We're Not in Woodstock Anymore

The photo above (within the stark mountains of Morocco) references the line where Dorothy tells Toto when they arrive in Oz, "I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." An unsettling, unfamiliar place is also the crux of the matter for the main character in my recently released novel, IN THE LAND OF COURAGE, third installment of the Woodstock series. Earlier, I wrote about the long writing process in my October 2016 post.

Of course, the story begins in Woodstock, our sheltering town that has become too easy to cling to for the struggling young man in the narrative.

IN THE LAND OF COURAGE is the contemporary tale of a young man once affectionately known as the bravest man in town. But a tragedy has transformed him. Now, he wrestles with fear, relinquishes his role as pastor and watches his wife drift from their defeated home. Friends and family try to resurrect the man they remember. Dominated by his direful imagination, he resists anyone trying to pry him from his familiar surroundings until a pledge he made returns to haunt his conscience. A struggling orphanage in Morocco is still waiting for his help. Hoping to regain his wife's confidence, he journeys to the ancient medina of Fez, a place of twisting streets, startling sights and mystifying ways. Nightmarish circumstances result. The obstacles he faces will require a man of super-charged faith. Problem is--he's running on empty.

I'm hoping you'll check out my newest offering at FoxTale Book Shoppe in Woodstock, Georgia, an establishment that kindly supports this local author. I wish you many uplifting, entertaining and informative hours of reading wherever you are.

Patti Brady is a member of Preservation Woodstock, and she is the author of the Woodstock novel series.

They Give Me a Reason

Rose Creek Library readers and me.

Readers are the reason I write. From necessity, composing novels is an isolating, alone-in-your-room mission. Years pass while doing research and working out a story line. The task requires reaching the hidden, creative corners of the mind. Enthusiasm may be blunted by doubt. Interruption always occurs. In addition to these difficulties, there are no guarantees that a writer's labors will satisfy anyone. The strategy of this wordsmith involves penning stories that, first, please her. When others are captivated by the characters and narratives, that is my greatest reward.

This summer I met with a book club at Rose Creek Library in Woodstock's Town Lake area. Amy Bailey is the smart gal guiding library activities there. The group was encouraging, humorous, bright-eyed and friendly. They gave me the boost I would be needing. A week or two later, I discovered a health challenge. During problems in my life, faith in the finished work of my Redeemer has made me an overcomer. I know it is the same for many of you. So prevail on!

When able, I've been plugging at the keyboard, finishing the next part of the Woodstock series. I'm liking the results and think readers will, too. There is still work to be done, but I'll give you a hint of what is to come in In the Land of Courage. Characters from the two previous novels return and make themselves known in this new story, set in Woodstock of 2009. That year, changes good and bad materialized. We locals know it all. So much for truth, now on to fiction. Brian Barton, a young man introduced briefly before, is featured in this latest novel. Standouts, Hank, Elizabeth and their son, Manuel Averill, bear on the outcomes. Mid-life lovebirds, Marissa and William Dash exert their warm-hearted influence but inadvertently  provide the occasional kerfuffle.

Established in 789 A.D., Fez, Morocco entices visitors to enter. One of the gates, along the 13th century walls, leads to the mysteries of the medina. 
Shutterstock - Miqel

The narrative takes Brian, once affectionately known as champion of Woodstock, from his safe haven. Recently robbed of his courage, he's plummeting. He's given up the pastorate and his cherished wife seems to be drifting away. When he's least prepared, a promise made years earlier returns to haunt him. An orphanage for girls in North Africa calls. All eyes are on Brian. His nagging conscience and the sudden opportunity to regain his wife's confidence compel him to travel to Morocco where he will navigate twisting streets in the ancient city of Fez, a place where nightmares roam freely. For Brian, his experience will be like staggering, blindfolded and shaking, along the heights of the city walls. Will that metaphorical precipice cause his final tumble? Only the story knows.

The unexpected awaits at the end of smothering alleys in a city as old as time.
Shutterstock - Adwo

I will keep you apprised of the goings on regarding In the Land of Courage. May your days be filled with rewarding books that make you put aside your concerns, books that inform, entertain, and uplift you.

Patti Brady is a member of Preservation Woodstock. She is also the author of the Woodstock series: The Heart of a Child and The Power of Her Smile.