Series: Seasons
Genre: Historical, Romance
Publisher: Bird’s Nest Books
Publication date: May 31, 2018
Amidst the clamor of confusion, can she hear the whisper of her memories?
The southern town of Saisons lies at the crossroads between North and South, progressive and genteel antebellum life. Between East and West, between history and heritage, and new frontiers. Downton Abbey meets Gone With the Wind.
It’s 1912, in a world where slavery is dying and women’s rights are rising, and four young women who once shared a bond—and experienced a tragedy—question their own truths.
Simone Dubois’ life was unraveling. All she had known and held dear was gone from her. At ten, all she wanted was to escape beneath the black waters of the Edisto River. She couldn’t know her whole life would be stolen from her.
When she returns to Saisons sixteen years later, she has no memory of ever having been there. Not even that it was her birthplace. Enlisting the help of her childhood friend, Mercedes—whose name stayed with her, if in shadowy dreams only—Simone encounters misty memories, and stirs up more mystery than she started with.
Genre: Historical, Romance
Publisher: Bird’s Nest Books
Publication date: May 31, 2018
Amidst the clamor of confusion, can she hear the whisper of her memories?
The southern town of Saisons lies at the crossroads between North and South, progressive and genteel antebellum life. Between East and West, between history and heritage, and new frontiers. Downton Abbey meets Gone With the Wind.
It’s 1912, in a world where slavery is dying and women’s rights are rising, and four young women who once shared a bond—and experienced a tragedy—question their own truths.
Simone Dubois’ life was unraveling. All she had known and held dear was gone from her. At ten, all she wanted was to escape beneath the black waters of the Edisto River. She couldn’t know her whole life would be stolen from her.
When she returns to Saisons sixteen years later, she has no memory of ever having been there. Not even that it was her birthplace. Enlisting the help of her childhood friend, Mercedes—whose name stayed with her, if in shadowy dreams only—Simone encounters misty memories, and stirs up more mystery than she started with.
GOODREADS | AMAZON
About the Author
I’ve always had voices—er, stories in my head. I once said I should write them all down so someone could write them someday. I had no idea at the time that someone was me!
I have been writing since 1995, and began working in earnest on my debut novel, Tessa in 2013. Meanwhile, I cranked out a few dozen poems, made countless notes for story ideas, and earned my BFA in Interior Design. I lived with depression for many years, and the inherent feelings of worthlessness and invisibility; I didn’t want to be who I was and struggled with my own identity for many years. My characters face many of these same demons.
I write stories of identity conflict. My characters encounter situations that force the question, “Who am I really?” For all who have ever wondered who you are or why you’re here, my stories will touch you in a very real—maybe too real—and a very deep way. I know, I write from experience.
I have been writing since 1995, and began working in earnest on my debut novel, Tessa in 2013. Meanwhile, I cranked out a few dozen poems, made countless notes for story ideas, and earned my BFA in Interior Design. I lived with depression for many years, and the inherent feelings of worthlessness and invisibility; I didn’t want to be who I was and struggled with my own identity for many years. My characters face many of these same demons.
I write stories of identity conflict. My characters encounter situations that force the question, “Who am I really?” For all who have ever wondered who you are or why you’re here, my stories will touch you in a very real—maybe too real—and a very deep way. I know, I write from experience.
10 Behind the Scenes Facts About the Book
- Because of the aforementioned time crunch, and said time running short, I all but suspended my blog for the month of April. (paid off, too!)
- I mostly “meet” my characters much as my readers do. When I get to the point in the story that they make their entrance, I see the visual image of them, and usually know their name (unless it’s a minor character, in which I’ll find a name that suits.) I write / include their quirks and characteristics pretty much as I learn them.
- There were two topics in this series that I tried (unsuccessfully) to talk with a live person for more info—midwifery and the Catawba / Chicora Indian Nation. Not sure why I couldn’t get a response on either, but Google sufficed and/or I wrote the bare minimum.
- Tag to #4, and part of why it wasn’t so critical to have exact information on the Indian heritage—the small village in this series, Quexo, it a band of people who separated from their ancestors for a couple of reasons: a) they were acting as guardians to a white man and his family, and when they fled, so, too did the Indians; and b) they further split when missionaries converted some of the tribe to Christian faith.
- The location is a mash-up of geography and topography. I’m not really sure there is so much coastal marshland as far inland as I placed my town. But it’s fictional AND I never specified exactly where it’s located… That’s okay, right???
- ALL | THE | NOTES!!! Because the series tells one overarching story and because Whispering Winds is the final story, I had to answer or address all the lingering bits from the first three! Which meant reading (skimming) through all of them to find the loose ends I needed to tie up. Which meant ALL | THE | NOTES!!! There were pages and pages of notes, which I culled through, separating out those on like topics i.e. Lissette, the Colonel, previous conversations, etc. As I pared the list down, I rewrote it til it was down to a single page.
- Early in the series, it was revealed that Simone was a) kidnapped; and b) that she had suffered amnesia. It wasn’t until February that I knew what caused the amnesia!
- I didn’t know who the villain was for the series until 20 April!!! I mean, seriously!! I was within the last 10K of the end when I made this discovery!!!
- When Simone was kidnapped, her captor didn’t call her by her true name—got a little dicey there keeping track of that a few times.
- Whispering Winds has three different time lines that show up—when she was kidnapped, current story year, and before she was kidnapped!
Giveaway
Prize pacakge will include the following:
-China cup and saucer
-Sampler of Saisons Plantation Tea
-Journal, hand made (not pictured)
-Earrings (not pictured)
-Candy (not pictured)
-Book mark
-Signed copy of Whispering Winds
Enter the giveaway HERE.
Halloo, Debby!!! so excited to have you as part of my new book celebration!!!
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