Cumberland. (The Book)

     My 13th novel (21st book) is titled "Cumberland," and it is going to start in a few days. I'm not going to write it just yet, but I am getting the details down and making sure I have the storyline all worked out in my head. I do that. I write the entire book as a basic concept in my mind, and then I pretend I'm writing it for real -- while watching movies, shows, clips, videos, and things that will spark thoughts and ideas to enhance it once I actually start writing. I'm just pretending to write it right now, which is fun.

    "Cumberland" takes place in the Tennessee hills and will dart up and down the Appalachian trails from Georgia to Pennsylvania. I'm not sure I need to go any further than that, but I haven't met all the characters yet. There could be one or two living in Maine. I have no idea. They'll show up. They'll tell me who they are when it's their turn to make an appearance. I've not written a book yet where I wasn't absolutely pleased and surprised to meet some of its characters; people I had no idea existed until they did.

    I won't tell you too much. I'll say it's darker and a bit detailed. It involves a span of time; a lifetime, in fact. It takes place from about 1972 through to 2026, which is when the book will be published. It's full of real stories, real facts, real happenings, but also made-up stuff to keep it fictionalized and interesting. I can't say it will be a fun book - it may be fun for me to write, but it's not a fun book to read. It's a drama, and a bit heavier than Pride & Prejudice. It's not an easy-to-read book, but it will be both entertaining and thought-provoking. That much, I know.

    I wasn't thinking of writing "Cumberland", but it came into my head and started writing itself, so I just let it unfold.  I wrote four titles down on slips of paper and held them up for Laura to choose one - unseen. She had no idea what she was drawing. I was thinking I wanted the title to be "Cumberland," but I like to see if others agree with me, too.  When she drew it, I let her see the other titles, and she liked "Cumberland" best.  The others were "Secrets of Pinney Hill", "Silent Holler", and "Where the Creek Bends"; hint, that's where the body is!  She liked "Cumberland" best, and so do I. 

    There is a body! There's always a body - at least one in my books. There's always trouble, and there's always a way out of it. I tend to be a little churchy with some of the characters, and a little loose with one or two of them as well. I try to keep things realistic. I try to keep things both honest and genuinely true to the nature of the culture I'm dealing with in the book. This one is not a time-sensitive book, so I don't have to worry about keeping all the dates straight, or wonder if I said something completely off track...I've done that, you know. It's rather embarrassing.

    So, maybe I'll start on Saturday or Sunday with character development and prepare myself to write on the weekends. But we are moving soon, and my weekends also involve packing and preparing for that. It may take me a minute to get the thing written. It will be the standard 5" x 8", with 32-34 chapters, about 330-360 pages, and should take about 6-8 weeks to write unless I'm really interrupted by the move and the holidays. You just never know. If I stick to the plan, I'll have it written by Christmas and out around the 2nd week of January 2026. That's a doable plan. I'll keep you posted.

Photo Credit: Me. I don't want to show the back yet.