Happy Tuesday, Reader Friends!
Today I have the lovely author Lindsey P. Brackett on Soulfully Romantic blog. You may have remembered I reviewed her book Still Waters as part of SLB tours. If not, go here for the post. Today I have the opportunity to interview her and bring you more info about her writing.
Let’s get started!
About the Book
The Blurb: “When her beloved grandmother requests one last summer at Still Waters, the family cottage on Edisto Beach, Cora Anne returns to a place that haunts her with loss and tempts her with forgiveness.
Peace means reconciling her family and her Edisto memories. But acceptance may mean loving the man determined to preserve a past she’d rather forget.”
Interview
Toni: Thank you so much for joining me today! I really enjoyed Still Waters and the tranquil setting. Can you tell us a little about Edisto Beach?
Lindsey: Edisto Beach is located about 45 miles from Charleston, SC and is Lowcountry at its truest. Because of efforts by locals and likeminded individuals, the island remains undeveloped commercially—you aren’t going to find high-rise hotels or resorts. There’s no putt-putt course or water parks. The people there have a rich, proud history, that like all places in the South, also has its share of darkness. But these days Edisto has become a place of respite and relaxation, centered on family vacations for tourism and living a slower pace of life for residents. Locals there tend to truly live off the land with hunting and fishing, which is necessary given there’s only one grocery store and driving on and off gets old pretty quickly. You can find lots of great info, podcasts, and stories at ExploreEdisto.com.
Toni: You have me wishing for vacation! Cora Anne had a very traumatic event happen to her when she was young. How were you able to get into her head? I felt her pain so acutely!
Lindsey: I’m so glad—not that you felt pain but that I conveyed it well, because I really struggled with Cora Anne’s deep POV. Ultimately I took a piece I wrote in first person and changed it which really helped. I also spent some time on Myers-Briggs personality tests and really analyzing how she and I were alike and different. They say your first novel is always autobiographical, but I didn’t have an experience quite this traumatic as a child, so I did have to really call on my “what if” imagination.
Toni: Love that you used Myers-Briggs testing. I know some authors who use that as well. Now, I loved the family atmosphere in the book. Cora Anne has her Nan but she also adds to her friends list in Tennessee and his crew. How does family and friends impact your life and spill into your writing?
Lindsey: I have a big immediate family—six siblings and now you add in the in-laws and all the grandkids. Plus, growing up we spent a lot of time with my mother’s side going on vacation and holidays with our cousins, aunts, and uncles. So big, loud, chaotic family events are what I’m used to and that spills over naturally. I also have a large network of friends because I’m involved in a lot of different activities, but I deliberately gave Cora Anne her cousin Hannah as her closest friend. I wanted to show that she doesn’t put herself out there.
Toni: Love that! What is your hope for those who read Still Waters?
Lindsey: First and foremost, I hope they enjoy the story and feel connected to these characters. They all experience a different arc—but the final place leads them all to a new understanding of what it means to give and receive forgiveness. It’s my joy when people share with me how touched they are by the book’s reality.
Toni: Yes! The realism is my favorite. That and the tranquility of the beach. How about we get to know you better? Tell us your favorite…
Music genre?
Lindsey: When we’re not listening to praise and worship or Broadway show tunes, country is on. At my heart, I’ll always be a small town southern girl.
Toni: Woohoo for country! Lady Antebellum is probably my favorite group. Movie?
Lindsey: I have a lot of those. I’ll always be a sucker for Meg Ryan rom-coms, Anne of Green Gables (Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie), and Lord of the Rings because it’s just so stunning.
Toni: French Kiss is my fave Meg Ryan movie! Book?
Lindsey: To Kill a Mockingbird. Recently a contest judge compared my entry to Harper Lee. I can die happy now.
Toni: Lol, not yet! Readers need more book from you. 😉 Food?
Lindsey: Pizza. It’s so versatile and we make it homemade almost every Friday. Follow me on Instagram or sign up for my newsletter and you’ll get all the pizza goodness.
Toni: *goes to IG* Drink?
Lindsey: I’m a coffee addict but I’d give that up before I gave up my sweet tea.
Toni: 3 cheers for sweet tea! Season?
Lindsey: Fall. The colors. The quoting of Robert Frost. The just cold enough for a scarf weather. I could live in October all year long.
Toni: And football! Don’t forget the football. 🙂 Thank you so much for joining me today! Before you leave, is there anything you’d like the readers to know?
Lindsey: I’m shifting my social media focus over to Instagram (@lindseypbrackett), so I’d love to connect with readers over there. I’ll be sharing favorite reads, how I organize my creativity (oxymoron), and little glimpses into the Still Waters sequel as I NaNoWriMo my way through this month!
Or stick with my Facebook Author Page, Lindsey P. Brackett, and check out all my Edisto photos and videos from my recent trip. It was so perfect despite those darn hurricanes.
Toni: Sounds great! Readers, her links are below. Before you go follower her and her pizza-n-beach goodness, ask her a question or just say hello!
About the Author
Award-winning writer Lindsey P. Brackett once taught middle grades literature, but now she writes her own works in the midst of motherhood. A blogger since 2010, she has published articles and short stories in a variety of print and online publications including Thriving Family, Country Extra, HomeLife, Northeast Georgia Living, Splickety Prime, Splickety Love, and Southern Writers Magazine Best Short Fiction 2015. Lindsey serves as Editor of Web Content for the Splickety Publishing Group, and she writes a popular column for several North Georgia newspapers.
As a mother of four chaotic kids, her home is always full of wet towels, lost library books, and strong coffee. Her love of family ties and southern places prompted her debut novel, Still Waters, inspired by her own love of Edisto summers and peach ice cream.
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Toni Shiloh 
Thanks for having me Toni!
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Happy to!
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