In light of celebrating Valentine's Day and Black History Month, I'd like to share five things I love about the Historical Fiction I recently finished writing, working title FIFTEEN-SIXTEENTHS. It's with beta readers now and I'll be submitting it in a few weeks. The story is set in South Carolina during the Civil Rights era. There's a romance sub-plot and my stamp of "fiction with a touch of faith", of course.
Quick Pitch: Charlotte,
the new girl at the school for whites, just wants to blend in—until she gets
inspired by her great, great grandmother, a Civil War slave.
5. The
YA main character actually has a family and interacts with them.
4. It's historical value. I researched local (here in Virginia) history from lesser known events out of a
plethora of Civil War information.
3. A
classic theme as relevant today as in 1963 and 1863—the dual timelines of the
story. Plus, the
challenge of creating an emotional story while striving not to offend or stray too far from political correctness.
2. My
first time using deep, first-person point of view for the main timeline. The secondary timeline uses third person limited.
1. Two
main characters to love from different but intersecting timelines, and the
impact of one’s ancestors.
And to further whet your interest:
Example of the cellar where the Chancellor family stayed under house arrest during the battle that surrounded them.
Cannon replica of artillery used, including a ball that hit the home's front porch.
Photo of Sue Chancellor in her mid-life years, one of the characters in the story who was 14 at the time of the battle of Chancellorsville.
