My Writing Corner : A Long Writing Journey

We may be in the middle of the holiday season, but that doesn't mean it's not a good time to enjoy a spooky story. My guest today is author Lucy Naylor Kubash, whose latest book, The Haunting of Laurel Cove was just released. It sounds like a great book to read on a long wintery evening or while relaxing on a cold or snowy day.

Lucy says she has had a lifelong love of reading and has been writing for as long as she can remember. She is published in short fiction and novel length contemporary romance, as well as nonfiction, having written a column called The Pet Corner for twenty years. She is a member of Michigan Romance Writers, Grand Rapids Region Writers Group, Romance Writers Online, and Women Writing the West. She says she loves anything to do with the American West, mountains and beaches anywhere, and traveling whenever possible. When she is not writing, she says, she likes to spend time with her family and her pets.

Lucy, tell us about your road to publication.

Sometimes I feel as though I’ve been writing all my life, which in some ways I have, but my road to publication began when I submitted two short romance stories to Woman’s World magazine back in 1983. At that time, the stories were much longer, average length 5-6k words, and so were able to have a lot more plot and character development. After having submitted a few full-length books to publishers with no success, I decided to try the short story market, and Woman’s World was listed in the Writer’s Digest at #5 on their list of magazines accepting submissions. I was totally amazed when both stories were accepted. I went on to sell twelve more stories to them, and those stories are now published on Amazon in five e-book collections, as I had the rights back to them.

What do you enjoy about being an author?

What I love most about being an author is I’ve always felt it allows me to live more than one life. That may sound weird, but I feel as though I become my characters while writing about them. I love discovering so many different characters, learning what makes them tick, and pretending I live in their settings. The most challenging part of being an author is having to crawl out of my writing cave and do promotions. While I would rather just spend time writing, I realize that if anyone else is going to find out about my characters and their stories, I have to make that effort. What I have discovered is that it’s fun to talk about my books and the people in them.

What is your latest book and how did you come up with the idea to write it?

Shattered dreams, family secrets, rekindled love. Which poses the biggest threat to life and sanity for a broken woman trying to heal?

My latest book is The Haunting of Laurel Cove. It's a mystery/romance/ghost story that was released on December 6 by The Wild Rose Press. This is my third book from Wild Rose. I wrote the original version of the story after our first trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I was so intrigued by the misty mountains, old cabins, and mysterious coves that I knew I had to set a story there. I’m not sure where the characters of Jane, Brendan, Cissy and Sheridan came from—who knows where characters ever come from?—but these four would not leave me alone until I wrote their story. The manuscript went through many revisions and was sent out to a few publishers. It picked up an honorary mention in a contest along the way, but ended up in a drawer for more years than I care to count. During the Co-vid shutdown, I pulled it back out again and decided to rewrite it one more time and send it off to Wild Rose. I’m so glad I did! It just proves you should never give up on a story you love and believe in.

Let's get a blurb:

When Jane Stuart returns to the Smoky Mountains and the house she inherited from her grandmother with the hope to heal from a brutal mugging, she finds herself obsessed with a local legend involving a witch and a mysterious cabin.

Upon reconnecting with an old boyfriend now turned handsome environmentalist, she finds herself rekindling her attraction to Brendan McGarren and is drawn into his battle to keep Laurel Cove from becoming a rich man’s playground. As she begins to uncover family secrets pertaining to the witch and the cabin, Jane questions her own sanity. Then the threats begin. Can she trust Brendan?

Will the search for the truth cost Jane her life?

How about an excerpt:

I glanced up into the woods, staring once more into vacant windows. The eyes and soul of a house no longer inhabited, at least not by anyone of this world. Voices whirled about in my mind. Lights have been seen in the cabin, after dark. Some say she doesn’t rest at all, but walks at night. Then, from somewhere, the echo of a dog’s plaintive howl sent icy fingers sliding down my backbone.

“I was here the other day,” I said, my voice hushed. “I didn’t know it was Cissy’s cabin, but now I remember being here a long time ago, when the other kids were taunting her. It was awful, and I knew Gran would be upset with me. I think maybe she felt sorry for Cissy, or maybe she even knew her, before it happened.”

“Before what happened?” Brendan drew next to me and leaned over to put his hand on mine where I gripped the reins.

I tore my gaze from the cabin and looked into his turquoise eyes. “The murder.”

He considered this a moment before he said, “I think we should leave now.”

Did he feel it too? The presence of someone other than us?

We did not talk at all as we rode away, but I couldn’t resist a single backward glance at the lonely cabin. Strange how the breeze sifting through the trees now sounded more like someone’s gentle sighing. Cecilia Jane.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on a trilogy of western contemporary romances I’m calling The North Star Legacy stories. It involves rewriting my first published novel, and then I’ve finished a sequel to that and a third book with many of the same characters. It follows the McCord family who live on a ranch near the Grand Tetons of Wyoming. Can you tell I love mountains?

What advice do you have for beginning writers?

My advice to beginning writers is to learn all you can about writing but don’t ever give up on yourself. Believe in your ability and don’t be afraid to put your work out there, but only after you’ve made it the very best it can be. I’m still learning, and I hope my stories improve the more I write.

I'm so excited for this book's release. I hope you'll enjoy it! You may order it now at these fine retailers:

KOBO: https://tinyurl.com/3cbpnf23

iTunes: https://iBooks.com

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2y72ha6r

Barnes and Noble: https://tinyurl.com/4yechr3c

If are a library patron, please ask your local library to order The Haunting of Laurel Cove.

ISBN: 978-1-2092-4551-2

Please visit my Amazon Author Page:

www.amazon.com/author/lucynaylorkubash

Look for me here;

www.lucynaylorkubash.com

https://www.facebook.com/LucyNaylorKubash/