Site Map

 

My crudely drawn site map, above, was part of my display in May of 2013 at McNally Robinson bookstore. I didn't have all those pillow cases made at the time. 

I think I still have most of those sets of pillow cases and I have made quite a number of quilts since December of 2012, when my self- published novel was actually ready at the printing company I hired. 

The site map is a tree because the basic premise of my novel is a love journey through life represented by "the tree of life."

This is definitely a 'lifetime project.' 

Life is a physical and metaphysical journey. If you look closely at the site map, I deliberately made one side flowing and organic- looking and the other side looks more like building lots because I squared those off. The entire map is my concept of a project that has never been built because I haven't had anyone interested in building a place like this.

So, as I did all this work, I was trying to match a Biblical study to the current day novel that I thought was important to write because so many people think that Biblical history doesn't coalesce with today.

My goal, in writing and publishing The Orchard Walk was to engage the reader in my historical fiction novel. This required a 'modern day' depiction of the old time story that started in a garden.

The Orchard Walk El Dueck

Chapter 1

"Sam slowed the Hummer down to a dusty road crawl."

(In 2009, I purchased a Hummer H3 and it was demolished in an accident on August 19, 2019.)

Much of the inspiration for my novel came from my own life and the people I would meet.

"It was a good thing that they'd decided to travel in this rugged vehicle. These roads were raw gravel, pitted and dust driven by wind that is master of nature. The wrought iron gates of the winery...

Simmy rolled down her window to get a better view, taste, smell. "Hey Sam, maybe this is why I love flowers so much. Flowers are the depiction of Eden before the thistle entered on the back of the serpent.

I think you just found that artistic edge you were hoping would grow wings for your next novel."

So, I really have no intention of publishing the sequel to this novel unless I find a financial backer but I continue to work on this lifetime project.