It is character-driven, and I love to watch people. I wrote the bulk of the first draft on a stack of yellow legal pads in a little café down the street from my youngest daughter’s preschool. 

Anne Shaw Heinrich – 9 June 2024

The Back Flap

When we first meet Mary Kline in God Bless the Child, Book One of The Women of Paradise County series, she is sewing, her main obsession besides eating. It is hard to blame Mary for who she has become. She’s been perpetually hungry since childhood, and as she becomes a woman, she craves something far more delicious—a child of her own.

When Pearl Davis turns up pregnant after a church-basement encounter with James Pullman, the pastor’s son, Mary and her parents swoop in and “adopt” Pearl and her baby, Elizabeth. It’s a disastrous move.

As a teen, Elizabeth rebuffs Mary’s smothering affection and winds up pregnant. Mary insists on an abortion, which they both keep secret. When she later becomes a young mother, Elizabeth’s depression leads to severe OCD. When her irrationally patient husband, David, learns about the abortion and the harrowing nights Elizabeth witnessed as a child when her birth mother was abused, more secrets are revealed that explain Mary Kline’s insatiable appetite and her desire to be loved.

By the time Mary and Elizabeth confront the twisted truths that bind them, their entire family are sucked into grappling with layers of trauma spanning three generations.

Everyone in God Bless the Child must reckon with their past as they seek forgiveness and redemption.

About the book

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing the first manuscript of this novel 18 years ago (2006). It was right after an essay of mine was published in The New York Times bestseller The Right Words at the Right Time, Volume 2: Your Turn (Atria Books, 2006). The essay, Grandma’s Big Secret, was about discovering that my grandmother was a lingerie model!

How long did it take you to write it?

I wrote the first manuscript in about 18 months. I even started pitching it and had one agent request the full manuscript. She wanted me to remove the central character in the book, and I chose not to do so. Life started getting in the way. I am married, and have three children, who all needed me at the time. I put the book away for quite a while. Recently, I started writing some other pieces and reached back out to my original editor, David Tabatsky. He agreed to look the new stories over and encouraged me to take another look at God Bless the Child. We agreed that it still had legs and could work as a series with some of the other pieces I’d written. We dove back in and with some fresh eyes and edits and ended up with the current version. The second round of edits took about four months.

Where did you get the idea from?

That is a good question. I’m not sure. It is character-driven, and I love to watch people. I wrote the bulk of the first draft on a stack of yellow legal pads in a little café down the street from my youngest daughter’s preschool. I thought she was too little to ride the bus by herself and insisted on driving her.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Dialogue was a challenge in the beginning, but during this last round of edits, I really made strides with that by listening to the draft with the Read Aloud function in Word. It’s a great tool that allows me to give my eyes a break and listen for rough patches. I’ve really started paying more attention to vocal patterns and how people naturally talk to themselves and others.

What came easily?

I find it easy to make characters complex. I think that is because I believe most people have compelling stories to tell.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

My characters are entirely fictitious, but I have to admit that as I’ve written and refined them, I do have a pretty good idea about what I think they look like.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Oh, yes! I’ve always been a voracious reader, and I’m known to read books more than one time, to give them second and third chances. The books do not change, but I am always evolving, and bringing new sensibilities to a story. I like to think that perhaps the stories are reconsidering me. I love Pearl S. Buck, Wallace Stegner, Anita Shreve, Anne Tyler, and countless others. I am also drawn to biographies and nonfiction. Each time I read or reread something, I notice new things. I love to learn more about authors and which parts of their lives seep into their work.

Do you have a target reader?

I think God Bless the Child and the other two books in The Women of Paradise County Series will likely appeal to women, but it is just quirky enough that some men will also find it engaging.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so, can you please describe it?

I am no longer scratching things out with a pencil on yellow legal pads, but I do write in spurts and find that I do my best work when I’m not distracted. Once I have an idea, I just start pecking it out. Over the years, I have gotten a little bit more methodical, but I always start with characters, and let the story unfold. The characters will take you places if you let them.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I am not much for putting an outline on paper, but as I’m writing, I do have a direction in my mind.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I do a little bit of both. If I’ve taken a break for a few days, I often need to get myself back into the story, so I’ll read at least those last few pages where I left off. Every few chapters, I’ll read and edit as I go, but also do a fair amount of tweaking at the end of a story, too.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I have a contract with a traditional, independent publisher and work with a professional editor. He’s extremely talented, and I’ve learned so much from him.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I do like jazz and blues. Anything by George Winston, Dinah Washington or Diana Krall is going to keep my stories moving forward.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Yes. During that first round, I submitted quite a few, and earned a good number of rejection letters. That’s to be expected. I do have an agent representing me now.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

None of it was particularly intentional. I surrendered myself to the abilities of my agent, who understood what I wanted to do with the book, and the series.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

The cover is designed professionally by the publisher’s design team. They were great about collaborating with me to make sure the cover

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I am working with a literary publicist to do some targeted pitching. I manage my own social media and website, and work with the publisher to leverage opportunities.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Keep writing! If possible, work with a professional editor. Everyone needs an editor.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Cuba, Missouri.

Where do you live now?

Kirkwood, Missouri.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’ve been writing nearly my entire life. I love blogging, reading, and watching people. I am passionate about storytelling and mental health advocacy.

What are you working on now?

I am working on Books Two and Three in The Women of Paradise County Series. Book Two is called Violet Is Blue. It will release in June 2025, to be followed by Book Three, House of Teeth. I also have a healthy start on a fourth book, A Room for Candace.

I write a regular blog on Medium, which can be accessed on my website.

End of Interview:

For more from Anne Shaw Heinrich visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Get your copy of God Bless the Child from Amazon US or Amazon UK.