Lina asked Tess Hilmo:

What inspired you to write a book from a pastor kids's perspective?

Tess Hilmo Thanks for the question, Lina. A few things came together to give me the idea. I love Southern literature and thought a Southern murder mystery would be fun to write. I set it in Arkansas because that is where my father's side of the family is from and I was able to connect to that part of myself through researching the area. Then, since I was thinking to set the novel in the South, the memory of a great-great Uncle I have came to mind. Uncle Will was on my mother's side and was an itinerant preacher in the South (though he lived in the 30's not the 50's). He was born Quaker but struck out on his own and was a general faith travelling preacher. Like Reverend Love, he also had five children. Anyway, growing up, my mother spoke of him from time to time and I would often think how hard it must have been as a child of a travelling preacher....moving around from town to town. Uncle Will's wife kept a great journal and I was able to read it as part of my research for the novel.

The name "Reverend Love" is actually a nod to my mother. I have many memories of cleaning the house on Saturday mornings. She would put on a record (are you old enough to remember record players??) and we would all clean together. One song I liked was Neil Diamond's "Hot August Nights". In the song, there is a refrain that is something like, "Love, Love, Brother Love's travelling salvation show. Grab the old ladies. Pack up your babies and everyone goes...everyone knows...Brother Love's show." So, I named my character Reverend Love as a fun play on that memory and as a nod to my great mother and our Saturday morning cleanings :)

flag