Remember when your very first novel released, or looking forward to that day? Here’s a new story on my reading list: Tamelia Aday’s The Filbert Ridge Miracle. I welcome Tamelia to share a bit of background info. And she’s offering an e-book to one fortunate commenter, too.
I started writing The Filbert Ridge Miracle when my oldest son was in grade school. I wish I remembered the exact year, but it’s one of those things where you are piecing something together little by little. And in reality, maybe I don’t want to know how long it took me.
The Filbert Ridge Miracle is about a pastor’s family who live in a small town. They are scrutinized for their unruly children and the wife, Rose, is especially considered odd.
I had a germ of an idea of this mom, feeling the judgement of others, trying to escape into a world that no one knew about. To have a secret life of feeding the homeless and helping the needy. I then considered what if one of her children went missing. I pictured her on the streets looking for her son. The raw parts of this story had their moments on a word processor floppy disk, marked “Free Time.”
Years later, the whole direction of the story changed with a miracle in the church parking lot. At that moment I was in the voice of Patrick, who before had almost no part in the story. Everything shifted and Patrck’s feelings and aggravations flowed across the page becoming the first chapter which changed the rest of the book. I found my voice the same time Patrick let me use his.
Piecing together a parking lot miracle to a missing child was a challenge, but through a lot of throwing out of material—another whole book’s worth probably—it came together.
The Filbert Ridge Miracle is published by WordsCraft Press. Available on Amazon in e-book, paperback, and hardback https://a.co/d/3n2pHkU
From the back cover
It was October 7, 1967.
The festival in Filbert Ridge, Oregon, came early, and many wondered if they had followed the usual tradition of celebrating the hazelnut harvest on the second Saturday of October, perhaps things would have gone in a different direction.
Instead, town history and the lives of its citizens changed forever.
Get in touch with Tamelia
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Tamelia, I can surely empathize with going back to a book written many years before because I’ve done the same thing. And, oh, how the storyline changes with the passage of time, often from our fictional perspective and before God taps us on the shoulder with His own perspective. Thanks to Gail for sharing this.
Hi Peggy,
My reply jumped below. I’m not sure how but I’m not the most techy person.
So enjoyed the story behind the story. Loved that it took years rather than weeks or months. That’s what “writing because you love it” looks like. Congratulations ma’am. Thanks for sharing Ms. Gail.
Thank you, J.D. I do love to write. I learned a lot on all those years and of course am still learning. I hope I’m a little faster with the next one!
Hi Peggy,
That is totally true. I have another whole books worth of stuff that are deleted scenes—haha. We do learn as we go and wow you are spot on about how the Holy Spirit leads us.
Tamelia
Tamelia, Those deleted scenes can lead to short stories, which I personally love because they give me a place to stop when I MUST do something mundane, like prepare dinner! To illustrate what I mean, check out my book of short stories, Silver Shadows–Stories of Life in a Small Town available on Amazon. I simply could not gather the scenes into one book, yet the characters and town led to my current Indie release, The Mysterious Face, a mystery set in the same town. God leads in mysterious ways!
Thanks for the tips Peggy! I’ll check out your stories 😊 I should try to create something using stuff I’ve already written. There is a lot!
Please check your email. I sent something to you but it may have gone to spam. Sent twice and both might be in there.
Just bought your kindle book! Tried to leave a message on your Facebook post but unable to post.
Oh Thank you, Denise! I hope you enjoy it! Around here it is definitely a good day to read. Continuous rain.