Casting a Long Shadow

By Liz Adair

As a writer, I have this really high-class problem: I enjoy my day job as much as I enjoy writing. My day job has a flexible schedule, and it pays better, which gives it precedence when I’m trying to decide which tasks will get done tomorrow. Those day job ‘tomorrow tasks’ have been piling up higher and higher lately, so that writing has been getting short shrift.

Some of you are aware that Cecily Markland has formed a publishing company called Inglestone Press and will publish my next novel this fall. It’s not targeted to the LDS market, though Latter-day Saints will certainly read it with a different perspective and understanding than the general public. It’s a historical novel—and when did half a decade before I was born become historical?—set in New Mexico and Arizona cattle country during the depression. It’s a story of passion, love, conflict and redemption, and, no, it doesn’t have a title yet. The working title is The Honest in Heart, but though it’s a very good title for the book, it doesn’t have much of a Velcro effect for snagging interest.

With the book coming out soon, I decided I finally had to have my own web site rather than depend on the Liz Adair page on the Deseret Book site. My son-in-law Rich agreed to build it and be my webmaster, and so it was hung. I pretty much forgot about it, because the day job was taking all my time and energy and besides, I had no faith that anyone would bother to look there.

However, yesterday Rich asked me to look at something on the web site. I navigated around a bit and found a comment by an ANWA sister named Karen. As she posted it for anyone to see (though she may have had the same expectations as me about the paucity of visitors), I’m taking the liberty of repeating it. Here’s what she said:

Liz- I always read your insightful comments on the ANWA sites, but since I rarely contribute (ME: too lazy, too tired, too preoccupied, too boring, etc.) you probably don't know me. BUT, I just had to write and tell you I found your family history blog and your family blog (Evan's World). I appreciate you not letting facts get in the way of a good story. I have many wonderful stories of my mom's conversion and things she experienced but had never considered using them in my fiction! I just keep them recorded for my siblings and children. I think Mom woud love to see her experiences (albeit from 'the other side') read by others! Thanks for the idea and your wonderful writing!
Karen _____ - ANWA Shadow
Monday, March 31, 2008 - 03:15 AM

First, I want to tell Karen that she doesn’t know what that comment did for me. I was at a very low point, wondering if I could cover all the bases I had to cover, and it gave me renewed determination to post, post, post on my personal blog and on my family history blog.

My personal blog can be found by going to www.lizadair.net and clicking on blog. There’s only one posting right now, but I’ve made a vow to blog at least twice a week. I’ll ramble about general things, but I’ll also announce the new book title—maybe even ask you to comment on possible titles—and post the book cover when it’s done. (By the way, in one of those strange cyber-irregularities, neither Rich nor I named my personal blog page Evan’s World. Rich has removed it twice, but it has persisted. I think it’s gone now. That’s what Karen was referring to.) (Or maybe it’s a sign that I should change my protagonist’s name to Evan and name the book Evan’s World?)

My (and Cecily Markland’s) family history blog is at www.familywriters.blogspot.com . This is a subject that is dear to my heart, and Karen’s validation of my efforts there has made such a difference in my commitment to make something good of that site.

Karen calls herself an ANWA shadow. I hope she understands how long a shadow she has cast.