Part 2: WRITING REAL HISTORY IN A CANCEL CULTURE WORLD (A CAUTIONARY TALE)

 Tamera Alexander

Part 2: Continued from November 25th

Talk about a gut punch.

Again, I’d heard of cancel culture, had read about it, had seen plenty of examples in the news. But admittedly, this blindsided me. Because Colors of Truth is about real history. It’s a continuation of the two previous books in the Carnton series (Christmas at Carnton and With This Pledge), which contain the same setting, same characters, same storyworld. And those books had been very well received by readers.

After considering my publisher’s requested changes, I found I simply could not make them in good conscience. First, because many of the suggestions were historically inaccurate, and historical accuracy is something I work very hard to maintain (especially since I work closely with the curators and historians at the Nashville plantations that serve as the backdrop for these Southern novels).

Secondly, to me, the concerns over offending readers stemmed from a misguided desire to "right" history by rewriting it, by altering the parts of America’s past that are especially painful or shameful. But to do such a thing would not only be untruthful, it would, in my opinion, greatly dishonor the real freedmen and freedwomen who struggled under and eventually triumphed over the scourge of slavery, one of the darkest sins of American history. I simply could not make the revisions to the novel and remain true to my personal convictions. So where did that leave us?

Colors of Truth—approved by the publisher in January, printed and ready to ship in June—was delayed, then ultimately cancelled in September, along with the third book in the Carnton series (that I’m currently writing). That certainly wasn’t the path to publication I’d envisioned for this story. But as we’ve seen over the course of this past year, life rarely turns out as planned, right?

Yet I still believed in this story, in the power of real history—both the honorable and the horrific—to transform lives. To change hearts and minds. So, thanks to options available to authors today, I formed my own press—Fountain Creek Press—and after a major four-week crash course in indie publishing, I published Colors of Truth myself.

Talk about a journey.

The theme of truth runs throughout this story. As does that of lies. Lies told to us. Lies we tell ourselves. Lies we tell others. Lies we even try to tell God (good luck with that last one!). We live in a time when integrity and truth are hard to come by. Major understatement, I realize. Telling the truth often comes at great cost. But through this experience I’ve learned, yet again, how very important it is to tell the truth. To live the truth. To stand firm on the truth. To not bend to cancel culture. And to trust, as I do, that Jesus has all of this firmly under his control. That he knows, he sees, and that he’s working through every trough and peak of this life for his glory and for my eternal good. Always.

Talk about empowering.

God met me on the pages of Colors of Truth and drew me closer to him through the characters’ struggles, and through my own struggles as this book found its way to publication. My deepest hope is that readers, too, are drawn closer to him as they read.

On November 12, Tamera Alexander was inducted into The Christy Award® Hall of Fame. Authors honored with four or more Christy Award® wins are inducted into the Hall of Fame, which recognizes their legacy and contributions to Christian fiction.

Tamera Alexander is the USA Today bestselling author of numerous books, including With This Pledge, A Lasting Impression, A Note Yet Unsung, To Whisper Her Name, and To Wager Her Heart.

Her richly drawn characters and thought-provoking plots have earned her devoted readers worldwide, as well as multiple industry awards.

These awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Bookseller’s Best Award, and being listed among Publishers Weekly and Library Journal’s Top Inspirational Fiction, among others.

Tamera's books have been translated into numerous languages. She's toured Germany and The Netherlands meeting readers and cherishes those connections.

Visit Tamera at: https://tameraalexander.com/

To learn more about Tamera Alexander read her article in this magazine.  Click and scroll down to this cover.

WRITING REAL HISTORY IN A CANCEL CULTURE WORLD (A CAUTIONARY TALE) PART 1

Tamera Alexander

We’ve all heard of cancel culture by now, right? It’s not a new phenomenon, after all. By nature, we human beings can be a fairly judgmental lot. But in recent weeks, cancel culture has taken on a much deeper meaning for me. One I never expected.

I write historical fiction/romance steeped in real history. Real Southern history in recent years. I often say I could research for a living and be quite a happy camper. And it thrills me to think that someone who might never pick up a history book, might read one of my novels and, in turning the last page, will have gained a deeper understanding of America’s history and the real people who lived it. We can learn so much from those who’ve gone before us.

Do you enjoy exploring old cemeteries? Reading the fading names and dates etched long ago into crumbling stone markers? If yes, then I suspect we’re kindred spirits at heart. My latest novel, Colors of Truth, book 2 in the Carnton series, is rooted in the history of a 19th century Southern cemetery—the McGavock Cemetery in Franklin, Tennessee. The largest privately-owned Civil War cemetery in the United States.

The details of the tragic origin of this cemetery are intertwined with the story of two fiery-tempered Irish sisters who come to America in search of their brother, and of a United States Secret Service agent hot on the trail of counterfeiters. Following the tumultuous years of the American Civil War, anywhere from one-third to one-half of the currency in circulation was counterfeit. So, this country, already ripped apart from racial strife and injustice, teetered on the brink of financial bankruptcy as well.

Colors of Truth is about the abhorrence of slavery, about racial reconciliation, and the challenges of the post-war period. It’s a novel based in the unshakable truth that the ground at the foot of the cross of Christ is level, that the immutable Word of God says every nation, tribe, people, and language will be present in the Kingdom of God.

Colors of Truth was initially scheduled to release this past spring but was moved to July 7 due to my own delay in getting the book finished, edited, and resubmitted last fall after what was a very rough year for me personally. My precious Dad passed in August 2019 following a ten-year journey with dementia. But he was 87, bless him, and ready to go Home to be with Christ—and with my Mom. Which made our temporary goodbye, while still painful, considerably sweeter.

In late June, around the day Colors of Truth was scheduled to ship from the warehouse, my publisher called to tell me that the novel was being delayed until October 6 due to newly-arisen concerns about the title, the cover, and the book’s Southern plantation setting. (You’ll no doubt recall the pockets of protest and the vandalism of Civil War statues and memorial sites at that time.) I strongly disagreed with their decision to delay the book and did my best to talk them out of it, but I wasn’t successful.

A month later, my publisher reached out again. This time to request major changes to the novel, sharing that they believed some parts of the story could be offensive to current day readers. They expressed concern, too, that the cover (featuring the actual antebellum home of Carnton in Franklin, Tennessee) and that the title itself (Colors of Truth) could be potentially offensive. They informed me that the already-printed and ready-to-be-shipped books were being destroyed.

Part 2 of the story continues Friday, November 27

Tamera Alexander is the USA Today bestselling author of numerous books, including With This Pledge, A Lasting Impression, A Note Yet Unsung, To Whisper Her Name, and To Wager Her Heart.

Her richly drawn characters and thought-provoking plots have earned her devoted readers worldwide, as well as multiple industry awards.

These awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Bookseller’s Best Award, and being listed among Publishers Weekly and Library Journal’s Top Inspirational Fiction, among others.

Tamera's books have been translated into numerous languages. She's toured Germany and The Netherlands meeting readers and cherishes those connections.

Thanks a Million

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine

It seems like just yesterday when Annette Cole Mastron, our Communications Director, notified us that Suite T was getting more than a thousand visitors a day.  Only a couple of months later, we got excited when that number doubled to over two thousand each day.  Having just checked the stats, I'm proud to report that your Southern Writers blog is now attracting between five and seven thousand views daily, a number that continues to grow weekly.

And here's the coolest part: This week you gave us our ONE MILLIONTH HIT on Suite T!

Besides reaching the marvelous milestone itself, this tells us a couple of things:

1) Social media works.
2) There are a ton of online users interested in the writing craft.
 
Sure, there are blogs with even more impressive numbers, but for a magazine that's only been in publication for three years, and one that relies largely on word-of-mouth and social media to generate buzz, we're mighty happy—and grateful to you—for those numbers.

So grateful are we, in fact, that we want to give you a free gift.  In honor of our millionth blog hit, we're giving you the complete set of all three anniversary issues of Southern Writers Magazine!

 Visit http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/millionbonus.html to get your free online editions of our July 2012, July 2013, and July 2014 anniversary issues featuring interviews with best-selling authors Tamera Alexander, Karen White, DiAnn Mills, and many others. If you're a follower of the blog but have yet to see the magazine that spawned it, here's your chance to experience all of the interviews, insights and special features we pack into each issue for you.

Over a million pageviews represents a lot of writers coming to see what other writers have to say about their craft, but it includes a great many non-writing readers as well.  If you're an author, consider guest blogging on Suite T and connecting with thousands of fellow authors and potential new readers (submission info is found here under Guest Posting).

In my next post on Tuesday September 9th, I'll share some of the interesting observations we've made during these three years of blogging, along with which posts have gotten the most attention, and why.  Meanwhile, be sure to check out your three free issues of Southern Writers (for a limited time) at this link:

http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/millionbonus.html

All of us at Southern Writers want to thank you for following Suite T and helping us reach this milestone.  We think you're one in a million!

Look Who's Talking

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director

What started out as a gift to the blind has become an enduring way to enjoy books.  When the Library of Congress first began distributing books for the blind in the 1930s, it wasn't long before the sighted also came to appreciate the appeal of the recorded word on vinyl. 

The Bible and other classics were the early leaders in sales.  By the 1980s, the cassette made motivational tapes especially popular.  Today more than ever, book lovers on the go are finding that audiobooks are a great traveling companion.  On a long drive, a compelling book is just the cure for highway hypnosis. 

Even as we see eBooks leap forward in the marketplace, audiobooks continue to claim a growing piece of the pie that used to be dominated by the printed medium. In both 2011 and 2012, sales of audiobooks have increased more than 30% over the previous year.

Some of Southern Writers' favorite authors know the value of the audiobook, and are making their novels available to an eager new audience.  Sandra Balzo, our current cover story, is about to release her second audiobook.  Tamera Alexander, Robert Whitlow, and Andy Andrews are other front pagers whose works are readily available.  These days, you can find virtually any bestseller on CD.

Clearly, books and audio will remain close friends for some time.  Which is why we want you to know about Take Five, one of our new online venues for authors.  At Take Five, simply click a button to listen to a five-minute excerpt from a variety of new Southern books, often read by the author.  As I write this, Pamela King Cable, Kimberly Rae, and Philip Levin's latest can be previewed in Take Five.

Not every sample you'll hear in Take Five is available as an audiobook, at least not yet.  But an aural appetizer is a quick and fun way to get a taste of these great Southern writers. If you like what you hear, the book itself is just another click away.

Give a listen to Take Five now, and be sure to come back again periodically to see who's waiting to talk to you. And if you're a subscriber with a book to promote, you're invited to be on Take Five.  Details on how to get a good recording, along with an easy means to upload your audio to us, are right there on the website.

Whether you're an author who likes to read, or a reader who likes to listen, we hope you'll take part in Take Five.  A few minutes there will be a sound investment.

CONTEST

Southern Writers One Stop Christmas Shopping Contest

Southern Writers has teamed up with three incredible authors to bring you a one-stop shopping opportunity that only costs you a few clicks and moments of your time! By following each step below you will earn at least one chance to win an incredible prize package that will include:


1) Lisa Whittle's {w}hole. 

Get past whatever holds you back – and start living a whole new story

We all have holes in our lives — those things we lament about ourselves. Those things we allow to define us in ways we don’t like. Those things that keep us from living the life God wants for us.


But what if you discovered that the holes in your life are really the things that will ultimately make you… well, whole?

Author and communicator Lisa Whittle knows this all too well. When her world was rocked to the core in a very public way, her faith and whole reason for living were challenged like never before. In that moment, Lisa was confronted by the holes in her spiritual life. And what she learned not only changed her life, but could bring great possibilities to yours.

In {w}hole, Lisa calls you to take an honest look at your holes, discover how to fill them with God’s presence, and get to a real and vibrant place of wholeness instead. In her trademark bold, compassionate, and relatable voice, Lisa takes you on a transformational journey of understanding who you really are… and what you were born to be and do.

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The latest in the inspirational and heartwarming Blue Sky Hill series from Lisa Wingate. 

All her life, Epiphany Salerno has been tossed like a dandelion seed on the wind. Now, at sixteen, she must move to the low-rent side of Blue Sky Hill and work where she's not wanted: in an upscale home on The Hill.

J. Norman Alvord's daughter has hired a teenager to stay with him in the afternoons. Widowed and suffering from heart trouble, Norman wants to be left alone. But in Epie's presence, Norman discovers a mystery-- memories of another life and a woman who saved him. As he and Epie take an unexpected road trip through sleepy Southern towns, they form a life changing friendship and uncover long-held family secrets.

3) Tamera Alexander's A Lasting Impression

A fake. A forger. That’s what Claire Laurent knows she is, which is why she can’t fathom working in the home of the richest woman in Nashville, let alone America. But when she meets Sutton Monroe––Mrs. Acklen’s far too handsome and equally as discerning personal attorney––Claire’s certain the first impression she made with him…will be her last.

When I first stepped foot across the threshold of the Belmont Mansion in Nashville, TN, and learned about Adelicia Acklen––the born-before-her-time woman who built Belmont––and her “tough as nails” personality and extraordinary life, I knew I wanted to write a story that included her, her magnificent home, and this crucial time in our nation’s history.

But when I “met” Sutton Monroe and Claire Laurent while visiting the mansion one afternoon, or more rightly, when they shoved their way into my imagination and met each other, oh…I knew I had to write their story. And I knew exactly what the setting would be too. The historic Belmont Mansion. After over two years of research and writing, A Lasting Impression is the culmination of that “chance meeting.”

A Lasting Impression is about being authentic in one’s life and relationships, and in one’s faith. It’s a love story about a nation mending after war, ­­the redemption of those wounded, and the courage of a man and woman to see themselves––and each other––for who they really are.

4) A Kindle, Offered by Southern Writers Magazine

The new Kindle is lighter, smaller and faster. Southern Writers Magazine wants to make it easy to read this holiday season. 

Southern Writers nurtures and encourages authors on their writing journey and is the first magazine of its kind to equip writers not just with skill as a writer but empowers them to market and sell their books. Their informative and inspirational magazine has been heralded as a "writing conference in a magazine" and is an essential tool for any writer serious about publication and success as a writer.

5) Southern Writer's Most Popular Book

Visit the Southern Writers Bookstore to explore the prose penned by each issue's featured authors. Whether you're looking for a book to thrill or inspire, you'll find your favorite emerging and established authors in the Southern Writers Bookstore. Get a copy of your next favorite book today!

Who wouldn't want to win all these great prizes? Entering is easy. Just follow the instructions below and be sure and visit on Thanksgiving Day when the randomly selected winner will be announced!

The First Cut is the Deepest

by Tamera Alexander

“If you love reading novels, don’t try to learn how to write them. It’ll take away some of the joy.” That’s what an author told me years ago, and while I’ve discovered that to be partially true, in order to learn how to write novels well you must love to read them.

In The Wizard of Oz the wizard tells Dorothy, “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!” But as writers, that’s precisely what we should do. Pay attention. In order to see how a novel works, we can’t merely look at the surface (read the story and enjoy it), we must dig deeper, down to the individual parts of the story that make it so enjoyable, so “unputdownable.”

One way I do that is through dissecting novels, separating them into pieces, or as Webster’s defines it, “exposing the several parts for scientific examination; to analyze and interpret minutely.”

Why should we dissect another writer’s book? Because we learn from others; we learn through imitation. As babies, we learn how to walk and talk from others. Then as we’re learning, repetition is key. We also dissect novels to improve the quality of our writing. Reading great writing only enhances your own voice. You’ve heard the phrase “iron sharpens iron.” And it’s true. The more we learn, the better writers we become.

Six factors to look for when dissecting a novel:

1.      Powerful openings
Roger Ailes in You Are the Message says, “We start to make up our minds about other people within seven seconds of first meeting them.” And it’s no different with novels. An average reader gives a novelist five minutes (or less) to hook them. Gripping first sentences and scenes are a must.

Consider these examples of great first sentences that complement their genre:

Sidda is a girl again in the hot heart of Louisiana, the bayou world of Catholic saints and voodoo queens. —Rebecca Wells, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (1996)

I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975. —Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner (2003)

Powerful first sentences and openings are a must.

2.      Distinctive Dialogue

As Anne Lamott shares in Bird by Bird, “One line of dialogue that rings true reveals character in a way that pages of description can’t.”

Authentic dialogue jumps off the page, not only in content, but in style and voice, and compels us to keep reading. Distinctive dialogue advances the story, provides insight into characters, and isn’t weighed down with unnecessary speaker attributions.

3. Balance of Narration
   In Stein on Writing, Sol Stein says, “Recognizing an individual author’s voice is like recognizing a voice on the telephone. Many authors first find their “voice” when they learn to examine each word for its necessity, precision, and clarity.”
   
   Voice is seen in the narration of a novel, certainly, and we can learn from that, but within that voice, how does the author use narration? Do they start chapters with narration? Do they mix it with dialogue? Do they slip in “dreaded” backstory? Which actually, when done well, can be a great tool.
   
   
4. Believable Story world
   “…so you build your story world––a moody, subjective bailiwick, brought to life so vividly with sensory images that each and every reader automatically finds himself transported there, no matter how limited his experience,” says Dwight Swain, in Techniques of the Selling Writer.
   
   How three-dimensional is the story you’re reading? Can you see everything in the setting? Is the author historically accurate? How do they use description?
   
   
5. Compelling Characterization
   “Great characters are the key to great fiction. A high-octane plot is nothing without credible, larger-than-life, highly developed enactors to make it meaningful,” says Donald Maass in Writing the Breakout Novel.
   
   Are the characters memorable? Unique? Do they grow? Do they have believable flaws and virtues, and emotions? Do secondary characters add to the story without stealing the spotlight? Are characters’ motives clear and powerful enough to create and sustain conflict? 

6. Layering
   “…the main task of fiction is to give the reader a continuing emotional experience,” says Sol Stein in How to Grow a Novel.
   
   How big is the story? How many layers does it have? How many different POVs? Deep POV is often what separates a ‘good book’ from a story that impacts your life forever.

Now to grab a book––and a scalpel!

Tamera Alexander is the best-selling author of Rekindled, Revealed and Remembered, the critically acclaimed Fountain Creek Chronicles historical series with Bethany House Publishers, along withFrom a Distance, Beyond This Moment, and Within My Heart (Timber Ridge Reflections series). Her historical romances—including The Inheritance with Thomas Nelson—penned in her style with deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose have earned her devoted readers—and multiple industry awards.

After living in Colorado for seventeen years, Tamera has returned to her Southern roots. She and her husband now make their home in Nashville with Tamera's father, Doug. They enjoy life there with Joe and Tamera's two adult children, and Jack, a precious—and precocious—silky terrier.

Connect with Tamera online at her website, blog, on Facebook and on Twitter.