This is not a post about Helene, but I'm going to start there. Bear with me. The morning following the storm, my neighbors and I began to peek out, wary of the still gusty winds among the massive tree trunks and limbs on the roads, cars, and houses of the neighborhood. We had power briefly that morning, but once we lost it, it was gone for a long while. My whole-house generator kicked on, making a racket in the now-quiet collection of homes clustered near the top of Long John Mountain. I'd never had one before - not through my years in storm-riddled Florida, not in snowy Maryland. With it, I had the ability to help - not with a chainsaw like the posse of neighbors who made their way up the mountain, clearing the road with giant saws, rakes, and loppers, pulling limbs and logs to the shoulders before passing through with their pickup trucks. We were all in the street, checking on each other, surveying damage, providing aid where we could. For us, that was providing hot meals to those who could use it. Another neighbor brought in non-potable water from his business so we could flush toilets, because no power means no pump house at the bottom of the mountain. No showers, no laundry, no dishwasher. I met more neighbors in those first few days than I had in the 18 months I'd been here.
Just prior to the storm, my employer cut my hours, essentially making me part time when classes were scheduled and on my own when they were not. I chose to think of the additional time as an opportunity to focus more attention on writing. I'd just returned from Bouchercon - the World Mystery Convention, I was podcasting about writing life in North Carolina, and I had ideas to chase down. And then my podcasting partner stepped away to pursue her own projects. I added affiliate links for cool stuff I loved that I thought other readers, writers, and listeners would love too - nothing happened. I tried to build an audience for the podcast on my own - nothing changed. I powered through lessons to learn new skills to help me organize, create ads and market my efforts, drive traffic to my sites and my books - nothing came of it. And it was costing me every month, what now began to feel like a futile attempt to get my feet under me in a flood of change and ruin.
I made the decision to shutter Secrets and Lies at the beginning of the year. I was paying for recording, for hosting, and for promotion and not making any headway, and since I no longer had my former salary to liferaft it, it seemed ridiculous to keep going. I'm sad that I never quite got the podcast where I wanted it, but I learned a lot and I enjoyed it, so it was worthwhile.
So as I wade into the full on hellscape that has been January with one jawdropping headline after another, I remember my community who stepped up for each other through times of crisis. Carly at Claywood who fed people for free and provided workspace for those without power or internet after the storm. They endured prolonged construction essentially cutting them off from their customers and lost a team member unexpectedly and now it's our turn to step up and help. Make this a special occasion and celebrate at Claywood with a soul-soothing glass of dry reisling and some mushroom agnolotti.
Stop in The Joy of Books and pick up a local writer's work or a good whodunit to pass the time away from screens. I just acquired As the Crow Dies by Kenneth Butcher (could you have a better writer name?) and I'm excited to tackle an Asheville mystery. Bookstores and libraries are havens and deserve our support. And the peace they provide is unmatched, unless you happen to have gotten a gift for the spa at the Omni Grove Park Inn, in which case, the spa will take that matchup. Otherwise, though - bookstores all day.
Stop in at Three Chopt and check out the charming spot while noshing on a sandwich and chatting with the owner. Drop by Whit's for the Hendersonville Gem (a sundae with frozen custard, hot fudge, caramel, and toasted pecans - omg) because they donated a portion to local first responders, and because it's ridiculously good. Grab breakfast at Pop's diner or a slice at K's NY Pizza and SoFlo Food or lunch at the Purple Onion in Saluda. Find these local treasures and help others find them too. They are our neighbors and they need us now.
It seems like everyone has something in common - a school we attended, a place we lived or visited, a book we loved. Community is what we make it, so for those of you who are stepping up to provide a struggling writer a review or visiting a local business that needs our support, or sharing about your good experiences, or just plain being kind, know that it is appreciated, needed, and that those of us on the receiving end will happily pay it forward.
As for me, I am looking forward too. I have two new nonfiction books out on Amazon, and I'm writing the second Gina Morrison mystery. The Kindle version of Ten Dysfunctions is on sale for $.99 and I hope to hear back about some new story submissions in the coming weeks.
May you have good coffee and good stories!
💕📚 Carolyn
