Life in Indiana in 1930s

In my research, I stumbled upon this interesting website called Only in Your State and one of its pages shows what life was like in Indiana in the 1930's. Of course that grabbed my attention because of my Great Depression novel. So if you're curious as to what life was like for my heroine, or perhaps you want to know what life was like for your grandparents and great-grandparents, check it out!

Click here.

Home Fires: Season 1

This time I want to blog about one of my new favorite shows, which by now isn’t so new.

Last autumn a new debuted on PBS called “Home Fires” which features a group of women living in England prior to and during WWII. Though they were fictional, I was blown away by the strength of these ladies. I grew up hearing about America’s home front and how the women were the ones to hold down the fort while the men were away. Living in England, though, being in such close proximity of Europe, the bombings, the constant terror…I couldn’t really imagine until I watched this show. The music, the cinematography, the acting, the characterization – just perfect. I was sad to learn that after season 2, Home Fires was not renewed and well not be returning. It did well in the ratings, but for whatever cockamamie reason, it will not be back.

(From this point on there are spoilers for Season 1.)

There are two characters that really struck a chord with me: Steph Farrow and Pat Simms. 

Steph is a no-nonsense, farmer’s wife who has a son to raise, and who is her husband’s equal in every sense of the word. When her husband feels called to go to war, she encourages him to do so, and then she and their son run the farm while he is away. She is strong, intelligent, and capable. Her only stumbling block is that she can’t read. But with the help of a new teacher in town, she overcomes that as well.

Now Pat Simms, she too is a strong woman, but her strength is channeled in a different way. Pat is married to Bob Simms, a one-hit wonder novelist who is physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive. He thinks he is some kind of English Ernest Hemingway. Bob might be mentally ill (it is alluded to when he is drugged with lithium salts by a well-meaning friend of Pat’s and he suddenly becomes docile - seriously, you have got to watch this show) and I feel sorry that he can’t receive the proper treatment, but whatever his reason, he has no right to be abusive to Pat. Pat is one of the sweetest, kindest, giving characters on the show, and she continues to be so, despite her circumstances. Through some quick thinking, the two of her friends manage to send Bob off to be a war correspondent, freeing Pat of him.

Though I love Steph, it is Pat who has become my favorite. She is in a similar situation that the heroine of my Great Depression novel is. Divorce was looked down upon, society couldn’t intervene, and Pat had no place to turn to for help.

Though Home Fires was only a two season show, I look forward to watching the second season. I hear there is a cliff-hanger ending that will no doubt frustrate me because the questions will never be answered, but it will be worth watching it. 

The Plunge

God help me, but I did it. I started the querying process on my Great Depression novel. I had procrastinated for months, using one excuse after another. That it wasn’t ready, or the subject matter was too taboo, or that the prose was crappy. All of which may still be true, but how will I know that for a fact if I don’t test the waters? I had to start somewhere. Some literary agents give feedback when they reject a project, so one of them may help me without realizing it.

I’ve been in this boat before, so I know the routine. You send off your query letter and- depending on the agent – a proposal and then you have to wait for a response. Sometimes it is a couple of hours, a couple of days, or a couple of weeks to hear back. Others never reply. I think the record for longest wait was about eight months, which by that time I had forgotten that I had even contacted them. Then there are a few agents who have rejected me twice. As if getting one rejection from said agent wasn’t enough, they decided to send that rejection to me again.

I’ve certainly made my share of mistakes in the querying process. I’ve mistaken a man for a woman; misspelled a last name; got the date wrong; forgot to attach the proposal; used the wrong words; misread the guidelines…Been there, done that. I’d like to think I’ve learned from my mistakes, but no one is perfect. Inevitably I will embarrass myself. I’m sure if I am ever land a literary agent, I’ll continue to do silly things. It’s just the way I am. After all, nobody’s perfect.

Well, I’m curious to see what will happen. In the meantime I’ve written a number of short stories that need to be sent off too, and have many others in the works.

Until next time. 

(BTW- Its my 250th post! Whoopee!)

A collage

My sister, Seanna  made this for me in honor of my Great Depression novel. The actress I am using as inspiration for my heroine is Holliday Grainger. She has been in a variety of period dramas, including the recent miniseries of "Bonnie and Clyde." This very English actress was able to don on a convincing Texas drawl! Anyway, my sister created this; it really ties into the themes of my book. Isn't it gorgeous?

Thanks, sis!

You really ought to check out my sister's blog! Not only is Seanna a genius at graphics, she is a fantastic author who writes contemporary and historical dramas!

Home Away From Home

Yesterday my family and I gathered to celebrate my aunt's birthday down at the old house in the country. This house was the house my maternal grandfather and his family built in the 1920's/1930's. The story goes that they had bought fifty acres worth of land and the family of nine lived in there through out the Great Depression and into the 1950's. By then most of the children had moved out, married and started their own families.

Art tends to imitate life. The old house wound up in my Great Depression novel. My heroine lives there after she marries her husband. Many of my grandfather's tales of Prairieton and Prairie Creek are also featured in there. Hopefully my story has done the house and the past justice.