Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Sandy Salisbury
Book Title: The Cherry Stone
Released: 05/07/23
Genre: Historical Fiction
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “The Cherry Stone”?
Salisbury: I've always loved historical fiction and I've always wanted to write a novel. As I tried to think of what period of history to write about (I'm fascinated by every era pre-WWII), I thought back to family stories about my great-grandfather who participated in a land run in Oklahoma. I'd wanted to research his experiences, and this gave me the perfect excuse. Although we don't have any first-hand material from my great-grandfather, there are many diaries of people who took part in the land runs (there were six in total from 1889 to 1894), and who homesteaded in the 'Great American Desert.' I used these and other sources to imagine what my great-grandparents might have experienced.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Salisbury: Paulina and Gerhard Nickel are my great-grandparents' names, so that was easy! Their companions are part of the German Mennonite community, so I chose names from that heritage. I portray several other actual figures from history, such as Marshal Chaulkley Beeson, outlaw Tulsa Jack, and Boomer Samuel Crocker.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Salisbury: I come from a German Mennonite background, so I try to represent that culture in the book, although it's changed a lot since the 1890s. However, I also wanted my main characters to go on a journey through the story, evaluating their culture alongside the very different cultures they come up against: other white homesteaders, outlaws, and the Cherokee. Their experiences lead them to understand and appreciate the variety of beliefs and practices around them.
If "The Cherry Stone" was adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Salisbury: I loved Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series, and enjoyed the TV adaptation starring Catriona Balfe as Claire and Sam Heughan as Jamie. Balfe and Heughan portray a couple who often disagree sharply, but have a love for each other that is deep and resilient, much like my lead characters. I also have to admit that I used Luke Pasquilino's photo (D'Artagnan in the 2014 TV adaptation of The Three Musketeers) as my inspiration for Tsali.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Salisbury: It can be tough! There are two things that have worked for me when I lack inspiration. First, I think of a current problem in my own life and imagine how my main character would deal with it, adapting the problem to its 1890s homestead equivalent. Then I start writing and see what happens. I don't always use what I write in the book, but it often gets me started, and it's very therapeutic! Another method I've found helpful is to close my eyes and picture the next scene in my book, even if I don't know what's going to happen. Then I use the dictate function in Word and start dictating whatever pops into my head. I usually delete most of it, but there's always something I can use and it certainly forces me to write!
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Salisbury: It's probably the same advice everyone gives: just write, and write, and write some more! And keep reading in your preferred genre, noting what your favorite authors do that makes you love their books.
What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?
Salisbury: I love everything that Geraldine Brooks has written. My favorite books by her are The Secret Chord and Year of Wonders. Her style is so elegant and effortless. She writes historical fiction that really draws you into the character's world.
What are you working on next?
Salisbury: I'm working on a series of historical cosies set in the 1850s in the Wild West, featuring a half-Cheyenne young woman and an English aristocrat. It's called Prairie Gold and is based on a factual book I read a while ago about Englishmen with too much money and not enough sense who came to the Wild West seeking adventure. I laughed so much at the accounts of their exploits, I had to develop a character. Thus was Henry Thomas Wentworth Fitzwilliam born!
Learn More About the Author and The Cherry Stone:
Interested in submitting your book for review? Visit my review page for guidelines and submission requirements.
review