One example was a young boy who claimed to be a World War II fighter pilot killed at Iwo Jima and correctly named the plane, a friend who was killed, and the circumstances around the death. The idea of children with past life memories grabbed me and would not let go.
Ellen Birkett Morris – 23 April 2024
The Back Flap
Beware the Tall Grass weaves the stories of the Sloans, a modern family grappling with their young son Charlie’s troubling memories of a past life as a soldier in Vietnam, and Thomas Boone, a young man caught up in the drama of mid-sixties America who is sent to Vietnam. Eve Sloan is challenged as a mother to make sense of Charlie’s increasing references to war, and her attempts to get to the bottom of Charlie’s past life memories threaten her marriage, while Thomas struggles with loss and first love, before being thrust into combat and learning what matters most. Beware the Tall Grass explores the power of love and mercy with grace and artful sensitivity in a world where circumstances often occur far beyond our control.
About the book
What is the book about?
Beware the Tall Grass is a novel about an extraordinary connection between a boy and a Vietnam soldier separated by decades, but connected by trauma. With war as a backdrop and empathy at the heart of the novel, this dual narrative takes on the power of love and courage to meet unforeseen circumstances.
When did you start writing the book?
I wrote it first as a short story, and then began working on a novel version in 2015.
How long did it take you to write it?
Eight years total to tease out the connections between the two story lines, a mother trying to figure out her son’s disturbing memories and a soldier facing the ultimate test of courage.
Where did you get the idea from?
I was in the car on a road trip with my husband in 2014 when we heard a story about children with past life memories on National Public Radio. The story centered on a research program at the University of Virginia and the work of neuroscientist who explored the phenomena of young children with past life memories and attempted to verify the children’s claims by checking them against reportage from the times. One example was a young boy who claimed to be a World War II fighter pilot killed at Iwo Jima and correctly named the plane, a friend who was killed, and the circumstances around the death. The idea of children with past life memories grabbed me and would not let go.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Finding the perfect ending was hard. I was dealing with past life memories, what connects us, and the nature of time. It was challenging to wrap up those themes in a way that would resonate with people.
What came easily?
The voice of Eve, a mother who wants to give her child a perfect childhood. I drew from my own experience of when life didn’t meet my expectations and I had to advocate for myself and others.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
My characters are made up, but their quirks, like Dan’s love of the logical and Dumbo’s singing, are borrowed from people I know. Also, the emotions they convey are filtered through my own experiences with fear, bravery and grief. I love creating characters and populating their word with quirky details.
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 love Hemingway’s clean sentences and Elizabeth Strout’s humanity and empathy. I seek to write clear prose that centers on the human experience in a nonjudgmental way.
Do you have a target reader?
Anyone looking to escape, and perhaps to understand what it means to be another human.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I write mostly between 10:30 am and 3:00 pm with frequent breaks to walk around. I switch between my writing, author interviews and media relations for a local nonprofit. I don’t give myself word count goals, I strive to make the story better, clearer, and more vivid.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I don’t outline, but I do try to have a general roadmap of where the characters will go or what they will be doing.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I edit as I go, and also many times once a draft is finished.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
No
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I have submitted my work to agents and had an agent for about six months. I severed that relationship when I found out his professional organization asked him to resign.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
When I came across the Donald L. Jordan Prize from Columbus State University Press I decided to enter. My novel Beware the Tall Grass perfectly matched the prize’s mission to “engage a reader with upholding human values, such as trust, generosity, love, gratitude, or responsibility.” I was thrilled when I found out my story of a mother’s love and a soldier’s courage won the prize.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
CSU Press engaged the writer/designer Peter Andrew Selgin to create the cover.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I have a plan and it involves a network of bloggers, podcasters and reviews who focus on independent authors.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Go for it! Be ready to do a lot of the marketing works yourself, but also to enjoy a fair amount of control over things like your cover and book blurb. Don’t expect to make much money, but enjoy having your story in the world.
About You
Where did you grow up?
Louisville, Kentucky
Where do you live now?
Louisville, Kentucky
What would you like readers to know about you?
I come from a writing family. My dad wrote detective fiction. I am the proud mother of a rescue dog.
What are you working on now?
I am revising a novel that tells the story of a young woman who goes to Hawaii to study astronomy and gets involved in a celestial discovery and love triangle that challenges her view of the world.
End of Interview:
Get your copy of Beware the Tall Grass from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
One response to “IndieView with Ellen Birkett Morris, author of Beware the Tall Grass”