On February 12, 2022, Kasie interviewed Carolyn Hartley on the subject of her newly released historical fiction book. Here are the show notes:

You’ve met Carolyn Hartley before, she’s one of our Patrons and the owner of J. Merrill Press in Lexington, South Carolina. The vision for J. Merrill Press has always been to publish stories of courageous women and never is this more true than in Adele’s duet.

The first book, Redemption: One Woman’s Dream to Overcome Oppression, Find Family, Love, and Forgiveness introduced us to Adele. Born into wealth before her father died, Adele and her mother found very different circumstances with her stepfather. Spun away from family into a life of poverty, strife and violence, Adele nonetheless retains the memory of a happier destiny. When she sets off in search of her place in the world, she finds more than she asked for. Themes of courage, family, determination, and resilience dominate Redemption and our connection to Adele is deep and wide.

It’s no surprise, then, that Carolyn picked up Adele’s story on the day of her grandmother’s funeral in Reconciliation: Atone the Devil in Buried Sunshine. No longer the timid, naïve girl of Redemption, Adele (though only 19) has inherited the family’s struggling coal mining business and her grandmother’s role as matriarch. Doing what’s best for her sisters and the town that depends upon their family, Adele navigates distrust, betrayal, and even her half-crazed step father’s relentless attempts at revenge. Reconciliation is a satisfying next installment in a saga that has so much to offer.

Some of our discussion includes:

What’s it like working with an independent press for book design and distribution?

How did your Amazon strategy produce results for Redemption and Reconciliation?

What were some challenges you faced coming back to characters who had already arc-ed in the previous books?

Is there more for Adele? What other sisters might emerge as potential leads in future books?

What’s the toughest part of marketing a book right now? Had COVID hindered your efforts?

What events or opportunities are you looking forward to in 2022.

Link to the podcast