Meet Eva Marie Everson

Photo of Eva Marie Everson

7 Questions. 7 [genius] Answers.

1. According to a recent reviewer, This Fine Life is the story of growing up and facing the reality of choices we’ve made. What is a choice you made, growing up, that you are still glad you did?

I made some pretty bad choices growing up! LOL But one in particular, one good one, was making GOOD life-long friends. I was blessed in that area. I still am.

2. Mariette Puttnam, the lead character of This Fine Life, finds herself in the midst of an unlikely romance. In my opinion, the best romances are the "accidental" ones. Do you agree?

Absolutely. My husband -- who I can't imagine living without -- is the polar opposite of me. I like to "go and do" and he likes to "sit and stare." I like having lots of friends and he likes having no more than five -- and that's pushing it. He is the exact opposite of what I always thought I'd have for a husband and I just love him to pieces!

3. You were born and reared just outside of Savannah, Georgia—meaning you were not only living in the Bible belt, but you were living in a never-ending, living Housekeeping magazine. Did you ever witness any fascinating homemaking habits?

My mother was a great homemaker. I remember her ironing every little thing. Even my father's underwear and his handkerchiefs! Like most women in her day, she had the "once a week" help but I never knew Mother to be afraid of getting her hands dirty. I think the "help" came mostly to allow Mother to run errands without little ones hanging on to her legs. :)

4. This Fine Life begins in the summer of 1959. The 1950s were to the apron and high heels what the 1970s were to bell-bottom pants and platform shoes. What did you learn about this time period during your research?

What amazed me was the amount of work the average housewife/homemaker did in order to keep her home in order. I interviewed various women--typically my mother--and asked them about the day to day. I learned about things like "wash day" which ended with taking the clothes off the line, sprinkling them with water, rolling them up and then putting them in the refrigerator overnight before ironing day dawned the following morning. I also had the opportunity to revisit the fashion, the new products, the hot artists, and the cool sayings.

5. Tell us about your writing space. Where does the magic happen?

My husband and I turned a third bedroom into a shared office. My desk (with hutch) is against one wall, his (without hutch) is against the other. Back to back we face each other ... I have an antique pie safe from my paternal grandmother's home that I took the doors off of and turned into a book case. Another antique pie safe -- this one belonging to my maternal great-grandmother is also used for storing books, promo materials, and special items such as mother/daughter porcelain what-nots from my mother, photos, etc.

6. What is your favorite home management tip?

I clean every day. EVERY DAY! I start at the back of the house and work forward. I don't do a little here and a little there. If I did, it would never get done. Make it one of the first things you do each day: keep it clean and keep it up.

7. What is something you’d like us to know about This Fine Life before it officially hits the shelves on May 1?

Honestly, I love this story so much! When it was done, I cried, mostly because I would not get to visit with Thayne and Mariette on a daily basis any more. Between sending it in and seeing it on the shelf I would, occasionally, go back into the .doc file and, at random, read a few pages just to visit with them again. Now, I have my book copy and I do the same.

But seriously, I think everyone will enjoy This Fine Life ... more than anything, I hope they conclude the message I tried to convey: God's long arm will reach to the heart of every child, but in His time and in His way.

(From Eva) This display is on an antique chiffarobe as you walk inside the master suite of our home. The hats belonged to my mother and father (Mother wore hers on her wedding day) and the Bible was Daddy's. I have it opened to his favorite psalm (27). The flowers on top came from the arrangement sent to me by my AWSA sisters when he went on to Glory. This entire display is one of the most important to me, inside my home.

Thank you, Eva Marie Everson!