerbread cake for an upcoming blog post featuring more recipes from Stay With Me. Next came banana bread (see #3). And finally, I baked six-dozen heart-shaped beauties for the cookie table at my niece’s wedding next week. What? You don’t know what a cookie table is? I dare you to Google “Pittsburgh wedding cookie tables,” look at the images, and not salivate. Continue reading →

Patient Much? The Mindset of Endurance

06/29/2015 / CAstfalk / 3 Comments

In my Catholic grade school, we played what was known simply as “The Religion Game.” Short explanation: it involved a person guessing a religious terms using clues provided by teammates. One of the vocabulary terms committed to memory was ejaculation.

Ejaculation: a short prayer meant to be memorized and repeated throughout the day

In those pre-pubescent days, before its utterance would elicit a round of giggles and snickers, this five-syllable word had the potential to propel a team into the winner’s circle. In the ensuing years, the use of these little prayers fell by the wayside. Continue reading →

Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Things My Dad Taught Me (Without Saying A Word)

06/23/2015 / CAstfalk / 1 Comment

Working hard for your family is honorable. My dad leased a Gulf gas station/service station for decades. He worked ten-hour days, six days a week for many years. Then tended to “book work” when he was home. He didn’t harbor any great any ambitions or wallow in his lot in life (although he always wanted to be a trolley conductor). It is simply what he did to provide for his wife and children.
Mom and Dad celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 2004.
Volunteer. Give your time freely in service to others. I never realized the extent to which my dad’s life was marked by service until the priest spoke about it at his funeral Mass. From his Navy service during World War II to being a parish usher, bingo volunteer, a lifelong member of the Rennerdale Volunteer Fire Department, and helping out at one of his favorite places – the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum – my dad happily served. Continue reading →

Carolyn Astfalk, Author

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