Down Salem Way FAQ
I’ve been getting a lot of questions and comments about Down Salem Way through email at meredithallardauthor(at)gmail(dot)com and the Contact form on this website. Here are my answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. Keep the questions coming. I love them!
Was it hard to write in James’ voice?
No, it really wasn’t. Remember, the Loving Husband Trilogy was written from both James and Sarah/Elizabeth’s perspectives so I’ve been using James’ voice all along. In the Loving Husband Trilogy, it was third-person narration, but each chapter was still told from either James or Sarah/Elizabeth’s point of view, which made it easy to step into James’ shoes for Down Salem Way. Granted, Down Salem Way is James’ diary, so it’s all James all the time, and he’s a much younger man here (he’s 30 instead of 300+ pretending to be 30), but I enjoyed the opportunity to delve more deeply into his thoughts and feelings during the Salem Witch Trials.
About the whole woman writing from a man’s point of view debate, between friends, I couldn’t care less. The reason I write fiction is because it allows me to let my imagination run wild. That whole “write what you know” advice is hooey. Or, to paraphrase Natalie Goldberg, I know James because I say I know James. Of all the characters I’ve written, he’s the one I most closely identify with, so why not write from his point of view? Any writing advice that tells you to stifle your imagination and creativity needs to go back down the narrow-minded hole it came from. You’re never going to please everyone, so you might as well write your story the way you feel it needs to be written.
Why the delay between Her Loving Husband’s Return and Down Salem Way ?
After Her Loving Husband’s Return was finished, I thought that was the end of the Wentworths’ story. I hadn’t planned on writing anything else in the James and Sarah/Elizabeth world. Then I wrote When It Rained at Hembry Castle, set in a completely different Victorian-era world inspired by Downton Abbey and Charles Dickens, and then I did this little thing called a Ph.D. Completing my Ph.D. in four years took just about everything I had (including most of my brain cells) out of me, but I did come up with the final idea for Down Salem Way during that time. A couple of months after I finished my dissertation, I turned my focus onto Down Salem Way. At that point, it took about a year to complete. I’ve never been what you’d call a fast writer. I need to live with an idea and kick it around a bit before I can do any story justice.
Down Salem Way was hard for me to finish because it has such a sad ending. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to push through.
I know this isn’t a question, but I’ve been getting this a lot from readers so I thought I’d share it here. I know. Trust me, I know. I shed a lot of tears writing this book. Fans of the Loving Husband Trilogy shouldn’t be surprised by the ending. Still, it’s much more difficult reading what happened to Elizabeth in exacting detail, especially since it’s so heartbreaking the way it played out. It’s not an exaggeration to say I was shattered writing this book. But like I said in the notes at the end of Down Salem Way, the bitterness is alleviated by the sweetness of what we know is coming in Her Dear and Loving Husband. I’d say Down Salem Way is even more heartbreaking than Her Loving Husband’s Curse, and that was a tough one. Remember, this is a novel about the Wentworths’ experiences during the Salem Witch Trials. It couldn’t end any other way, especially since Elizabeth’s story was established in Her Dear and Loving Husband. But I agree…this is a tough one. Get your box of tissues ready!
That is Geoffrey, right?
Yes, that is Geoffrey lurking in the shadows in Down Salem Way. Poor James didn’t know what he was in for when he went off alone with Geoffrey that night, but he’ll come to know Geoffrey much better throughout the trilogy. Miriam also makes an appearance–several appearances, in fact, along with her sisters. If you haven’t read Her Loving Husband’s Curse yet, you’ll meet Miriam more closely and see how she stays connected to James throughout the stories–and the years.
Will there be more Loving Husband Trilogy books?
Yes, there will more James and Sarah books. I have an idea to take my original plot for Down Salem Way and turn it into another Loving Husband story. I also have an idea for a magical realism story about Grace, James and Sarah’s daughter. How long will it take for me to write these books? I can never answer that question with any accuracy so it’s always better for me to just say stay tuned. Follow me here or on any of my social media accounts for the latest news on my books. Next up on my agenda is the new Hembry Castle story and I’m excited to visit with Edward and Daphne again.
