CLOSER TO HOME, by yours truly, JILL HANNAH ANDERSON

Set in 1977 ~ Joleigh Moore lives an almost reclusive life on her small farm in Missouri. But when she witnesses the murder of her boyfriend, Mack, she worries the assailants will come after her next.

Planning to hide out until Mack’s killers are caught, Joleigh stows away in a neighbor’s station wagon and lands in a small Minnesota town. Later, she discovers a large amount of cash in her journal and realizes Mack must have hidden his drug money there. Joleigh now has what the men were willing to kill for.

Joleigh takes a summer job and moves into an old run-down cabin in the woods. As she gets to know the townspeople and becomes more and more involved with them, the place she once considered temporary could be her chance for a new beginning. But before Joleigh can have a future, she’ll be forced to deal with her past.

Early reviews:

Beautifully crafted, Closer to Home, is a compelling, fast-paced adventure with a plot that starts off at rocket speed and doesn't let up. Set in the seventies, Jill Hannah Anderson takes the reader back to a simpler time, and I found myself completely lost in the setting and the story, and rooting for the remarkable cast of characters she created.  ~Suzanne Redfearn, #1 Amazon bestselling author of In an Instant

"You'll cheer for this kind, resilient young woman who lives off the land, and a Vietnam Veteran constrained by emotional war wounds, in this story of optimism despite loss as they struggle to find their place in the world. A heartwarming read of what it feels like when you find the place you were meant to be."  ~ Barbara O'Neal, WSJ and USA Today bestselling author of When We Believe in Mermaids

"Closer to Home, an emotionally resonant tale, explores the complexities of relationships and the transformative power of love. If you are looking for a book that combines suspense, heart, and the triumph of the human spirit, this story is a must-read."  ~ Hope Gibbs, Award-winning author

"This is a heartwarming, fast-paced, small-town story of a fiercely independent young woman who not only survives but flourishes through the odds stacked against her." ~  Donna Norman-Carbone, Award-winning author

An interview with myself:

What, or who, inspired this story?

A friend suggested I write about the many people in our rural area who could easily live off the land. I'm in awe of people like that (my husband is one of them) because I wouldn't last a day on my own in the wilderness!

I don't watch much TV but I am drawn to "reality" shows like ALONE that portray these types of resourceful people. So it was an easy decision to create a story about a young woman with these qualities. As with all my books, the story takes place in a small Minnesota town. This story is set in 1977-78, which was a fun era to research and write about. 

Characters often appear out of nowhere for authors. Did that happen for this story?

Yes! I had a rough idea of who the two main characters, Joleigh and Franklin, would be in the story, and that Joleigh would have an elderly adoptive mother and a very temporary boyfriend, but that was it.

Within the first few days of beginning the story, I realized I would have at least one Vietnam Veteran because of the time period. I ended up with three. And one, Moe, was definitely a surprise. He wouldn't get out of my head, and he ended up being one of my favorite characters.

I also resurrected Bits, a young girl in the story. She had initially been in early drafts of CRAZY LITTLE TOWN CALLED LOVE, but she wasn't needed for the plot. She fits perfectly in CLOSER TO HOME. Joleigh needed her, and Bits needed Joleigh.

Also, Ruby, the owner of the cafe, pushed her way into the story. Initially, she was going to be nothing more than the owner of Ruby's Cafe. But she had other plans and I just stood out of her way and let her tell me her story.

What is the message(s) of the story, and what inspired it?

Humans, at our core, simply want to be loved and to belong. It's why we join communities, clubs, etc. and in Joleigh's case, she had a tumultuous childhood until Unity gave her what she craved: love and a sense of belonging.

When Unity passed away, it forced Joleigh to look to her future. It wasn't until her boyfriend's murder (in chapter one) that Joleigh is forced to leave the place where she felt loved and felt like she belonged.

Home isn't always where we think it should be. It isn't always where we're "planted." Sometimes we have to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone to find the place that will help us bloom.

Until I was seven (the age Joleigh was when her parents died) our family moved around a lot because Dad was a pilot in Vietnam. I wanted a permanent home so bad that I remember when we were moving from Florida to Minnesota I cried when I found out we had to leave the hotel we had stayed in. I'd been told we were moving to a permanent home (Dad had just left the Air Force.) In my mind, that first hotel was our new home. I was devastated to get back in the car! Without realizing it, I wrote that same craving for permanence into Joleigh's story. 

How do you choose character names for your stories?

Sometimes the character just appears with a name I can't imagine changing. The young girl in this story, Bits, is an example. Her real name in the story is Elizabeth. I also look at the character's age, and whether I want a common name or make them unique. Joleigh, in this story, got her name from my two daughters' middle names: Jo and Leigh. Franklin's younger brother, David, in this story, was always David, a common name for his age (he would have been born in the late 1950s.)

I try to not repeat names, but in book #5, there's also a David, and he's a main character. It was too late for me to change the name in CLOSER TO HOME because he was cemented as David in my head after writing a couple of drafts. And I couldn't not name the character in book #5 David, because he is based on a real person named David, and I can't imagine calling that character anything else!

What is up next in your writing world?

I'm finishing up the final draft of my fifth(!) book, and honestly, I can't believe it. Sometimes none of this seems real, but if I look back and think of the many, many thousands of hours I've sat at the computer brainstorming (and agonizing, self-doubting, fuming, chocolate-eating, butt-widening, daydreaming, questioning-my-sanity was done during those hours) then I know that yes, I've put the time in for those five books.

Book #5 is loosely linked, via a Vietnam POW bracelet, to CLOSER TO HOME. You'll have to read this book to get a glimpse into how the POW bracelet appears in the story, and just know that said Vietnam Prisoner of War will be found in book #5. 

If you follow me on social media (Facebook and Instagram) then you'll likely have seen my posts about a POW bracelet and its significance.

Wrapping things up... final words?

First off, thank you to my early readers (ARC readers) who have helped generate interest for CLOSER TO HOME (and my earlier books.) Early readers/reviewers are so helpful, and I appreciate their time.

Writing a book is only a sliver of what it takes to be an author today. Writing a book and meeting with book lovers at events are my favorite parts. But in today's world, it takes much more. Marketing is a time-consuming but necessary part of the book world, so let me say how much readers are appreciated when they spread book love. As I tell everyone, reviewing and recommending books helps authors and fellow book lovers!

Also, I made a Spotify playlist (free) of the many songs referenced in CLOSER TO HOME (and a few extras.) Click this link: CLOSER TO HOME playlist

To connect with me:

www.JillHannahAnderson.com

https://www.facebook.com/jillhannah.anderson/

https://www.instagram.com/jillh.anderson/

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jill-hannah-anderson

 

DAUGHTERS OF GREEN MOUNTAIN GAP, by author TERI M. BROWN (out January 23rd!)

 An Appalachian granny woman. A daughter on a crusade. A granddaughter caught between the two.

Maggie McCoury, a generational healer woman, relies on family traditions, folklore, and beliefs gleaned from a local Cherokee tribe. Her daughter, Carrie Ann, believes her university training holds the answers. As they clash over the use of roots, herbs, and a dash of mountain magic versus the medicine available in the town's apothecary, Josie Mae doesn't know whom to follow. But what happens when neither family traditions nor science can save the ones you love most?

Daughters of Green Mountain Gap weaves a compelling tale of Maggie, Carrie Ann, and Josie Mae, three generations of remarkable North Carolina women living at the turn of the twentieth century, shedding light on racism, fear of change, loss of traditions, and the intricate dynamics within a family. Author Teri M. Brown skillfully navigates the complexities of their lives, revealing that some questions are not as easy to answer as one might think.

Author interview with Teri ~

Tell us a little about yourself and how you started writing.

As a kid, I used to say that I wanted to be an author, but I also wanted to be a brain surgeon and an Olympic ice skater. I think I wanted to be an author because I loved to read. However, when it came time to pick a career path in college, writer was not on the list because my parents didn’t see it as something viable.

I began writing for small businesses in 2000. Although I wanted to try my hand at fiction, I was in an emotionally abusive relationship and to afraid to give it a try. I left that relationship after fourteen long years and began writing, but was still too afraid to let my work be seen.

I met my now husband, Bruce, in 2018, and we went on an adventure of a lifetime during the summer of 2020. We rode 3102 miles across the US on a tandem bicycle. When we finished, I realized I could do anything I wanted to do, and I wanted to be an author. Fourteen months later, Sunflowers Beneath the Snow launched. One year later, An Enemy Like Me launched. And now, one year later, Daughters of Green Mountain Gap is launching!

 

Is your writing world anything like what you imagined it would be?

 

Although aspects of my writing world are like I imagined, there is so much more to being an author than I thought. I don’t just get to sit and write. I have to learn the craft. Edit. Choose covers. Write blurbs. Be interviewed. Talk up my books. Market. Keep up with my website. And recently, I’ve added podcast host to my list when I took over Online for Authors. It isn’t what I expected, but I’m loving the whole experience!

 

What was the original title of this book?

 

Daughters of Green Mountain Gap has had a multitude of names. I’m terrible at picking out a title. How is an author supposed to distill down a book into three to five words? I saved it in my computer as Maggie, who is one of the main characters, though I never really thought I’d call it that. I considered titles with Granny Woman but decided I didn’t want to fight against the non-fiction things out there about granny women. I considered things with the words healing, healer, mountain woman, hands, rivers, moons, and more. I finally put it to my readers and many liked the idea of Daughters of the Mountain, but that just didn’t seem good enough. Then a reader suggested that many of the mountains have a local name. So, I searched for the names of hills around Burnsville, NC where the book is set and found Green Mountain Gap – and I knew I had found my title!

 

What inspired this book plot?

Believe it or not, I was inspired by a wart on the pad of my thumb. I was complaining to my brother that my primary care physician wouldn’t remove the wart on my thumb stating that I needed to see a hand specialist. Instead, I went to CVS and got one of those patches. My brother said, “Why didn’t you get someone to talk it off?” I had never heard of such a thing and figured he was pulling my leg. After our phone conversation, I did my normal #researchjunkie thing and looked it up. Amazingly, there are people who claim to have the ability to talk off warts, blow in a person’s mouth to get rid of thrush, talk breech babies into turning the right way, and more. This led me to learning of the Granny Women in the Appalachian Mountains of NC, and Maggie McCroury was born.

 

What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

 I could easily write a small manuscript on this topic! I have many, many pasttimes I enjoy. In particular, I love going to the beach and collecting shells, especially at sunrise. Other things include playing bridge, bicycling, kayaking, thriftstore shopping, reading, photography, family history, playing with my grandchildren, baking, trying new recipes, playing the piano, eating out with friends, podcasting, and mentoring others.

Is there anything major that changed in this novel from when you first plotted it out?

I’m a pantser, so I didn’t have it plotted out. However, there is a difficult scene that I didn’t want to write. I really wanted something else to happen. So, I didn’t write for almost two months, willing a new path to open up. During this time, I not only couldn’t come up with a different scene, but I also couldn’t come up with anything at all about the book. I had no idea how to wrap everything up.

I finally wrote the difficult scene and put away my writing for the day. When I woke the next morning, the entire book opened up before my eyes. Not only did I know where to go next, I knew how everything would come together!

If I had to spend a week on a deserted island, I would need…

My computer so I could write, several books, and a comfy mattress. I can’t do anything without a good night’s sleep!

 

How do you market your work? 

I’m still working on the marketing process. When I first published, I didn’t even know I needed to market! I now have a website, a twice-monthly newsletter, social media, and a podcast. Additionally, I have been a guest on several dozen podcasts, held local in-person events, attend book clubs, and set up at outdoor markets.

 

What are you working on now?

 

When I was growing up, I loved the book Are You There God It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume. One day, I was wondering what happened to Margaret. Instantly, she appeared and began talking to me. She now goes by Peg, she’s recently separated, and she’s going through menopause. My latest manuscript is her story, a humorous look at what women go through in their 50s.

 

Do you have a favorite character?

I definitely love Maggie, the grandmother in the story. She is well-grounded and understands her healing art. However, I love Carrie Ann fiercely because she needs my love the most. It takes her years – and years – to figure out her why, and she makes all kinds of mistakes while doing so.

 

What was some unique research you had to do for a book?

 

I did a lot of research about Cherokee healing traditions. The information I gathered is truly fascinating. I also had to do a lot of research about healing herbs. I had no idea that different parts of the same plant could be used for different remedies, or that plants picked at the wrong season could be harmful. I’m grateful to herbalists who are keeping this information alive and well.

 

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being a reader. Without you, what I love to do would be for nothing. I love hearing from readers, so feel free to head to my website and send me a note – and definitely sign up for my newsletter! 

To connect with Teri ~

Teri M Brown

www.terimbrown.com

Facebook.com/TeriMBrownAuthor

Twitter.com/TeriMBrown1

Instagram.com/TeriMBrown_Author

LinkedIn.com/in/TeriMBrown

Goodreads.com/terimbrown

Pinterest.com/terimbrownauthor

Tiktok.com/@terimbrown_author

Youtube.com/@TeriMBrown_Author

Bookbub.com/profile/teri-m-brown

Threads: @terimbrown_author