Interview with Inspirational Author Jo Huddleston

Jo Huddleston is a multi-published author who writes novels inspired by her fascination with the 1950s and her love of her native American South. Novels in her endearing Caney Creek series, her West Virginia Mountains series, as well as her stand-alone release, Tidewater Summer, are sweet Southern romance novels. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the Literary Hall of Fame at Lincoln Memorial University (TN). Visit Jo at her website (www.johuddleston.com) where you can sign up for her mailing list and read the first chapters of her novels and novellas.

Welcome to my blog once again, Jo. Please tell us about your novella, Unraveled.

Alice loses herself in grief and can’t find her way back. In 1954, twenty-six-year-old Alice Patterson undergoes a pregnancy loss that affects everything and everyone she touches. Emotionally and physically drained, she must come to terms with her traumatic loss or risk losing her husband, her best friend, and her sanity.

Her best friend JayNell and her husband Paul offer Alice support and comfort. She persists in her grieving, which hinders her healing. The doctor advises there is no normal recovery period for what Alice has undergone. Time is her best ally.

In her small southern Mississippi town, her church Sewing Circle’s new project triggers an unsettling setback to Alice’s recovery. Afterward, she succumbs to suspicions of Paul’s infidelity that causes her collapse, from which she may not recover.

Paul’s unspoken goal is that they will recapture the love they held for one another on their wedding day. He’s hopeful that the approaching spring season will bring a reawakening of the Alice he married, as it brings a newness to all living things.

Where did you get your inspiration for this story?

I wanted to write something faith-based that had some aspect of sewing as an integral focus to the plot. I chose crocheting because I enjoy that myself. My favorite place to be is at the beach—any beach—and I wove that setting into the story to be a part of the restoration Alice so tragically needs.

You love to write novellas. Why is that?

I could jokingly say that, as I advance in age, I want to write novellas because I wouldn’t want to be in the midst of writing a lengthy saga and not live long enough to finish it. However, in reality, the demand for shorter reads has grown. In our fast-paced society, where we seem to have fewer hours for the things we love to do, a novella hits the spot for an afternoon or evening of reading. Unraveled will be included later this year in a published collection of novellas titled, Threads of Faith. Earlier, I wrote the endearing Caney Creek series, The West Virginia Mountains series, and my stand-alone novel, Tidewater Summer that are all full-length novels.

That is a very good reason for writing novellas. Haha. And I totally agree with you. Tell me about one of the main characters and what you love about him or her?

The heroine of Unraveled is Alice who seems to go from one bad situation to another one, equally as bad or worse. Her husband Paul is a true bearer of the fruit of the Spirit in the way he reacts to his wife’s problems. Paul is long-suffering and patient when Alice directs her frustrations onto him just because he’s there. He tries so hard to please her, but in the midst of her upheavals, he doesn’t make much difference. He continues to be kind and gentle with Alice as she seeks to find her way back to normalcy. He’s a good man who sometimes is at his wit’s end to figure out a way to help Alice. But he never stops trying.

Just from that description, I know I would love Paul. He’s the kind of man that touches my heart. What is your website and blog so my readers can check out your recent and past books that you have written?

My website is http://www.johuddleston where folks can sign up for my mailing list and read for free the first chapter of all my novels and novellas. On my website I have a blog where I interview Christian fiction authors and have a book giveaway drawing each week. I also have an inspirational blog, which you can reach from my website. Anyone can use the Contact tab on my website to send me a message, which I will answer personally.

Thank you for this wonderful interview, Jo. I hope my readers will check out your books.