First and foremost, let me say thank you to Authors’ Lounge for this wonderful opportunity! I am humbled by your invitation to bring my novel to your readers.
October Storms is a story of heart-breaking loss, the fight for survival, learning to trust oneself as well as others, self-discovery, and, at its core, unbreakable bonds of friendship. The story begins and ends in the 1970s, but the heart of the story takes place on the cusp of the twentieth century.
In 1897, Louise Hawkes and her two children, Randall and Rebecca, are alone on the Illinois prairie after the mysterious disappearance of Louise’s husband, Eli. When Louise accepts a stranger’s offer of assistance, she unwittingly allows a madman into their lives.
Charming at first, the stranger, Archibald Deeder, soon reveals his true nature. After a brutal attack, Louise flees with her children, leading her to a widow named Agnes who takes them in and cares for them. In the following months, Agnes’s patience and kindness allow Louise time to heal in body and spirit and sets her on a path to future success. Eventually, a bond of friendship forms between them that even death couldn’t break.
October Storms was inspired by a dream told to me over four decades ago by a woman I had only recently met. She believed her dream was proof she and I had been together in a former life. In the dream, she was back in the late 1800s and in terrible danger. She said her life was saved when a kind stranger (she believed to be me) provided her and her children a safe place to hide from a vicious stranger who sought to take over their farm.
In the years that followed, the ‘dreamer’ and I became best friends. Every October, she and I travel to Allerton Park, a truly unique jewel on the Illinois prairie, to celebrate her birthday. When I sat down to pen my first novel, her dream became the inspiration for October Storms.
In writing the story, my goal was to transport the reader back to a simpler time when kindness and generosity to strangers, especially those in need, were a given. I added a ‘contemporary twist’ to the story to hint at the possibility of reincarnation and the belief that our souls return to a life bound by the love and friendship we experienced in our past lives.
Thus far, promotion of October Storms has centered on social media, book fairs, libraries, and local bookstores. Efforts to expand access to additional retail locations and libraries are ongoing.
My target audience is mature readers who enjoy learning about the strengths and determination of the pioneers, especially women, who shaped our country’s past.
I began writing poetry and short stories in grade school. After a few of my poems were published, my dreams turned to becoming a novelist. Decades passed as I worked full time and raised my sons, but I never lost my desire to write a novel. Once I retired, I decided to give it a shot.
Growing up in the Land of Lincoln, I have always been drawn to the people and events of the nineteenth century. I love scouring historical records for insight into life in bygone days. Writing historical fiction allows me to bring the dead to life to share their stories.
Initially, I never thought of sharing my work with anyone beyond my family. My only goal was to have a printed copy of my book that I could hold in my hands and pass on to my children. A fellow author encouraged me to put the book online to see how others would react to it. The rest, as they say, is history. The response has been overwhelming. Although online sales have been sporadic, the sale of print copies has exceeded my wildest dreams.
To honor the vow made to the ‘Man Upstairs’, all proceeds from the sale of October Storms are donated to the Lakota Children’s Justice Center (lakotacjc.org) to help protect the Native American children at Pine Ridge Reservation.
Readers can find October Storms online at Amazon.com/dp/B07Z5H3M5K and Smashwords.com/books/view/934690.
Print copies are available at several bookstores in central Illinois or upon request.
You can find me on Twitter @BeamsAmanda and Facebook @AuthorAmandaCollinsBeams
