What inspired you to
write The Putting Green Whisperer?
John and I joined
my sister and my brother-in-law at a PGA seniors golf tournament at Rock Barn
Country Club and Spa in Conover, NC. My sister and I sat on the fifteenth green
and watched the over-age-fifty golfers putt and move on to the next tee. In one
group, a male and a female caddy stood side by side on the edge of the green
with their backs to us. The two young caddies talked quietly while their
players prepared to putt. He was tall, and she was petite with her blond
ponytail protruding from her pink ball cap. My heart experienced a sappy
moment, and romantic what-ifs cluttered my mind. I turned to my sister,
pointed at the caddies, and said, “My next book will be about those two
caddies.”
Tell us about one of
your main characters.
As a teen, Allie
Masterson experienced two tragedies. Her mother died and her pro-golfer father,
in his inability to handle his grief and guilt, pawned her off to her aunt.
Allie has stockpiled defenses around her to prevent opening old wounds or
incurring new injuries. She immerses herself in golf, something she’s good at
and something that doesn’t let her down. Allie is watchful of others’ motives
and relies on herself. But all this changes when she and fellow caddy Shoo
Leonard become best friends, a relationship she wishes was something more.
What is the theme of The Putting Green Whisperer?
A young woman wounded emotionaly as a teen learns to let
down her ineffective defenses and allow God to direct her on a better and
easier path.
Who are some of your
favorite authors and why do you enjoy their books?
I enjoy Jenny B.
Jones books. I can no longer read her books in bed next to sleeping John, who
doesn’t appreciate when I laugh out loud. I like books by Francine Rivers,
especially her Mark of the Lion
series. I like Eva Marie Everson’s humor in her romances. Suzanne Woods Fisher
writes in multiple genres, and I enjoy them all, especially her Amish books
that make me sometimes wish for a simpler life.
What are you working
on now?
I'm well
into completing Book 2, The
Identical Woman in a Black Dress, of the Twisty Creek series for which The Invisible Woman in a Red Dress is Book
1. Both stories take place in Twisty Creek, a fictional spot in the
Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Also, I'm working on a novella for a 2019 Valentine Day's collection, which will host five authors’ Valentine’s Day romance stories.
Also, I'm working on a novella for a 2019 Valentine Day's collection, which will host five authors’ Valentine’s Day romance stories.
For my nonfiction
book, Tailor Your Fiction Manuscript in
30 Days, is coming out soon, and I’m preparing to promote that book.
Book blurb for the
Christian Contemporary Romance
Suddenly unemployed, Allie Masterson returns home to Cary, North Carolina where she caddies for the father on the PGA Seniors Tour. There, she encounters a man who possesses an alluring gift of reading the contours of the green. Fascinated with his uncanny ability, Allie is excited to meet the Green Whisperer—until she discovers that the easygoing caddy is actually Shoo Leonard, the boy who teased her relentlessly when they were kids. Despite Allie's reservations, when Shoo is faced with having to overcome a hand injury, she agrees to use her sport science degree to become his trainer...and then she falls for him.
Shoo Leonard is grateful to Allie for her singular determination to get him ready for the PGA tour, but he isn't ready for anything more. Still raw from a broken engagement and focused on his career, he's content to be her fist-bumping buddy...but then he falls for her.
What seems like a happily-ever-after on the horizon takes a turn when Allie decides she's become a distraction to Shoo's career. Is it time for her to step away or can The Putting Green Whisperer find the right words to make her stay?
Excerpt
What was that all
about? Shoo stared at the retreating caddy, whose blonde ponytail protruding
from the back of her golf cap danced wildly as she hurried off. He craned his
neck to keep her in sight as she wove through the caddies on the cart path.
Approaching him,
she’d seemed like a girl on a mission. Her striking blue eyes, bright against
her tanned skin, had focused on him, as if she’d rediscovered an old friend. No
doubt about it, her smile had beamed at him. Then, bam! She’d done an
about-face and slammed into the check-in table.
But he didn’t know
her. Did he?
He mentally
scanned his female acquaintances. No match surfaced. Unlikely he’d have
forgotten the petite blonde.
Short bio
A full-time writer and speaker, Zoe M. McCarthy writes
contemporary Christian romances involving tenderness and humor. She is the
author of The Invisible Woman in a Red
Dress, Gift of the Magpie, and Calculated Risk. Believing opposites
distract, Zoe creates heroes and heroines who learn to embrace their
differences. Zoe and her husband live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
Book link
Social media links
Thanks so much, Zoe, for coming by the blog today. You have a lot going on, and I'm excited for you. Looking forward to reading The Putting Green Whisperer! Jody
I love how this story came to be! That is awesome. How did you come up with Shoo and the reason for his name? I enjoyed his name so much! Story ideas are all around us. Sounds like you will be busy with upcoming books!
ReplyDeleteHi Sally, So often noted sports players have nick names. I wanted one for Shoo (John) to show the affection his friend had for him. In college, they thought he'd be a shoo in for the PGA.
DeleteI love to hear how a "story germ" was planted. How cool that you saw you characters in those two young caddies. And my hubby hates it when I laugh out loud reading a book, too. Great post, Zoe!
ReplyDeleteHi Angie, I would never have dreamed seeing two caddies would spark a whole love story.
DeleteCongrads on another entertaining and inspiring romance, Zoe. You are wonder woman, juggling so many projects and excelling at all of them. Loved reading Putting Green Whisperer, and as a non-golfer, I learned about the game and the behind-the-scenes life of both caddies and golfers.
ReplyDeleteThe Putting Green Whisperer is another wonderful read by Zoe. Congratulations on the release!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
DeleteI loved hearing where you got the idea for the story. Read this book and you really get a feel for what golfers go through in order to make their mark on the PGA circuit.
ReplyDeleteSally, what you mentioned about the hardships was an eye opener in my research.
DeleteIsn't fun how story ideas pop into our heads? Do you and your hubby play golf?
ReplyDeleteYes, Kelly, it is fun. So many pop into my head that I have to limit them. John does play golf. I have clubs and have played a little. My scores for 9 holes is more like scores for 18 holes!
DeleteThank you, Jody, for your kind words, hosting me today, and allowing me to tell readers what inspired me to write a love story about golf caddies.
ReplyDelete