Backstory – Where It Began

I don’t often compose blog posts that have to do directly with my writing. A recent post involved my writing journey, but I don’t talk so much about the books themselves. I’m making an exception this week.

First, I want to thank all of you who have purchased my books and followed my blogs posts. I cannot tell you how much that means to me. All my author friends (all of us are in the Christian writing world) would be nowhere without you, our faithful readers. For me and for them, we are so blessed to have you in our lives.

Feel free to share emails with me. I’d love to know more about you. What state are you in? Who is your favorite character in my books, and why? Do you like the new covers? Why or why not? Is there anything about any of the characters you’d like to know? Who are your favorite authors? I’m going to be doing book giveaways in the coming years, so I’d like to know your faves. Contact me: DebraDuPreeWilliams@gmail.com

 

STORY BEHIND THE STORIES

When I first started writing Charlotte’s story, Miss Marge was only a minor character. My late sister suggested to me that she become more central. If you’ve read Grave Consequences, you know who she is and how she’s related to other characters. I won’t give away the plot so that those who haven’t read can learn this by reading.

Writing that storyline is how the Lanier family became a part of this series. As a matter of fact, Charlotte’s name was originally going to be Charlotte Lanier, but that evolved and changed at a novel retreat when Eddie Jones told me to change her name to Graves. He’d just read my elevator pitch and told me, here’s your title and then, change her name to Charlotte Graves.

ELEVATOR PITCH

When an amateur genealogist goes digging up dirt, she uncovers a long-kept family secret which could lead to grave consequences.

It was there all along, but it took brainstorming with Eddie (my first time to see brainstorming in action—I was blown away!) to actually see it. Thank you, Eddie. Eddie’s Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas was my first publishing house. When he sold to Iron Stream Media, my book became theirs and they became my publisher. ISM has another family connection, a real one, but that is for another day. Neither I nor they knew this until a year later. Small world! Great Alabama company, by the way.

Backstory - Where It Began @DDuPreeWilliams #writing #Faith #BassanoAndLanierFamily Share on X

BOOK TWO – GRAVE DECISIONS

Genealogy is in my blood, literally, but writing family stories seemed logical to me. Lanier is a family name on my Daddy’s side, so I continued with things I learned about them. Some things absolutely astounded me. I was a music major and had to have a Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians when I was in college. Imagine my surprise to know that one of my ancestors’ name was within those pages. I had no clue when I was in college and only learned of my connection to this family when I began doing our family’s genealogy in the 1990s.

I won’t give away the plot, but a prominent member of my family appears in book two in a surprising way. It was a few years ago that I learned about this, but I never thought I’d be writing a book about it.

FYI — BASSANO AND LANIER FAMILY

In 2018, I attended the Georgia Christian Writers Conference directed by Eva Marie Everson, author, keynote speaker, my first editor, and Mark Hancock , Trail Life, CEO. It was there that I learned that the late author, Karen Lynn Nolan (Above the Fog) and I were cousins. My 10x great grandparents are her 11x great grands. Both of us descend from the Lanier family featured in my books. Now, my books are fiction, but there are a few real people within the pages, and their stories are blended into the imaginary lives of my characters.

If any of you descend from the Bassano or Lanier families, you may want to check out my books. They are clean and closed-door. Just sweet romance, no hanky-panky. You may learn new things about some of your ancestors. Be warned—while an illustrious family, not all you will learn is flattering or good.  Most of this is in the author’s notes at the end of book two. Oh, both books have recipes.

Thank you, again, for being faithful readers. I owe this journey to God alone, who is the Author of all our lives. Thanks be to God!

Blessings, y’all!

Larry Ford again. I just love him. My niece, Melanie has sung with him and accompanied him before. They were both in Ft. Myers at that time. I love this old hymn! I could sing about Jesus all the day long!!