 |
| Tricia and Kelly Cheek |
Location:
Colorado
/ USA
Question: How long have you been writing?
Kelly: I’ve been writing almost all my life,
starting with short stories and poetry. It was all for fun, though. I dreamed
of having things published, but never really expected it.
Tricia: I’ve been writing since high school; poetry,
as well as commemorative compositions to celebrate special occasions; creative
writing, research papers. Writing assignments were my favorites.
Question:
What was the name of the first book you ever published, and when
was it published?
Question:
Was this book published by a publisher; or did you self-publish?
We
formed "Indian Paintbrush Publishing, LLC" and self-published under that
imprint.
Question:
Tell our readers about this very first book. (For example: What was the inspiration for writing it, and
what was it about)?
We met
just over two years ago and quickly discovered a shared interest in writing. We
began trying to think of a project we could work on together, and we wanted it
to be something focusing on Colorado. Tricia had a book about true stories of
Colorado historical figures. In it was the story of Isabella Bird, an
Englishwoman who traveled the world, and who wrote a book about her adventures
in the Colorado Rockies.
Our
character, Isadora Byrnes, was originally based on her. In time, though, the
character evolved quite a bit so that, now, she and her story bear little
resemblance to Isabella Bird.
Our
story is about a young Englishwoman, who comes to America in the early
nineteenth century. Following a few tragedies, she is “adopted” by a Cherokee
family, and reports on the atrocities delivered upon them by the white
settlers. With the Cherokee, Isadora endures the Trail of Tears, but she
continues on, into the wild and relatively unexplored new region known as the
Rocky Mountains, settling near modern-day Manitou Springs.
The
story alternates between Isadora’s account, and that of her modern-day
descendant, Dora Baskin who, in learning about her legacy, also discovers a
very valuable secret that has been passed down from her ancestor. And it is
being sought by a violent and ruthless organization that will stop at nothing
to get it.
Question:
Can a person still buy this book?
If so, where?
Yes. It is available from Amazon.com:
Just
this one, so far.
Question:
Any future writing projects in the works? If so, tell us about it, and any pertinent
dates to go with it.
We
have completed the first draft of a novel that concerns Roanoke. After numerous
similar requests from people who read “All We Hold Dear,” we started
writing a sequel, and are nearly finished with that first draft.
Question:
What is the title of your current book, and tell us a little
about it.
The
novel about Roanoke is called “The Lost Colony.” After it has sat and
simmered on the back burner for a bit, we will return to it for the editing
process. It is about the first English colony in America, which disappeared. To
this day, nobody knows for certain what happened to them. Our story, set in the
modern day, is based on the outcome of what we think is a plausible
explanation.
The
sequel to “All We Hold Dear” is as yet untitled. We picked up the story
of some of Isadora Byrnes’ descendants, following them through the turbulent
turn of the twentieth century and the Colorado Labor Wars.
Again,
it alternates between the historical figures and modern Dora who is once again
thrust into a difficult situation due to her ancestors.
Last
question,
if someone comes across this article and reads it, what would you like to tell
them about why you think they should try reading your book or books? (Basically, what can you offer
them in the way of information or entertainment)?
We try
to create intriguing, sympathetic characters with interesting and entertaining
stories. But, we do so while being true to the facts. AT LEAST half of our
writing time is devoted to research, and we take very few liberties with the
truth. Anything in our stories that is based on actual historical accounts will
be accurate to the best of our abilities. So our books, while entertaining, are
also informative and historically accurate.
Anything
else you'd like to add that I didn't ask you, but you would like to share with
our readers?
Kelly is a graphic designer in his “real life,”
hoping to soon be able to start living the dream of being a full-time writer.
Tricia is an elementary school teacher, now in her
twenty-fifth year as an educator. Her favorite subject to teach is writing.
You can
connect with us at:
Tricia & Kelly Cheek: http://www.IndianPaintbrushPublishing.com
or
or
Kelly Cheek's Creativity Center http://www.kellycheek.com
