Mary Lou Bird

-"TGCG" is a clean-ish (no smut, no cussing) historical fiction book with romance and mystery elements. It has disability and POC representation, and is set in 1908 Georgia.

-For lovers of Anne of Green Gables and Samantha Parkington (Yes, the American Girl), originally inspired by The Tortured Poets Department

To put it simply: secret identities, childhood friends to enemies, traitors, family secrets, small town, Edwardian mustaches, “what tangled webs we weave”, petty poets, self-destruction, betrayal, forced proximity, blind devotion, personal politics, hand kissing.

The book focuses on themes of rocky familial relationships in times of conflict, cycles of revenge, generational trauma, legacies, and the power and influence of forgiveness.

ABOUT:

April, 1908. Joanie Grimmet, 23, was inspired almost 3 years ago to pursue business in New York by her wealthy aunt, an heiress to a fortune built on a Sugar Milling Company in her hometown of Graves Creek, Georgia.

Though Joanie has found employment with an over-expanding publishing company, she hasn't climbed the corporate ladder as quickly as she'd hoped- but this pursuit was interrupted the day of her Grandfather's death, in addition to this, she was almost fired for speaking out of line.  Instead, in a stroke of luck, she was given a task just before she left for her grandfather's funeral. Find a warehouse for the publishing company within two weeks to house their overflowing demands. 

Planning to return to New York by the end of the week, Joanie jumps on a train to attend her grandfather's funeral- a man known for his mysterious history with the original owner of Young Milling Co.

But upon arriving, Joanie finds that some things have changed. Her family has suddenly fallen into money, her Aunt Edith, her inspiration, has been exiled by the town- even by Joanie's own mother, (with passion) and was left on the edge of squalor after the failure of her Father's Milling Co.

Joanie becomes determined to clear her name- not just because she loves her Aunt, but because she happens to be in possession of the one thing Joanie needs. A fully built, ready-for-operation warehouse.

How do you clear her name? Adapt a pseudonym, lead a double life, and write letters- despite her mother and her new friends- to the very newspaper responsible for spreading the scandals Edith wrapped herself in- The Graves Creek Gazette. All while balancing her love life- a brand new affair with a shady mayoral candidate, and an old affair, a man who hadn't stopped sending her letters- even after he was married.

CURRENT PROGRESS: I have written the first draft, line-edited the first draft, and written new first and last chapters. I'm currently on a two-month break before making changes and possibly replotting to split this one book (currently sitting at 150,000 words) into two books. We'll see.

So we're going to regroup! There are 71 scenes. Half of 71 is 35.5. That means it'll take 35 and a half days to rewrite the whole thing if I write one scene in the morning and one scene at night. Which, who wants to get out of the headspace for a scene if you reach your word limit?

My previous deadline was July 7th, which I think I can still do. There are 39 days left, and I have already written 5 scenes, so that means there are actually 33 days.

pray.