MUSE MONDAY
Please welcome Ryan Jo Summers to Muse Monday.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I do
believe it’s true. As writers, we have the uncanny ability to find inspiration
in many ordinary things that most people might pass by. And my latest fiction
novel isn’t the first book inspired by a photo. However, in my humble opinion,
it might be my best to date, and definitely the hardest to write.
Years ago a friend sent me an email with a series of
random photos with no real connection to one another. It was one of those chain
things that seem to circle the globe once they get rolling. Some photos were
nice, particularly the animal and nature shots. However, it was the photo of a
man and boy that spoke to me. They did not exactly whisper in my ear, more they
shouted for me to stop and notice them. So I did.
A young boy, maybe ten years old, dressed up against
the cold, and holding a sandwich out to a homeless man. The boy’s back was
turned to the camera so all that was clear were his mittens, scarf, and hat.
And his stance. He was confident in his action. The man wasn’t so sure. Huddled
on the cold street sidewalk, he tentatively reached out for the sandwich, his
bewildered gaze locked on the boy. I could almost feel his to-the-bone chills
and hunger, and his surprise at this sudden gift. I image he might be a
veteran, back from serving, and down on his luck. The entire scene was
poignant, painful, and inspiring.
Within a few weeks, the bones of “September’s Song”
was born. The book changed in many ways from its early beginnings. Many initial
thoughts never made it to the first draft, or into the second one. “September’s
Song” was difficult to niche, and I finally settled on women’s fiction with
metaphysical elements. This is the first book I wrote in multiple layers like
an onion and almost had to write it backwards: ending, then middle, and finally
the beginning. In truth, chapters moved around like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle,
looking for the right fit. I jokingly referred to “September’s Song” as my
problem child during the writing and editing processes, as it did not follow a
conventional formula of any sort. It wrote itself as it wanted to be written,
and as the author, I seemed to have little say in matters.
It incorporated a man (a veteran) and boy, the boy’s
mother, amnesia, Alzheimer’s disease, and many other layered elements. I grew
to appreciate the sacrifices our soldiers made, the challenges faced by people
affected by Alzheimer’s, and the difficulties of living with amnesia.
Once it was finished, I could not find a publishing
home or interested agent, so I decided to self-publish it. Last year I had
self-published a blog-to-book non-fiction book based on the challenges and
triumphs of my adopted PTSD dog, and I survived that ordeal. This couldn’t be
much worse. Creating the cover and formatting proved to the biggest hurdles to
overcome. In late September, “September’s Song” came into the world as a fully
published novel, weighing in at 332 pages. I am very proud of this literary
baby.
Short
Blurb:
Women's
fiction--Ivey London who lost her military husband, tried to move on with their
son, her Alzheimer's mother, and a boss attracted to her. She finds him alive
and amnesiac five years later. Armed with inexpiable abilities, he is pursued
by a forceful group determined to reclaim him. Ivey is just as determined to
keep her late husband. Together, they uncover
what happened to him, who is after him, and search for how to reclaim what they
once were--husband and wife.
Buy
Links for “September’s Song”: (paperback
and ebook)
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/septembers-song-ryan-jo-summers
Find Ryan Jo here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RyanJoSummers
Brenda, thank you for hosting me and "September's Song"! Best wishes to you.
ReplyDeleteYou're so welcome. Great post.
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