IndieView with Tamara Mallimo, author of Magnolia Landing

Malayna is what my Mama raised me to be – strong and resilient. Many times, when my husband would be deployed overseas, I would hear “oh you’re so strong” or “I don’t know how you do it.” The truth is no one knows what they are truly capable of until being strong is the only choice they have.  

Tamara Mallimo – 26 October 2019

The Back Flap

The Georgia plantation known as Magnolia Landing has been an ideal place to grow up for Malayna and Hattie, two girls of different races born just hours apart. They have been best friends from their first breathes due to the unusual and unpopular beliefs of Malayna’s father that all men are created equal regardless of skin color. Their idyllic youth is shattered by a Civil War that takes their fathers away from home, leaving the girls to survive on their own as they learn to navigate their new reality; working to keep their families both well-fed and safe. That is until the war and Northern soldiers come to Magnolia Landing. This is their story of love, friendship, and survival… against all odds.

About the book

What is the book about?

Magnolia Landing is a tale of interracial friendship, family, and love set on a Georgia plantation against the backdrop of the Civil War. It takes on racial prejudice and encourages people to look at their own misconceptions about those who aren’t just like them.

When did you start writing the book?

I had the idea for years but started writing the book in early 2015.

How long did it take you to write it?

I had pretty much completed the book by mid-fall 2015.  Life has a way of throwing us curveballs through unexpected events though and it had to be shelved until late summer this year, 2019.

Where did you get the idea from?

I have always been fascinated by the American Civil War era.  I knew that I wanted to write historical fiction.  I also knew that I wanted to show that not all Southern plantation owners were inherently evil slave holders.  I grew up in the rural South where people still struggled (and some still do) with the races mixing.  We, however, are a multi-racial family and I wanted to challenge readers to examine the possibilities of interracial relationships, friendships, and families.  The desire to combine all these goals in my writing led to the creation of Magnolia Landing.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I particularly struggled with the ending because I wanted to conclude a segment of the story.  At the same time, I wanted to leave readers wanting more … with a desire to know what has happened and what will happen.  That was a very difficult balance for me.

What came easily?

Letting the characters drive the story and modelling them after parts of my own life made the writing much easier than it might have been, if the storyline had felt unnatural or unfamiliar to me. For example, there are four Wellington girls in the story.  We have four daughters. The plantation becomes not much more than a working farm. They become dependent on their ability to raise crops and livestock in order to provide food. This is basically the way I grew up until we moved off the farm when I was 16.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

While the characters are fictitious, I have borrowed characteristics from real world people.  Malayna is what my Mama raised me to be – strong and resilient.  Many times, when my husband would be deployed overseas, I would hear “oh you’re so strong” or “I don’t know how you do it.”  The truth is no one knows what they are truly capable of until being strong is the only choice they have.  I had four little girls at home to continue raising so I simply did what needed to be done just as Mama taught me.  Mama and Grandmama are, therefore, each a reflection of my Mama in their own ways. Mama, like Mama in Magnolia Landing, was a prayer warrior who would pray her way through any situation until she was forced to take a different route.  Then she’d continue to pray while taking the different route.  Mama, like Grandmama in Magnolia Landing, taught us that all people are people regardless of the color of their skin.  We all bleed the same color was a phrase she liked to use, especially when she would try to explain to some less enlightened people of my youth that heaven would not be segregated.  People had better learn to have friendships across racial lines and learn to embrace integration in all areas of life, because that’s the way we’d all be living in heaven. I vividly recall her having this argument quite frequently with one of my aunts.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I’m an avid reader and find there is nothing better than curling up with a good book.  Some of my favorite authors are Margaret Mitchell, John Jakes, Pat Conroy, Debbie Macomber, and Nicholas Sparks… I could go on and on with this list, but I’ll stop there.  I’m not certain how each has influenced me because I’ve honestly never really thought about it.

Do you have a target reader?

Not really, although I fully expect to have a more female audience who will most likely be mid-20s and older.  I suppose they would then become my target readers if I had to pick.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I tend to simply shut myself in a room and start writing.  This sometimes involves posting a sign on the door that says “Writing in Progress” to attempt to keep the children out at least for a bit.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

No, I don’t typically outline, but I do use thinking maps to get myself started then springboard from there with various ideas.  I plan to start outlining more in the future to see if it’ll foster a smoother process.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

Other than glaring, obvious mistakes and typos, I do not edit as I go.  Once I am finished, I go back through multiple times to do the editing.

Did you hire a professional editor?

No, my husband and I were both English majors at Pfeiffer College where we met, so we did the editing ourselves.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping.

Occasionally, yes, but it’s not so much that it gets my fingers tapping as it is that it blocks out the distractions of the children and dogs.  I’ll typically play either Contemporary Christian or Country.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No, I did not.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher?

I decided to go Indie because it is easier to initially get published, although the marketing is admittedly a bigger challenge.

Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

It was a gradual process, years in the making.  As a little girl, I would tell my Mama that I was going to be a teacher or a writer so the desire to write, as well as the dream to be published, was always within me.  My parents always told to dream big and I could achieve anything if I’d work hard enough.  After losing both of my parents, I was haunted by not having tried hard enough while they were still with me.  I began to look at publishers and publishing options without ever saying anything to my family. I sent out several emails and inquiries with samples of my writing just to see what would happen. We were having lunch at a small amusement park in FL with my husband’s parents and our daughters when I got an email alert on my phone.  It was from Author House and that’s when I first told my husband.  I said, “honey I did this thing with my writing and you’re not going to believe this, but I just got an email back from a publisher.”  He said, “well email them back,” once he realized what I was saying.  I did and literally a few minutes later an Author House representative was on the phone.  I answered and things just started falling into place from there.  Obviously, the whole family found out at that point.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself? 

Author House designed the cover from a photo that my daughter, Trina, had taken.  She is a professional photographer, just starting her business, 1,000 Words Imagery, and I prefer utilizing her work.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I suppose we are winging it.  I say we because my husband and I are both working on marketing the book.  We are learning as we go.  We are wanting to focus on Indie bookstores as much as possible and we are also utilizing social media.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Work hard and never give up.  If it can happen for a poor farm girl from Gold Hill, NC then it can happen for anyone. Just be positive, patient, and persistent.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I’m sure you’ve heard of one stoplight towns. Well, I grew up in a town so small we didn’t even have that.  I grew up in the middle of nowhere, on a farm in Gold Hill, NC.

Where do you live now?

We live in Salisbury, NC; located in the same county I was raised in.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m just an ordinary person like anyone else.  I’m an Army wife, who supported her soldier through three deployments to Kuwait and Iraq with the NC Army National Guard.  I’m also a homeschool mom.  I’m a follower of Jesus, but that doesn’t mean I’m perfect. It simply means I’m forgiven.  I have four daughters and they, not my writing, will be my greatest legacy.

What are you working on now?

Book Two in the Magnolia Series, Malayna’s story isn’t over yet.

End of Interview:

For more from Tamra check out her website and like her Facebook page.

Get your copy of Magnolia Landing from Amazon US or Amazon UK.