Local author gives inside look at two books

Adair County author Beck Stanley gave a look into what her two books might say about themselves if pages could speak last week.

The author spoke and answered questions during a Local Author Talk held Friday, Nov. 15 at the Greenfield City Hall Meeting Room, hosted by the Greenfield Public Library.

Stanley’s books are entitled “The Last Weekend of September” and “Beyond September.”

Written from 1989-1994, her first book was inspired about a time she and a best friend, living in Colorado, wanted to visit the resort city Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

“We didn’t have any money. Back then, an aluminum can was a nickel. We put boxes in service stations, mechanic shops. We made enough money to not only pay for our fuel and the room, but we had enough to buy souvenirs,” Stanley said.

Stanley said that popular advice to authors is to “write what you know.” While a little bit of Stanley’s life is actually in the books, it’s only a small percentage of the plot.

Her first book was difficult to publish because that was before the advent of the internet. Instead, hard copies had to be sent and you had to be patient for a reply.

Living in Oregon with her book still not published, she met her now-husband Chuck. They later moved to rural Greenfield once Chuck retired.

“As far as getting published, God has the best timing in everything. He knew I wasn’t ready for that responsibility back then,” Stanley said.

Stanley was encouraged by former Greenfield dentist Dr. Kathryn Handtke to publish the book, and Handtke even offered to assist her in finding a publisher. It was that connection that led to “The Last Weekend of September” being published.

The love story first introduced in “The Last Weekend of September” continues in “Beyond September,” which is a tale of survival and the strength of faith.

The main character of the books don’t have cell phones, computers or anything like that because the setting is in the 1980s, before all those things existed.

Stanley said to keep characters and the plot consistent, she had a notepad with a listing of descriptions for each character.

To help in her knowledge of firearms used in the time period her stories are set in, Stanley met with Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater, whose knowledge and research helped her greatly. She also consulted car lovers on what cars to include and what features they did or didn’t have.

“I put that one of them had a cupholder, and someone came over, had read it and told me that car didn’t have a cupholder, so it had to be an aftermarket cupholder,” Stanley said.

Stanley said her inspiration to begin writing came at a very young age when her great grandmother told her a story of how she had ridden in a covered wagon from somewhere out east to Montana. The way she shared that story led Stanley to become wrapped up in stories like that.

While her first book came quite easily, the second book took more of a conscious effort. She left a small window in the second book that gives room for a third, if she decides to write one.

“I had an assignment in fourth grade to write a story, so I wrote the story of how my great grandmother rode in a covered wagon and how Pa shot the Indians,” Stanley. “The teacher went crazy over it and she took it to a conference. My mom read it and told me she thought I may have embellished a little of it, which is what a storyteller does. It went on from there.”

Stanley said Chuck was a great support throughout the writing of her second book. She would sometimes even call her computer names.

Stanley will hold a book-signing event 1-3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 at Greenfield Home Store and More.

Of the writing process, Stanley said succinctly, “If you’ve got a story to tell, it’ll tell itself.”