Please welcome author Janetta Fudge Messmer as she shares the Story Behind the Story here this week. Thank you so much, Janetta, this is a great behind-the-scenes peek into your books. Now, take it away, as they say!
My
debut novel, Early Birds, was a God
thing from the beginning. And the story started when we rescued our dog, Maggie,
in 2012.
Every
night when we came home from work, our new pooch would have such a forlorn look
on her face when we let her out of her crate. One evening my hubby said, “Hon,
I think she’s telling us to quit our jobs, get an RV, and hit the road. She
wants us to spend more time with her.”
Trust
me, Maggie didn’t audibly tell us to do all of the above, but us teasing about
her ‘saying’ it got us thinking. Since Ray would turn 60 on his next birthday
and could retire early—this RV thing sounded like something to pursue.
The
idea got me thinking, too. What a splendid idea for a book? And it came from
our four-legged friend. Who’d have thought?
September
1, 2013 the three of us headed out in our truck and 5th wheel
trailer. November of that year, during NaNoWriMo (National Novel WritingMonth), I wrote a rough draft (52,000+) of Early
Birds.
I
tell people (at book signings or anyone who will listen), “The book is loosely
based on our life. Our dog told us to quit our jobs, sell everything, buy an
RV, and hit the road. I added two other quirky characters, since we’re boring.
Ben, Betsy, Rose and Larry get On the
Road Again. J
Yes,
Willie Nelson came along for a ride in my book, or at least his song did. But
first I had to get permission to use the lyrics to On the Road Again. This proved harder than writing the novel, but
six months after I first contacted Mr. Nelson, I had the okay to use his song.
A happy day, for sure. But an even happier one occurred when Cynthia Hickey (Winged Publication) published Early Birds January 25, 2016. Ever since, I’ve been doing a joyful jig (and promoting the book, writing Book #2—Southbound Birds, and traveling in our RV).
Southbound Birds (another
NaNoWriMo—November 2015) happened because the characters, especially Rose
Wilford, wouldn’t shut up. She kept talking and the other characters followed
along. What could I do, but listen to them and write another book?
Back cover blurb:
Rose
and Larry Wilford are hitting the highway on their next RV adventure. Ben and
Betsy Stevenson are right behind them in their 5th wheel. The other
two Early Birds, Jeff and Mary Miller, promise to hook up with them as soon as
they finish some ‘business’ in Colorado.
On
their way to Florida, they make a stop in Mississippi. Soon Rosie wonders if
they’ll ever get On the Road Again.
The RVs have stalled in Biloxi and it has nothing to do with mechanical issues
in any of their rigs. They’ve found another church that needs their help.
Rose,
Betsy and Mary spend their days as fashion consultants, dressing young women
for success (or as Rosie says, “Playing dress up.”). Larry, Ben and Jeff,
they’re up to their eyeballs in sheetrock and drywall mud, and any other
handyman task they can find to do.
The
one thing Rosie has decided, if and when they start traveling toward the
Sunshine State, she’ll still occupy the passenger seat of their dually. No
driving for her. Larry can pester her all he wants.
And
the fact her bestest friend, Betsy, drove their albatross on I-10 and lived to
tell about it, won’t change her mind either. The only way Rose will get behind
the wheel is if the Lord, Himself, figures out a way to put her there. ‘Cause
at the moment, F.E.A.R. is her middle name.
Instead
of legally changing her name or letting trepidation win, Rosie does what she
does best. She PRAYS. Larry, on the other hand, is having troubles too. His
prayer is that their 5th wheel survives his driving and he’s not
sure it will. One more mishap and he’s handing the keys to his wife.
The
Early Birds continue to have as many surprises as the state of Florida has palm
trees. So why don’t you come along, if you dare. Rose, Larry, Ben, Betsy, Jeff
and Mary (and some new friends) would love to have you join them on their
travels across the U.S.A.
There
you have the story behind my debut novel, Early
Birds and the sequel, Southbound
Birds. I’m working on a third called Girly
Birds (remember, it’s November again). It’s a novella set in Estes Park,
Colorado and the Rocky Mountain National Park. Release date: June 2017.
So
you see, it’s always good to listen to the voices in your head. In my case, it
was the Lord and our precious pooch, Maggie. Together we were able to make
people laugh and share the gospel. Life doesn’t get any better than that.
Happy
Writing!!!
Janetta
Fudge Messmer
PS:
If you’ve never done NaNoWriMo, try it. I’m not sure why this method works for
me, but it does. I believe it’s the challenge of writing every day and sticking
to the word count. The challenge also helps me stay on track.
Janetta Fudge-Messmer is an
inspirational author, editor and speaker. She's received Honorable Mention for
fiction and nonfiction articles from Byline Magazine. She also received
Honorable Mention for a fiction article from Writer's Digest Magazine. Her
article, "A Working Relationship" was published in Guideposts
Magazine. Guideposts Books published, "Shorthaired Miracle”. Along with
writing, Janetta also speaks at seminars, helping others to “Tell Your Story”.
Janetta, her husband Ray and precious pooch Maggie, became full-time RVers in
2013 and love traveling around the USA in their Minnie Winnie.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
- E-mail: janettafudgemessmer@gmail.com
- Website: http://janettafudgemessmer.com/
- Blog: http://www.nettie-fudges-world.blogspot.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janetta.fudge.messmer
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/nettiefudge
No comments:
Post a Comment