Get a behind-the-scenes all-access pass to Sherri Hollister's series The Harrell Family Chronicles!
SYNOPSIS:
The Harrell Family Chronicles are a spin-off of The Leeward Files series. The Harrell family owns a farm and campground just outside Leeward on the Pamlico River. They are volunteer firefighters and leaders of the community. The series explains their connection to the history of the town, the phosphate plant and what they are willing to for love and to change their lives.
Trent’s Melody— Trent Harrell’s music career, his love life, hell—his whole life is in the shitcan. He’s been wallowing in guilt, blaming himself for his best friend’s death and hiding out in Leeward working for his brother’s construction company.
After being abandoned to the media fallout following her former fiancé’s suicide, Melodie Henries hides away at her aunt’s inn writing her novels under a pseudonym afraid of being recognized.
When they agree to participate in a renovation competition to save the town of Leeward, old feelings resurface. As Trent and Melodie find themselves falling in love again, will they risk everything for a chance at forever together or will their second chance be threatened when a stalker turns deadly?
What is the sub-genre and trope? Did your characters lead you to this genre or was that decided before the story began?
The sub-genre is romantic suspense, the tropes—second chance romance, musician hero, battle-of-the-sexes competition and renovation romance.
I knew Trent’s Melody was going to be a second chance romance and a suspense thriller, but the renovation and the competition evolved from previous stories. In the holiday novella, Christmas Inn at Teach’s Island the idea of the competition is first introduced as a way to restore the town of Leeward.
Are you more character or plot driven?
I am very much character driven but I often start with a plot idea along with the first thought of the character. When I first came up with the idea of the Harrell family, I knew Charlie and Liz would have a houseful of children and there’d be a conflict between him and his brother over the campground.
As a pantser, I develop my idea during my discovery phase of writing. Where plotters plot and outline, I write a first draft or discovery draft to get to know my characters and flesh out my plot. I start with a grain of an idea for the story (plot) and a vague image of the characters. As I write I have an idea of where I want the story to end, and I build towards it.
What needs to happen to get to this point? How does the character need to change? What choices do they need to make to get to their happy ending?
With many main and secondary characters, how do you keep them separated in your mind? Do you have a story/vision board above your workspace?
I have tried vision boards, Pinterest, character sketches, you name it, but what works for me is backstory. I start my first draft with an idea of who my characters are and then ask things like, why would they act like that? What happened prior to the story that I need to know that my audience may or may not know? What makes them tick?
Looks are not as important to me as who they are inside, how they react to things and why. I try to get inside each character’s head and imagine their thoughts and actions under different circumstances. I will have an image in my head and sometimes I’ll use something to give me a visual. I prefer doing a poster on Canva with photos that inspire my stories.
I know from previous interviews that characters take on a life of their own. Were any of the characters in this series determined to take their own direction instead of where you initially wanted them to go?
I discovered Trent’s backstory when he started talking to me. I had to reign in my antagonist when they would get a little carried away.
Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?
My family and friends greatly influence my characters. With six sons and 11 grandsons, I have a plethora of personalities to mine for my characters. Trent has many characteristics taken from my next to the youngest son, my oldest grandson and a neighbor’s oldest son.
Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?
My friends help me flesh out the population of my stories as I try to vary my characters to represent the differing personalities of the world around me.
Mayor Cupid, Dana Windley is a combination of my sister-in-law, our longtime friend and president of the Aurora Woman’s Club mingled with a younger friend and entrepreneur.
Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?
I believe every book has at least one scene that is so emotional it guts you. In Trent’s Melody, the scene that both took me by surprise and was gut-wrenching because if felt so real, was the scene with his former teacher.
Trent believes Mrs. Campbell hates him and is surprised to learn she has been his advocate and even a fan. He has to rethink his childhood with new understanding. This scene has echoes of truth as it is a patchwork of similar events that happened in my own and my sons’ lives.
What is your favorite book in the series?
Choosing a favorite book is difficult. I can give arguments as why each book in the series is my favorite, but I will say that Trent’s Melody is probably my favorite at this time.
I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?
I love G-ma Doris though she’s not in this book, she’s a pistol. A pot smoking, former hooker, Doris aka Doodie is a bad granny but a lot of fun.
My other favorite character is Roxanne of Roxy’s Betrayal. Like Trent, Roxy is a black sheep in a family of overachievers. She ran off to be an actress and singer but returns home as a failure. She’s a bad girl with a big heart. A very unlikely heroine.
Series question - Who is your favorite couple and why did you decide on their dynamics?
Although they don’t have their own book, their story is what started this series, Charlie and Liz are probably my favorite couple. Married over thirty years, with seven children, they’ve been together since high school. They are opposites and yet they balance each other.
How do you get inside these character’s heads to find their perfect HEA?
Knowing their backstory, what is keeping them from having their happy ending and then asking the questions 1) how can they get their HEA, 2) what changes need to happen, and 3) what choices and consequences do they have to make?
Living inside the character’s head and viewing the events as if they are happening in a movie helps me more than anything.
What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for you? Why?
Trent and Melodie’s first confrontation and the realization that they are both still in love with each other. When Trent runs off, his fire chief picks him up and the pep talk he gives, sets the change in motion for Trent.
Series - Were any of the books harder to write than others?
Willow’s Retreat was difficult to write as it was about an older couple who’d been married a while, yet they didn’t know each other. I had to ask a lot of questions in order to make this believable.
I also found Roxy’s Betrayal difficult to write. It was a parallel story to Janie’s Secrets. While I wanted to have a parallel timeline, I didn’t want it to be redundant. It was interesting to be able to reveal new and interesting information from her POV.
This question is if you write in MULTIPLE POVs not just the hero and heroine - I love the multiple POVs in a book. It’s not just the hero and heroine, but we get inside the heads of multiple characters throughout this series. I feel that it gives the story further depth. Do you think you will write another book or series following this multiple POV outline?
Trent’s Melody is actually the first in which I’ve only used two POVs.
In Roxy’s Betrayal I added her brother Remy’s POV because Remy is falling in love with Sothy but isn’t ready to have his own story. He is also helping to uncover the mystery of her grandmother’s attack and how it relates to his own family’s drama.
How long did it take you to write this book/series?
I published Chrome Pink in 2017 followed by 4 other books in the Leeward Files series. The Harrell Family Chronicles began in 2020.
I think Trent’s Melody took about six months but there were parts of the story that were written for another book that didn’t get published. I recycled it for Trent’s backstory.
How did you come up with the title for your book and series?
I grew up in a community called South Creek that isn’t on South Creek but Muddy and Bond Creeks. Curious, I researched the name and learned that at one time the community was called Stanton-Harrell after the sawmill that was there. I chose the name Harrell for my family because of that historic information. Each story has the name of the hero or heroine combined with a word that relates to the story’s theme.
Willow’s Retreat=Dr. Willow Rider (Harrell) and her decision to retreat from her marriage or her desire to build a therapy retreat to help her patients.
Janie’s Secret=Librarian Janie Harrell and her secret past as well as her secret desires.
Roxy’s Betrayal=Black sheep Roxanne has to betray someone she cares about to save another.
Trent’s Melody=Singer/songwriter Trent in love with Melodie Henries.
If you met these characters in real life, would you get along?
Probably since they are loosely based on family and friends.
Series question – Did you know in advance that you were going to write this as a series or did one of the characters in book one demand their own story?
I planned it as a series.
https://readingbydeb.blogspot.com/2022/05/author-at-glance-sherri-hollister.html
Bio:
People have asked me why I don’t write about my adventures raising six sons. I have to admit that I prefer to write their stories as fiction because no one would believe the stuff they put me through if I tell it as fact.
In fiction I can clean my boys up a little when I like them and make them the heroes of my stories and if they’ve pissed me off, I can make them the villains.
It’s been a running joke around our house that mom will put you in her book and kill you off on page fifty, but some know they’re the smelly corpse discovered in the ditch at the very beginning of the story.
Heck, it’s
not even a threat anymore my grandkids are begging to be put in my books and
even telling me how I can kill them off. I mean really, where’s the threat in
that? We put the fun in dysfunctional, what can I say? I have long
conversations with my children and grandchildren about blowing things up and
how to get rid of bodies. The holidays are never boring around our house.
Connect with Sherri:
Email:
suspenseshewrites@sherrilhollister.com
BookBub:
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sherri-lupton-hollister
They can't go on pretending everything is okay. With the tragic death of her nephew, Dr. Willow Rider needs to make some changes before it's too late. She's not a good wife or mother, but she's an awesome therapist. Can she heed her own advice and repair her broken relationships? Will their families and the past destroy their fragile bond and their second chance at happiness?
Called Saint John by his family, John Harrell is the head of the family. A leader and martyr, he always does what's best for everyone else. It's time he demands his own happiness? Can he accept help from those he loves or will he continue to make the same mistakes?
When their son is targeted for being a gay firefighter and accused in his cousin's death, Willow and John join forces to protect their family and their town from the Steel Marauders motorcycle gang contriving for command of the leaderless sex trafficking cartel that once controlled the town of Leeward. Believing the Harrell family holds the key, they will stop at nothing for revenge and power.
Family drama, first in series, suspense thriller, second chance romance, seasoned romance, LBGQ
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