The Rescued Heart takes place in a mining community in the Missouri Ozarks. This book was a long time coming. As a little girl my family used to go camping at a park called Red Bluff. From the time I was eight years old I would tell my parents some day I’d make my home near the park. Learning how to catch crawfish with my bare hands, how to swim and count the calls of the whippoorwills to fall asleep became part of who I was. My love of reading grew during those long hot days of summer. If you weren’t swimming or fishing there really wasn’t anything else to do.
Several times a week we’d travel to a little town ten miles away to get supplies. Back then there was just a grocery store, a hamburger joint and a bank. Later came the Western Auto and P.N. Hirsch. I thought it was heaven. My dad would get mad at the local boys for “smilin’ like a bunch of busted watermelons” when they’d spot a city girl like me. The mining community was beginning to grow and make their mark on Missouri history.
It wasn’t until I turned 25 and moved to that little community called Viburnum with my husband that I announced to my dad I’d become a local yocal. Marrying a mine engineer landed me exactly where I wanted to be. We lived on a farm, raised sheep and Christmas trees. Our children were born there and had some adjustment when we moved into town for our son to attend school. It was a good life. A safe life that shaped and molded not only me but my children.
At some point, probably twenty years ago I started the story of The Rescued Heart. As usual, life got in the way so I packed away the five chapters I wrote about living, loving and surviving in a mining community. Last year that all changed. I was between projects and decided to look through some of the work I’d done in the past when I came across the tale of Garrett Horton and The Turnbough Lead Company. I moved from there almost fourteen years ago. Reading through those first few pages brought back the sights and sounds of mining.
Long story short, I entered the blurb in a contest. Nothing happened. A few months later I tried again. This time I decided I’d better write five more chapters–just in case. To my surprise there was indeed some interest. I got a request for the full manuscript from eight publishers. So within a week I wrote the rest of the book. Three contracts resulted from that effort. You never know about a project you create. The efforts you put into anything could manifest itself into something wonderful years later. If you are a writer, don’t give up. Keep writing. Whatever you find fulfillment in don’t second guess your ability to see it though.
Other books by Tierney James
An Unlikely Hero Vol.I Winds of Deception Vol.II (Due out 6-8-15)
Zombie Meatloaf There’s a Superhero in the Library