Self Published Sunday Welcomes Carol Ann Ross

I want to welcome Carol Ann Ross to Self Published Sunday.  Carol is a native of the Carolina coast and remembers a time when life there was very different than today. She disapproves strongly of the "progress" that has been made on so many of the barrier islands along the eastern seaboard, leaving them cookie cutter replicas - each trying to out "modern" the other.  "Where in the hell did quaint and simple go," She asks.

Carol has written for a couple of newspapers and has penned six books, fiction and non fiction.She has experienced at least thirty different modes of employment - from first mate on a fishing boat to college instructor.  She enjoys small town life and trusts dogs over most people. 

Excerpt:  

  

   

 “Why don’t you want to dance with me, Ellie?” Paul asked as the two watched from one of the nearby picnic tables.  

      Ellie shook her head no, “you’re my cousin…”

     “When did that ever stop ya? We’ve been dancing together since we were kids.”

     “I’m a grown lady now.”

     Paul guffawed, “Seems like since the Army came to town, you’re too good to dance with your cousin.”

     “I like upbeat music. This is too slow and all the parents are out there – even mine.” Scrunching her nose in disgust, she fidgeted about, swishing her skirt, “I wish Mr. Pike would call a square dance, then I’d probably dance with you.”

     Paul glanced again toward Pearl and Jay, “I hope she’s happy.”

     “No you don’t. You’re hoping right now that there’s a war and that Jay gets sent overseas and never comes back.”

     “Good God, Ellie.” Paul rolled his eyes as he moved a few steps, distancing himself from her. “I don’t want us to go to war!”

     “But you wish that was you there, holding her, kissing her – and you know what else.”

     “Stop it. All girls aren’t like you.”

     “Well, you do wish it.” A slight grin crept upon her lips as she turned her glance away from Paul.

     “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I do wish that it was me dancing with her and getting ready to marry her.  But that doesn’t make me wish anything bad for her.”

     “Bad for her?”

    “Bad for her,” Paul retorted. “If and when we have a war and Jay has to go off and fight in it, just how do you think she’s going to feel?”

     Tossing her hair to the side, Ellie fumbled with the ribbon in it. “She’ll get over it. And besides, while the cat’s away the mice will play.”

     “Not Pearl, she’ll be faithful to Jay for as long as it takes him to come back.”

     “Humph.”

     “That’s the kind of girl she is.” Paul’s eyes looked sternly at Ellie. “And I hope he comes back, because I want Pearl to be happy.”

     “Liar. And if he doesn’t come back, you’ll be there for her to pick up the pieces.”

     Paul turned away from Ellie and strode to the grill to pick a strand of pork from the nearly bare bones. He glared at Ellie who was still watching him as he chewed on the succulent meat. Swishing her skirt about, she motioned for him to come back as the fiddle player announced that a square dance would be coming up next. Paul ran his fingers though his hair, then reached for the jug hidden behind a wooden beam, walked off into the night, flipping his palm out quickly, as if to say, get lost.

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It's a Novel November with Carol Ann Ross, author of The Days of Hairawn Muhly

I'd like to welcome Carol Ann Ross to Novel November. Carol is the author of The Days of Hairawn Muhly.  She is working on the sequel, The Trill of the Red Winged Black Bird.  She has agreed to share an excerpt of her novel.  

Excerpt:

     After the horses were put away, everyone gathered around the kitchen table where Lottie had set the roast pork from the night before. She’d already sliced the bread and set out the mustard from the refrigerator. “Help yourselves,” she called out as she walked to Ellie’s side, “You let them two alone, now. You hear me. They been dying all day to be together and for the life of me I don’t know why Pearl invited you over.”

     “Mrs. Scaggins, I don’t know what you mean. I was invited because Pearl was bragging so about this new boyfriend she’s got. She said she wanted me to see him.”

     “More than likely you invited yourself. You’re not fooling me, Ellie Rosell. And I don’t mean to be unkind to you, but I’ve known you since you were a child and I’ve seen it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears.  If you don’t have it, it’s not any good and if you do have it, it’s the best in the world. I just don’t know how good a friend you can be to anybody. Always got to lick the red off of somebody else’s candy, just can’t stand to see someone else happy.”

    Ellie tightened her lips and balled her hands into fists.”I’ll have you know that I never said a bad word about him. I think he’s nice.”

   “Well, all that’s fine and good, but just the same, you just quietly slide out the door and get on that little bay of yours and go on home. I thank you for helping with the cattle today, and you say hello to your mom and dad for me. You can visit on another day.”

                                                                               *****

      “I’d like to have my own restaurant some day.”

     “You mean you don’t plan on getting married and having a bunch of babies?” Jay’s voice teased but his eyes searched Pearl’s earnestly.      

          She nodded her head as she took a small bite of her sandwich. “Well, yes, someday. But wouldn’t it be great to have a little restaurant by the sound and sell roasted oysters and fried flounder. Daddy says he’s been saving up a little bit every year and taking some of the money from his oystering and shrimping so that he and Momma and I could have a little oyster roast restaurant. He said I could keep the books. Said it was really important for me to learn about business. Says it’s more secure than farming.”

      “Your daddy is smart. That’s the best way to find out about a thing, from the inside out.”

     The couple sat on the log where they had gone crabbing a few weeks before, speaking easily with one another. But as he gently brushed her arm, the mood changed. Moving his hand slowly down to hers, he clasped it in his own. Pearl laid her head on his shoulder trying to ease her own breathing. She could feel her heart beating so loudly that it drowned the thoughts in her head.

     To Jay, Pearl’s smell was intoxicating, sweet and fresh, like the smell of fresh flowers. He whispered her name as he nuzzled his face in her long hair. She turned and lifted her face to his, his lips brushed ever so slightly against hers. Pearl kissed him back, pressing harder, Jay responded by drawing her closer to him. He felt her breasts soft against his chest as his hand reached to the small of her back. He pulled her even closer, feeling her belly against his own.

     “Whew!” Jay shook his head, and gently pushed the girl away from his hungry body.

     She gazed at him, her eyes rapt in his. She felt the pulsing of her lips and then the aching of her cheeks as she realized the broad smile she had suddenly made.  "That was nice.”

     “I’ve been wanting to do that since the day I met you,” Pulling her close once again he looked intently into her green eyes, then at the freckles across her nose, the wisps of hair across her forehead, and smiled back. Slowly taking her shoulders in his hands he bent to kiss her once more. This time her mouth was waiting, her lips slightly parted.

     The taste of raw cherries filled his mouth and he held Pearl against him tightly once again, but this time he resisted pulling her in as closely, though he knew she would have let him.

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Interview with North Carolina Writer - Carol Ann Ross

I am excited to have the opportunity to interview an Eastern North Carolina writer.  Carol Ann Ross is the author of THE DAYS OF HAIRAWN MUHLY.  She resides in Surf City, NC with her two dogs.  She holds a Bachelor Degree in English and a Masters Degree in education and has studied abroad at Oxford University.  Carol has taught at several colleges and has written a couple historical non-fiction books.  THE DAYS OF HAIRAWN MUHLY is her first novel.

Deb:  Hi Carol.  Let me begin by saying I loved THE DAYS OF HAIRAWN MUHLY.
Carol:  Hi Deb - Thank you so much for your interest.
Deb:  What inspired you to write this novel?
Carol:  THE DAYS OF HAIRAWN MUHLY is a book that had to be written.  I grew up on Topsail Island and know so much of its history, it's part of who I am.  And being a writer - I have to write what I know.  It is the first in a trilogy - there is so much about this area that should never be forgotten.
Deb:  You've written two historical non-fiction books.  Did you enjoy switching genres?
Carol:  I think it's safer to write fiction.  I get to embellish a bit and take some liberties.  I like it better, more fun.
Deb:  Of the characters in your novel, which one do you relate to the most?
Carol:  Geez!  To whom do I relate more?  Hmmm.  Pearl is a better me, Ellie is worse.  Different sides of the same coin?
Deb:  (Laughing)  That's quite a coin.  Would you share some random fact about yourself that might surprise your readers?
Carol:  Random fact?  I do not comprehend algebra.
Deb:  Thanks for talking to me.  I'm looking forward to the sequel.
Carol:  Thank you.

THE DAYS OF HAIRAWN MUHLY is available on Amazon in paperback. It will be available for download on April 23, 2013.

-DS McKnight

Book Review

I'm not a book reviewer but I know what I like.  Carol Ann Ross has just published a book called The Days of Hairawn Muhly.  Beautifully written, it truly touches the heart.  The Days of Hairawn Muhly is a coming of age story set during WWII in coastal North Carolina.  History buffs will likely recall when the Army had a base in Holly Ridge, North Carolina called Camp Davis.  So much has changed in the Surf City/Holly Ridge area since the war but its wonderful to read about how things were back in the good ol' days.