The River Home

A: I wrote THE RIVER HOME soon after I had finished FINDING HOME in 1990, but I never showed it to anyone. This was my second attempt at writing a novel, and I hate to admit this, but it was a bigger mess then the first piece simply because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I felt as if Tye’s story had room to continue, but sometimes a sequel takes some time to find its own direction. I had too many subplots. It was if I was trying to fit every story I was ever going to write into this one book. And even though I was still new to writing, I knew this wasn’t good enough to send out. So it sat on the shelf next to FINDING HOME for many years.

A: No. I feel very strongly about this. All of my books stand alone. Even if the story line is following the same group of characters as in previous books, the story will be whole within the pages of the book. Any reader can pick up THE RIVER HOME, and enjoy a complete read without any questions that refer to the earlier book. That same rule applies to all of my books.

A: By giving these characters some time to breathe in between the first and second novel. Some things can’t be pushed, and for me, writing is one of those things. By leaving Tye and her friends alone for a little while, I allowed them to come back to me full instead of trying to work with them when they were already spent from the last book. Everybody needs a rest; even the characters in my book. And by trusting that instinct and giving them some much needed time off, I found that they really did have more to give.

A: I don’t know. Tye and her friends are resting again. And after you read THE RIVER HOME, you’ll know why! They go through quite a bit in this book. Right now though, the series feels finished to me. But I’ve said that before.