Off to a Great Start

Once in a while in the writers’ journey, full circle moments occur, and they seem magical. I’ve had three such moments recently and will share them with you.

First of all, I’m writing an historical mystery* that takes place in my hometown, Galveston, Texas, after the 1900 Storm, which is still the deadliest natural disaster in the history of America. In the information-gathering stage, I invited you to send me names and/or stories of relatives from that place and time.

While I waited for responses, I worked on making burial arrangements for my cousin, Jill Jacobson, a Hollywood actress who grew up in nearby Beaumont, Texas. The plan was to bring Jill’s remains to Beaumont for burial in the family plot.

One of my newsletter subscribers sent me an email saying that I would be hearing from her friend, Betty, who had some 1900 Storm stories. Betty and I ended up chatting on the phone for more than an hour about her family’s experiences in the storm. During the conversation, Betty mentioned growing up in Beaumont, so I asked her if she knew my cousin Jill, and I told her what I was setting up with the cemetery.

To my surprise, and Betty’s, we realized that Jill is Betty’s cousin, too, on the opposite side of the family. So Betty is going to come to the memorial service, which she wouldn’t have known about if not for my work-in-progress.

The second full circle moment occurred during ArtWalk at Then and Now Bookshop. I was selling books at a table in the bookstore, when a mother and her nineteen-year-old daughter came over to look at my books.

The cover of Naughty Nana, the children’s book narrated by the real Old English sheepdog puppy, Nana, caught their eyes. “Oh, we remember Nana! We’re big Nana fans!” the mother said. “We were at the library when you brought Nana there to do a reading a long time ago, and we’ve followed Nana ever since.”

They were sad, but not surprised, that Nana crossed the Rainbow Bridge two years ago, but we reminisced about Nana’s many appearances in parades, on tv, at schools, etc. They purchased some of my other books, signed up for my newsletter, and left. The next day, I sent the mother an email with pictures from that long-ago library event they attended. Something made me include a drawing that one of the children did for Nana that day.

The next day I received a return email. The daughter was indeed one of the children in the picture, and she was the one who drew that treasured note to Nana. Thirteen years later, I still have the original!

The third full circle moment happened that same day at the same bookshop. One of the customers came up to my table asking if I was a local author, and if I was “BOI” (born on island). Being a BOI locks you into an immediate fraternity of special people. (In fact, there are pregnant women who insist on delivering their babies in Galveston, so the babies can attain that status.)

Turned out that customer was also a BOI, and she mentioned her connection to Dominican High School, a Catholic girls’ school here. I said, “I’m sure you knew my dear friend, Father Frank Fabj.”

That opened up a squealing that galvanized the entire bookshop. Yes, she knew Father Frank well. He was important to her and her family through several life cycle events. She was astounded to see that I dedicated A Palette for Love and Murder to him. She clutched the book to her chest, the same way I do sometimes when I think of and miss Frank’s presence.

The two of us, complete strangers moments before, bonded over the dedication in a book, and we ended up shedding tears and hugging together.

Recently, an interviewer asked me what surprised me most about becoming a writer, and I answered something about the network of readers and fellow authors I’ve met and the friendships I’ve made. The books that I’ve published are only the vehicles. The transmission of thoughts and feelings and ideas that comes from being a writer and a reader is what really counts—that is the basis for these magical, delightful, and, yes, thrilling connections with others. (You can watch the whole interview at https://kathleendonnelly20.substack.com/p/the-teachers-secret)

The working title is Promises to Keep, a snippet from Robert Frost’s poem. (There are many promises in the story, including the promise of life in America.) But there are already at least fifty books on Amazon with that title, and I need something more original. And snappy. And engaging. And memorable. And short enough to fit on the cover and show up in a thumbnail.

I thought of a few options, but I’ll bet you can come up with something better:

Miles to Go (same problem—too many same-name books)

Endless Storms (the hurricane of 1900 is over before the book starts)

The Spring of No Complaints (not sure it’s catchy enough, but the setting is spring of 1903)

If I end up using your title, I will acknowledge you in the book and send you a free ebook when the book launches. Come on, dear friend. Put on your creative cap and brainstorm (no pun intended with “storm.”)

Also, I’d love to hear about one of your full circle moments.

Much love,

Saralyn

P.S. Thank you for your kind reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, BookBub, and B&N. Thanks for the invitations to speak at your book clubs and organization meetings. And if you haven’t yet followed me on Amazon, here’s the link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Saralyn-Richard/author/B0787F6HD4?ref=