Latest Novel
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The latest novel is complete. Release date? Who knows? Seriously, I don’t. For this particular novel, I’m taking the road I was never sure I wanted to travel…traditional publishing. I’m currently querying agents, which has been a challenge in itself. My confidence and my joy for writing has suffered a little from reading constant rejections about how agents aren’t particularly interested in this story—a story that I spent a year and a half researching and writing. One that I've given a lot of myself to…but I digress.
Anyhow, there’s no release date because if I—no, when I get an agent—he/she has to sell my story to a publisher who then decides when the book will be released and I’m sure several edits will have to take place before then. It can be a long and tedious process. Nonetheless, this story is one that I am very proud of.
Set in a small, spirited southern town in the 1960s, it tells the story of Isaac and Rebekah—two teenagers who found love in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, but soon, fighting for equality becomes the least of their worries. When a long-buried secret—rooted in the mistakes of the previous generation—is revealed, Rebekah and Isaac escape, leaving home and family—determined to save their love. Written over the span of seven years, Isaac and Rebekah face tragedies that will leave them fighting for their lives, and wondering if they or their country will survive.
I’m so excited to share Isaac and Rebekah’s love story with you all. Spirit Lake was a “feel-good” story; this one is no fairy tale and I believe that’s what I love most about it. Real life comes with real choices and real choices come with real consequences. I hope I was able to portray that life lesson in this tale. Writing this one was a heavy experience. I took months off at a time because of the dark themes that are present. Lots of empathy was at work because these are not my experiences. There were days when I was too drained to even think about completing the book. Nevertheless, I had the best time bringing the 60s to life. The music that helped to bridge the racial gaps, the clothing that shifted from the conservative trends of the 50s to the funkadelic fashions that became characteristic of the late 60s, the resilience of those on the front lines in the fight for freedom and those eclipsed by those more well-known names who were and still are just as significant; I was transported back to one of the most dynamic eras in history. What a time to be alive!
Even so, the research was sometimes daunting. There is always the pressure to not only make sure the historical facts are accurate, but to make the reader feel as though they are living in the specified time period. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read and I knew I had to at least attempt to write one HF book, and now that I have, I told myself that I would wait several years before I attempted it again but even as I’m typing this, another story—this time set in the 70s—is brewing. (Insert deep sigh) Looks like I’ll be having another go at this laborious beast.
Lord willing, Isaac and Rebekah’s novel (still fighting with a title) will be released sooner rather than later. In the meantime…on to the next one!
Oh, the picture above is a book aesthetic for my current novel. For those who have no idea what a book aesthetic is, it is a collage of pictures that represent the story you’re trying to tell. I had so much fun creating it that I think I’ll do one for every novel going forward. Let me know in the comments what you think.
Always love and blessings,
Tamarria
“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”
