Posts by Rachel:
Why I Wrote My PitchWars Novel
People always ask, “What’s your book about?” But the question often ignored is, “Why did you write your book?” That’s where this blog hop comes in!
I think it’s fair to say every writer decides to put words on paper because the story speaks to them in some way. If you’re like me, you can hear the characters in your head and you know their tale must be told.
For my novel, The Bootlegger’s Bible, which was chosen for PitchWars by epic mentors Stephanie Garber and Stacey Lee, the nagging thoughts in my head to write this story came mostly from my childhood. My parents come from different religious backgrounds and for my entire life we’ve celebrated the holidays of each faith. I grew up immersed in both cultures, the traditions, the viewpoints and seeing how they weren’t always fond of each other. From that, my characters started to emerge until I could hear their voices and their old fashioned slang.
Now, to be fair, my youth didn’t exactly consist of an alternate version of the 1940’s, like in my novel, where the Second World War and Prohibition coexist. But I have always been fascinated by the gangster era. So when I thought about these families and when their story should be told, Prohibition seemed like an obvious setting. Especially given the warring neighborhoods and the everyday man turning on their friends and family.
Starting with those basic building blocks, my novel blossomed from (what I consider) a pretty cool idea into a fully fledged world. I loved exploring all the alternate history possibilities and watching my characters transform into people. It’s been such an incredible ride and I honestly have never loved this story more.
I know I’m not alone in having a great “behind the book” story, so be sure to check out all these other awesome PitchWars participants and learn about their journeys.
Carleen Karanovic: HOPE ON A FEATHER
Tracie Martin: WILD IS THE WIND
Rachel Sarah: RULES FOR RUNNING AWAY
Amanda Rawson Hill: GRIMM AND BEAR IT
Charlotte Gruber: CODE OF SILENCE
Kip Wilson: THE MOST DAZZLING GIRL IN BERLIN
Nikki Roberti: THE TRUTH ABOUT TWO-SHOES
K. A. Reynolds: LE CIRQUE DU LITERATI
Susan Crispell: WISHES TO NOWHERE
Ron Walters: THE GOLEM INITIATIVE
Rosalyn Eves: THE BLOOD ROSE REBELLION
Janet Walden-West: Damned If She Do
Elliah Terry: POCKET FULL OF POPPIES
Alessa Hinlo: THE HONEST THIEF
Rachel Horwitz: THE BOOTLEGGER’S BIBLE
Whitney Taylor: DEFINITIONS OF INDEFINABLE THINGS
Natalie Williamson: SET IN STONE
Robin Lemke: THE DANCE OF THE PALMS
Stephanie Herman: CLIFF WITH NO EDGE
Shannon Cooley: A FROG, A WHISTLE, AND A VIAL OF SAND
Ruth Anne Snow: THE GIRLS OF MARCH
Elizabeth Dimit: PHOEBE FRANZ’S GUIDE TO PASSPORTS, PAGEANTS, & PARENTAL DISASTERS
Gwen C. Katz: AMONG THE RED STARS
Gina Denny: SANDS OF IMMORTALITY
Natasha M. Heck: FOLLOW THE MOON
2014 Fall TV Round Up
Every Fall I get way too really excited about the new line-up of potential hit shows. Why? I’m always on the lookout for a new obsession and I tend to tune into every and any new show I might remotely be interested in. However, if the time slot is in the middle of a series […]
Tribute to a Master Storyteller
I’ve been struggling to write this blog post ever since the news broke. Robin Williams might not have been a writer, but he was a master storyteller. He had perfected the art of character and voice and played such an influential part in my childhood and path towards writing that I felt it was only […]
Cover Reval: CATCH ME WHEN I FALL
It’s cover reveal day for the most awesome and spectacular Vicki Leigh’s CATCH ME WHEN I FALL! Lots of greatstuff going on that you’ll want a piece of, including a giveaway! But first, here’s a special message from Vicki: http://youtu.be/vc59e3yLhOs And here’s what CATCH ME WHEN I FALL is all about: Recruited at his death to […]
Pitch Wars Mentee 2014
Awards
