Toward Sunset Book 1: Daylight Fades: Introduction

Five years ago, I completed my first full novel in 30 days, using Chris Baty's tips in his book No Plot? No Problem! This book was the inspiration for the creation of the National Novel Writing Month (affectionately known as NaNoWriMo), in which millions of writers have faithfully participated for over 12 years.

Unfortunately, I never am able to complete a novel during the month of November. There's always too much going on for me with holiday preparations. And I always manage to get really, really sick during that month, too. So, I've designated August as MyNoWriMo. For 30 days in August, I will be writing 1667 words every day (August 31st will be a make-up/wrap-up day, if needed). For one month, I will not allow myself to edit. I will just type whatever comes to mind. And I will do something I did not do the first time I completed a novel in 30 days (also in August). I will post it here on HubPages for everyone to see. All the good, bad, and the ugly.

Why am I doing this? Well, I think it will give me a measure of accountability that I didn't have the first time I completed my novel in 30 days. The beauty of doing NaNoWriMo in November is that you know all kinds of other people are doing it, too, and they even have regional and local groups you can join (both online and offline), so that you always have someone to hold you accountable. By posting each day's entry here, I'm providing a way to keep myself going with this experiment.

Also, it will help me to know if anyone thinks this is any good, or if I should just scrap the idea altogether. After all, if no one else wants to read what you're writing, why bother writing, in the first place?

Don't worry. I won't overwhelm you with all 1667 words in one installment. The book will be broken down into sections, with each hub containing about 800-1000 words. I think hubs work best when they're shorter. People tend to read them more (well, I know I do, anyway).

So, this book will probably be about 60 hubs long. It'll be a fun way to get my hub count up, too, since I haven't published a hub now for more than a month. Hey! I just realized. I can combine my own novel-writing challenge with a 30 Hubs in 30 Days challenge. I'm a big fan of both, as you can see if you read my hub NaNoWriMo Vs. 30 Hubs in 30 Days. So now I have double the incentive for completing this project!

Jane Addison's life is forever changed when the county sheriff rides in one day to tell her that her husband has been killed by Confederate soldiers. She must now learn how to take care of herself and her three children.

Her life is further complicated when unhappily married Cole Mays comes to repay a debt he owes to her dead husband. When the two fall in love, they must decide if they will let their forbidden love continue unchecked.

This three-part series will cover Jane Addison's life from the moment she discovers her husband has been murdered to just a few years before her death.

Book 1 is, obviously, the beginning. We meet Jane and her family, and we meet the man she falls in love with, Cole Mays, and his family. By the end of this book, Jane and Cole will have made some serious decisions about their lives that significantly affect everyone around them. But will they be the right decisions? Only time will tell.

There always is one, isn't there? Well, this is mine.

Several years ago, I started researching my family history and came across some interesting finds:

1. My great-great-great-grandfather was gunned down in the road by one of Confederate General Morgan's men on his eighth wedding anniversary in 1862. Read more about that in my hub, Finding Hidden Fruit in Your Genealogical Garden.
2. His widow, Jane, never remarried.
3. Her son, William, and his wife, Molly, both died around the same time.
4. Jane ended up going to live with Molly's father, Henry Mayes, and the two of them raised their grandchildren together until their deaths.

I, being the romantic I am, began to wonder. What if, since they lived in the same area for most of their lives, Jane and Henry fell in love at some point earlier, and they just denied themselves the pleasure of being together until they legally and morally could upon Henry's wife's death?

So, the idea for this story was born. It's fascinating to me that Jane never married again. Why not? How did she support herself and her three children all on her own? I found out some of those answers in my research, but some still remain unanswered.

This series is based, in part, on fact, but most of it is completely made up. I'm still not exactly sure where my creative wanderings will take me, but I'm excited about the journey. I hope you will join me for the duration.