Adventures and Misadventures of Writing in a New Genre by Sue McGinty
Marilyn: Sue, you have published five mystery novels featuring
Bella Kowalski, a former nun turned obituary writer and amateur sleuth. What’s
your new book, and how is it different?
Sue: My current work, “The Sojourner Chronicles,” is
historical fiction. It takes place in 1943, during World War II and features
the Detroit defense industry as a backdrop.
M: Four of your five previous novels have showcased local
California Central Coast settings. Why is this setting so important to the
story?
S: Many southerners, both black and white, migrated to
Detroit to work in the defense industry during the war years of 1942 to 1945.
This was the first instance of them working together as equals, which created a
lot of tension between the races. The culmination of this was the Belle Isle
riot of 1943, the first of several Detroit has experienced over the years.
M: Okay, we now know the scene. What’s the story about?
S: Thirteen-year-old Sara LeBeau, whose mother has died, and
whose father is a reporter, is summarily dispatched to live with an eccentric
great-aunt in a spooky old house while her father goes off to cover the war for
Stars and Stripes, a military
newspaper.
M: Why did you pick the title “The Sojourner Chronicles?”
S: The title is in tribute to Sojourner Truth, an African-American
abolitionist and women's rights activist in the 1800s. Sojourner
means a person who stays in one place for only a short time. Sara Grace considers
herself a sojourner in her great-aunt’s home. She writes a series of
newsletters which she calls “The Sojourner Chronicles” to her absent father. Sojourner
Truth lived in Michigan at the end of her life, and the Sojourner Truth housing
project figures prominently in the story.
M: How did you come to write this story?
S: Actually, I’ve been working on this book for twenty
years. It was a “drawer novel,” one you put in a drawer and promise yourself
you’ll work on sometime soon. I finally decided it was now or never.
M: If your protagonist is only thirteen, is this book for
kids?
S: Actually, no, it’s a historical coming-of-age story with
a young protagonist. Think “Scout” in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and Mary Francie
Nolan in “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.” I think it’s more like the latter because
both she and Sara Grace have flawed father figures.
M: What’s the difference between young adult and
coming-of-age books?
S: The book started life as a young adult novel, but Jay
Asher, the amazing author of “Thirteen Reasons Why,” who was in my critique
group at the time, pointed out the voice of Sara Grace was that of an adult looking back
on her childhood. A young adult story is told in the immediate point of view of
the teenage protagonist. Actually, the book is for anyone who wants to read it.
M: Virtually all mysteries feature a secret that someone
wants to tell, or wants to keep. Is there a secret in “The Sojourner
Chronicles?”
S: There certainly is. Sara Grace, the young protagonist, is
convinced that her Great Aunt Blanche has a secret and that it resides
somewhere within her spooky old house. Inquisitive by nature, Sara Grace is
determined to uncover the secret.
M: How is the story different from that of a mystery?
S: Actually it’s not that much different. The story starts
when Sara Grace life changes because her father goes overseas. She’s soon in
hot water with her great-aunt because of her curiosity and her inability to
keep her opinions to herself. At the lowest point of the arc, through a series
of misadventures, Sara Grace finds herself trapped on Belle Isle during the
racial incident.
M: How about the ending?
S: The ending is somewhat ambiguous, with Sara Grace making
a big decision that will affect her future. I’ve added an epilog where the
reader meets her as an adult. As usual, she’s done something unexpected.
M: What was the hardest part of writing this book?
S: The biggest challenge was finding an image for the cover.
I feel strongly that the cover should reflect some important aspect of the
story. Since it takes place seventy-plus years ago, I had a hard time finding
an illustration or vintage photo. I finally got lucky found one at
selfpubbookcovers.com, which features hundreds of premade book covers.
M: What’s next on your writing agenda?
S: Since I have a background in the aerospace industry, I
want to write a historical thriller that takes place there. It’s tentatively
titled “Murder at Area 51.” I also want
to explore my grandmother’s migration as a child from England to South Africa
to New Orleans to Detroit. And there’s one more Bella mystery, where she and
Mike reach some kind of detente. I think it takes place in New Zealand.
Comments
It's probably thrilling to envelope yourself in a new world.
Best of luck with this new book, and the next one as well.
Can’t wait to read it.
Judythe Guarnera