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Book and Author Spotlight -- Mountains of Trouble

Clare Bills • Sep 06, 2023

Today I welcome guest author Clare Bills as she shares a heart touching story that initiated her recent release.


I stood at the graveside of my husband’s deceased relative, Cora*, along with her daughter, Helen*, who was advanced in years. My husband and I had visited Cora’s grave many times, but this was the first alongside Helen, who lived in another state. She quietly shared a shocking secret about her mother. And then another. And another. I met Cora when she was nearly 90, a vibrant, joy-filled woman who lived alone, gardened and kept her cookie jar filled with a rolled date delight. I never would have guessed at the amount of trauma she suffered. She exhibited no sign of bitterness. Helen and I formed an instant bond, and I asked if I could write her mother’s story. Over a period of months, I interviewed her by phone and learned details of her own life and her mother’s.


I thought my master’s degree in journalism would be sufficient, but I soon learned that crafting a life story into a novel would take more skill. I studied, attended seminars, and purchased several online courses to assist me. After many years and rounds of edits,


Mountains of Trouble was published in 2020. The novel, based on true events, begins in 1912 and encompasses the time Cora spent as a teacher at a Christian Missionary school in Kentucky as well as time in Southern Iowa. I read two books about the Kentucky mission schools that assisted with research and numerous blogs and websites with original pictures and documents from the early 20th century from Iowa and Kentucky. Mountains of Trouble includes her family’s struggles during the Great Depression and rationing during World War II.


Helen impressed upon me her mother’s deep faith and her own, even though she was deeply scarred by the events of her mother’s life.  I’ll write about her life in a future blog post.


*I changed both women's names in case there were relatives who didn’t want their lives discussed in a novel. However, many relatives have read both books and applauded the effort to have their stories shared with a wider audience.

 

Getting to know Clare:

1.     I love to bake far more than to cook.

2.     Cookies are my jam. Also, my favorite food. I try to make them so nutritious they can un-dimple our thighs, whiten our teeth, and lighten our mood.

3.     The greatest roadblock I had was the realization that journalism is not the same skill set as writing a novel. I still struggle to add world-building details, but I thoroughly enjoy it when I slow down and work on fleshing out a scene.

 

About Clare Bills

Clare Bills considers herself a nearly normal writer and admits to a degree of eccentricity. She enjoys the challenges of writing both serious and humorous fiction and nonfiction. Her publication credits include numerous magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and three published novels. She and her husband of many years live in the woods of Minnesota with their rescue, Bennie-the-dog. (Note: he also answers to Benny.) They have three wonderful grown children, seven amazing grandchildren, and one adorable great-grandson. Please subscribe to her monthly newsletter by sending her a quick email to clarebills@live.com.


Mention that you saw this blog post, and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a signed print copy of Mountains of Trouble. (US readers only, sorry.) Deadline: September 14, 2023.


Connect online:

Please follow Clare’s Facebook page: Clare Bills, Nearly Normal Writer.

Instagram: clarebills2711

 

A Peek inside Mountains of Trouble 

 

1912

 

She was running from the farmer, his children, and, ultimately, from Ma. Marry a man sixteen years her senior? Rear his five urchins? Slop pigs and chase chickens ‘til her teeth fell out?

           Never.

           Cora wanted more. She had no idea what lay ahead, but she longed for a life where she was a major player, not a mere marionette.

           She stowed her suitcase and then settled onto the worn leather seat. But her mind wouldn’t settle. Was she too hasty in committing to the teaching position? No! No. Too late for second guessing. She was Kentucky-bound and determined to make the most of it.

            “Well, well, Missy! Don’t come runnin’ back to the farm if things don’t turn out.” The words pierced Cora’s heart as she rocked back and forth with the sway of the southbound train. Did Ma mean Cora could never come home? Well then, so be it! She would miss Pa and her sister Alice, but not her overbearing, critical mother.

She strained at the scratchy collar of her muslin blouse, loosening it a bit. Glancing around her to be assured no one was watching, she hitched her calico skirt up to her calves and fanned her legs with it. Two days on this stuffy locomotive, and then her life was her own.

She hoped.

           “This’ll likely be your only chance at marriage,” Ma said when Cora refused to marry the widower.

           “I don’t love him.”

           Ma snorted. “Love! When you has enuf to eat, that’s love.”

           Love? Really? Then Cora wanted no part of it. The notion of sleeping next to, being intimate with, a man she barely knew repulsed her. No better than a prostitute!

           She felt sorry for his children. They needed a mother. But didn’t she deserve a life?

           “You’ll marry some hillbilly, mark my words.” Ma never saw beyond the fencepost. Never hoped for a better life for herself or her daughters.

           Cora wasn’t looking for a man. She had battled her mother to stay in school every year until she graduated high school. She longed for freedom and hoped teaching was her pass.

 

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