BOOK GIVEAWAY!

I’ve been a bit B17 obsessed, just a bit, maybe only a kernel, really. And I’ve fallen behind on some of my promises. So to get back to work, I would like to introduce a new author, KATT ANDERSON, and her debut novel CALLIE'S MOUNTAIN.

My review:

Callie Trent arrives by wagon train in the Tennessee Mountains only to be told by her father she has to marry a man she's never met, the handsome Jacob McGinnis. Despite his daring strength and ability to keep the settlers safe from Indians and kidnappers, she wants nothing to do with him. After all, how can she ever find her own true love if she's forced to marry someone she doesn't even know?

If you like to read about the early settlers, survival in the wilderness and what it was like to live in a fort, not to mention Indian fights, and an introduction to a race of people few of us know exist, this is the book for you!

Katt, welcome! 

When did you first realize your calling to write?

I’ve wanted to write since elementary school. I didn’t have any idea how to go about it until I met a friend who was an author. She showed me I could write, and helped me with the process of getting started.

What inspired you to write Callie’s Mountain? 

The story of the Melungeon people has been dear to me for a long time. They were so mistreated by the white people. I guess I feel for the downtrodden people. I’d much rather write about people who are lifted up from the depths of hurt.

We were researching our family tree, along with my cousin’s husband. My husband found information about our family that we had not heard of before. Believe me, it was a wild family. With his discovery, we realized we had Melungeon blood in our veins, from my father’s mother. My father and his siblings bore distinct characteristics of the Melungeon race. I tried to use native Melungeon names in the book, but it isn’t about anyone in particular.

Writing Callie’s Mountain has been quite a journey for you. Do you care to talk about it?

Callie’s Mountain has had a lot of starts and stops. The book has been with me, and a part of my life, for seven years. I started writing for therapy after my father’s death. I wrote off and on while caring for my mother. Callie wouldn’t let me alone, and I continued to write. 

There have been a lot of discouragements, mostly from agents and publishers. We all have them if we desire to write. I have persevered. It’s made me a better person and a better writer. 

What is Callie’s Mountain about? What time period is it set in? What makes it stand out?

Callie’s Mountain is set in the hills of Tennessee, around Rogersville, in 1798. It is a love and hate story. Callie’s father tells her he has arranged a marriage for her with Jacob McGinnis. She’s never met him, and she rebels. First on her agenda is to teach school. Then she wants to find her “own true love.” The wagon train they are traveling across the mountains in is attacked by three strange men, the first introduction of the Melungeons. Jacob runs them off, but it doesn’t impress Callie. 

She becomes close to one Melungeon family, and teaches them to read and write. The store owner raised prices when he sold anything to the Melungeons. He is killed by Indians, who he also cheated, before they have a chance to approach him with their knowledge.

There are Indian attacks, Callie likes Jacob, then doesn’t. I think there’s a lot of action. 

To me the story of the Lost Race, the Melungeons, makes it stand out. Very few books have been written about these people, and I want them to be portrayed as the sweet, wonderful people they are.

What about this new publishing company Mantle Rock?

When I was having trouble being published, my dear friend and author, Sandi Rog, encouraged me to start my own company and self-publish. My husband, Jerry and I decided this was the way publication was going. It’s hard to be published in a large publishing company. It takes years to see your book in print. Mantle Rock Publishing can publish your book for you with no cost to you, and in months instead of years. The only thing we ask is you have it edited before it comes to us. We want a perfect manuscript. We can then have it printed on Kindle and in paperback. You will receive a commission when the book is sold. We will also help you market your book by helping you with blogs, interviews, and other ways of marketing. Of course, you have to do a lot of the leg work. Callie’s Mountain is being printed now in paperback. If anyone has other questions, they can contact me at kathycret at yahoo dot com.

What other releases do you have coming out?

Susannah’s Hope is scheduled to be released in January, 2013. Susannah is a brat in Callie’s Mountain. She goes through a lot of changes in the beginning of the story. She takes a complete 360 degree turn when her father dies and she is left to manage the store. Dr. Val Minor befriends her. There are no Indian attacks, but a smallpox epidemic. This book also involves mixed marriages between Melungeon and Caucasian. It really happened in that time.

After that is Emily’s Faith. Emily is the daughter of Callie and Jacob McGinnis. This will involve the Trail of Tears and be set in Hopkinsville, KY. After all, I live in Kentucky now and the Trail of Tears is part of our area. It is also a love story between Emily and a part Melungeon man. I think it will be a sad book to write because of all the things that happened to the Cherokee Indians. I am enjoying the research.

In the fall, I hope to finish Gilded Winter. I may change the name to Golden Winter. Haven’t decided yet. It’s set in 1908 on Jekyll Island. It’s the end of the Gilded Era, and Jekyll was a winter haven for the rich. It’s about four employees on the island. It’s a lighter book than the Melungeon stories. 

After that, I have several running around in my head. I pray God lets me live long enough to tell them.

A lot of the process of my writing is on my blog, www.kattscribbles.blogspot.com. My website is www.kattanderson.com. I also write another blog for teen girls. I invite you to stop by www.forchristiangirls.org. You may also check out Mantel Rock Publishing at www.mantlerockpublishing.com. 

Thanks for having me on your blog. I’ve enjoyed being here. Thank you to the readers who have taken time to read the blog. I pray you will enjoy my humble endeavors to tell my story.

Katt, it was so interesting to learn about the Melungeons. Thank you so much for joining us! And folks, if you want an enjoyable romantic read, get your hands on Callie’s Mountain. And if you wish to be entered into this fabulous giveaway, leave a comment below with your email address written like so sandirog at gmail dot com. GOOD LUCK!