That
Summer is Book 1 in the Caney Creek
Series. The setting of That Summer is
the Southern Appalachians of East Tennessee where my ancestors and I were
raised. I’ve listened to older generations tell stories at family reunions about
time before telephones and automobiles. Their stories fascinated me and caused
me to want to write about a time before I was born.
This story percolated in my mind in the
late 1990s. I’m what writers call a panster type of writer. I don’t outline my
plot on paper. My entire plot and characters simmer in my mind before I write a
word. Many times I don’t know the ending but I know how to get there. Of
course, sometimes characters surprise me by going this way when I intended them
to go another way. I love how my stories many times work themselves out as I
write.
While this story still rumbled around in
my mind, in 2001 I received a life altering health diagnosis with a negative
prognosis. My first symptom was the loss of penmanship that nobody, even I,
could read. Then I began to have involuntary muscle spasms that prevented me
from holding my fingers on the home keys of a keyboard. I couldn’t write and
couldn’t type—this was before speak-to-type.
I thought my writing career had vanished.
I cleaned out my files—even trashed all my
rejection letters I’d been saving. Now I wish I’d kept them to prove that I
really am a writer. I gave away most of my writing craft books.
My mind was still intact but my body
wouldn’t do what it was told. My balance while walking started to diminish and
I quit going to writing conferences. My doctor advised me not to drive. I was
dependent on my family to even get to my doctor’s appointments and still am.
In 2008, I began to improve. My hands were
steadier and I could get my story started. The biggest aggravation when I write
anything is the time I have to leave my story to research the facts. When the
story starts pouring out of my mind I want to write. I write continuously, not
indicating chapters but I do indicate scene and POV changes. After I finish
that first draft I go back and insert chapters.
I’ve outlived my doctor’s prognosis by two
years. I’ve finished the second of a 3-book contract and feel fine other than
fatigued when I don’t stop to rest now and then. Fatigue brings on more
unsteadiness in my hands and legs.
From 2001 to 2008 I had a lot of time to
meditate. A relative marvels that I’ve never questioned, “God, why me?” I have
not become bitter because of the health issues. I think God just gave me time
to understand a lot of things when I was inactive. I’m a more peaceful,
patient, and faithful me.
That
Summer hibernated for seven years, and
then became a story on paper. When I finished That Summer, I thought I had accomplished my goal. However, I found
I couldn’t leave my characters in some of their situations. I had to write at
least one more book about them. Book 2, Beyond
the Past, came to be. I’m now writing Book 3, in the Caney Creek Series, Claiming Peace, scheduled to release in
September 2013.
URLs
WHERE
TO PURCHASE CANEY CREEK SERIES BOOKS
Paperback and eBooks available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Jo+Huddleston
Ada, thanks for having me visit with your readers. I read along and jump in with a comment or two. Good luck to everybody in the book drawing. ~jo
ReplyDeleteAda, me and technology! I thought I left an earlier comment. But, anyway, thanks for having me visit with your readers. I'll read along and jump in with comments. Again, I appreciate you having me as your guest.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you here, Jo!
ReplyDeleteAlice, thanks for finding me here on Ada's blog. Good to see you too.
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