Two on Tuesday with Jessica Marie Holt

This week’s guest for the Two on Tuesday author spotlight is historical and contemporary fiction author, Jessica Marie Holt. Her Unsung Legacies series is an interconnected series of family dramas centered around a small town in rural North Carolina, told in a lyrical, literary style.

Jessica’s Two on Tuesday Facts:

1. I rely on music to inspire me and help me stay in the mood and vibe of a story. I will often pick a specific song that reflects a specific book, and listen to it often as I write. For example, I listened to Gregory Alan Isakov’s “The Stable Song” on repeat as I wrote Just Before Dawn, the first book in my historical fiction series. I live in a somewhat rural area of North Carolina, where my historical fiction books take place, and I will often drive through the countryside listening to folk, bluegrass and blues. Hearing the music, and passing by picket fences, ponds, wooded areas, and dilapidated hundred-year-old houses really connects me to the history and spirit of the setting.
2. I do extensive research, and fuss a lot over historical details, like whether a specific tree existed in North Carolina in 1868. This leads me down some rabbit holes, and forces some rewrites. I was once researching whether indoor bathrooms existed in New York City boarding houses, and ended up learning about the history of bathrooms through the ages. And when I found out that many, if not most larger homes in rural NC had separate outdoor kitchens, I had to rewrite a number of scenes in Sunlight and Shadows to reflect this fascinating fact.

Jessica is available to connect with readers on Facebook and Twitter. More information on her books can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/everywordmatters/

Calling all authors!

Are you an an author interested in being featured on Two on Tuesday? If so, please complete the form here.

Disclaimer: Authors featured within the Two on Tuesday Author Spotlight were not compensated in any way for their participation. Content included within each author’s current or future works or the legitimacy of any information provided within this spotlight are not the responsibility of Kelsey Gietl. Authors were provided book content guidelines prior to applying. Authors should be contacted directly with any questions.