Find an interview with the author HERE
Elise Cooper: Thank you for doing this. You have had some hard knocks in your life. You appear to have trust issues considering how your mother abandoned you at an early age and you went through foster care. Now you are on a quest to find your birth father and to find friends who you can form a bond with to get a sense of belonging. It was interesting how you went to an abandoned cabin at a Dude Ranch to find shelter; yet, you found a life for yourself.
EC: You seem like the type of person that keeps everything close to your chest?
McKenna Tate: I learned very early on not to trust people with my real feelings, because they can be used against you.
EC: Why is it so important to want to find a family?
MT: I think everyone wants a family, even if their experience of family has been negative, people don’t want to be alone.
EC: Do you consider yourself wounded or broken or neither-you were basically homeless?
MT: I consider myself a survivor. And survivors are never broken. They might be damaged, but they always find a way forward.
EC: Is Anne of Green Gables your favorite book and did it give you a sense of hope?
MT: I hated Anne of Green Gables as a child because I thought the hope in it was false. But in hindsight I think it was healing, even if I couldn’t understand it then. Sometimes we have to be confronted by things like that so we can begin to change.
EC: Because Grant was your boss when he first came to you that night in your cabin did you feel forced into intimacy?
MT: No. Because of who Grant is and how careful he was, everything always felt like my choice entirely.
EC: Which is more important in a relationship passion or love?
MT: I’ve never had passion without love.
EC: In a sense do you think what originally created a bond between you and Grant was the experience of losing a loved one?
MT: I think it was part of it. In the end, I think we’re both survivors.
EC: Were you shocked that Grant confided in you about his secrets?
MT: It was slow going. I was shocked at what his secrets were, but by the time he told me it felt right. Grant is the first person I’ve shared real intimacy with. Sex is one thing, but with Grant there’s a deeper connection too.
EC: What is the most important trait of Grant that you admire?
MT: His faithfulness: To the land, to his family, to everyone he’s ever made a promise to.
EC: How would you describe him in looks and personality?
MT: Like an old-fashioned movie star. Classically handsome and old fashioned in the best way.
EC: Did you ever want to take those rings around Grant’s neck and rip them off?
MT: No. In the same way, I wasn’t ready to have all my old band aids ripped off. I knew it needed to be something he took off himself. He was patient with me. I had to be patient with him too.
EC: Who do you consider your best friend: Bea, Lindy, or Jamie?
MT: I feel more like peers with Bea and Jamie. Lindy is so much more together and mature in some ways. There’s something about Bea’s kindness and softness that I’m in awe of.
EC: Do you think Gold Valley is a mystical place?
MT: I think the people in it make it magic.
EC: If you had a crystal ball what would your life be like in five years?
MT: I hope it’s the same as it is now. But maybe with a baby or two. And I’ve never been in a place where I thought that before.
EC: What do you do for fun or to relax?
MT: I’m learning to ride horses, and I love it. Also, I’ve always loved reading.
EC: Do you like country music or rock music? Favorite song?
MT: Country music. And I love Lori McKenna’s “Good Marriage.”
EC: Do you like dogs, cats, or horses? Favorite type?
MT: Horses! The kind that won’t throw me off.
EC: Thanks again for doing this. It is much appreciated!!
