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.

Author Spotlight - Theresa Stillwagons talks about the inspiration behind her Calloway Sisters Series

The Callaway sisters have been a part of my life since 1995. When I finished the first book about Allie (now in the virtual trash bin), the other three sisters were screaming at me to write stories for them. I'd never even attempted to write a series before so I pushed them away and wrote a few other stand-alone books.

Yet Jessie wouldn't shut up, so I decided to write Saving Pale Moon.

Then Megan started pleading with me, so I had to write her story.

Now it's the oldest sister Liz. She's being patience with me right now, but I feel her gently poking at my back to get on with it already.

A second story for Allie is forming inside my head, using some of the older book. I'm so glad I didn't delete it permanently. There are some good scenes in that one I can rewrite and use in the new story.

Kelly, the fifth sister, was a surprise. When I wrote Jessie's story, I found out her birth father had a daughter. The whole clan took her in as one of their own.

But I think the real inspiration for the series are my sisters. I have five of them, and they're all younger than me. And, no, none of the Callaway's were based on them.