One day in adulthood I started to re-invent myself,
just like that, and the new me began to fancy herself
"a writer". The truth was that I had a flair for writing but
not the skill set. Well, as the old saying goes, fools rush in
and I wrote anyway, sent manuscripts off and got
some well-deserved rejections. The hard truth was that
I needed to learn the craft of writing, which meant
going to school, so I started college as an adult. Usually,
I was the oldest person in a class, but that didn’t bother
me; I was on a mission (or maybe a little bit crazy). Having
a full-time job meant I had to take classes at night, or on
Saturdays, or online. Honestly, sometimes I wanted to
throw in the towel.
But after sticking it out for six years, I earned a BA in
English Studies and a Masters in Writing and Publishing.
Cheered on by my husband (aka the man of my dreams),
I quit my job to get up close and personal with writing.
I must have had THE SILENCE OF BONAVENTURE ARROW
inside my head for years. From the moment I put those
characters to the page, they were as real to me as if I’d
known them forever.
I grew up in northern Wisconsin, where winters were magical, and summers were lush, and there was most always a breeze from the west. It was a wonderful place to curl up with a book in an old
wingchair in my room or on the makeshift couch in the sunporch, and let my imagination fly me to far-away places.
To enter Bonaventure's world, click this link: short video
(with audio on)
THE SILENCE OF BONAVENTURE ARROW weaves a tale of heartbreak, guilt, and atonement gone terribly wrong. But then there comes a healing, brought about by a silent and gifted little boy who shares his name with a mystic-turned-saint. The story brings the reader face to face with human nature—its guilt, its envy, and its willingness to judge. But it also invites an encounter with the divine nature of love—its compassion, its forgiveness, and its willingness to let go.
AWARDS:
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Long-listed for the Center for Fiction’s Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize
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An Indibound next pick April 2013 (Independent Bookstores)
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Editor’s Choice of the Historical Novel Society
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Starred review in Library Journal (2013)
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The Crook's Book Prize longlist for Exceptional Debut Novels Set in the South
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Featured at the 2013 Heartland Fall Festival (American Booksellers Assoc.)
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Nominated for the New Orleans Library Society Award (2013)
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Featured at the Louisiana Book Festival (2013)
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Chosen by Wesleyan College in Middletown CT as the 2014 One Book/One Community read
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Chosen by Illinois Commission on Literacy as a 2014 selection for the Illinois Reads Program
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Nominated by the Young Adult Library Services Association for the 2014 ALEX Awards (books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults)