Pssst…wanna take a peek into how I wrote my first novel?
In case you didn’t hear me when I screamed, my first novel is being published by Regal House Publishing! (So glad my friend Fran was behind me in line at the post office so I could share my news immediately. That’s just one of the joys of a small town–you know someone practically everywhere you go.)
But, I digress…My book, Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace, is scheduled for release Summer 2023.
It’s set in my hometown of Paducah, Ky., in the early 1950s. The main character is Minerva Place, a funny, quirky widow who may or may not be losing her mind.
If you don’t live in Paducah you won’t recognize her name, but if you do, you know the very street this character is named for.
A Love Letter
My first novel is a sort of love letter to my hometown, Paducah aka Atomic City, River City, Quilt City USA, and UNESCO Creative City. I think we’ve got a lot to be proud of around here. Read about a fun Paducah “tour” some friends and I recently enjoyed here.
Paducah has a vibrant riverfront. The city’s located in far western Kentucky, and founding settlers were attracted to the area because it’s at the confluence of the Tennessee and Ohio rivers.
This is the Carson Center, a state-of-the-art performing arts theater. Paducah is known as one of the best live entertainment destinations in Kentucky. We have excellent community theater, too.
Paducah is home to the National Quilt Museum, a fabulous display of contemporary quilts. Thousands from around the world attend the annual AQS Quilt Show here.
Here’s how the whole (book) thing started…
A few years ago, the city’s director of the parks department approached me to write a play about some of the people who are buried in our town’s oldest cemetery, Oak Grove Cemetery. Well, let me tell you, I jumped on that opportunity.
I headed to one of my favorite places in Paducah – McCracken County Library, where I researched all sorts of folks who had once walked the streets of Paducah.
The City used the pieces I wrote to bring life to these historic figures. As visitors toured Oak Grove, they met actors dressed in clothing from their time period. The scripts I wrote revealed a lot of history, but also gave (imagined) personality to each character.
Over the course of several years, I wrote about over thirty people. I had such a rich collection, and I wanted to do something special with it.
These are scenes in the historic Oak Grove Cemetery, where my main character spends a lot of time. You can see there really is a Mercy Avenue. Of course, “mercy” appears in the title and is a key theme. Some of the characters in the book are based on people buried here.
My original plan
I love the book Spoon River Anthology and fiddled around with developing something similar. But I couldn’t get it to gel. I needed a “tour guide.”
Enter Mrs. Minerva Place.
She was a fictional character I could use to tell the stories of the cemetery “residents.” But very soon, Mrs. Place took over.
She’s kind of bossy.
As I wrote about Minerva, I realized it was her story I needed to tell. The other characters became the supporting cast. They highlighted Minerva’s fears, dreams, regrets, hopes, and quirkiness.
So, that’s your first peek into how I wrote my first novel. I can’t wait to tell you more about Mrs. Place and the people buried at Oak Grove. I just know you’ll fall in love with all of them like I did!
Do you know about the history of your hometown? What are some of your favorite historical tidbits about where you live? Be sure to leave a comment!