Showcase: Gone South by Meg Moseley

Sometimes it Takes Feeling the Sting of Rejection to Love the Unlovable

Colorado Springs, Colo.— In Gone South (Multnomah Books, May 7, 2013), author Meg Moseley weaves another captivating tale from the heart of the South.

Having moved frequently within her native Michigan, Tish McComb is thrilled to move to Noble, Alabama, and buy the house built by her great-great-great-grandparents shortly after the Civil War. She hangs their ancient wedding portrait in the parlor where it once hung and dreams of finding a sense of home. But she soon learns her ancestors were carpetbaggers whose legendary misdeeds make the town hostile toward anyone named McComb.

Tish isn't the only one who feels the sting of rejection, though. When an influential citizen disowns his prodigal daughter, Tish offers her the acceptance they've both been denied. But everything goes south when the wayward daughter doesn't straighten up. Tish can't decide if she should challenge her incorrigible houseguest by drawing a line in the sand, or write words in the sand and dare the prodigal's father to throw the first stone.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MEG MOSELEY is still a Californian at heart although she's lived more than half her life in other states. For four years, she wrote human interest columns for a suburban section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but contemporary fiction remains her real love. She's the author of When Sparrows Fall and now resides in the state of Georgia.

Q.  What inspires your writing?

A. Inspiration can come from random glimpses of interesting people or places, from a memory that grips my emotions, or from an interesting piece of history that makes me ask questions about what might have been. I think we’re always processing a thousand things at some subconscious level. Out of that stew, sometimes a new story is born. 

Q.  What is your favorite thing about being an author?

A.  The excitement of holding a finished story in my hands. Even if it’s only the first draft, it’s a world I created, and it’s populated with characters that didn’t exist until they wandered into my head. That world and its people can be magically transported to other minds and hearts by this amazing process of using symbols to represent words that communicate ideas.

Q.  What is the toughest part of being an author?

A.  The pressure of marketing the books. I didn’t sign up to be a marketer. I love stories, not sales and numbers.

Q.  If you could not be an author, what would you do/be?

A. I would go back to the country life of my pre-writing days, except in a warmer climate this time. I would raise tons of flowers, vegetables, and fruits, especially the impractical or strange ones. I would try all kinds of brave new recipes, and I would have fresh flowers on the table all the time, even if I had to pick them up at the grocery story.

Q.  What would the story of your life be entitled?

A.  Maybe something like Smalltown Girl.

Q.  What is your favorite book of all time?

A.  Seriously? Just one? Okay, let’s say The Complete Works of William Shakespeare in one volume—not because I’m really into Shakespeare, but because I’ve read enough of his works to know they could keep me busy for the rest of my life.

Q.  Which character from ANY book are you most like?

A.  Maybe Jo in Little Women. Although I’m more of an introvert than Jo, I share her love of books and solitude.

Q.  What character from all of your books are you most like?

A. I’m probably most like Miranda Hanford of my first novel, When Sparrows Fall. I nearly fell into the pit of extremist homeschooling myself, so I understand how she became trapped and why she needs to break free.

Q.  What is your favorite season?

A. It depends on where I am. In my home state of California, I love the rainy season when the hills are incredibly green. Autumn is my favorite season in my adopted state because the North Georgia mountains are gorgeous in the fall.

Q.  What inspired your book cover(s)?  Or what is your favorite book cover and why?

A. I adore my publisher’s art department for finding their inspiration wherever they do! Their cover for Gone South captures the mood of the book perfectly and it’s just gorgeous, so that’s my favorite so far. 

Q.  Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.

A. When only my first novel had come out, someone grabbed my arm and started gushing about how much she loved “all” my books. She had me confused with another author with a very similar name.

Q.  Are you working on something new?

A.  Yes, and I’m excited about it. But it’s not quite ready to be shared.

Q.  Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?

A. Book lovers are my favorite people, so I would be very pleased to make your acquaintance. Please stop by my blog sometime and say hello. And Emily, thanks for having me here on your blog.