Wow! It’s so cool to be here at RomanceNovel.TV! This month my new book from St. Martin’s Press, EVERYWHERE SHE TURNS, is on the shelves! This story really hits close to home for me. The setting for the story is in Huntsville, Alabama, in the village where I live. I, of course, changed the name so as not to offend any of my neighbors.
The seed of an idea for this story germinated last spring as my family and I moved into an old mill house (110 years old!) and started the necessary renovations. Trust me, it was not pretty. Many of the proud old homes had fallen into disrepair and had for years been owned by absentee landlords. When the mill closed and was torn down more than two decades ago, the village started to spiral downhill. The school and medical clinic, as well as the community center that had been built for the village, which housed only the mill workers until the late 1940’s, were closed. Despair, poverty and crime rose. For more than twenty years life in the village was very sad with little or no hope for better things.
A few years ago a wonderfully giving couple took over the old community center and worked long and hard to bring it back to life. It is now Merrimack Hall where the likes of Billy Bob Thornton has performed with his band. It’s a wonderful place with an amazing outreach program for kids who would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in dance and theatre programs. Along with this resurrection of the community center, came another handful of families who decided to buy these old homes and restore them. Last year my family joined that move. My teenage daughter was not thrilled, but she jumped in and helped clear away decades of coal dust and neglect right alongside us.
Though we still have our problems, many of which are reflected (somewhat more dramatically and with this author’s embellishments) in EVERYWHERE SHE TURNS, we are making wonderful progress. Like CJ Patterson, the protagonist in the story, my family and I ride out the burglaries around the neighborhood and the occasional drug-deal-gone-bad where someone gets shot at (and occasionally hit-not fatally thankfully) with amazing calm and determination. We keep our heads down when necessary but we never, ever lose our perspective and pride for our goal. We will bring this village back! Just as CJ must return to the village and face her past, as well as her future, we’ve dug in our heels and we’re moving forward, one day at a time.
I’d love to answer any questions about writing a story that maybe hits a little too close to home! Or just the business of writing and publishing in general!
Debra Webb wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the military behind the Iron Curtain and within the confining political Walls of Berlin, Germany, that she realized her true calling. A five-year stint with NASA on the Space Shuttle Program reinforced her love of the endless possibilities within her grasp as a storyteller. A collision course between suspense and romance was set. Debra has been writing romantic suspense and action packed romantic thrillers since.
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Marisa
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 6:10 am:
Hi Debra! And welcome back to RNTV, we’re so glad you’re here. It’s amazing how you’re using your life experiences as inspiration for your writing. I’m not sure if I could brave the uncertainties of a community in transition and be part of the reconstruction of a neighborhood, so I applaud you! I can’t imagine both the triumphs and the heartaches one has to endure to be part of that effort.
I’m looking forward to reading Everywhere She Turns and trying to guess which ‘experiences’ are part of your family’s life.
I’m wondering… do you let your family read your books before they are released; and if so do they give you critiques, advice, opinions?
Amy
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 6:40 am:
Hi Debra, so excited you’re here. I loved your book Find Me, I thought Sarah was the coolest heroine. She was so quirky and real in so many ways. I just got Everywhere She Turns and I already have it packed in my beach bag for the weekend. Now that you’ve told us that it has some basis in your real life I can not wait to read it.
How did you have time to renovate and write at the same time? Did you build or renovate a special room that would become your office?
PJ
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 6:47 am:
Hi Debra! Thanks for sharing that look into your real life experiences. I applaud your determination to bring your village back to life. I’m not sure I would have the courage to persevere as you and your family have. I hope you’ll keep us updated on your progress.
EVERYWHERE SHE TURNS sounds like another terrific story. I’m looking forward to reading it!
Debra Webb
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 7:59 am:
Hey Marisa, my husband reads everything I do. He lets me know if I need to rethink anything. He also does a lot of research for me. As for my daughters, my oldest proclaims that she loves everything I do, while my youngest, on the other hand, is not impressed and far too busy to read me.
Debra Webb
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 8:03 am:
Amy, it was hard! Not because my husband didn’t have everything under control, but because I wanted to be a part of so much of the renovation. It has been so difficult and yet so satisfying. But, yes, I have a small office at the top of the stairs. When the weather cooperates I prefer to work outside. I have this amazing wraparound porch. That way I can write and hear the sounds of the village.
Debra Webb
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 8:04 am:
PJ, we really do love it here. Sometimes we wonder what the heck we’re doing, but most of the time we are just happy to be a part of something that matters. Enjoy the book!
Maria Lokken
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 9:49 am:
Debra – Where do I begin? First, congrats on your new release. Second – taking real life and creating a story is always fascinating to me, mainly, because as a non-writer, looking at my life, I don’t think there’s a story there- and that’s why I admire writers like yourself.
My favorite real life stories are those where an individual has overcome tremendous odds and comes out winning at the end. They are uplifting and they make me feel anything is possible, because it’s based on a true story. That’s why I’m fascinated with your family’s move to a new place and your efforts to rebuild a community – with more people like you and your neighbors we would change the world.
shelly
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 10:02 am:
I never read romantic suspense before, and a friend of mine, told me to pick up your book Traceless – I did and and I loved it. Now I’ve gone to my library and gotten your books Nameless and Faceless. Thanks very much for writing.
Julie Miller
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 10:36 am:
Hey, Deb–
Congrats on the new book coming out from St. Martin’s. I know it will be plenty scary with lots of action, a good mystery and a to-die-for hero!
I’ve always wanted to renovate an old home with character (more than the small stuff we’ve done around here). That’s so cool that you’ve chosen an historic neighborhood to help “reclaim”. Good luck with everything!
Debra Webb
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 10:49 am:
Maria, that’s what makes this book so near and dear to my heart. We can change the world! We just have to start with a small piece.
Debra Webb
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 10:50 am:
Shelly! Yay! Thank your friend for me. Traceless, Nameless and Faceless are all set in Alabama!
Debra Webb
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 10:52 am:
Julie! My Intrigue sister! I, too, had never undertaken such a BIG task. It has been equally wonderful and daunting. Thanks so much for stopping by! And you must tell about your next Harlequin Intrigue release! I have a Colby trilogy out (July, August, and September)!
Karin
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 10:56 am:
I understand what you are saying about renovating old houses. I was in high school when my parents decided to renovate our old house. They found wooden pegs holding boards together and horsehair and mud plaster underneath everything. Talk about dust!!!
Debra Webb
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 11:35 am:
Yeah, Karin! I know all about that kind of dust! My teenager is dealing with it but it was hard at first.
Karin
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 11:38 am:
We had blankets hanging at every doorway in the house to try to keep down the dust. But the end result is well worth it!
Debra Webb
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 11:42 am:
We did the plastic over each doorway, but when EVERY room needs renovating…well, you can imagine.
Melissa
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 11:47 am:
Hi, Debra~~it sounds like it has the promise to become a perfect village to live in. And if everyone is as determined as you and your family, I have no doubt you’ll succeed. I don’t have any stories like this, but I did listen to the funniest book on CD a while back….it was by Celia Rivenbark’s Belle Weather: Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Scattered Hissy ~~I loved it!!
It’s a southern woman’s take on her house being renovated while she’s living there.
susan leech
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 12:10 pm:
Hi Debra, good to join in today and i was impressed on the background where you live. We saw so much of the same in this are in two ways. One was when there were many railroad towns and families would be able to get all their needs from just one store..usually the owner of the store would also be the landlord of their homes and they lived in rows. Naturally the homes were close to the railroad so you can imagine no too many were white..or at least not for long. As the railroads went out these towns turned into ghost towns and it was sad. The same went for when coal mining was much bigger than it is now,towns came about in about the same way. I wish you luck on your house..it will be worth it when it is the way you want it. Hope you have a good day blogging. susan L.
Peggy Webb
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 1:00 pm:
It was my privilege to get an advance peek at EVERYWHERE SHE TURNS. You delivered in spades with this one, my friend! Like all your romantic suspense novels, the book is jam packed with great characters, and the story is gritty, gutsy, gripping and altogether wonderful. Now, about your house… It has been such fun to watch the grand old mill house being transformed. Even more fun is hearing the excitement and determination in your voice as you discuss plans for the house. You have all the courage of your heroines. Best of luck on both the house and the new book!
Debra Webb
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 6:12 pm:
Melissa, that sounds hysterical. I’ll have to look for that book.
Debra Webb
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 6:16 pm:
Susan, thanks so much for sharing that story. I hope that in cities all across the nation folks will learn to treasure the past and repurpose old homes.
Debra Webb
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 6:18 pm:
Peggy! My twisted sister in crime. Thank you so much! That’s an enormous compliment coming from you.
Buffie
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 7:00 pm:
Debra, welcome to RNTV. I have to say your true life sounds very intriguing, which means I’d probably just love your book! I applaud your family’s efforts to stick it out and make a home.
Debra Webb
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 7:43 pm:
Buffie, thanks so much! I hope you’ll enjoy the book!
cyclops8
on Jul 9th, 2009
@ 10:30 pm:
Hi Debra,
Congrats on the release of “Everywhere She Turns.” I hope to be starting “Fine Me” this weekend.
Debra Webb
on Jul 10th, 2009
@ 12:03 am:
Yay, Cyclops8! I hope you enjoy it!
Karin_CO
on Jul 10th, 2009
@ 6:10 pm:
Hi Debra, congratulations on your new release! I’ve not read any of your books yet, but now I really want to. Everywhere She Turns sounds fantastic. Having never lived in anything but a fairly large city, it’s hard for me to imagine what it would be like in a town like yours. However, I have seen neighborhoods that were run down and watching people rebuild them back up. It’s been fun watching the new life in those parts of the city.
Like Maria, I’ve never really considered my life to be terribly exciting or book-worthy, but from your post and your responses, I can see that even the smallest things can become important if we make them that way. Has your real life ever been part of any of your other books?