Jo Huddleston and Claiming Peace, the Caney Creek series

About the Author:

Jo’s career has spanned a variety of work. She was a high school teacher and guidance counselor, a state political campaign secretary, two-time small business owner, and a real estate agent.  She is a multi-published author of books, articles, and short stories. Jo has just completed the 3-book Caney Creek Series, her debut novels. Her writing career includes more than 200 articles and short stories, which have appeared in over 50 well-known Christian and secular publications. She contributes to ChristianDevotions.us.

Jo holds a B.A. degree with honors from Lincoln Memorial University (TN), and is a member of their Literary Hall of Fame. She earned a M.Ed. degree from Mississippi State University. Professional membership: American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

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Claiming Peace

 

A Southern inspirational historical romance novel 

Facing her lowest moments, Callie’s life begins to crumble.

As he’s done with others of his extended family, can Jim help her find peace?

Visit again the Callaway family and friends in 1951 who live in the Southern Appalachians of East Tennessee. Why did Callie have an appointment with a neurologist? Will she work her way through whatever lies ahead for her and her family? Does Emmajean’s attraction for the young lawyer, Terry, blossom further or die on the vine when he wants her to meet his parents? Can Caroline and Jim find happiness in their long-delayed marriage? You’ll meet some new characters as the Callaway saga continues. Follow the Callaway family throughout the Caney Creek Series—live their triumphs, sorrows, achievements, and losses.

Buy Claiming Peace

Signed paperback copies available in left sidebar at www.johuddleston.com

Paperback copies available at publisher’s website

Paperback and Kindle copies available at Amazon

Nook copies available

 

The author shares:

1.Tell us what you love about Claiming Peace.

What I love most about my book is the characters. Perhaps all authors feel this same way but I know these people to their core. Most of them would be welcome to my dinner table any time. While writing this series, I have cried with them, laughed with them, struggled with them when their faith faltered, cheered with them in the happy times and prayed with them in sorrowful times. I loved watching them mature in years and in their closer walk with God. This book being the last in the Caney Creek Series, I had a real letdown when I finished the book. I had been with these people daily through three books. Then the book ended and they were gone. I moped around for a couple of days and was hard to get along with. It was like a good friend had moved away.

2.What did you learn during the research and publishing of this book?

I found myself letting a character turn on his car’s left blinker then stopped. Did cars have turn signals in 1951? I learned that they did—for the first time that year. I learned about the existence or nonexistence in 1951 of washing machines, dishwashers, bench seats in cars, the Korean War, lingering discrimination toward Japanese after World War II, and many more material things we have today that I had to make sure existed in 1951.

3.How did you carry out the theme of the book in the writing?

I concentrated on one character in the book that had the most need for peace. As this character proclaimed peace through most trying times, other family members and friends realized they could also claim the peace Jesus promised to leave with us. Others drew strength from this character’s holding on to God’s peace.

Jo Huddleston of Guideposts shares her sequel BEYOND THE PAST

Meet Jo Huddleston

Jo Huddleston's debut novel, That Summer, released in December 2012 as the first  book in The Caney Creek Series. Book 2, Beyond the Past, released April 2013. Book 3 is scheduled to release September 2013. Jo holds a B.A. degree with honors from Lincoln Memorial University (TN), and is a member of their Literary Hall of Fame. She earned a M.Ed. degree from Mississippi State University. Professional membership: American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

Jo’s career has spanned a variety of work. She was a high school teacher and guidance counselor, a political campaign secretary, two-time business owner and a real estate agent.  Her writing career includes more than 200 articles and short stories, which have appeared in over 50 well-known Christian and secular publications such as Guideposts and The Upper Room. She contributes to ChristianDevotions.us.

Jo loves spending time with her children and grandchildren, visiting the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, and reading.

Website: www.johuddleston.com/p/home.html

Blog: www.johuddleston.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jo.huddleston.hope

About the book:

 

Emmajean Callaway’s life in Atlanta plummets from bad to worse.  

Can big brother, Jim, lead her back to the family who loves her 

and also hold the imploding Callaway family together?

 

Jim Callaway looks forward to 1951 and the chance to forge a relationship with Caroline after twenty years apart. He’s sidetracked when his sister and his best friend need his help. His baby sister, Emmajean, skids into jail on drug charges in Atlanta. The ordeal of incarceration and trial diminishes her and she needs rescuing, not only physically but spiritually. She struggles toward recovery and restoration with her lawyer’s help as he champions her inside and outside the courtroom. Jim’s nephew Art is one step ahead of the truant officer, wrecks his car, and officials suspect alcohol is involved. Art awaits his fate at the hands of the juvenile court judge. Jim and Caroline continue their bumpy journey as they seek realization of their dreams, wondering if they really can overcome obstacles to their being together after so many years.

Jo, tell us what you love about your books.

What I love the most about my books are the characters. Perhaps all authors feel this same way but I know these people to their core. Most of them would be welcome to my dinner table any time. While writing this series, I have cried with them, laughed with them, struggled with them when their faith faltered, cheered with them in the happy times and prayed with them in sorrowful times.

Introduce us to one character from the latest book, please.

The basic premise of this series and this book is that whatever decisions we make, they will have consequences. This is so true for several of my characters in this series. Let me introduce you to Emmajean Callaway. She grew up dirt poor on a rented farm. Before her poppa came to know Jesus, he was mean to her brothers and even she and her sister became afraid of him. As soon as Emmajean finished high school, she took money she’s saved from part-time jobs, bought a bus ticket to Atlanta, and headed for a career in the fashion industry. Never having been in a big city, Atlanta and the people there overwhelmed her. She worked two jobs just to pay her rent. A man offered her a lucrative job, which she accepted in her naïveté. That decision, although made innocently, put her in great trouble. She has no one in Atlanta and needs her family that she discarded many years ago. Will they help her when she asks them for help?

Share your best three marketing tips?

Some beginning authors incorrectly think that once they get a publishing contract for their book, it’s fun time from there on. No, they have to slay that dragon called marketing. Marketing is not like cooking spaghetti—take a noodle, throw it at the refrigerator and if it sticks it’s done. I find marketing harder than writing. One of the three marketing things I’ve used to my best advantage is a virtual blog tour—setting up dates to visit other blogs with either being interviewed about my book or writing an article related to my book. Another is interviewing a character from the book, either on my blog or elsewhere online. A third one that’s worked well for me is announcing and talking about my book in my newsletter. Subscribers to my newsletter are people who, by giving me their email address, already want to hear from me about my books. I haven’t found a magical bullet for marketing. However, you do have to start with a great book to market.

BUY THE BOOK:

Signed paperback copies available in left sidebar at www.johuddleston.com
Paperback copies available at publisher’s website
Paperback and eBook copies available at Amazon