Seekerville: The Journey Continues

Hi Seeker villagers! Carrie here, and I am delighted to host my dear friend Pepper Basham today! Her new book, The Red Ribbon, released October 1st as part of Barbour's True Colors historical true crime fiction series! Take it away Pepper, my Pepper!

Corn Shuckins, Bootleggin’, and Gun Slingin’, oh My!
(Or… What Writing My First Romantic Suspense Taught Me)

by Pepper Basham

On a little knoll overlooking the green rolling hills of Fancy Gap, Virginia, stands an old, white Queen Anne style house quite out of place among the country businesses and small houses scattered nearby. It had always been such a curious sight as I traveled from my house “below the mountain” to high school “above the mountain” in Carroll County, Virginia, where I grew up. The Sidna Allen House—a place which carried rumors of a courthouse shootout, nationwide manhunt, and a massive feud, and it all started with a kiss.

As a teenager driving the winding roads of the Appalachian Mountains, I don’t think I ever imagined delving into the true story of this scar on Virginia history. It’s not a happy story. It’s a true crime.

And as I began my research, many times, there appeared to be no REAL heroes. So when I took the opportunity to bring this unknown tragedy to light through fiction, I struggled with several things.

1.      How do I walk the fine line between truth and respecting the generations of families who still live in my hometown with the lingering effects of this story?

2.      How do I write a story about something that still rings with unanswered questions today?

3.      But most importantly, how can I bring grace into this tragic tale so that the readers will see the hope of Christ in the middle of tragedy?

I’m not a suspense writer, guys. I’m a ROMANCE writer. I write KISSING BOOKS. What on earth was I doing writing a TRUE CRIME fiction?

Well this tragedy starts with a kiss so that helped 😊

Plus, I added a few extra kisses to sweeten the deal.

But this story was dark. Sad. It peeled back the culture I love and shone light on its underbelly. Most of my family STILL live in Carroll County, so the way I handled this story mattered.

Here are a few things I learned.

1.      Writing suspense is painful 😊Seriously, I was sore from my jaws down after I finished this story. I like a little suspense here and there, but I’m not sure my body’s made for writing it on a regular basis. If you write suspense, do you have to see a chiropractor weekly or monthly? LOL

2.      Praise God for fictional characters! When I began working through the history of this story, my fictional hero, heroine, and a few secondary characters helped me weave hope, truth, and…romance into the darker creases of the true crime. Real people are fascinating, but sometimes, we just need to bring in a few make-believe people to round out the hardened edge of fact.

3.     Pain is pain, no matter the era, but kindness is universal too. Tragedy is no respecter of persons. Some pain we bring on ourselves and some happens to us because we live in a broken world. Life is HARD ya’ll! Writing this story just reminded me that pain has been around a long time, so has unforgiveness. What we all need is a lot more compassion, shorter fuses, quicker forgiveness, and quieter tongues. We also need a clearer perspective. Everyone has a backstory, and most of the time we don’t know the deeper hurts people carry which then influences their behavior. Compassion and kindness are universally beautiful and have the power to soften those hardened edges of tragedy and provide healing.

4.    We ALL need hope. Where would we be without it? At first, it was hard to find hope in the research of The Red Ribbon. The true events behind this story don’t have a happily-ever-after for many of the nonfiction characters, but as Christians we live in a dark world with the light of Christ’s hope shining into every shadow. It’s how we should think and breathe. And how much more light is needed when the story is so dark? That’s why, as Christians who write fiction, I think it’s important for us to keep that perspective. Our faith doesn’t have to preach on each page. It can be whispered throughout the story in the character’s actions, responses, and in the scenes, but of all things, our stories should carry the fragrance of hope within them. After all, we’re the storytellers of the God of Hope.

If Christ used story to bring truth and hope, it seems pretty natural for his kids to incorporate the same things into their stories. Don’t you think?

What books have you read lately that helped bring hope to your world? 

 About Pepper Basham & The Red Ribbon

An Appalachian Feud Blows Up in 1912
 
Step into True Colors -- a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime
 
In Carroll County, a corn shucking is the social event of the season, until a mischievous kiss leads to one of the biggest tragedies in Virginia history. Ava Burcham isn’t your typical Blue Ridge Mountain girl. She has a bad habit of courtin’ trouble, and her curiosity has opened a rift in the middle of a feud between politicians and would-be outlaws, the Allen family. Ava’s tenacious desire to find a story worth reporting may land her and her best friend, Jeremiah Sutphin, into more trouble than either of them planned. The end result? The Hillsville Courthouse Massacre of 1912. 

Amazon | B&N 

 As a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Pepper Basham enjoys sprinkling her Appalachian into her fiction writing. She is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance, mom of five, speech-language pathologist, and a lover of Jesus and chocolate. She resides in Asheville, North Carolina with her family. You can learn more about her on her website, www.PepperDBasham.com or connect on Facebook or Twitter.

Carrie is giving away a print copy of The Red Ribbon to one commenter! Can be international shipping as long as Book Depository ships to your country. 

What books have you read lately that helped bring hope to your world?

• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
• Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Moby Dick by Herman Melville

     

• They immediately grab your attention. Maybe you're chuckling at some poor soul being voluntold for horrors unknown, unfortunate Eustace Clarence Scrubb of the almost-deserved name, or a crime-committing mama raccoon. Maybe you're captivated by the clever (or poetic) wordsmithing. Maybe you're just plain intrigued by what comes after that first line - where could it go from here? Regardless, each of these twelve first lines definitely (and immediately) has you committed to discovering the rest of the book. 

• They are a bit vague. By that, I mean that a captivating first line raises more questions than it answers. Who was voluntold for what? Who is Ishmael & why do we care? (spoiler alert - we don't.) Why did poor Eustace almost deserve his name, and why only almost? What caused that 'swell of instant silence and intense heat'? This immediate need for more information again engages the reader's full attention & keeps them reading. 

• They can be poetic. The first line from Pepper Basham's The Thorn Keeper is one of my very fave first lines because it's so beautiful and wistful and a bit sad, too. Reading a first line like that - or the one from Beth Troy's Lu or quote #5 in the game list above - tells me I must keep reading to discover what other poetically beautiful gems are tucked inside this book!

• But they don't have to be. Lines like the ones from The Cupcake Dilemma by Jennifer Rodewald or More Than We Remember by Christina Suzann Nelson (and even #4 from our guessing game) are more humorous and maybe a little bit snarky. That doesn't necessarily mean the rest of the book is written in that tone - though it might - but yet again it keeps me reading to find out. 

1. Disney is Overwhelmingly Positive
   When you’re at Disney World, you’ll see there's always a smile on people's faces, be they characters, vendors, waiters, bus drivers or greeters. And if problems do crop up (we had to wait two hours for our room to be ready) they maintain an upbeat, empathetic attitude and put your comfort at the top of their list.
   Writer Takeaway: Life is going to throw you curves, whether it be health issues, family issues, writers slump, bad reviews or something else. But there’s no upside in deliberately airing these to your readers, especially if you’re just trying to garner sympathy. Your contract with your readers is to entertain and engage them, perhaps even challenge them, and most of all to provide them with a world they can immerse themselves in to forget their own cares for a while.
2. Managing Expectations
   If you’ve spent any time at Disney World you know that you spend a lot of time standing in lines waiting to get into the rides and attractions. In fact, for one of the more popular rides, my daughter and I spent two hours in line. But there are electronic signs posted outside of each ride letting you know what the expected wait times are so you know up front what you're letting yourself in for and there are no surprises. And every time we stood in line, those numbers were right on the money.
   Writer Takeaway: Always let readers know when they can expect to receive the next release from you and then make sure you meet your deadlines if at all possible.
3. Keep The Illusion Going
   Speaking of standing in lines, one of the things I noticed was that even in the area set aside for those waiting, Disney was doing their best to keep us entertained. There was special artwork, scenery, flora, audio, etc. to hold your interest, and every bit of it was designed to fit within and support the story world of the ride/attraction.
   Writer Takeaway: There are lots of things I can do to keep my readers engaged between releases, be it newsletters, short stories, bonus content, blog posts or teasers from upcoming releases. But whatever I do, it should fit within my personal brand.
    
4. Details Matter
   The 4 Disney World Parks are divided into different areas – for instance Animal Kingdom has Pandora, Africa, Dinosaur Land, as well as others. In each of these areas the landscaping, employee clothing, restaurants, shops, etc. – everything down to the tiniest detail - is themed to match the story world you’ve entered. It is to the extent that an elaborate system of tunnels run under the park so characters from one story world never step into a different story world to risk shattering the illusion.
   Writer Takeaway: All of the details and subtext I put into my stories should be chosen with care so that no author intrusion slides in to spoil the reader immersion into the world I am building for him/her.
   
    
5. Understand And Respect Your Audience
   Before I left for my trip I read somewhere that all employees of Disney World are taught that when you point, for whatever reason, always do it with two fingers. That’s because folks from all over the world visit the parks and in some cultures pointing with one finger is extremely rude. I kept an eye out while I was there and found it to be true, the workers and cast members do this consistently. This is just one small example of how Disney treats their audience as cherished guests.
   Writer Takeaway: Understand who your readers are and what expectations they have for the books they read and the experience each will bring, and be aware of this in your writing. This doesn’t mean you can’t deliver surprises, just that you remain mindful of how you deliver them.

1. You’ve Got A Friend In Me (from Toy Story)
   
   Writer Takeaway: Writing can be a lonely, solitary business. Savvy writers will take the time to make personal connections, to be supportive of other writers and to maintain connections with friends outside of the writing community.
2. Bare Necessities (from Jungle Book)
   
   Writer Takeaway: Most of us are working with limited resources when it comes to finances and time. But we all bring a special resource to the table – our creativity and storytelling abilities. That is the true ‘bare necessity’ it takes to succeed in this business. As for the rest, work with what you have and know that, if you stay alert to opportunities, you can go a long way on your God-given talent.
   
   
3. A Whole New World (from Aladdin)
   
   Writer Takeaway: Take the time in your worldbuilding to transport your reader to someplace they’ve never been before or to see the familiar in a whole new light, and make sure there are things to make them feel wonder and surprise over.
   
   
4. Let It Go(from Frozen)
   
   Writer Takeaway: There are things that will come your way – story ideas, promo opportunities, project participation offers, etc. - that you won’t be able to pursue/take advantage of. Hard as it is to let them go, you have to accept that they were not to be and don’t let regrets weigh you down.
5. Go The Distance (from Hercules)
   
   Writer Takeaway: No one promised it would be easy or quick – persistence is key to making it in this business. As is the proper training – the best writers know that they never reach the point that they know it all.