Women’s Fiction
Date Published: May 26, 2018
The water that surrounds Oriental, N.C. a5racts people who need to heal. In Heather Cobham’s debut novel, Hungry Mother Creek, Maya Sommers landed in Oriental reeling from the trauma of Hurricane Katrina and the death of her husband. Now, Sloan Bostwick, a successful realtor from Raleigh, returns there in hopes of regaining the peace she experienced during the summers with her grandparents. Sloan purchases the oldest home in the county with plans to create a retreat center. Unbeknownst to Sloan, part of her property contains the Mother Tree, a live oak, where for over a hundred years, women have gathered. It was here, with the help of her women’s circle, that Maya recovered from her husband’s death.
Maya and Sloan’s lives intersect over the fate of the Mother Tree when the women’s circle rallies the community to protect the sacred tree. Travis, the handsome kayak guide Maya had a brief affair with, joins their efforts and Maya’s feelings for him are reignited. Will Travis fill the sense of yearning she’s had the past few months? What’s standing between her and true happiness? Meanwhile Sloan must admit that wounds from her childhood are still festering, waking her every night and distracting her from the retreat center.
Though Maya and Sloan clash over the fate of the Mother Tree, they have more in common than they realize. Join them on the banks of the Neuse River as the wisdom of women, past and present, helps Maya and Sloan transform their suffering into resilience.
Interview with Heather W. Cobham
For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where should they start?
They should start by looking within themselves. One of the major themes of The Mother Tree is learning to tap into your resilience and heal from the challenges life hands you.
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
I am a licensed clinical social worker and have my own counseling practice. Everyday I am inspired as my clients overcome tremendous suffering with courage and grace. I hope that my books inspire readers to do the same. My husband calls me a “tree hugger”. My love for trees, and nature in general, is something that’s been a part of my life since I was a child and this fueled the environmental theme in The Mother Tree.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
My first goal was to have a well written story that would entertain my readers. My second goal, like most writers, was that The Mother Tree would inspire the reader to change their life in some way, small or large. Maybe they spend more time in nature, become more mindful, create a supportive community of women or start on the path to heal from trauma. I hope to improve with every novel I write, but I’ve gotten feedback from readers that my goals were achieved. I’m especially happy when someone says they identified with something my character is going through, and it helped them in their life.
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Don’t ever give up on a dream. It took 7 years to get my first book finished, partially due to my self doubt, but I persevered, gave less attention to that negative voice, and now my work is positively impacting others. You can do the same with your dreams. And, thank you for supporting Indie Authors!
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I most enjoyed the support I received from my hometown of Oriental, N.C., where The Mother Tree is set. Friends and people I didn’t even know, would say how much they enjoyed my debut novel, Hungry Mother Creek, and want to know when the sequel would be finished. The local brewery sponsored my launch party for The Mother Tree, several local book clubs have read my books and all the local shops sell them. I’m grateful to live in such a supportive community.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
As I began writing The Mother Tree, the sequel to my first book, I thought it was the last in this series, but, several characters kept vying for my attention and I couldn’t ignore them. The result is Calling the Circle, the prequel to Hungry Mother Creek and The Mother Tree. It’s also set in Oriental, NC, but in the year 1914-1915. The story is told from the view point of Vivi, the grandmother of one of the characters in Hungry Mother Creek, and Chapawee the Native American who began the women’s circle that’s at the center of both my books. I am about halfway through with the first draft. The research for a historical novel has been a joy, but also takes time so it will be a couple years before this is ready for my readers.
How long have you been writing?
Writing has been a part of my life since I was in grade school. I journaled, and often wrote poems and short stories. As an adult I integrated writing into my jobs as much as I could, primarily through newsletters and essays. I didn’t begin focusing on writing a book until 2007 when I got the inspiration to write Hungry Mother Creek shortly after we purchased a home in Oriental, NC. Since then, I’ve dedicated several days a week and some of my weekend times to write in between my work as a mental health counselor.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Mother Tree?
This novel is told from the viewpoint of Maya and Sloan. Maya was the protagonist from Hungry Mother Creek. In that novel she was healing from the trauma of Hurricane Katrina and the death of her husband. In The Mother Tree, Maya’s biggest personal challenge is accepting she is worthy of a good life, and a loving relationship and not sabotaging herself when things are going well. She is also trying to save the Mother Tree, sacred to her and her women’s circle, from logging. Sloan, is now the owner of the land the Mother Tree is on and plans to log that land so that is where the lives of Sloan and Maya intersect. Sloan moves to Oriental NC trying to simplify her life and find peace after years of pushing herself relentlessly to be successful. She used achievement as a way to avoid dealing with her childhood, but once in Oriental she is unable to avoid it and must finally face her past in order to keep her relationship and have the life that she desires.
If you could spend the day with one of the characters from The Mother Tree who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
I would want to hang out with Lilith, one of the members of the women’s circle. She’s independent, confident, adventuresome and speaks her mind, all characteristics I admire. We would kayak from the source of the Neuse River in Raleigh NC, down to Oriental, camping along the way. Lilith would make me laugh and be more courageous than I would be alone.
About the Author
Heather W. Cobham is the author of the duology, Hungry Mother Creek and The Mother Tree. She is a licensed clinical social worker and has her own counseling practice in New Bern North Carolina. The strength and resilience of her clients, provides inspiration for the protagonists in her books. Heather lives by the water in Oriental, N.C. and maintains her own health and balance by spending time with her husband, running, paddle boarding, yoga and reading.
Contact Links
Instagram:@heatherwcobham
Purchase Link
0 comments:
Post a Comment