It’s release day for Night Songs! For the next week, I will be posting fun and fascinating facts about Tennessee. At the end of each post, enter for a chance to win the giveaway for the day.
This is a fresh chapter in my writing career—or at the very least, a new series. When Chris and I moved to middle Tennessee in the summer of 2018, I had just signed my first contract for book publication. In fact, I received the email offering me the contract with Celebrate Lit Publishing while we were driving through this beautiful state and praying about our decision to relocate here. The following April (2019) Surrendered was released. It was Book 1 in my Apple Hill Series. I didn’t even know then that I had a series. What followed was two more books and three novellas.
Unlike the Apple Hill Series, which is set in Placerville, California, Night Songs is set here in middle Tennessee. I grew up in Northern California, so I am fairly knowledgeable about its history—especially the Gold Country where we resided. Tennessee is as different from California as oranges is to okra—which is pretty popular here. Good thing my dad was a born southerner, so I happen to like that odd-shaped (and odd-textured) vegetable.
Tennessee became the 16th state in the U.S. in 1796—only twenty years after we won independence from Britain. There are eight other states that border ours—Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, and Missouri (which is tied as the only other state that shares so many borders). It’s a wonder that we can travel a few hours in any direction and be in a different state. We often drive down to the Gulf Coast (the southernmost point in Alabama) in much less time than it took us to drive to Disneyland when we lived in the “Golden State.” And it’s a mere seven-hour drive to visit Savannah, Georgi, which is one of my favorite places.
As I’m sure you know, every state has their own flag depicting something unique about their state. California’s highlights a big brown bear. Tennessee’s is red with blue stripe running down its right edge and a blue circle in the middle—and in the circle, three white stars. If you aren’t from around these parts, you may wonder if it has anything to do with the Confederacy. It does not. Rather it distinguishes the “Grand Divisions” of Tennessee—east, middle, and west.
Western Tennessee is pretty flat, and to get there from here, we have to cross the Mississippi River. Eastern Tennessee is mountainous—in fact, it’s where the Great Smoky Mountains sits on the border of North Carolina. You’ll hear more about that and Graceland (in western Tennessee) in the following week.
The Bedford County Series is set in…you guessed it, Bedford County. This includes Shelbyville, Bell Buckle, Wartrace, Unionville, and Normandy. However, I do allow my characters to stray outside this little county. In Night Songs, they visit Leiper’s Fork (Williamson County), Nashville (Davidson County), Murfreesboro (Rutherford County), and Columbia (Maury County).
It’s important to note the Tennessee state bird is the Mockingbird. Why, you might ask? Because Night Songs was named after a lone mockingbird singing out his heart at 2:00 in the morning. Some think they’re obnoxious and aggressive birds, but I happen to love listening them sing. It doesn’t hurt that my favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird.
For more fun and fascinating facts about this beautiful state, come back tomorrow!
Be sure to enter here for a chance to win an ebook copy of Surrendered, Book 1 in the Apple Hill Series.
Comments 4
Hi Jennifer! How is Chris. Sounds like everything is going well with you two. Keep up the writing.
Author
Hi Kevin,
Will do! Chris is great. Hope y’all are well on your end of the state!
Loved reading the interesting facts about Tennessee. It makes me want to go visit again. The south is so much slower and genteel than Southern California! Nice post. Thank you.
Author
Thank you. Yes, we have found that southern hospitality is truly a thing here. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the posts.