I don't go around touting my skills as a writer or pushing my books probably as much as I should because I am more interested in writing than blowing my own horn, but I thought of a way to stir up interest in my books so you can decide if you'd like to read one of them. All four of my novels are on Amazon and I will discuss them here. If you'd like, though, you can see What's for Dinner, Mom? [my cookbook], and you can check out my collection of my mom's writings Singing to the Cows [I just edited that one].
So here are some fun facts about each of my novels.
Two facts to know about all of them:
Amazon lets you read the first few chapters of a book before you buy it, so you can decide if you want to read more!
If you read on a Kindle, I urge you to subscribe to Kindle Unlimited because for $10/month you can download a LOT of books, for nothing, including mine!
Return to Marietta women's fiction, historical fiction, mystery
- This book was inspired by a true story. In 1923 my grandfather, Bob Hasty, was accused of a crime he didn't commit and the resulting scandal cost him his major league baseball career.
- This is basically a love story, because my grandmother drove all the way from Marietta, Georgia to New York City in November 1933 when she was big pregnant with my mom, to reclaim my grandfather, who had seemingly deserted her. She was incredibly gutsy.
- I wrote this story as fiction because it was impossible to find out why my grandfather was accused, the motivation of the accuser.
- My mother said my grandfather tried to get sportswriter interested in writing a book about the scandal, but nobody wanted to take it on probably because Connie Mack was a powerful man and he's the reason my grandfather lost his major league career.
- I spent many hours researching in order to write the most compelling story I could.
Heart of My Own Heart: An Epic Story of Time, History, Magic and Love fantasy, historical fiction, time travel, magical realism
- This is the only novel I have written that involves fantasy elements like witches and time travel.
- I was inspired to try to write an epic book combining historical figures [Queen Elizabeth I, Dr. John Dee] and fantasy by the wonderful books of Michael Scott. He combines historical figures and magical elements. My son and I read all of his books in the Nicholas Flamel series and really enjoyed them.
- The title is from the hymn Be Thou My Vision -- a traditional Irish hymn and one of my very favorites
- I have auburn hair and I have always been fascinated with how/why people inherit the genes for red hair -- and so my main character, Sarah, has red hair and passes it on to her descendants who are witches.
- I learned a lot about how "witches" were persecuted in England and here in the colonies while I was doing research for this book. There actually was a notorious witch hunter in England named Matthew Hopkins. In my book he is an important character.
Leaf Season mystery, romance, magical realism
- This book is set in the North Georgia mountains, a place I love to visit.
- I was inspired to write this because I worked for a plaintiff's attorney in 2014 who loves the outdoors and wanted to retire early to have time to hike and camp.
- I don't know anything about hiking and camping so I made my main character [Wyatt] an avid fisherman, which I know about because I grew up going fishing with my dad.
- One of the main characters in this, Hugh, is a ghost, and it was so much fun writing his sections. He is the comic relief.
- My Basset Hound, Lola, inspired the Basset Hound in the book, Blanche DuBois.
Ghosts in the Garden City romance, magical realism, mystery, women's fiction
- I was born in Augusta, Georgia and lived there until I was 8 years old, which is why this book is partially set in Augusta -- known as The Garden City. [Oh, and some people know it because of a golf tournament, The Masters]
- I was inspired to write this because I got the genetic testing on 23andMe and found out I am 1% black.
- I set the book in 1996, which was a pivotal year for me, the year I lost my dad to cancer. Unfortunately, I remember the year vividly.
- The incident that starts off the book, two small children getting locked out of their house, is based on a real incident that happened to me and my brother.
- I started writing the character of the mother as an unrepentant baddie, but I got so intrigued with her that I made her more central to the story and less awful.
left, my grandfather with Connie Mack and Slim Hariss
right, my book that Memaw and Papa inspired
#booksbydeethompson, #bookssetingeorgia, #magicalrealismnovels, #bobhastybasballplayer, #bookssetinnorthgeorgia, #booksaboutaugustageorgia, #bookssetinmarietta
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