Today, we welcome historical fiction/mystery author Charlotte Whitney to Novels Alive. We ask a few very short questions to find out more about Charlotte’s writing process. Welcome, Charlotte!
Q: Did you learn anything from writing this book?
A: I learned that I consistently miss my mistakes when I’m proofreading. Having the computer read aloud to me helps a lot and having lots of beta readers and advance reviewers helps a whole lot. I also learned the process of dealing with a professional book designer and how to go about getting endorsements. Endorsements are those blurbs at the front, back, and inside “Praise For” sections of the book. They’re usually bestselling authors who’ve read your book and recommend it.
Q: How did you go about getting endorsements?
A: I start with an email tailored to the author, indicating how much I enjoy and appreciate her writing. I also mention a scene or something from the book so that she’ll know I’ve actually read her writing and connect with it. If I had anything else in common I mention it. Many authors are simply swamped with work, so you really can’t count on every response being positive. It’s hard (or impossible) to find email addresses for some well-known authors which eliminates the mega bestsellers. I was fortunate to have many positive responses and overwhelming positive blurbs. For The Unveiling of Polly Forrest, a historical mystery set during 1934-1935, I also sought an endorsements from historians who studied the Great Depression. I was fortunate to get a glowing recommendation from a historian at University of California, Berkeley. Each blurb I received buoyed me up and made me feel grateful for the generosity of these people who took the time to read the manuscript, then to write a thoughtful endorsement.
Q: Are the experiences in this book based on events in your own life?
A: Mainly the events are from my imagination, but there are a few, limited experiences from my own life. When Polly’s two nephews are playing Blindman’s Bluff in the silo, that was straight from my childhood. So was the day canning sweetcorn, only we had indoor water and an electric stove, not a cookstove. Some of the church services were similar to my childhood where my family attended a small Methodist country church.
Q: What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
A: Best: Keep writing you’ll improve. Worst: You might as well quit—no one will care.
Thanks for joining us today, Charlotte. Having you was a real treat!
Publication Date: March 15, 2022
Rural Michigan, 1934.
During the throes of the Great Depression Polly marries for money. After her husband Sam dies in a bizarre farm accident, new bride Polly assumes she is set to pursue her dream of opening a hat-making business. Instead, she becomes the prime suspect in Sam’s murder. Secrets abound and even Polly’s family can’t figure out the truth.
READ OUR 5-STAR REVIEW OF THE UNVEILING OF POLLY FORREST HERE!
One randomly chosen winner via Rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card.
Charlotte Whitney is the author of historical fiction set during the Great Depression in the rural Midwest. Her most recent work, The Unveiling of Polly Forrest, a stand-alone historical mystery follows her groundbreaking novel, Threads A Depression-Era Tale, which was met with both critical acclaim and commercial success. She received a master’s degree in English at the University of Michigan, and after a short stint of teaching at two community colleges, worked at the University of Michigan where she was an associate director of the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts. Currently living in Arizona with her husband and two dogs she enjoys hiking, bicycling, swimming, and yoga.
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Thanks for hosting!
You’re welcome!
Sounds like a great read.
Sounds like a good book.
thanks for sharing the interview. sounds like you learned a lot for this book. I always find it fun to constantly learn new things with one of my passions such as quilting.
Thank you for sharing your interview, bio and book details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work and I am looking forward to reading your story
I enjoyed reading the interview, Charlotte, I enjoyed the excerpt also and I can’t wait to read The Unveiling of Polly Forrest!
Thanks for sharing it with me and have an amazing TGIF!
The book sounds wonderful. Love the cover!