Ask the Author: Lisa Wingate
Answered Questions (96)
Lisa Wingate
If you want to know more about Dell and the other Tending Roses characters, read the Blue Sky Hill Books. In those 4 books, Dell appears so you get an update on her. Shasta is a main character in one of the books. The books are:
A Month of Summer
The Summer Kitchen
Beyond Summer
Dandelion Summer.
Enjoy!
A Month of Summer
The Summer Kitchen
Beyond Summer
Dandelion Summer.
Enjoy!
Lisa Wingate
I never say never, Angelica, but I'm not planning to. The characters are a fictional family. It would be extremely unrealistic for this many siblings to be reunited, so I didn't resolve the fate of every child. I'm leaving it to the mind of the readers. We know Gabion was adopted and probably happily. There are many graves of children who died in Georgia Tann's facility. Fortunately Camilla is fictional, so we need not worry for her in actuality. I do love it when readers care so much about my characters. Thank you for loving my story and the characters!
Lisa Wingate
Hi Anne-Sophie!
This book was inspired by a bizarre 1909 newspaper clipping about a woman who went to the hills of eastern Oklahoma to investigate reports of "elf children" living in a hollow tree. Shelterwood is the story of the children, their true identities, and why they were forced to flee to the woods to survive. For a better understanding of the world that inspired Shelterwood, check out the book club kit (but stop before reading the last few pages with the spoiler warnings in the header). https://www.randomhousebooks.com/wp-c...
This book was inspired by a bizarre 1909 newspaper clipping about a woman who went to the hills of eastern Oklahoma to investigate reports of "elf children" living in a hollow tree. Shelterwood is the story of the children, their true identities, and why they were forced to flee to the woods to survive. For a better understanding of the world that inspired Shelterwood, check out the book club kit (but stop before reading the last few pages with the spoiler warnings in the header). https://www.randomhousebooks.com/wp-c...
Lisa Wingate
A reader friend directed me to the “Lost Friends” database, where I tumbled down a rabbit hole of lives long gone, stories and emotions and yearning
encapsulated in the faded, smudged type of old-time printing presses.
Names that survived perhaps nowhere beyond these desperate pleas
of formerly enslaved people, once written in makeshift classrooms, at
kitchen tables, and in church halls . . . then sent forth on steam trains and
mail wagons, on riverboats and in the saddlebags of rural mail carriers,
destined for the remote outposts of a growing country. Far and wide, the
missives journeyed, carried on wings of hope after being printed in a Methodist newspaper that was read from pulpits all over the country. Former slaves were seeking their family members and some were actually reunited.
You can read more detail and see some of the original ads on my website. Just go to the For Book Clubs page and see the resources and interviews for this book.
encapsulated in the faded, smudged type of old-time printing presses.
Names that survived perhaps nowhere beyond these desperate pleas
of formerly enslaved people, once written in makeshift classrooms, at
kitchen tables, and in church halls . . . then sent forth on steam trains and
mail wagons, on riverboats and in the saddlebags of rural mail carriers,
destined for the remote outposts of a growing country. Far and wide, the
missives journeyed, carried on wings of hope after being printed in a Methodist newspaper that was read from pulpits all over the country. Former slaves were seeking their family members and some were actually reunited.
You can read more detail and see some of the original ads on my website. Just go to the For Book Clubs page and see the resources and interviews for this book.
Lisa Wingate
You can request a copy through Netgalley or Edelweiss. I greatly appreciate reviews. Thank you for asking.
Lisa Wingate
That scriptwriting experience will be very valuable. We know he can write and will develop good characters and scenes. I advise that he finish the whole book because that gives it a better chance. Make sure it is well edited and clean, then , ask a few trusted people to read it and comment. Meantime, look at his favorite books in that genre and make a short list of the agents and editors/publishers of the books. Then, write a good query letter to the the best looking agent. He probably knows how to do that. If that person says no, hopefully he/she will give some helpful commentary. Query the next best one, etc. Once he gets an agent, the agent will help him proceed from there. Best wishes to your son in this new challenge!
Lisa Wingate
SHELTERWOOD is on it's way! Early review e-galleys and print books are making their way around and the final, official, real-real book hits shelves June 4th, 2024. This one has been a long hush-hush project, and I've never been more excited to be sending a book into the world... or to finally be able to talk about it. ;)
Lisa Wingate
Thanks Barb! Stories always begin with questions. For me, just hearing about the true history of Georgia Tann and her Memphis branch of the Tennessee Children's Home Society generated a need for further research. I was both fascinated and appalled and had to know how much of what I'd heard was true, how Georgia Tann's network could have operated so freely and for so long, and where some of those families might be today.
Lisa Wingate
Every one of my books can be read as a stand-alone. New main characters, new plot, but you'll see some of the characters from other books in the companion book set and often some settings are repeated. In the case of the Carolina Heirloom books, you'll see the family develop through several generations and it's more apparent if you read the 3 novels in the order of publication. There are 3 novellas. Each one is an intro to one of the novels. Not necessary to read these, but doing so adds to the enjoyment. Those three novellas are all in an anthology called "Sisters" . If availability is an issue, just start anywhere with the three novels. You're not going to be missing anything you need to enjoy the story. Thanks for asking and enjoy!
Lisa Wingate
Hi Judy,
That's the first time I've ever had someone write about that. I'm guessing some detail might have been edited out and then the discrepancy was missed in the back and forth versions between the editor and me. Many moons have passed since that book was published and I've moved on with a whole different editing team, beta readers, etc. I'm so grateful that the whole "Tending Roses" series remains popular with readers. Recently all five books were reissued with new covers, e-book and audio book versions. Thanks so much for your interest.
Lisa
That's the first time I've ever had someone write about that. I'm guessing some detail might have been edited out and then the discrepancy was missed in the back and forth versions between the editor and me. Many moons have passed since that book was published and I've moved on with a whole different editing team, beta readers, etc. I'm so grateful that the whole "Tending Roses" series remains popular with readers. Recently all five books were reissued with new covers, e-book and audio book versions. Thanks so much for your interest.
Lisa
Lisa Wingate
Oops. I'm sorry to be so long answering. Anna, many readers expressed the same desire when those books were published. I was writing the Blue Sky Hill series, set in Dallas at that time. If you read these books, Dell and some other Tending Roses characters appear here and there so you'll get answers for most of these questions. The books are:
A Month of Summer
The Summer Kitchen
Beyond Summer
Dandelion Summer
Enjoy!
Lisa
A Month of Summer
The Summer Kitchen
Beyond Summer
Dandelion Summer
Enjoy!
Lisa
Lisa Wingate
Makenzie,
Georgia Tann commonly mined connections among clients to widen her network of prospects -- synagogues, churches, social clubs, family relations, professional and political connections, as well as geographical areas where prospects might be cultivated at parties. Brochures and photos were passed around and/or newspaper ads were placed. As a result, several families who shared some connection might well end up getting placements around the same time.
Georgia Tann commonly mined connections among clients to widen her network of prospects -- synagogues, churches, social clubs, family relations, professional and political connections, as well as geographical areas where prospects might be cultivated at parties. Brochures and photos were passed around and/or newspaper ads were placed. As a result, several families who shared some connection might well end up getting placements around the same time.
Lisa Wingate
Yes. It's a historical fiction with a dual timeline. I'm very excited about the historical content and had to drag myself away from the research stage into the writing stage, but now I'm moving along. It's too early in the process to tell any more. Thanks for being a faithful reader, Linda, and for asking.
Lisa Wingate
Thanks for reading and for the questions. Yes, we'd assume that Trent Sr. and his research led to reunions among the sisters, including with Lark. May and Fern were adopted together, so they would have been together all along, of course. The envelope was indeed the lost twin brother, who is never found by the family (a reflection of so many real-life TCHS families who have to live with only partial answers to their questions). Judy's concern about Trent Sr. and his research would have had to do with her, and the sisters' decision to keep their history secret from future generations. For more about real-life families affected by Georgia Tann and her adoptions-for-profit operation, check out the nonfiction sequel, Before and After. These are incredible, resilient people with inspiring stories to tell!
Lisa Wingate
I'm so glad you loved the book, Gaye. And I love it when my stories inspire a reader to seek out their family stories. You have some good leads there. You might think about doing your DNA. You could find some some unknown relatives that way and they may know more details. Good luck on your search. Lisa
Lisa Wingate
Hi Maddie. Congratulations on telling your aunt's story! Permissions for quotes and excerpts are through Penguin Random House at this link: https://permissions.penguinrandomhous...
Lisa Wingate
We're under negotiations for a possible movie contract for one of my books, but there is nothing definite yet. Fingers crossed.
Lisa Wingate
I credit my first grade teacher for this when she said, "YOU are a wonderful writer." Zing! My concept of myself changed instantly. I wrote book after book through my childhood and teens, then took it on seriously as an adult with young children. It was a day for celebrating when I signed with an agent, and I knew I had arrived when "Tending Roses" was sold to Penguin Putnam. Thirty books later, "Before We Were Yours" hit all the lists and stayed there for ages. What more could a writer ask for? My dream was fulfilled.
Lisa Wingate
Hi Lisa, Mom remembers you and says Hello! Several teachers in my family and the family I married into tell tales around the dinner table and campfire. The stories in the book are some blend of those, and my own experience as a student. Mom has been my first reader during my career, and she is sure to tell me if something doesn't seem realistic in a school scene. I'm glad you found Benny and the students so compelling. Thanks for asking :o)
Lisa Wingate
Yes. Numerous times over the years. I made a special trip for this book, researching details, visiting a former slave plantation, etc. Here is a link to my website page of resources about this book. Scroll down to see the link to my incredible week long journey when I wrote this book. Also other resources you might enjoy. Just cut and past this into your browser.
https://lisawingate.com/for-book-clubs/
https://lisawingate.com/for-book-clubs/
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