{Character Interview} Rosalyn of 'Searching for Gertrude'
We’re thrilled to be talking to Rosalyn from D.E.
Haggerty’s, Searching for Gertrude.
It is a pleasure to have her with us today at Pimp That Character!
Thank you for your interview, Rosalyn. How old are you and what do you do for a
living?
Thanks for having me. I’m 23 years old. I’ve trained as a
teacher, but I’m currently working as a nanny.
What makes you laugh out loud?
I’m currently the nanny for a family of four children. The
oldest of the four, David, is constantly giving his younger siblings looks of
exasperation even though he’s only eight. I can’t help but giggle
What is your greatest fear?
My greatest fear is that Hitler will destroy the world
before the allied forces manage to stop him. He’s a monster.
Do you think the author portrayed you accurately?
She tried her best. She constantly checked my vernacular to
ensure my language was accurate for the time period – the 1940s. She also spent
a lot of time researching Jewish traditions as I’m Jewish and she’s a
gentile.
If you could change one physical thing about yourself, what
would that be?
My hair. It’s long and curly, and most days I’m unable to
keep the curls under control. Although my unruly hair annoys my mother, so
perhaps I wouldn’t change it after all.
Who is your best friend?
My two sisters, Alice and Irene, are my best friends. If I’m
perfectly honest, I’m closer to Alice
as she’s only a few years younger than me, but Irene would have a temper
tantrum if I ever said that out loud.
Do you have children?
Gosh no. Between fighting my family to get an education and
somehow managing to dodge my mother’s matchmaking tendencies, I haven’t had a
chance to find a husband, let alone have children. I do care for the children
in my position as a nanny, though, and I’m loving it.
What’s your idea of a perfect meal?
I’m currently obsessed with Turkish meze. Meze are basically
cold appetizers. The waiter arrives at the table with a large serving tray
filled with small dishes of various meze. You then point to the ones you want.
For example, I love haydari. It’s a yogurt spread with garlic and spices.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew
up?
A doctor. I’m inspired by the stories of Clara Barton and
Florence Nightingale and how they changed the medical profession. Unfortunately,
my father is conservative and getting him to agree to allow me to attend
college at all was a battle. He only relented when I agreed to attend a local
women’s college.
Do you like to cook?
If so, what is your favorite thing to cook?
I’m not much of a cook, but I find baking fun. For Hanukkah,
the kids and I tried our hands at making sufganiyot. It’s a round jelly
doughnut, which is deep-fried and topped with powdered sugar. During Hanukkah,
we eat fried foods in commemoration of the miracle of the Temple
oil.
If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you
do today?
I’d spend the day with my family in New
York City and my adopted family in Istanbul.
I don’t know how I’d manage to get the two families together considering the
journey to Istanbul from New
York City was dangerous and arduous, but that’s my
dream.
About the Author
Dena (aka D.E.) grew-up reading
everything she could get her grubby hands on from her mom's Harlequin romances
to Nancy Drew to Little Women. When she wasn't flipping pages in a library
book, she was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing,
or drafting stories, which she is very thankful have been destroyed. College
and a stint in the U.S. Army came along and robbed her of any free time to
write or read, although on the odd occasion she did manage to sneak a book into
her rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear.
After surviving the army experience, she went back to school and got her law
degree. She jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few
years into her legal career, she was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done.
She quit her job and sat down to write a manuscript, which she promptly hid in
the attic after returning to the law. But being a lawyer really wasn’t her
thing, so she quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out being a B&B owner wasn’t
her thing either. She polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic
before following the husband to Istanbul where she decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But
ten years was too many to stay away from her adopted home. She packed up again
and moved back to the Netherlands (The
Hague to be exact)
where she's currently working on her next book. She hopes she'll always be
working on another book.
Author links:
Website: http://dehaggerty.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dehaggerty
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dehaggerty
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dehaggerty/
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/D.E.-Haggerty/e/B00ECQBURU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_5?qid=1438239628&sr=8-5
Newsletter signup: http://eepurl.com/bbmdj9
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/denahaggerty/
Bookbub author page: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/d-e-haggerty
Email: dena@dehaggerty.com
About the Book:
Title: SEARCHING FOR GERTRUDE
Author: D.E. Haggerty
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 250
Genre: Historical Romance
Author: D.E. Haggerty
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 250
Genre: Historical Romance
BOOK BLURB:
While
growing up in Germany
in the 1930s, Rudolf falls in love with the girl next door, Gertrude. He
doesn’t care what religion Gertrude practices, but the Nazis do. When the first
antisemitic laws are enacted by the Nazi government, Gertrude’s father loses
his job at the local university. Unable to find employment in Germany,
he accepts a position at Istanbul University
and moves the family to Turkey.
Rudolf, desperate to follow Gertrude, takes a position as a consulate worker in
Istanbul with the very government
which caused her exile. With Rudolf finally living in the same city as
Gertrude, their reunion should be inevitable, but he can’t find her. During his
search for Gertrude, he stumbles upon Rosalyn, an American Jew working as a
nanny in the city. Upon hearing his heartbreaking story, she immediately agrees
to help him search for his lost love. Willing to do anything in their search
for Gertrude, they agree to work for a British intelligence officer who
promises his assistance, but his demands endanger Rudolf and Rosalyn. As the
danger increases and the search for Gertrude stretches on, Rudolf and Rosalyn
grow close, but Rudolf gave his heart away long ago.
How
far would you go to find the woman you love?
Buy links:
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/763765
Thanks for having Rosalyn on your blog today. It was great fun!
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