Interview: Kaylin McFarren, Author of Flaherty's Crossing

Kaylin McFarren (whose real name is Linda Yoshida) has had many career adventures, including actively being involved in both business and personal writing projects for many years, a director of a fine art gallery assisting many visual artists to further their careers and gain recognition, before then deciding to focus her creative energy and talent on novel writing. 

Kaylin McFarren has earned more than a dozen literary awards and was a 2008 finalist in the prestigious RWA® Golden Heart contest. Kaylin is also a member of RWA, Rose City Romance Writers, and Willamette Writers.

When not writing, Kaylin enjoys participating and supporting various charitable and educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest and most importantly spending time with her husband, three daughters and her two young grandsons, as she eagerly awaits the arrival of more.  

You can read more about Kaylin McFarren at her website or the Flaherty's Crossing website.

Tell us a bit about Flaherty’s Crossing. What is the story about, who are the characters, etc

Here’s the jest of the story:

Successful yet emotionally stifled artist Kate Flaherty stands at the deathbed of her estranged father, conflicted by his morphine-induced confession exposing his part in her mother's death. While racing home, Kate's car mishap leads her to a soul-searching discussion with a lone diner employee, prompting Kate to confront the true reasons her marriage hangs in the balance. When her night takes an unexpected turn, however, she flees for her life, a life desperate for faith that can only be found through her ability to forgive.

How do you come up with the names of your characters? It almost seems as though, as an author, you have the continuous fun of naming children!

Since Flaherty’s Crossing encompassed turbulence and problems within an Irish immigrant’s family (much like my own), I chose names that would reflect the culture and am often influenced by nationalities when I write. I think it’s also fun to come up with names that indicate qualities of a character – such as Daimon for someone with a devil-may-care attitude.

What do you want readers to take away from reading Flaherty’s Crossing?

I think Tami Brady of TCM Reviews might have summed up this question best:

"Sometimes, the deepest darkest moments allow us to finally recognize the light in our lives. Only when we face our pain can we move onto something better. So it seems for Kate Flaherty. Kate was at a crossroads. From the moment her mother died, everything changed. Her father became distant. As she watches her father succumb to cancer, Kate realizes that she was very much her father's daughter. She'd lost her mother, would soon lose her father, and if she wasn't careful her husband would give up on their marriage. She had to make some changes and fast. Flaherty's Crossing is an inspirational story about learning to let go and love fully for the sake of love. Who are we under our masks of pain? How would it feel to have those burdens lifted?"

What was the most fun about writing Flaherty’s Crossing?

Article Author: April Pohren

April lives in Iowa and is the stay-at-home mom of two young children. An avid book lover since she was able to hold a book, she has fallen in love with blogging and book reviewing. Her own little piece of the world is at Cafe of Dreams where she …

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