“I could not put Chasing Hope down! From the first few sentences, I was hooked and read over half of it the first night finishing it the following night. The main characters, Sky and Max, intrigued me right off the bat but feisty little Maddie wormed her way into my heart immediately! What a breath of fresh air.” – Mary McCormack, ARC reader

Interview with Maddie Ward from Chasing Hope

Tell me a little about yourself. How old are you? What do you like to do, that sort of thing?

I’m Maddie Ward and I’m seven years old. I’ll be eight on Christmas Eve. Mama says I’m her favorite Christmas present ever. I like to color, and I love puzzles. Especially the ones with a bunch of pieces. Mama said they give her a headache, but I like them. And I like riding my bike. When it’s not broke.

What would you like to be when you grow up?

I want to be a nurse like Mama or a doctor so I can help people. Maybe a doctor who helps soldiers.

You’re pretty outspoken. Where does that come from?

I’m not sure what that means. Mama says I’m a handful on a good day and an inquisitive little rascal. I don’t think she means that in a bad way, though. I guess it’s because I ask a lot of questions. But how else am I gonna learn if I don’t ask questions? She also tells me I’m too smart for my own good sometimes, but I don’t see how being too smart is a problem.

Tell us about Sky and what she means to you.

That’s easy. She’s the bestest mom ever. I know bestest isn’t really a word, but I like it. She loves me and takes care of me, she’s a really good cook and sings to me sometimes. I wish she didn’t have to work so hard, though. I think she gets lonely sometimes, too, but she never complains.

You said you think your mom gets lonely. What makes you think that?

I love being with my mom, but it’s always just us. Well, sometimes she talks with people at the diner but that’s just cause it’s her job. When I go to bed, she sits and reads or watches television. Sometimes she sits on the steps all by herself and looks at the stars. That makes me sad cause I know she’s lonely; she just won’t say so. I think she needs someone besides me to talk to about grown up stuff.

Why Max? What is it about him that makes you think he’d be a good companion for her?

He’s super nice. And smart, too. He’s always helping people with stuff and won’t let them pay him or anything. He doesn’t get aggravated when I ask a lot of questions, either, like some people do. He has a really nice smile, but he doesn’t use it much ‘cause, well, I think he’s lonely, too. He’s a hero, you know. He got hurt being a soldier and sometimes, when he thinks about it, that makes him sad. I don’t like to see people sad. It makes my heart hurt.

How does your mother feel about you playing matchmaker?

She likes Max and he likes her; I can tell by the way they look at each other when they don’t think anyone is watching. He’s not sad when he’s around us, and he makes Mama smile. We need him. He needs us. It’s up to me to make sure that happens.