Today I'm thrilled to be interviewing Eileen McCall, a long time reader
of my books and an overall great lady 💗 She's old enough to be my
big sister and lives in Virginia.
Lexi: How did you get into reading romance novels?
Eileen: Prior to 2012, I never read romance books. But, for my birthday, my husband bought me the new Clive Cussler book that I wanted, and also picked up 50 Shades of Grey since it was so popular. I ended up taking 50 Shades to the beach with me since it was easier to handle than a large hard cover book. Read that one then the sequels. After that, I started looking for other romance books to read and found Sylvia Day, then I stumbled upon Sable Hunter and Becky McGraw and realized I have a certain love of cowboys! And I found so many other wonderful authors from there. So, it’s all my husband’s fault!
Lexi: LOL. Tell me about your pet.
Eileen: I’m a dog person and we have an 8 year old Aussie Shepard named Blue. Blue is a double white blue merle with blue eyes. He is 60 pounds and very smart, but very protective.
Lexi: Aw, I love Blue! Tell me about your husband.
Eileen: My husband Don is a gem! I picked him up in a parking lot when I was in Navy Officer Candidate School and he was going through Navy Surface Warfare Officer School. He really wasn’t my type at the time other than being tall, but he had a beautiful Caribbean Blue 1977 Pontiac Firebird that I really liked the looks of. Luckily, Don was a really great guy and he grew on me. Don is a retired Naval Officer having served 27 years. He is my strength and my biggest advocate. Smart, tall, strong, Don has a playful side and great sense of humor. We’ve been together 40 years next month (married almost 39 years) and still going strong.
Lexi: I so hope I get to meet him one day. What are you proud of?
Eileen: I am very proud of my family. I have 2 wonderful adult children and a grandson. I also have a great husband. I sometimes think that one of my greatest accomplishments is staying married to the same man for so long with all the separations and challenges that being in the military (both of us for a time, since I did 11 years myself) threw at us.
Lexi: That is something to be very proud of. That has to be true love (a lot of work). What’s your average day look like?
Eileen: Right now, I am up at 0520, taking care of the dog and getting showered and ready for work. After a 50 minute drive, I am at work for the next 8+ hours in an older windowless building on a Navy base. I’d tell you what I do, but I’d have to kill you afterwards! Haha! After work, there is a drive home followed by getting dinner ready for hubby and me. Evenings are spent playing with the dog, spending time with hubby, reading, watching tv, quilting or running small errands. And oh, I do love a good glass of wine. This will change soon though and one of those life changers are coming up! Retiring at the end of March!
Lexi: I'm so excited for you! I'm sure you will find plenty to do when that happens. If you could go on an all expense paid vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why?
Eileen: It would have to be somewhere tropical with excellent scuba diving – maybe Tahiti, Bora Bora, the Marquesas or somewhere else in the South Pacific. I’ve always been intrigued with those resorts with cottages on stilts over the water. No phones and no TV would be great. Time to relax, connect with my husband and play would be heaven.
Lexi: Oh, now I want one of those. How many books do have in your “To Be Read” pile (means you’ve bought them but still need to read)?
Eileen: SMH… too many to count.
Lexi: What kind of car do you drive? If you had your choice, would it be that one or a different one?
Eileen: I actually have 2 cars. The one I drive most of the time is a Camry Hybrid that is very comfortable and great on gas. And, since I live in a beach town, I have my toy! My toy is a 1997 Porsche Boxster – grey convertible with both a hard and soft top and only about 80k miles on it. I bought my toy from my nephew (a Naval officer who had it when he was single, but sold it to me after he married and started having kids!). I’m happy with my current vehicles.
Lexi: Suhweet! I bet you are! How many children, grandchildren, great grandchildren all total do you have?
Eileen: I have a son and a daughter, son-in-law and my wonderful little grandson! Oh, it is true, grandchildren are the best!
Lexi: I've heard. Still waiting. No rush. What do you do for fun (besides reading romance novels)?
Eileen: Ah fun, well, I love to Scuba dive at warm exotic locations with my husband. We both love to travel and to go on cruises as well. I am an avid quilter and can say that I have made quilts for every niece and nephew and for their children now along with some for special friends. Baby quilts are my specialty, patchwork designs in bright colors for the most part. I also have done cross stitch and sewing.
Lexi: That is gorgeous! What color eyes do you have?
Eileen: Blue
Lexi: How old do you think is perfect for a hero?
Eileen: 25-65
Lexi: What educational background do you have?
Eileen: I have a BS Ed in Secondary Mathematics and an MS Ed in Mathematics Curriculum Development. But, I have worked for many years in the computer field.
Lexi: Okay, time for the quickies:
Dark-haired hero or light-haired? Dark
Vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate
Hot and spicy or sweet and chaste? Hot and Spicy
Spicy food or not spicy? Spicy… but not too much.
Beard or no beard? No Beard but stubble is nice
Hot weather or cold? HOT
Chest hair or no chest hair? Chest Hair
Morning person or night person? Morning person now, but used to be a night person
Rich hero or blue-collar hero? Doesn’t matter
Coffee or tea? Coffee
Beach or mountains? Beach
Cats or dogs? Dogs
Hero with long hair or short? Short (too many years with the military!)
Rent or own? Own
Working or retired? Working now but retired end of March!
Whoohoo!
Blonde heroine or brunette? Brunette
City or town? Town
Cook or eat out? Cook
Tattoos or no tattoos? No tattoos (smaller meaningful tattoos are OK)
Pajamas or naked? Pajamas
Lexi: Thank you, Eileen, for chatting with me. It was so great to learn more about you 😊
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