Author Spotlight - Theresa Stillwagon talks about 2nd Guessing

The hardest part about writing Renovations was getting past my uneasiness about the past.

During a time of repression and sorrow, the wife and youngest daughter of the owner showed unrelenting courage and wisdom. Many enslaved men and women were given a chance at freedom by their actions.

As I started writing about the Richardson ladies' courageous action, I stopped and wondered if I should write it at all. Would it be proper? Would it be right? Would I offend someone by being up the issue of slavery.

That's when Grandmother Ruby's grandmother first spoke to me. Just like Andy said, "You can't pick and chose what parts of history you want to remember. You need to remember it all, good and bad." Grandmother Ruby's grandmother said the same thing.

I fell in love with Grandmother Ruby the moment she stepped onto the page. She -- and her church family -- were the ones tackling the rebuilding of the slave cabins at the back end of Green Oaks.

If Grandmother Ruby was okay with it, so was I.