Writing Emma's story has been a departure from my comfort zone. As a genealogist, my norm is dealing with facts. While I've always loved adding the photographs and stories, the flesh on the bones, the picture was fact-based.
Taking the stories I've heard my entire life and weaving them into a work of fiction has been one of the most exciting things I've done. The character, Emma, is based on one of my great-grandmothers. She was the youngest of eighteen children whose mother died when 'Emma' was about three years old. The fact that her father remarried would be expected and that he married a real-life wicked stepmother was unfortunate at best.
I had never thought about this being a Cinderella-type story until after I'd written and published the book. It was just my great-grandmother's life. Putting her stories down on paper in a fictional setting highlighted that she was indeed a "Cinderella." The only thing missing was the evil stepsisters.
Her real-life stepsister was a lovely woman who would quickly tell the truth about how horrible her mother was. We often hear that truth is stranger than fiction - in this instance, the reality was shocking.
"16 June 1900

Her earliest memories were of her Momma's face. Emma could remember Jane smiling at her each morning when she woke up and her soft kiss as she tucked her in at night - or so she thought. It was possible that what she 'remembered' was her Momma's likeness that had once hung over the fireplace. Whenever she could manage, she would slip up to the attic and quietly move the discarded furniture to sit and gaze at her Momma.

Emma found comfort in the likeness of her parents. Momma had been so pretty and Papa so handsome. Emma reached out and touched his beard through the glass. She remembered crawling into his lap and running her little fingers through his whiskers. She liked how they tickled her fingers and how thick his beard was. Now Papa's beard was thin and scraggly. She missed it."

I didn't grow up with a grandfather. My grandmother had these fantastic portraits of several of my ancestors hanging in her living room. The "likeness" of the real-life Ben and Jane was and is my favorite. 'Ben' had this lovely, full beard and kind eyes. I always thought he looked like you could crawl in his lap and snuggle. Several years ago, I saw a photograph of 'Ben' after he'd been married to 'Matilda' for several years - the difference in his looks was startling.
I sincerely hope that my readers will enjoy reading Emma's story as much as I have enjoyed telling it and that they will be anxious to read the next volume, Celey - the story of Emma's grandmother - Ma Marcus.
Susan