So…what the heck is Four and a Half Billion People about anyway???

Over the next weeks as we count down to launch of my next novel, I’ll feature some posts to answer that elusive question! Let’s start with place. The story takes place in the Appalachian region of southeastern Ohio in the late 1970s, where I have family roots and visited often as a child. My grandparents’ farmhouse matches the feel of the home depicted on the cover. The flavor of the region includes coal, salt springs, rolling foothills, Indian mounds, Welsh heritage and the yearly Apple Festival. Making appearances in the story are a second-hand drum set, a nostalgic red three-speed Schwinn Sting-Ray chopper bicycle, limited job opportunities, budding feminism, the “townies” versus the “country kids” and the unbreakable bond of family—especially the bond between siblings! And, of course, don’t forget the rumble of the train that rocks your house like a lullaby and warms your soul with a gentle rhythm that can only mean one thing: you are home.