Ilona Fridl Archives - Tena Stetler

Jul 5th Ilona Fridl Author of A Balancing Act

Give a warm welcome to Ilona , author of A Balancing Act!

Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Ilona and A Balancing Act.

Thank you, Tena, for inviting me to visit you today. I’ve brought along my two main characters, Dr. John Mallory and Lenora La Rue, with me. Hope you don’t mind.

Oh, not at all! The more the merrier! Welcome John and Lenora! Lets start with John.

Tells us about the real you—

I’m a surgeon, who was inspired by my father. He was a surgeon in the War between the States, and I worked under him at a hospital in Milwaukee when I finished medical college. Now I have a practice in Waukesha.

What event in your past has left the most indelible impression on you?

Seeing pain and suffering in others. I always was rescuing injured animals as a boy, and trying to nurse them back to health.

What do you most value?

Treating all people with dignity. I’ve seen too many doctors look down on the sick and injured as not really human.

What is the type of woman you want to spend the rest of your life with?

John glances at Lenora and takes her hand. The woman I had pictured was a quiet, unassuming girl who grew up in the domestic arts. I guess you never know.

What do you consider most important in life?

To live your dreams to their fullest.

What is your biggest secret?

John reddens a bit. I loved watching Nora at the circus in her skimpy costume. Lenora hits him on the arm.

All right Ms. La Rue, it your turn.

All my friends call me Nora.

Who are you really?

Pauses. I was a circus bareback rider traveling with my family’s show until a cyclone caused me to lose my leg. My family abandoned me, and made me learn how to live on the outside with ordinary people.

Who were the biggest role models in your life?

The horses I worked with. Growing up they were my only friends.

What kind of man do you want to spend the rest of your life with?

I thought it was Rico, who I was engaged to before my accident. He was our tight-rope walker. The cad broke our promise when I lost my leg. John is patient and kind. He won me over, because he was the first person who really cared for me.

What kind of man would you never choose?

Anyone like my family or Rico who only cares for themselves.

What is most important to you in life?

Support of family and friends.

What is your biggest fear?

I believe I lived through that already. Being abandoned when I needed help the most. That’s why I love John so much. If he wasn’t there, I don’t know what I would have done.

Ilona, Tell us a little about writing this story.

I lost my ability to stand a few years ago, and I’m now in a wheelchair. It was healing to write about a heroine who lost her leg in an accident, and learned to deal with it. Through her, I could see the disabled aren’t hopeless, and there are still ways you could function.

Was it fun or difficult?

It was difficult, because I could understand the frustration my heroine was going through dealing with the loss of her leg. To keep it from being too depressing, I gave some of my characters a sense of fun.

Do your characters always act as you expect?

No. That’s why I love writing.

Are you a plotter, or fly (write) by the seat of your pants?

A little of both. I write down ideas for scenes, then try to incorporate them into the story

Tell us a little about A Balancing Act.

Lenora LaRue, Bareback Rider Extraordinaire, is the star of her family’s circus—until a cyclone hits. A main tent pole falls on her during the storm, and when her injuries require the loss of her leg, her family abandons her, believing she is of no further use to them.

John Mallory, the young surgeon who does the necessary operation, decides to help her readjust to the real world, against his father’s advice. John takes her to his aunt’s sanitarium in the resort city of Waukesha, Wisconsin, where the two of them undertake to teach Lenora how to live outside the harsh circus culture that has been her whole life. He sets up a practice in the town to be near her, positive that rehabilitation is possible. As a woman doubly cursed by society as both a cripple and a former circus performer, Lenora is not so sure. She struggles to learn social skills…but can she learn what love is, too?

How about a peek between the pages?

The train was already at the depot when they hurried in after bidding Robert thanks and goodbye. John quickly purchased their tickets, and they entered the cozy steam-heated car for their trip. Nora sat by the window and watched the villages and farms on an endless march. She turned to John. “Do you think this could be dangerous, what Will is asking us to do?”

He shook his head. “I think if we just look at the horses, all we have to do is report to Will if we find Chance. Like detective work.”

“When should we do it?”

“I have Thursdays off. I’ll let Will know, and he can talk to his uncle about letting you go.”

“Maybe I should quit at the store and help you set up your practice. The thing is, I still owe on the leg.”

John laughed and kissed her forehead. “Since things are the way they are, I’ll forgive the rest of the debt. You’ve worked very hard, and I’m proud of you.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “Nobody close to me has ever praised me before.”

John pulled her into a discreet hug. “It’s about time. You deserve it.” He hesitated. “Nora, I do love you.”

Oh, she wanted to believe him, truly she did. “John, I want to trust your feelings for me. I have been hurt so much in the past, but I want you to know I’m trying.”

He rocked her gently. “That’s all I ask for now.”

“I’ll tell Mr. Canton I’ll stay on until he can find someone else. By then, you should have the house.”

He pulled back and smiled. “You’re doing it again.”

“What?”

“Changing the subject when we talk about us.” There was a bit of a sparkle in his brown eyes.

She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. He returned his arm around her shoulders, and she leaned against him. The southern-slanted sun cut in through the windows of the car, and the passing trees and buildings threw shadows over them.

Back in Waukesha, John rented a carriage from the livery and took Nora to her apartment. He helped her up the steps and set her bag by the door. The reflection of the late afternoon sun from the building windows bounced into the shelter. Nora gazed at the strikingly boyish but handsome face and her breath caught. Deep down, her love for him was overwhelming. Still, she couldn’t quite say the words yet.

John gathered her into his arms. “I’ll be in touch with you about the trip to Kenosha. Good evening, sweetheart.”

She placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him. “Good evening, John.” She felt like melting into his warm embrace and remaining there forever.

Buy Links:

The Wild Rose Press Amazon Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

Ilona Fridl was born in the Los Angeles area of Southern California, where she lived the first twenty-one years of her life. In high school and college, she took Journalism and Creative Writing. She moved with her family to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she met her husband, Mark. They started a locksmithing business and raised a daughter to adulthood. All the while, she dreamed about being a writer, but she hated typewriters. In the nineties, they purchased their first computer, and she never looked back. With some articles and short stories under her belt, she started her first novel. The eighth book is just being released by The Wild Rose Press.

Web site: http://www.ilonafridl.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ilona-Fridl/127297334022981?ref=hl

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/author/show/3416410.Ilona_Fridl

It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with A Balancing Act.