Thank you for coming to the party! I'm very excited to announce the official release of Season of Forgiveness, by Templa Melnick. While we have several published authors in our group, this is the first time one of our own has had a novel release since we "officially" started our Western Slope ACFW Prologue Chapter.
It's also a debut release, which is extra special. And, a little bird told me our dear Miss Templa is celebrating her birthday this week, as well. Now if that isn't a fabulous birthday present for a writer, I don't know what is!
Come on in and get comfortable. We're going to learn more about the book and its author, "meet" the visual inspirations for some of Templa's leading ladies, and sample (it's virtual, so it's calorie-free) some delicious treats similar to the ones the characters might be enjoying in the story!
First, here's an introduction to the story, so we'll know who we're meeting...
Colorado 1904
A little woman with a big heart, Emma Johnson must juggle family, friends, and pioneer-woman chores, all the while dealing with threats to her own life, those she loves, and the safety of the ranch on the western slope of the Colorado Rockies. The challenges of living in the shadow of gold fever bring opportunities to use the skills she learned from her Indian stepmother, and pray as if everything depends on the Lord. Emma finds herself involved in the rescue and restoration of three abandoned and abused women. As new life, beauty and hope blossom, the four women uncover a nefarious plot and learn the meaning of forgiveness.
There's Emma now...
She's a bit busy with one of the boys, but you're welcome to join her in the kitchen for some fresh, hot bread. Or a cup of tea. There's always tea in Emma's kitchen.
Now that refreshments are in place, let's find out more about our author...
How did you start writing?
"I
actually have NO qualifications to be a writer. None whatsoever. That is,
unless you count my ridiculously over-active imagination, my life-long penchant
for making things up, and a voracious appetite for reading that began at the
age of three.
I
have always wanted to be a writer. When I was in second grade, my teacher asked
if she could submit one of my short stories to a national publication for
elementary school teachers. I still remember that story. It was about my
neighbor’s cat. She said I had a unique perspective that she wanted to share
with others. In that moment, Mrs. Gardner planted a seed in my life. Perhaps someday
I could tell stories that other people would want to read.
When my children were young, I used to make up
stories for them. They enjoyed listening to those stories and I enjoyed
creating them. It was then that the seed that had been planted in my childhood germinated.
Maybe I could write children’s books! But there were soccer games and
parent/teacher conferences and corporate ladders to climb. So, if I ever
thought about writing, it was only as a fleeting fancy in the stillness of the night.
And
then… in a few short months, the foundations of my moderately comfortable life
were shaken. I lost my job. I had a scare with the dreaded “C” word, and my
kids were leaving the nest. A long list of “what ifs” kept running through my
mind. It was time to reach for the
childhood dream I had set aside. The
past few years have been a steady stream of writer’s conferences, seminars and
“how-to” books on fiction writing. It seemed pretty miraculous when publisher
Catherine Lawton agreed to read my manuscript at an Estes Park, Colo., writer’s
conference in May 2013. It seemed even more miraculous when she sent me a
contract for my first novel in October 2013. She and her staff have been incredibly
patient with me and very helpful as we've worked towards publication. I’m
honored to be among Cladach Publishing’s authors. I
still have much to learn. But the most important thing I’ve learned is that… writing
makes me happy. Writing stories that other people will want to read? That would
make me happier still.
There's no better reason to write than that it makes you happy! So where did the idea for this story (which is going to be a series!) come from?
The
idea for this series of books has actually been rattling around in my brain in
one form or another for a very long time. A few years ago, my husband and I
took the kids to a cabin near Leadville for a short vacation. I was intrigued
by the mining history and spent a lot of time wondering what it was like to
live in that harsh climate during the gold rush.
At
the same time, I was doing some research for one of my clients whose business
had been established in Meeker, Colorado in1904. I had the opportunity to read
through the actual 1904 archives of the Rio Blanco Herald Times. I was hooked. I was
fascinated with that time period of Colorado history. I
also have a lineage of really strong, amazing women that I wanted to honor.
I’ve incorporated a few actual family stories in Season of Forgiveness.
Since I work (in real-life) for the Rio Blanco Herald Times, that makes me chuckle. I used to read those old archives and pull out tidbits for a weekly column. They are fascinating!
Pass the tea, and some of those strawberry shortcakes, please...
How long have you been working on this series?
I started writing the
first book in this series in December 2009. I had just lost my job as an
account executive at a local media outlet. The economy was tough, and I wasn’t
the only casualty. Nevertheless, I was devastated. During that time of emotional
upheaval, God spoke to my heart and asked, “What have you always wanted to do?”
The answer was immediate. I’d always wanted to write a novel – but there had
never been enough time or energy left over at the end of the day. So I set
aside all of the reasons that I wasn’t qualified to be a writer, and I wrote.
Four
months later, I had the first draft of Season of Forgiveness. I attended
my first writer’s conference and quickly discovered that I had made virtually every
newbie writer mistake possible. So, I went back to the drawing board and
rewrote the entire thing. It’s been rewritten so many times I’ve lost track.
I’ve
learned a lot along the way, and I’m hoping the next books will require less
editing! I’m about halfway through the second book, and can’t wait to share
it.
We can't wait, either! It's wonderful to know that there are more books coming. There are so many strong characters in Season whose stories need to be told! Speaking of, which character is your favorite?
|
Emma |
I
know this sounds crazy, but that’s like asking me which of my sons is my
favorite! I love each of my four main characters. They each bring something
unique to the party.
Emma is all
of my grandmothers and my husband’s grandmothers best characteristics rolled
into one tiny woman. She’s tough. She’s virtually unflappable, and yet she’s
gracious, kind and full of love. Emma is the woman I hope to be some day.
|
Daisy |
I
love Daisy’s transformation in the story. She starts out incredibly
wounded, and ends up as this strong young woman bursting with life and hope. I
hope she will bring life and hope to my readers.
|
Sally |
Sally
started out as a secondary character, and ended up as one of the main
characters. I shed more tears at my computer while writing her story than all
the others combined. The love quadrangle around her at the end of the book was
fun to write. She’s Irish, so I apologize up front if I’ve butchered the
brogue. I can hear her talking in my head – but I don’t know if it translated
onto paper as well as I had hoped.
|
Dee as a young woman |
And Miss Dee. She was the
most challenging for me to create, but she’s also the most fun. I never know
what she’s going to say or do next. Seriously. I’m just as surprised as you are.
I don’t want her to come off as the cliché madam-with-a-heart-of-gold… even
though in some ways, she fits that cliché to a tee.
Writing a historical novel demands a lot of research, some of which ends up in the story and a lot of which ends up in a file somewhere. What is the most intriguing thing you learned while researching this book?
The
labor wars surrounding the mining areas fascinated me. I got lost for weeks in
the books and newspaper articles that were written about these events. I had no
idea that Colorado was actually under martial law for awhile in 1904. I doubt
it did it justice in the book, but I did include a few details.
On a
side note, I beg for mercy on any historical errors. I’m sure I made them. Why did I decide to
write historical fiction? What was I thinking?
History, and historical characters, are so inspiring, how can we not write about them? And the food, did I mention the food? (Templa has graciously shared a few of her character's favorite recipes on her website, too!)
|
Sally's colcannon - Irish peasant fare. |
What do you hope your readers will "get" from this story? What did
you get from writing it?
My greatest desire is that my readers will take away a deeper understanding
of what it means to BE forgiven, and the miracle of freedom that comes to us
through forgiving others. I also hope that through Emma, Daisy, Sally and Dee
my readers will see that the same Jesus of the Bible is alive and well today in
2014, just as He was in 1904. He is the same today, yesterday, and forever.
What
did I get from writing this story? One person really can make a difference. Women
like Daisy and Sally, and Dee are all around us. And if we, like Emma, dare to
love the un-loveable, touch the un-touchable, we can change our little corner
of the world. And all of our little corners connect. That’s powerful!
That is powerful, and a valuable message we all need to remember, every day. We're all ministers of the Gospel of Christ, no matter where we are or what we do.
So what's next? (We really want to know about book #2!)
Oh, I’m so glad you
asked! The working title for book two is Season of Redemption. This book
picks up where Season of Forgiveness left off, in the same fictional town of
Riverbend, Colorado and with the same characters, plus a few new ones. Dee,
Sally and Daisy have left their pasts behind them – but people from their past
keep showing up and causing problems. Dee struggles with wanting to manipulate
and control everyone and everything around her… that’s how she’s always done
things, so it’s hard for her to let go and trust God’s plan. Daisy and Sally are learning how to trust God
in their relationships and finding out what it means to truly be loved by the
King of Kings, Jesus Christ. Season of Redemption has a little mystery
going on with horse thieves, gunfights, and a slippery southern gambler, plus a
little romance to keep it interesting. And, since I haven’t finished writing
the story, I am not sure of all the details yet!