Melinda Foster is already at a crossroads when the “for rent” sign beckons her down a dusty gravel road. Facing forty and downsized from her copywriting job at a Twin Cities ad agency, Melinda is struggling to find her way forward when a phone call brings her home to rural Iowa. It’s not long before Melinda is living in a faded farmhouse, caring for a barn full of animals, and working at her family’s hardware store in the community of Prosper, whose motto is “The Great Little Town That Didn’t.” And just like the vast garden she tends under the summer sun, Melinda soon begins to thrive. Filled with memorable characters, from a big-hearted farm dog to the weather-obsessed owner of the local co-op, “Growing Season” celebrates the challenges and joys of rural life. (First in a series)
"Growing Season" and its sequel, "Harvest Season," are now available for purchase through Ingram's distribution system, providing libraries and bookstores easier access to these titles. Both novels carry a retail price of $13.95 through Ingram. Paperbacks for both titles, as well as Kindle ebooks, continue to be available on Amazon.
Q. Where did you get the inspiration for these novels?
A. There’s a saying, “write what you know.” I was laid off from my newspaper job in late 2014. The uncertainty of being unemployed can be as tough to deal with as the lack of income. What happens when times are hard? You live more simply, focus on what’s really important, consider big life changes. While I’ve lived in urban areas for twenty years, I grew up in the country. I started to kick around ideas for a novel that would combine the two worlds. The main character in these novels gets to do what everyone wishes for at one time or another: she breaks away from her everyday life.
Q. What surprised you about the process?
A. I really didn’t know what to expect. I had an vague ending in mind, but it took time to sort out exactly how to get there. It became a balance between creating scenes of action, and then having moments where nothing much is happening on the surface but the characters are still evolving. Getting the words off my laptop and into readers’ hands, for both digital and paperback editions, was more complex than I expected. I couldn’t afford to hire any help, so I took my own cover photos, designed the covers and paginated the interiors, and signed up for a DIY service to create a website.
Q. The “city girl-goes-country” idea isn’t new. What makes Melinda Foster stand out?
A. I didn’t want her to be this sheltered airhead who can’t do anything for herself. I wanted readers to laugh “with” her, not “at” her. Melinda, and her circumstances, needed to be as realistic as possible. No one in her situation would be able to purchase property. Her life’s collapsed around her so she’s got some emotional baggage. And she had to have a job off the farm to pay her bills, she couldn’t lounge around all day in the porch swing.
Q. Animals are such a large part of the plot. How did that come about?
A. Your pets and your livestock are such a big part of living in the country. That, and the weather and the seasons. So it was important to include those themes. Our pets are part of the family, and I had plenty of material to draw on for the animals in the books. But as I built those animal characters, they became more than just part of the plot. I could see Melinda’s personal growth reflected in how she interacted with the animals around her. And here I thought they would just be cute additions to the story!
Q. How does self-publishing compare to working in traditional media?
A. In the media world, you always ask: Why is this story important? Why does it matter? It was the same with this writing process, deciding what drives the storyline. It all comes back to everyday people living their lives. Everyone has a story to tell.
Can't get enough of Melinda's adventures in the country? Watch for the next books in the series, "The Peaceful Season" and "Waiting Season," coming this fall in paperback and ebook!
