Help me welcome author Jennifer Hallmark today as she shares about her experiences writing her latest release. And, she is generously giving away an ebook to one random commenter. Read through to see how to enter that drawing.

Smoking Flax started out being what I called my “dark” story. My first published novel, Jessie’s Hope, lived up to its theme: forgiveness and hope. My unpublished fantasy novel is similar. But Reed Anderson’s life in Smoking Flax is far from hopeful. Abuse, poverty, and racism abound in his life. But an unexpected move to another state changes all that.

Or does it?

I’m a “discovery” writer; one who figures out the story as it is written. I do pen a very basic outline but enjoy the ebbs and flows of the story that discovery writing brings. The story bogged down in 2020 amidst all the unrest so I enlisted a writing coach, James L. Rubart, to help me move forward. While he did not contribute to the story itself, the ways he suggested I search deeper within for the real story made all the difference.

Then I actually 'dreamed’ the ending. When I woke that morning, I grabbed a notebook and began recording each detail from the vivid dream I’d had during the night. Followed by months of running my work past critique partners and beta readers before I attended an online writing conference and sold my story to Elk Lake Publishing Inc.

My dark story turned hopeful in the end. I found through the writing of Smoking Flax that I loved stories that scared me a little and fascinated me a lot. I wanted to write stories filled with unforgettable characters, action, and suspense, but with a positive twist. Weird and wonderful. The deepest part of me on paper. And that’s what I believe you’ll find in my novel.

Smoking Flax has given me more angst than anything I’ve written before because I dug into many genuine feelings, emotions, and my past. Some of my beta readers asked if I’d been mistreated as a child after reading certain sections of the story. Definitely not. My parents were wonderful people. But I drew from negative experiences in my life to write the difficult scenes and let the emotions flow. Reed’s story has been therapeutic for me and possibly might be for you too if you’ve struggled in the past.

For parents and grandparents considering purchasing Smoking Flax for their teens, the story is clean and the ill-treatment mentioned mostly off scene. My best beta reader has been my fifteen-year-old granddaughter and she was good with the more intense parts. And loved the story. (which makes it all worthwhile) Adults like me who love to read YA will enjoy this coming-of-age novel with its many unexpected twists.

Please leave a comment for a chance to win an e-book of Smoking Flax. Cleverly disguise your email address so the 'bots don't get you. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

A Peek Inside

 Chapter One

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. (Isaiah 42:3 KJV)

May 27, 1984

I turned Aunt Lula’s Dodge Aspen off the gravel road onto the driveway leading to Golden Marais Baptist Church. The mimosas had grown tall since I’d last been here, the two magnolias were missing entirely. The sun peeked above the horizon, but daylight was not my friend. Who knew the words of my crazy aunt would lead to this? Only three days after graduation.

Her words still hung in the air. Reed Anderson, you know why you’re here.

I repressed the shudder that ran along my spine and surveyed the scene before me. The old rectangular church building stretched to my right, with a shed behind, woods fringed all around. Where was the outhouse? The wood siding needed paint and a shutter hung like a broken arm from one of the four windows which greeted my view…

About Smoking Flax

Who Is He—Really?

Almost nineteen-year-old Reed Anderson wants to belong in a world where he hasn’t always fit. Three days after graduation, he decides to ride a bus back to Louisiana and deal with the events of his thirteenth summer once and for all. Back then, he’d stood up to his abusive Pa, protecting Momma and his sister, taking control of his life.

But who was the faded image of the child he saw that day? Aunt Lula predicted his life would shift and change. Something about space-time-continuum and the fourth dimension. He tucks her words in his heart. If he survives the shift, this could be his chance to start over. But the ghost child haunts his dreams.

Even though six years have passed, does he want to confront the lies he’s always believed?

Click here to read the first chapter free.

Or buy Smoking Flax here. 

About Jennifer:

Jennifer Hallmark writes Southern fiction with a twist. Her website and newsletter focus on her books, love of the South, and favorite fiction. She loves reading and streaming science fiction, fantasy, and mysteries or her favorite subject—time travel.

Her latest novel, Smoking Flax, was released on January 16^th with Elk Lake Publishing. She creates stories with unforgettable characters—her stories are a little eerie and otherworldly but with a positive turn.

Links:

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