I’m getting excited to share my book, a story of two overworked overachievers who think they may have found love only to have their jobs, their lives, and a historic inn come between them. That very inn, set on the shores of Deep Creek Lake, and its past just may hold the key to their future.
Every Thursday, I’m going to introduce you to one of the magical settings of my new book, INN BY THE LAKE, which will be published next month by Champagne Books.
I wash the mess off my hands and take a deep breath, gathering my courage before I punch in Dan’s number.
What to say, though. How are you, Dan?
Need anything—like my forgiveness?
No. No. No.
That’s my list of five essential things. I wonder…what five things do you need in your creative life?
What an awful state to be in. No phone. No computer. Nobody around.
I’m proud of the success I’ve had during this month of crazy writing. There’s a lot to learn before you can tell a good story. But the most important lessons for beginners are these
1-Sit down.
2-Write.
I’ve been having fun on Instagram while I’m in a holding pattern, getting to know writers and readers and accounts set in the places where INN BY THE LAKE is located: Deep Creek Lake, Western Maryland, Pittsburgh and Wilmington, Delaware.
Pulling up a chair to the dining room table, I hunker down to see if this computer can be saved. The brown goo is so thick around A it oozes around S when I press the key. When I hit S, it oozes out of D.
There doesn’t seem to be any way to open the laptop and clean the keyboard and you know what’s under the keyboard. The rest of the computer. I let fly a string of words I would never normally say on Mother’s Day—especially if my mother was here.
My hands feel like they are in the middle of “The Great British Baking Show” and my mind is somewhere between confession and a soap opera.
Imagine my delight this morning when I discovered my Civil War novel is ranked 20 on an Amazon bestseller list. That bright orange bar proclaiming #20 made my day. Last week during Amazon Prime Days DIVIDED LOYALTIES was specially priced—and I guess that’s what prompted the attention. And the sales. Either way I’m happy to…
Mary K. Tilghman, writer 