Meet: Brita Addams
Contest:At each stop of the tour, I'll give away a copy of an ebook from my backlist to one randomly drawn commenter. For Men Like Us, the newest release isn't eligible.
At the end of the tour, I'll select one person from all of the commenters and that person will win a swag pack, containing *tons* of Brita Addams swag.
What are your 2 favorite careers?
I
grew up in a time when women weren't as focused on careers as they were other
things. I know I'm aging myself here, but it's true. I was raised with the
knowledge that I would one day become a wife and mother, which I did by the age
of 20.
I
wasn’t "allowed" to go to college, but while I wanted to, I didn't
think too much about it. I married my high school sweetheart, a marriage that
lasted long enough to have two kids and grow up. It was then that I realized
that I needed that education. I got some and since then, I've done many things,
from secretary, to office manager, to running a kiosk in the mall.
I
didn't enjoy any of them. My first favorite career would be being wife and
mother to my family. In my mind, a woman can do nothing as important as guiding
her children to adulthood.
The
second for me, is my writing, something I postponed until my family was grown.
Now is my time, and I take full advantage of it. I spend nearly every day
writing, even if for only an hour or two. The rest of the time is spent with my
husband, who is my best friend and the most wonderful person on the planet. He
cooks our meals and keeps the house going while I indulge in bringing my
characters to life.
What is the hardest thing you ever had to do?
Let
me preface this answer with this. I believe we all tend to live in our version
of fantasy, until we have something in life that tests our mettle. This is my
story.
What is the hardest thing you ever had to do?
I had two children, born perfectly healthy and able, as they should have been. After divorcing their father, I met the man who is now my husband and has been for nearly thirty-three years. He had no children of his own and while we were content with my two, we eventually decided to have one.
When
she was born, there was definitely something very wrong with her body, which we
quickly learned was a disease called Arthrogryposis
Multiplex Congentia. In short,
she can't bend her arms or her legs due to undeveloped muscles.
"She'll
never brush her teeth or her hair, feed herself, walk, she have to have
multiple surgeries, and will live her life in a wheelchair. But she'll be above
average in intelligence."
Not
much consolation for heartbroken parents.
We
struggled for a very long time to come to grips with this revelation and its
impact, not only on our daughter, but on the entire family. The other two kids
were 14 and 10 at the time, and fairly well established in their ways of life.
To
face the future was difficult, even when I was assured that her disability had
nothing to do with anything I did or didn't do. Arthrogryposis happens.
Watching
her in therapy, where the therapists "wrenched her arms and legs
off," was horrible. When they taught us how to do it, and informed us we
had to do it at home, three to four times a day, it was not a pleasant prospect.
Listening to my child cry while I did something to her that is so
extraordinarily painful nearly unwound me. Successive rounds of plaster casts
and metal braces were unending.
Surgeries
were horrible, as I watched her being wheeled into the operating room and I
couldn't be there to protect her. Her Daddy and I waited through seven of them
in seven years, some dismal failures, and others giving her only moderate
mobility. Her body was left massively scared, but somewhat more functional that
before.
She
was the March of Dimes Youth Ambassador for the New Orleans
On
September 4, she turned 28 years old, amid trepidation over Hurricane Issac. In
her short life, she has accomplished amazing feats, all done with a courage
that isn't born in someone, but instead, is wrenched loose from the depths. She
has graduated from college not once, but twice, with honors. She is employed,
married, and a wonderful mom to her puppy, Fiona, whom I'd steal if she'd allow
it. J She brushes her teeth, her hair, dresses
herself, walks and has since the age of 4, and doesn't live her life in a
wheelchair.
Two
years ago, she wrote a book called Most
Eligible. It is a sweet romance about a guy who goes on a TV show to find
love, published at Decadent Publishing. Such
a lovely story The best $2.99 you'll ever spend!
The
hardest thing I've ever had to do was allow her to show us the way she wanted
to grow up, rather than cosseting her as was our natural tendency. She is an
amazing person and I am so blessed to even know her, to say nothing of being
her mom.
Favorite music, song or band
Favorite music, song or band
It
has been ages since I've actually listened to music. I love country though, and
George Strait
Are you usually late, early or right on
time?
I am always ready early. I
think it's in the DNA. My husband is wired like that too. To be late is rude
and to be right on time is nerve racking. If invited somewhere, we never arrive
early, but we are just down the street ready to pounce in, on time.
Are you happy with your life for the most part right now?
I am one of those people who
is naturally happy. Having gone through many trials in my life, I recognize
what's important, what's normal, and what doesn't warrant my attention.
Are you happy with your life for the most part right now?
I am married to my best
friend. He is wonderful, in ways I can't begin to describe. We laugh a lot in
our house, as he is a jokester. We attend to the big stuff and never sweat the
small stuff.
Is my happiness contingent
on his? You bet it is. He takes making me happy very seriously, and do the same
for him. It's worked out for a lot of years, so we'll keep doing it. J
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
That's easy. England
What do you think would be the hardest thing for you to give up on?
If I ever had to give up on
my marriage, for reasons that are unthinkable, I would be done in, no doubt
about it.
Email address: Brita@britaaddams.com
Twitter: @britaaddams
Blurb from Brita's latest
release, For Men Like Us:
After Preston Meacham’s
lover dies trying to lend him aid at Salamanca
The Napoleonic War left Benedict Wilmot haunted by the acts he was forced to commit and the torture he endured at the hands of a superior, a man who used the threat of a gruesome death to force Ben to do his bidding. Even sleep gives Ben no reprieve, for he can’t escape the destruction he caused.
When their paths cross, Ben feels an overwhelming need to protectPreston from his dangerous profession. As he explains,
“The streets are dangerous for men like us.”
The Napoleonic War left Benedict Wilmot haunted by the acts he was forced to commit and the torture he endured at the hands of a superior, a man who used the threat of a gruesome death to force Ben to do his bidding. Even sleep gives Ben no reprieve, for he can’t escape the destruction he caused.
When their paths cross, Ben feels an overwhelming need to protect
