Home to Heather Creek
How Heather Creek was born
By Beth AdamsAt its heart, any good story is about people. The setting, conflict and plot are only interesting if you care about the characters.
When I set out to create the Home to Heather Creek books, I knew I had to have a believable character at the heart of these stories. She would be a grandmother, raising her grandchildren on the family farm after a tragic accident takes the life of their mother. But I’m not a grandmother. I’m not even a mother! I’ve been fortunate enough not to have been visited by a major tragedy. I’ve never been to Nebraska, where this series is set. I knew what I wanted Charlotte Stevenson to be, but I was nothing like her, and I didn’t know how in the world to make her come to life.
That’s when I realized that Charlotte’s struggle, at heart, isn’t about recalcitrant grandchildren, or keeping the farm going, or even coming to grips with the loss of her daughter. At the heart of Charlotte’s character are the pieces of her life that she wishes she could do over. For instance, her pregnant daughter Denise ran away when she was a teenager and never came back. Charlotte never healed that rift, and now she barely knows her grandchildren. But she has a chance to make things right. Ultimately, these books are about Charlotte’s ability to grow from her mistakes.
Now that’s something I can relate to! How many times have I let words slip out of my mouth and immediately wished I could take them back? How often have I wanted to go back and change something I did, or something I left undone? The older I’ve gotten the more I’ve learned that life doesn’t allow you to change the past, but it does allow you to change your future. This is Charlotte’s struggle, too, and one that I hope you’ll connect with as you read Home to Heather Creek.
Buy the Home to Heather Creek series!
Beth Adams is the creator and editor of GUIDEPOSTS’ Home to Heather Creek fiction series.
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