The Idea I Couldn't Let Go Of

There's currently a month and a few days to wait until Magic & Murder in the Holler is officially published and out in the world. I find myself existing in this strange limbo between being completely finished with the book, and waiting to see how the novel is received. I'm both nervous and excited for publication day to arrive.

As a result of my life currently existing in this strange stage, I've been doing a lot of introspection. When you tell someone you wrote a book, the first question they ask is usually "what is it about?". The second question can vary depending on the person and how you answer the first question. One of my favorite follow-up questions is "why did you write this book?"

The answer to that question in regard to Magic & Murder in the Holler is a simple one on the surface. It was an idea I couldn't let go of. I had plenty of ideas for books I wanted to some day write, stories I wanted to eventually tell, but a supernatural murder mystery set in the Appalachian Mountains was something I kept coming back to. It would not leave me alone, and even as I worked on other projects, I found myself wanting to explore that story, to dig into the potential the idea had. I realized after a point that the only way to stop obsessing over this story was to write it out. A seed was planted in my mind, and I needed to see what it grew into.

I said the answer to "why did you write this book" was simple on the surface, because an idea that won't leave you alone is something I think anyone can understand. At the same time, it's deeper than that. I fell more in love with the story than I thought possible the more I explored it. Adeline Coburn and the cast of characters started to feel like real people to me. As the story evolved, I discovered things about myself I never expected to. Along the way, the book turned into a promise I made to myself. It wasn't just a project I wanted to finish; it was something I needed to see to the end, a piece of art I wanted to become more than "just a story." It wasn't enough to write the story for myself, I needed to share it with others. There was something about it that I hope people will connect with.

I don't have a neat, easy answer to what about the idea stuck out to me, why this was the story that wouldn't leave me alone. One thing I can say for certain is this: I wouldn't be the person I am now if I didn't write Magic & Murder in the Holler.

I can't wait for others to get their hands on this story.

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Magic & Murder in the Holler is available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and most other retailers.